ABRA Week 3 research design, methods… SS

Research Design and Method

Research design Research design is the way research questions and objectives are developed within a research project. This is called research design process. It involves a set of decisions that need to be considered for any research project…

Clear objectives derived from the research question Sources of data collection Constraints and ethical issues Valid reasons for the choice of design What do we need to consider in this process?

Some questions to consider for deciding on a research idea and project: Is the topic something with which you are really interested in? Do you have, or can you develop it within the set time frame? Are you reasonably certain of being able to gain access to data you are likely to require for this topic? Does your topic contain issues that have a clear link to theory? Are you able to state your research question(s) and objectives clearly?

Research Onion

8 Paradigms Positivist Facts Objective Quantitative Laws & regularities Anti-positivist Meanings Interpretive Qualitative Understanding & description Causality - relation between an event (the cause) and a second event (the effect) Structure and agency Knowledge & social research

9 Ontology: assumptions about the nature of reality. i.e. how we understand the world Epistemology: assumptions about ‘how we come to know’; how knowledge is created Axiology: assumptions about the value system, researcher’s values Methodology: combination of methods used to gain knowledge Methods: individual techniques for data collection and analysis Paradigm and assumptions:

Ontology: Assumptions about the nature of reality. i.e. how we understand the world Discussion Point: What do these two statements mean to you? Reality exists externally and its properties can be and should be measured through objective methods Reality is not objective and exterior, but is socially constructed and given meaning by people

Epistemology : ‘how we come to know’; how knowledge is created a ) Knowledge is socially constructed, and the interpretations of the participants [subjective] and the investigator may contribute partially to the knowledge of the phenomenon being investigated, but does not represent an ultimate reality about the phenomenon. b) The social world is believed to be composed of simple cause and effect relationships and interactions that effect one another in a scientific manner. This can only be understood by using rigorous procedures that are scientific, objective and neutral.

Inductive and deductive overview: Source: Claudio Vignali, Mike Zundel, (2003)

Exploratory research Descriptive studies Explanatory studies Classification of the research purpose

Survey Case study Grounded theory Ethnography Action research Experiment Archival research Research Strategies

Survey: key features Popular in business research Perceived as authoritative Allows collection of quantitative data Data can be analysed quantitatively Samples need to be representative Gives the researcher independence Research Strategies

Case Study: key features Provides a rich understanding of a real life context Uses and triangulates multiple sources of data A case study can be categorised in four ways and based on two dimensions: single case v. multiple case holistic case v. embedded case (Yin et al. 2003)

Ethnography: key features Aims to describe and explain the social world inhabited by the Researcher generally takes place over an extended time period is naturalistic involves extended participant observation Research Strategies

Grounded theory: key features Grounded theory may be defined as: “The discovery of theory from data systematically obtained from social research” (Glaser and Strauss 1967: 2) Develops theory from data generated by observations It is an interpretative process, not a logic-deductive one Suddaby, (2006) Research Strategies

Action research: key features Research IN action - not ON action Involves practitioners in the research The researcher becomes part of the organisation Promotes change within the organisation Can have two distinct foci (Schein, 1999) – the aim of the research and the needs of the sponsor

The action research spiral

An experiment will involve Definition of a theoretical hypothesis Selection of samples from known population Random allocation of samples Introduction of planned intervention Measurement on a small number of dependent variables Control of all other variables Research Strategies

Archival research: key features Uses administrative records and documents as the principal sources of data Allows research questions focused on the past Constrained by the nature of the records and documents Research Strategies

Figure 5.4 Research choices Research method Choices

are broad statements of a desired research outcome(s), or the general intentions of the research, which 'paint a picture' of your research project… emphasis is on what is to be accomplished and not how it is to be accomplished… address the macro project outcomes, they should capture the aspirations and expectations of the research topic… Developing research Aims, Objectives and Questions

Seek to understand Discover Explore Describe Objectives… language Determine Establish Examine Investigate Evaluate Develop Analyse

objectives are subsidiary to aims and: are the steps you are going to take to answer your research questions or a specific list of tasks needed to accomplish the goals of the project… emphasise how the aims are to be achieved. must be highly focused and feasible… address the more immediate project outcomes… make accurate use of concepts…. must be sensible and precisely described… should read as a set of statements to convey your intentions… Developing research Aims, Objectives and Questions

Research questions will emerge from the objectives and can shape the objectives…. They need to : have Clarity and clear scope be Manageable be related to assumptions be related to previous research be Ethical have practical use, be relevant be of interest to you

Aspects to consider 1.Reliability 2.Validity 3.Generalisability Credibility of research findings

Validity is concerned with the extent to which the research findings present a true picture of what is being studied and what is really happening in the situation (Cunningham, 1988, 312; Hussey and Hussey, 1997').

Note that: ‘The research design should not subject the research population to embarrassment, harm or other material disadvantage’ Research design ethics Saunders et al, (2009)

Task 1 Discussion - Can the approach to the study of social world, including that of management and organisation be the same as the approach to studying the natural sciences?

Draw up a simple matrix with the following headings for your potential research report/project: o Research aims and objectives o Research questions o Theory/ Theories o Your approach: Inductive/ Deductive o Data Collection Methods o Any possible issues related to data collection Task 2