Research Methods

1. Research Methods Overview of methods and approaches

2. What is research? • Systematic enquiry • Approaches • Positivist • Interpretive • Popper: Falsifiable • Kuhn: Paradigm shift

3. Positivist Approach • Hypothesis testing • Experimental, makes measurements • Quantitative • Means not values • “Objective”

4. Interpretative Approach • Explanatory • Exploratory • Qualitative • Often small scale • “Subjective”

5. Ethics • Negotiating access • Who owns the data? • Right to know • Right to publish • Informed consent • Anonymity and Confidentiality • Insider Research

6. Qualitative methods • Interviews (structured/semi-structured) • Diaries • Observation • Analysis of documents • Experiments • Data tends to be information rich but specific • Analysed by careful examination of data

7. Quantitative methods • Experiments • Questionnaires • Structured interviews • Observation using coding protocols • Data wide ranging and usually generalisable • Analysed using mathematical/statistical methods

8. Other methods • Approaches rather than methods • May use multiple methods • Action research • based on own activities • Observe - Act - Monitor - Evaluate cycle • Case study • Study of a single instance • In depth study of something/someone specific