What are the research methods

Research methods are the strategies, processes or techniques utilized in the collection of data or
evidence for analysis in order to uncover new information or create better understanding of a
topic.
There are different types of research methods which use different tools for data collection

Type Of Research Method

 Qualitative Research gathers data about lived experiences, emotions or behaviours,
and the meanings individuals attach to them. It assists in enabling researchers to gain a
better understanding of complex concepts, social interactions or cultural phenomena.
This type of research is useful in the exploration of how or why things have occurred,
interpreting events and describing actions .( research which uses observation and
relies upon descriptive data )

 Quantitative Research gathers numerical data which can be ranked, measured or

categorised through statistical analysis. It assists with uncovering patterns or
relationships, and for making generalisations. This type of research is useful for finding

out how many, how much, how often, or to what extent. ( research that relies on
numerical data)

Qualitative Techniques or Tools Quantitative Techniques or Tools

Interviews: these can be structured, semi- Surveys or questionnaires: which ask the same
structured or unstructured in-depth sessions with questions to large numbers of participants or
the researcher and a participant. use Likert scales which measure opinions as
numerical data.

Focus groups: with several participants Observation: which can either involve counting the
discussing a particular topic or a set of questions. number of times a specific phenomenon occurs, or
Researchers can be facilitators or observers. the coding of observational data in order to translate
it into numbers.

Observations: On-site, in-context or role-play Document screening: sourcing numerical data from
options. financial reports or counting word occurrences.

Document analysis: Interrogation of Experiments: testing hypotheses in laboratories,

correspondence (letters, diaries, emails etc) or testing cause and effect relationships, through field
reports. experiments, or via quasi- or natural experiments.
Qualitative Techniques or Tools Quantitative Techniques or Tools

Oral history or life stories: Remembrances or

memories of experiences told to the researcher.

Closed-ended questionnaires/survey:  These types of questionnaires or surveys are like "multiple choice"
tests, where participants must select from a list of premade answers.  According to the content of the
question, they must select the one that they agree with the most.  This approach is the simplest form of
quantitative research because the data is easy to combine and quantify.

Open-Ended Questionnaires:These types of questionnaires are the opposite of "multiple choice"

questionnaires because the answer boxes are left open for the participant to complete.  This means that
participants can  write  short or extended answers to the questions.  Upon gathering the responses,
researchers will often "quantify" the data  by organizing the responses into different categories.  This can be
time consuming because the researcher needs to read all responses carefully.