Lecture 6 - Research Design

8/2/2019 Lecture 6 - Research Design

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RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD

Dr R

Department CompuFaculty of Scienc



INTRODUCTION

Before researchers undertake any research activitessential that they consider carefully an overall resstrategy by considering as to which research commthey feel they belong to, and that they know the

epistemological, ethical and ontological assumptio

their research.Remenyi et al., 1

This will help define the field of research and the ta



Assumptions - Table 1

Ontology Whether the subject of investigation is theconsciousness (nominalism) or whether it independently (realism).

Epistemology What our grounds of knowledge are.

Human

nature

Whether humans interact creatively with th

(voluntarism) or whether they are passive(determinism).

Methodology Nomothetic or ideographic approaches to

Remen



The Quantitative and Qualitative Paradigms

Remen

Quantitative Qualitative

Ontologicalasumption

We can determine the waythings are and the causeeffect relations

Realities are cactors and areconsidered mo

other.

Epistemologicalassumption

The investigator and theobject are independent fromeach other. The object can beresearched without beinginfluenced by the researcher.

The researcheobject of reseaobject. Findinginteraction betresearched




Remen


Methodologicalassumption

The most prevalent methodsused include experiments,quasi-experiments,hypothesis-testing techniques.

Meaningful phenomena – variables are accuratelymeasured.

The meaningcan only be dclose interacresearcher a

term observainterviews, codocuments.




Remen


Axiologicalassumption

Values are excluded from theresearch process. They areconsidered confoundingvariables-phenomena that

cloud our view of reality.

Values haveThe researcbe openly ppursuing the

Rhetoricalassumption

The research is written fromperspective of the disinterestedscientist. Mathematical

The researc1st person, ipassionate i



Comparison between positivism and phenomeno

Burrell and Morgan(1979) argue that the four dioutlined in Table 1 inform radically different fram

paradigms. They indicate that there are discerndifferences among research approaches based

permutations of the four factors.A paradigm denotes a common perspective whithe work of a group of theorists in such a manne

identifies them as analysing social issues in the(Kuhn, 1962; Morgan, 1980).



Key features of positivist and phenomenological paradigms

Positivist Phenomen

BasicBeliefs:

World is external and objective.Observer is independent.

Science is value-free.

World is sosubjective.is observedhuman inte

Researchersshould:

Focus on facts. Look for causalities anfundamental laws. Reduce phenomena to

simplest elements. Formulate and testhypotheses.

Focus on munderstand

at totality oideas throu

Preferredmethods:

Operationalise concepts so that they canbe measured. Use multiple methods toestablish different views of phenomena.

Small samor over tim

Ea



Deciding on research strategy

Assumption Question Quantitative Q

Ontologicalassumption

What is the nature ofreality?

Reality is ojective andsingular. m

p

Epistemological Assumption

What is the relationshipof the researcher to theresearched?

Researcher isindependent from beingresearched.

t

AxiologicalAssumption

What is the role ofvalues?

Value-free andunbiased.

V

Based on Firestone, 1987; Guba and Linco



Deciding on research strategy

Assumption Question Quantitative Qu

Rhetoricalassumption

What is thelanguage ofresearch?

Formal. Set on based definition.Impersonal voice; Use ofacceptable quantitative words

InfoPerqua

MethodologicalAssumption

What is theprocess ofresearch?

Deductive process. Cause andeffect. Static design. Categoriesisolated before study. Context

free. Generalisations leading toprediction, explanation andunderstanding. Accurate andreliable through validity andreliability.

Inddesdur

Cotheundreli

Based on Firestone, 1987; Guba and L



Deduction and induction

Deductive approach:

Theory ObservationHypothesis

Inductive approach:

Observation Tentative

Hypothes

Pattern



Matching research questions with strategy

Purpose of study Research Question ResearchStrategy

Exploratory:

To investigate littleunderstoodphenomena. Identifyimportant variables and

generate hypothesesfor further research

What is happening in thissocial programme? What arethe salient themes, patterns,categories in participants’

meaning structures? How

are patterns linked with oneanother?

Case study

Field study

Ethnography





Explanatory:

To explain the forcescausing thephenomenon inquestion. Identify

plausible causalnetworks shaping thephenomenon.

What events, beliefs,attitudes, policies areshaping this phenomenon?

How do these interact toresult in the phenomenon?

Field study

Multi-casestudy

History

Ethnography





Descriptive:

To document thephenomenon ofinterest.

What are the salientbehaviours, events, beliefs,attitudes, structures,processes occurring in thisphenomenon?

Field study

Case study

Ethnography





Predictive:

To predict theoutcomes of thephenomenon; toforecast the events and

behaviours resultingfrom the phenomenon.

What will occur as a result ofthis phenomenon?

Who will be affected and inwhat ways?

Experiment

Quasi-experiment



Triangulation

Triangulation is the use of different methods of data collection t

validity and reliability of findings (Denzin, 1970).

Triangulation can ‘overcome the potential bias and sterility of a

approach’ (Hussey and Hussey, 1997:74).

Qualitative data has to be collected in a thorough and rigorous to ensure the internal validity of the study and to increase its e

when generalising research findings.

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Lecture 6 - Research Design