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Module I: Research Design & Methods
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Lectures, web lectures and chapter 1-4 from Creswell & Creswell
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Summary Research Design and Methods (2024), contains elaboration of the lectures, literature, web lectures and notes from the lectures
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Module 2 - Case Study
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Research Design & Methods Module I
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Research Design & Methods 2023: lectures + weblectures + Creswell & Creswell H1- H4 (Module 1)
(Onderzoeksontwerp & methoden SOC & BSK 2023 -
FSWBM-9010 / FSWSM-9020)
Lecture 1 + H1 & H2 Creswell & Creswell (C&C)
Foundations of Social Science
There are a number of pillars
• Theory – logic (to argue)
• Data collection - observation (to understand the world around us)
• Data Analysis - the comparison of what is logically expected with what is actually observed.
(connects the pillar theory and data collection) -> The comparison of what is logically expected with
what is actually observed.
2 types of research
Qualitative Data – Nonnumerical data.
Pros:
- Detailed understanding (in depth understanding particular phenomenon)
- Rich data (rich context and understanding, understand your participants perspective, feelings
and experiences)
Cons:
- Subjectivity: researchers bias (Reflexivity relates to: The researcher’s consciousness of his or
her own biases, values, and experiences.)
- Small sample size which can limit generalizability
- Time consuming
Quantitative Data - Numerical data.
Pros:
- Makes observations more explicit and makes it easier to aggregate, compare, and summarize
data.
- Easier to aggregate and compare large amounts of data.
- Objectivity (reduced researcher bias)
- Large sample size
- Allows to more easy compare research
- Replicable (which makes it more reliable)
Cons:
, - Limited understanding: Quantitative research aims to measure variables, which may not
provide an in-depth understanding of a particular phenomenon
- Lack of context which can limit understanding
C&C: suggest that researchers need to choose the appropriate approach based on the research
question, nature of the research problem and the research design.
Mixed methods research: combines quantitative and qualitative research methods
- Combining different methods of data collection
- Can be quantitative and qualitative
- Focused on the same phenomenon
- Compensates the downsides of data collection methods (but also the upsides)
Eg. - Interviews & survey - Observations and existing data
Pros:
- Mixed methods research can provide a more comprehensive understanding of a research
problem by triangulating data from multiple sources.
- Confirmation of findings: Mixed methods research can confirm findings from one method
with another, increasing the validity and reliability of the research
- Addressing research questions: Mixed methods research allows for both exploratory and
explanatory research, enabling researchers to address research questions from multiple
angles.
- Can help overcome the limitations of both qualitative and quantitative approaches while
taking advantage of their strengths.
Cons:
- Very time-consuming
- Costly
Idiographic & nomothetic approach
Idiographic approach — Seeks to fully understand the causes of what happened in a single instance
(use for cases):
- Focus on the uniqueness of individuals or cases seeking to understand the particular
circumstances, experiences and meaning that characterize them. Often used in qualitative
research.
- More appropriate when studying complex, dynamic, and context-dependent phenomena.
- Provides rich and detailed insights into individual cases, but it may lack generalizability and
comparability across cases.
Nomothetic approach — Seeks to explain a class of situations or events rather than a single one
(generalizability)
- Seeks to identify general patterns, trends and laws that apply across individuals or cases.
Often used in quantitative research
- More appropriate when studying relatively simple, stable, and generalizable phenomena.
- Provides reliable and valid generalizations, but it may overlook important individual
differences and contextual factors.
,Induction & Deduction
Induction – From specific observations to the discovery of a pattern among all the given events.
- Induction is the situation which you try to observe what is happening around you. From
observation to the discovery of a pattern among all the given events.
- The reasoning starts with specific observations and uses them to draw general conclusions.
- It’s a bottom-up approach to reasoning that begins with a specific observations or data and
uses them to develop a general theory or hypothesis.
- Often used in qualitative research methods where researchers start with data and use them
to identify patterns and themes that can inform the development of theories.
Inductive reasoning aims at developing a theory
Deduction - From a pattern that might be logically expected to observations that test whether the
pattern occurs
- Deduction is a method of reasoning that starts with general premises or principles and uses
them to draw specific conclusions.
- It’s a top-down approach to reasoning that begins with a general theory or hypothesis, and
then uses data to test and confirm or refute that theory.
- Often associated with quantitative research methods, where researchers start with a
hypothesis and then test it with data using statistical analysis.
Deductive reasoning aims at testing an existing theory.
Example Emile Durkheim, Suicide
Explaining suicide on the basis of existing statistics
Generalisation 1: people that are alone commit suicide more than people that are married
Generalisation 2: people that are living in cities commit suicide more than people living in villages
Generalisation 3: protestants commit suicide more than Catholics
Theory: lack of social cohesion explains suicide
The Traditional Model
Traditional research is a means to an end - the conclusion. They start with a theory, statistical
analysis is critical and the researcher does not insert herself into the research.
Deductive: start with theory
Nomothetic: causal models
, Quantitative: numerical variables
• Positivist • Auguste Comte (1789-1857) • Knowledge as a mirror of nature • E = m * c2
But why not?
Grounded Theory sets out to discover or construct theory from data, systematically obtained and
analyzed using comparative analysis.
Inductive: start with observations, and develop theory (also known as: Grounded Theory)
Idiographic: understanding cases
Qualitative: richness instead of precision
Philosophical beliefs: Epistemology & ontology
1. Ontology: What is the nature of reality?
- And what can be known about it.
- Seeks to identify the fundamental categories of being, and to understand the nature of those
categories.
2. Epistemology: How reality is known/constructed?
- And what constitutes valid knowledge.
- Seeks to understand the nature and scope of knowledge, and to identify the conditions
under which knowledge can be considered valid or justified.
3. Axiology: What is the role of values?
- Ethics that guide the research process. Can differ between researchers: commitment to
objectivity, desire to promote social justice, ….
- Research is filled with values, researchers need to make their values explicit and reflect on
how these may have influenced their results.
4. Methodology: What is the approach to inquiry?
- Procedures and techniques used to collect and analyze data. Qualitative methods (which
emphasize subjective interpretation) or qualitative methods (which emphasize objective
measurement).
Ontology is the study of what exists,
while epistemology is the study of
knowledge.
Ontology seeks to understand the
nature of reality, while epistemology
seeks to understand how we come to
know about that reality.
Creswell & Creswell chapters 1-4: summary
C&C H1: The selection of a research approach
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