Lecture 5 - Overview of Research Methods PDF

Research Methods Overview Dr Jennifer Egbunike Healthcare Management  Research Methodology What does the word methodology mean to you?  Research Methodology  The science of understanding how research is performed methodologically  A systematic way to sole a re...

Research Methods Overview Dr Jennifer Egbunike Healthcare Management  Research Methodology What does the word methodology mean to you?  Research Methodology  The science of understanding how research is performed methodologically  A systematic way to sole a research problem  The entire strategy towards the achievement of research objectives  Methodology Your theoretical perspective informs the method you choose to collect your data Methodology : The way/approach of doing research It is the explanation of the strategy of how you go about conducting your study You would outline your approach, view or thinking as a researcher as well as: Your Procedure, Process or Sequence of use of Methods Methodology = Research Design The interphase of thinking between theory and methods  Research Paradigms  A research paradigm is “the set of common beliefs and agreements shared between scientists about how problems should be understood and addressed” (Kuhn, 1962) According to Guba (1990), research paradigms can be characterised through their:  ontology – What is reality?  epistemology – How do you know something?  methodology – How do you go about finding it out?  Relationship Overview The diagram below explains the above terms and the relationship between them: If the above still doesn’t make things clear, don’t worry. I would now recommend Ontology and epistemology create a holistic view of how knowledge is viewed, how we see ourselves in relation to the knowledge and the strategies/methods we use to unpick it  Research Thinking Research Questions What is happening? Is there a systematic (relationship or causal) effect? Why or how is it happening (“mechanism”)? Steps in Conducting Research 1.Identify and define a research problem 2.Outline the aims, objectives and research question 3.? Formulate hypothesis based on theory, research, or both 4.Design the research 5.Conduct the research 6.Analyze the data 7.Interpret the data as they relate to the research question  Secondary and Primary research – what is the difference? Secondary research Primary research Secondary research is the use of Primary research refers to information that has been collected by the collection of original data others, i.e. You undertake secondary research every time you write an from the field using selected assignment! This information comes from a & justified method/s variety of sources & is based on the work of an original researcher or The nature of research based on the interpretation of their topic determines the work by someone else Secondary research is an integral part method/s which will be used of primary research as the researcher needs to be fully aware of what others have studied in relation to their subject/topic of interest (Stretch, 2002; Creswell, 1998 ) Secondary research: what are the sources of information?  Ward level data – logs of treatment, outcomes, incidences, length of bed stays etc.  Books/ e-books – library catalogue etc.  Journals – Excellent sources of information – peer reviewed.  Media (Newspapers, TV, Radio etc.): Consider bias issues e.g. daily mail far right  Think Tanks – consider political leanings, e.g. The Bow Group, the oldest Tory think tank founded to counter socialism  Government Departments - e.g. the Office for national statistics (www.statistics.gov) provides very useful information on children, education & skills, crime & justice, Health & social care , population, equality & diversity, migration etc.  Potential challenges with government statistics/ information source? – clinical iceberg/ fragile contexts  ? Wikipedia – How reliable & authentic is it? Is wikipedia an academic source of secondary information? Why Wikipedia is not considered an academic source of secondary information?  Problems with lack of authority  Open editing policy problematic  Lack of knowledge on the author – may not be expert in the field  Incorrect information can go unchallenged for a very, very, long time!!  Secondary research: sources of information- organisations Charities & intergovernmental organisations usually focus on specific issues. They conduct research, engage in advocacy & lobby government/s for specific policy changes: YoungMinds - a UK leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people Qatar Charity Action on Smoking and Health - a campaigning charity that works to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco United Nations Children’s Fund UNAIDS- the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS Save the Children Federation World Health Organisation Private companies – Social justice/ accountability issues What are the potential challenges associated with these sources of information ?  The Secondary Research Process  Identifying the subject domain and where to acquire information  Searching, collating and gathering existing data  Comparing data from different sources if necessary and feasible  Analyzing the data  Ensure use of credible sources of information  Remember- It is not a linear process as stages can be repeated as necessary Examples of secondary research methods  Literature Review  Scoping review  Narrative review  Systematic Review  Meta-narrative mapping- looks historically at how particular research traditions have unfolded overtime, shaping the kind of questions being asked and the related methods (Greenhalgh and Wong, 2013)  Meta-analysis- summarizing and comparing results of large numbers of quantitative studies on a particular topic  Outline of Systematic Review Process Read more from Qualitative Research (Edited by David Silverman)  Advantages of secondary research  Relative ease of access of secondary data, the availability of online access makes it more easily accessible, offers convenience  Low cost - secondary data allows researchers to access valuable information for little cost in comparison to conducting primary research  Less intrusive on people’s lives – especially on sensitive topics  Clarifying Research Question & focus / subject secondary research is used by researchers to clarify their research focus / question before carrying out primary research  Addressing a research question – usually in well researched subject areas, hence no need to carry out primary research  Provides that data that researchers may not be able to collect , e.g. crime rates, disease prevalence, death rates etc. (Creswell, 1998; Bryman,2008)  Disadvantages of secondary research ? Limitations Quality of information needs to be constantly assessed Information can be biased towards the views of publishers depending on who they are- organisations, think tanks, newspapers etc. Information maybe out of date- you must ask yourself how relevant is this information to current debates in your area of professional practice? Research articles can be published a long time after the original research (Stretch, 2002)  Primary Research: Methods of data collection Scientific experiments : Interviews – face to face Usually used in natural communication with researcher / sciences (biochemistry , also on the phone- Skype – involve recording conversations e.g. PhD physics, psychology etc.) research with young people  Primary research: Methods of data collection Questionnaires / surveys – usually involve a large number participants e.g. Population censors survey/ Manicaland HIV Project Observations – gathering information on human behaviour as opposed to thoughts, attitudes or feelings Interviews and Focus group discussions- gathering information on people’s thoughts, attitudes or feelings etc. through facilitated conversations In health and healthcare these are the most used methods What are the potential challenges to these data collection methods ?  Advantages of Primary research  Researchers gather up to date information  Researchers potentially address specific questions  Data can be obtained quickly (on line / telephone surveys)  Researchers have control over the research study & what information to collect & how the information is collected  Disadvantages of primary research  It can be very costly to collect data and without funding it is almost impossible  It can be slow or difficult to gain ethical approval and access research participants  Targeted people may be reluctant/ not want to participate  It can take a very long time to collect data – financial implications  May produce misleading results due to researcher bias/ questionnaire or questions not worded properly  Requires expertise!  Key points to remember Secondary research Primary research Ease of access Easier to address specific questions Little / no cost Up to date information Less intrusive on people’s lives Research control Clarifying Research Question & focus / subject Challenges Costly & time consuming Challenges Research bias issues It can be out of date Expertise It may be difficult to recruit Potential for Publisher bias participants Processes to consider for quantitative research  Examples of Quantitative Research Design Experimental research  Hypothesis testing, which is about theory generation. Often features 1.) control groups and experimental groups and 2.) independent and dependent variables and manipulation of independent variables.  Randomised controlled trials, often used in medicine. Important elements of this research design are: >informed consent >genuine doubt about which treatment is best For example, use of randomised controlled trials with cancer treatment  Examples of Quantitative Research Design 2  Surveys: which can be gathered on a probability or non- probability sampling basis, and can be: >descriptive >exploratory >information gathering >demographic – for example Charles Booth’s mapping of poverty in London in the 1800’s >epidemiological – for example, studies of the rates and incidences of diseases such as TB or HIV/AIDS  Questions are probably ‘closed’, i.e., require a yes/no answer or a graded tick box response. Preoccupations of a quantitative researcher  Measurement  Correlation or Causality  Replication/Reproducibility  Reliability  Validity  Generalizability Are quantitative research studies better than qualitative? Hierarchy of Evidence Pyramid  Key points to remember  As research students in Healthcare Management and related studies you must take sufficient steps to critically evaluate the validity and reliability of the secondary data you use  You must avoid plagiarism – the use of secondary data means that you must acknowledge the sources.  Copying and pasting is cheating - plagiarism is an academically punishable offence.  Suggested References  Bryman, A (2008) Social Research Methods.Oxford: Oxford University Press  Creswell, J.W. 1998 Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. London. Sage  De Vaus, D. (2004) Surveys In Social Research. London. Routledge  Denscombe, M. (2007): The Good research Guide for Small Scale Social Research Projects. Maidenhead: Open University Press  Ritchie, J and Lewis, J. (2004) Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. London. Sage  Talman, H. (2007) Research Methodology in Stretch B & Whitehouse M. Health and social Care. Oxford. Heinemann  Moonie N. (2003) Health and Social Care. Oxford. Heineman  Stretch, B (2002): Health studies. Oxford. Heineman