Research Methods Lecture 2

Research Methods

• Research is the process of finding solutions to a problem after thorough study and analysis of situational factors.
• It involves skills and practices such as reading, experimenting, analyzing, writing, presenting, and critical thinking.

Importance of Research Methods

• Teaches skills and practices of research.
• Directly relevant to thesis writing.
• Likely to be relevant to future activities (research or otherwise).

Definitions of Research

• "The systematic and scholarly application of the scientific method interpreted in its broader sense, to the solution of social studies problems." (George J. Mouly)
• "Research is, literally speaking, a kind of human behavior, an activity in which people engage." (Francis G. Cornell)
• "Research is a carefully inquiry or examination in seeking facts or principles; a diligent investigation to ascertain something." (Clifford Woody)

General Characteristics of Research

• Gathers new knowledge or data from primary or first-hand sources.
• Emphasizes the discovery of general principles.
• Is an exact, systematic, and accurate investigation.
• Uses valid data gathering devices.
• Is logical and objective.
• Resists the temptation to seek only data that supports hypotheses.
• Eliminates personal feelings and preferences.
• Endeavors to organize data in quantitative terms.
• Is a patient and unhurried activity.

Types of Research

• Applied Research: seeks to solve practical problems, find solutions to everyday problems, and develop innovative technologies.
• Basic Research: driven by curiosity, aims to expand knowledge, and has no obvious commercial value.
• Correlational Research: studies relationships between variables, without determining cause and effect.
• Descriptive Research: provides an accurate portrayal of characteristics, discovers new meaning, and categorizes information.
• Ethnographic Research: investigates a culture through in-depth study, collects data, and interprets results.
• Experimental Research: an objective, systematic, controlled investigation to predict and control phenomena.
• Exploratory Research: conducted for a problem that has not been clearly defined, helps determine the best research design.
• Grounded Theory Research: discovers what problems exist in a given social environment, and how persons involved handle them.
• Historical Research: analyzes events that occurred in the past, provides context, and helps make realistic decisions.

Qualitative vs Quantitative Research

• Qualitative Research: deals with phenomena difficult to quantify, gathers in-depth understanding, and investigates human behavior.
• Quantitative Research: uses statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques to investigate phenomena, and develops mathematical models.

Qualitative Research

• Enables studying complex aspects of human behavior.
• Fewer restrictions on data collection.
• Good for exploratory research and hypothesis generation.
• Participants provide data in their own words.
• Disadvantages: difficult to determine validity and reliability, subjective analysis, and data overload.

Quantitative Research

• Develops and employs mathematical models, theories, and hypotheses.
• Uses scientific methods, including measurement, experimentation, and data analysis.
• Advantages: measurable, objective, and good for testing hypotheses.
• Disadvantages: ignores context, requires a large sample, and has limitations in studying natural settings.