Aug 4 - Intro to Research & Research Methods

Supervisor emailed 2 e-books to me.
Late night of Aug 4 - Read this e-book.

Introduction to Research & Research Methods. Bradford University, School of Management.

I learned several key points.

1) Common purpose of research.
􀂾 Review or synthesize existing knowledge
􀂾 Investigate existing situations or problems
􀂾 Provide solutions to problems
􀂾 Explore and analyse more general issues
􀂾 Construct or create new procedures or systems
􀂾 Explain new phenomenon
􀂾 Generate new knowledge
􀂾 …or a combination of any of the above!

2) Types of Research.
Exploratory, Descriptive, Analytical, Predictive.

3) Research Approaches.
􀂾 Quantitative/Qualitative
􀂾 Applied/Basic
􀂾 Deductive/Inductive.

4) Research Philosophies.
Positivistic - ‘Quantitative’, ‘Objectivist’, ‘Scientific’, ‘Experimentalist’ or ‘Traditionalist’
Phenomenological - ‘Qualitative’, ‘Subjectivist’, ‘Humanistic’ or ‘Interpretative’

5) Methodology.
􀂾 Why you collected certain data
􀂾 What data you collected
􀂾 Where you collected it
􀂾 How you collected it
􀂾 How you analysed it

6) Research Method.
A research method refers only to the various specific tools or ways data can be collected
and analysed, e.g. a questionnaire; interview checklist; data analysis software etc.).

7) Methodologies for Positivinistic.
• Surveys
• Experimental Studies
• Longitudinal Studies
• Cross-sectional Studies

8) Methodologies for Phenomenological.
• Case Studies
• Action Research
• Ethnography (participant observation)
• Participative Enquiry
• Feminist Perspectives
• Grounded Theory