Chapter 1

research approaches

plans and the procedures for research that span the steps

research design

the way the researcher conducted the research

research methods

Detailed description of how the researcher gathered the data, analyzed it, and includes an interpretation of the data

research problem

the issue being addressed

quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods

three broad research methodologies/approaches

philosophical assumptions

beliefs and values brought to the research process that inform their approach to conducting the study

the researcher’s thoughts and what they think is most important in conducting a study

What do philosophical assumptions reflect?

inductive (based on observations)

Does qualitative research use an inductive or deductive approach?

qualitative research

research that:

• focuses on understanding the meaning

• uses emerging questions

• collects data in the participant’s setting

• writes a report that is flexible in nature

quantitative research

research that:

• examines relationships among measurable variables

• tests objective theories

• statistical analysis

• Use instruments that produce numbered data

• uses a set structure for the final report

deductive

Does quantitative research use deductive or inductive reasoning?

deductive reasoning

starts with a general rule and applies it to a specific case

inductive reasoning

starts with specific observations and builds a general conclusion

mixed methods

type of research methodology that collects both quantitative and qualitative data and integrates the two forms of data

mixed methods

Which type of research methodology uses distinct designs that may involve philosophy or theory and yields additional insight to a research problem?

• philosophical worldviews

• research designs

• research methods

What are the 3 major components of a research approach?

postpositivist, constructivist, transformative, pragmatic

4 types of philosophical worldviews

philosophical worldviews

beliefs about the world and nature of research; are to be made explicit in the proposal

postpositivism

philosophical worldview

• determination (causes determine effects)

• reductionism (complex things can be broken down)

• empirical observation and measurement (knowledge is gained through observation, gaining evidence, and experience)

• theory verification (testing theories to see if they hold true)

constructivism

philosophical worldview

• understanding (where did it come from)

• multiple participant meanings

• social and historical construction

• theory development

transformative

philosophical worldview

• political

• power and justice-oriented

• collaborative

• change-oriented

pragmatic

philosophical worldview

• consequences of action

• problem-centered

• pluralistic

• real-world practice-oriented

• truth and practicalilty

Postpositivism

seeks truth

Constructivism

seeks understanding of meanings

Transformative

seeks social change

Pragmatic

seeks solutions that work

quantitative

design where you need a hypothesis

phenomology

qualitative research design that studies people’s lived experiences to understand how they perceive and make sense of the world

Ethnography

qualitative research design where people and cultures are studied by observing and interacting with them in their natural environment

grounded theory

a qualitative research design used to develop a theory based on data collected from real-world observations, rather than starting with a hypothesis

descriptive method

a qualitative research approach to analysis where the researcher stays close to the data, uses limited frameworks and little interpretation for explaining the data, and catalogues the information into themes

• main focus is making observations on the data and see if they connect to each other in some way (common themes)

• goal is not to test a theory or cause change

narrative research

a qualitative research design where the researcher studies the lives of individuals and asks one or more participants to provide stories about their lives

case studies

qualitative research design where the researcher develops an in-depth analysis of a case, often a program, event, activity, process, or one or more individuals (variety of data collection is used, bound by time and place)

convergent mixed methods design

mixed methods design where the researcher converges or merges quantitative and qualitative data to provide an analysis of the research problem

• both data sets are collected at roughly the same time

• information is integrated and interpreted

explanatory sequential mixed methods design

mixed methods design where the researcher conducts quantitative research, analyzes the results, and then builds on the results to explain them more in detail with qualitative research

• the initial quantitative phase follows the qualitative phase

exploratory sequential mixed methods design

mixed methods design where the researcher begins with qualitative research, exploring the views of participants, analyzes the data, then builds on the qualitative data using the quantiative data.

• first qualitative phase, then quantitative phase

complex mixed methods design

mixed methods design that embeds one or more core designs into a framework or a process

data collection, analysis, interpretation

Research methods consist of …

predetermined

a research approach where the variables, measurements, and methods are decided in advance, before collecting data

Instrument-based questions

are questions that are designed and delivered using a specific tool or instrument to collect data in a study

emerging methods (qualitative)

research approaches that develop and evolve during the study rather than being fully planned beforehand

• Identifying factors that influence a particular outcome

• Evaluating the utility of an intervention

• Understanding the best predictors of an outcome

When is it best to use a quantitative approach?

• The topic is new

• The subject has not been addressed with a certain sample

• Existing theories do not apply

When is it best to use a qualitative approach?

• Neither quantitative nor qualitative approaches are adequate to understand a research problem

• The strength of qualitative and quantitative approaches provides the best understanding

When is it best to use a mixed methods approach?

• personal experiences (training, preferences, etc.)

• audience (journal editors, colleagues, advisors, etc.)

criteria for selecting a research approach

meta-analysis

using statistical evidence and combining results of studies and looking for patterns and trends

systematic review

focuses on one topic, in depth look at that particular topic and any studies that are done on that topic

scoping review

broad overview of a general topic aiming to get information about existing research on a general topic

critical review

detailed summary of existing research, assessing how good the research is (strengths, weaknesses, quality)