Lecture 1 Defining Research - Research Design & Qualitative Methods PDF

GEOD 305: RESEARCH DESIGN AND QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR GEOGRAPHERS Lecture 1: Introduction Dr Mrs. Rosina Sheburah Essien Contact: [email protected] What are our common rules for the class? Guiding principles – respect and compassion No use of mobile...

GEOD 305: RESEARCH DESIGN AND QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR GEOGRAPHERS Lecture 1: Introduction Dr Mrs. Rosina Sheburah Essien Contact: [email protected] What are our common rules for the class? Guiding principles – respect and compassion No use of mobile phones No discussion among individuals except common themes for the class which must be done orderly Respect everybody’s opinion – there are no wrong answers in my class but different shades of correctness  How do you know about the world around us? ❑Let us begin to reason along these lines. How did you know that a) COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus? b) The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West? c) People from China speak Chinese? d) Arthritis is a degenerative disease? e) Kenya and Tanzania face humanitarian crisis amid disastrous floods?  How do you know about the world around us? Common Sense Speculation Tradition/superstition Media Personal experience Direct Observation Discoveries Research  How do you know about the world around us? Research is one way to find valid answers besides ✓practical thinking ✓professional thinking ✓religious thinking ✓ideological thinking or ✓evaluate statements of authorities  WHAT IS RESEARCH? Research is an investigative process of finding reliable solution to a problem through a systematic selection, collection, analysis and interpretation of data relating to the problem Research is all activities that make us discover new knowledge about things around us.  Research as a way of knowing Research as a process – Researcher identify the issue to be researched – Collect data/evidence – Analyze the data along objectives/questions asked – Draw conclusion – Acknowledges the limitations of the research – Make suggestions for future research Research as a discipline – Guided by ethics – Identifying the right sources of finding answers or confirming findings – Asking the right question – Justifying your conclusions – Keeping records – Accepting limitations 5 key characteristics of research 1. Systematic – research process 2. Logical – induction/deduction 3. Empirical – evidence based 4. Reductive – generalisation 5. Replicable – methodology.  Other Characteristics 1. Research originates with a question or a problem 2. Research requires a clear articulation of a goal with supporting details 3. Research divides the principal problem into more manageable sub-problems. 4. Research accepts certain critical assumptions. These assumptions are underlying theories or ideas about how the world works. 5. Research requires the collection and interpretation of data in attempting to resolve the problem that initiated the research. 6. Research is, by its nature, cyclical; or more exactly, spiral or helical. The cyclical nature of research Review the Available Literature Publish Formulate Findings a Question Interpret Select an Findings Appropriate Research Design Collect Relevant Data  Why is research so important? Advancement in knowledge and discovering theories/models Formulation of developmental policies Helps in understanding the functioning of the society/economy or individual household or person. Evaluating social problems, their effects on society and finding out possible solutions. Exploring social reality and explaining social life Understanding the causal relationship between variables Research can be aimed at or used for: – clarifying or substantiating an existing theory – clarifying contradictory findings – correcting a faulty methodology – correcting the inadequate or unsuitable use of statistical techniques – reconciling conflicting opinions – solving existing practical problems  ‘Six’ Phases of Research 1. Problem definition 2. Literature review 3. Selection of research design, subjects, and data collection techniques based on your objectives 4. Data gathering 5. Data processing and analysis 6. Implications, Conclusions, and Recommendations  Before starting any research, you need to know the following: What is the problem What kind of answer am I looking for What kind of argument might lead from the question to the answer What kind of evidence needs to be collected and from where or about whom or what What kind of method do I need How can I demonstrate to the reader that my evidence is valid