c



  


(d) Research methods

A/Prof Rob Cavanagh

April 22, 2009
 ÷ethodology and Ontology

= Researchers often ground their study on an ontological

stance ² their view of their world

= There is a nexus between their ontology and the

methodology they choose to apply

= Their view of their world ² their ontology - is ideally

explained in the ÷
 section of the research
proposal
 ÷ethodology and ÷ethods

A ¶methodology· is a combination of research techniques

or ¶methods·

For example: Ethnography

The Ê
 of ethnographic research:

A variety of approaches are applied to in an attempt to
gain an holistic as possible ¶picture· of a particular
society, group, institution, setting or situation

The Ê
 of ethnographic research:

= un--depth interviewing
un
= Participant observation
= Keeping field notes (field jottings, diary & log)
 ÷ethods are Actions

= ÷ethods propel one


 something or
 a thing

= A method is like a cooking recipe

= A method is something that is simply ¶followed·

= A method is a series of directions that pre-

pre-suppose we
already know what we want
 ÷ethodological Assumptions

= unitial precision in research design is essential

OR
= The initial ambiguity that occurs in a study is desirable

= Precise hypotheses should be stated at the outset

OR
= Hypotheses emerge as data/information is gathered

= Precise unequivocal definitions should be stated at the

outset
OR
= Definitions should emerge as data/information is
gathered
 ÷ethodological Assumptions cont·d

= Assessment of validity requires statistical examination of

numerical data
OR
= Validity is best evidenced by cross-
cross-checking of
information from different sources or obtained by
different methods ² triangulation

= Precise explication of the procedures applied in the

research must precede data collection
OR
= A narrative/ literary description of procedures should be
compiled as the research proceeds
 riting the ÷ethodology Section

The readers of your research proposal will have different

backgrounds and come from different traditions of
research

These readers will be greatly assisted by the ÷


situating the research methods within:

= A particular research approach ² a ¶tradition· of research

= An acknowledged ¶research methodology·

= A particular ¶research design·

 Organising Presenting the Research Procedures

This will depend on the overall approach being employed

For example:

= uf the research is to proceed through a series of sequential

stages or phases, the temporal sequence of stages can
provide an overall structure (Phase One, Phase Two etc)

= hen the empirical investigation is more holistic or

integrated, an alternative structure is required (no
distinct phases)
 A Common Template

There are usually aspects of the research methods which are

common to all approaches and these can provide a
template for the writing after the ontological
foundation of the methodology is explained

= Either within each phase if the research is to proceed

through separate stages

OR

= For the entire empirical investigation if it is holistic

 Four Elements in the Template

1. The setting and participants

2. How information or data is to be collected

3. How information or data will be interpreted or

analysed

4. Quality control procedures

 1. The Setting and Participants

The setting:
= Geographical location
= The culture
= hy the setting was chosen

The participants:
= Attributes of the participants
= How many, why they were chosen, and how they were
chosen

un positivistic research
= The nature of the population, the sample, and sample
selection techniques
 2. Data collection

Describe the methods, perhaps instrumentation, used to

obtain information. For example:

= Observing ² checklist, participant/non-

participant/non-participant,
videotaping etc

= unterviewing ² structured, semi-

semi-structured,
unstructured, face-
face-to-
to-face, email, telephone etc

= Surveying ² open-
open-ended, rating scales, self-
self-reported etc

= Archival retrieval ² diaries, newspaper articles etc

 3. Data analysis

Describe how information or data that is to be collected

will be interpreted or analysed

For example:

= Discourse analysis

= Textual analysis ² classification, coding, emergent

themes

= Statistical analyses ² descriptive stats, exploratory

techniques, testing hypotheses etc
 ü







Describe the procedures or techniques that will be applied

to make sure the findings of the study are a truthful or
accurate representation of the phenomenon studied

For example, by:

= Triangulation of data and/or methods

= Ensuring content validity, internal validity, or internal

reliability
 ÷ethodology and Research Questions

= The ÷
 describes the ¶means· through which

the ¶end· of achieving the research objectives is to be
facilitated

= There needs to be an overt connection between the

O 
 
 /
/O 
  
 and the
÷


= There may well be issues that arise in writing the

÷
that

that require reconsidering the feasibility of
the original research questions and then modifying these
 c









A well-
well-written ÷
 will not include material that
more properly should be presented in other sections of
the research proposal

Particularly:

= Stating what the research seeks to achieve (O

(O 
 

 )
)

= Overtly connecting with the prevailing knowledge

(X

X
))

= udentifying why the research will be important for others

(-
 )
 Proposal riting versus Thesis riting

= un a proposal the ÷
 is written in the future

tense ² it explains what will be done and why it should
be done

= un a project report or thesis, the ÷
 is written in

the past tense ² it explains what was done why it was
done
 Final reminder

The choice of  
 Ê
 needs to be justified in
terms of the expectation of providing data/information to
enable the  
 
  to be attained

So, overall, make sure you don·t:

= Pose research questions that can·t be answered by the

results of applying the ÷


= Propose collection and analysis of data that are not

directly related to the O 
  

- 


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