Dr. Rehana Rashid Lecture oct.

28,2010

EXTENSIVE AND INTENSIVE

RESEARCH DESIGN
 RESEARCH
• Research can be defined as the search for knowledge
or any systematic investigation to establish facts.
• The primary purpose for applied research (as opposed
to basic research) is discovering, interpreting, and
the development of methods and systems for the
advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety
of scientific matters of our world and the universe.
• Research can use the scientific method, but need not
do so.
 Scientific research

• Scientific research relies on the application of the scientific

method, a harnessing of curiosity.
• This research provides scientific information and theories for
the explanation of the nature and the properties of the world
around us. It makes practical applications possible.
• Scientific research is funded by public authorities, by
charitable organizations and by private groups, including
many companies.
 classification
• Scientific research can be subdivided into
different classifications according to their
academic and application disciplines.
• Historical research is embodied in
the scientific method.
• The term research is also used to describe an
entire collection of information about a
particular subject.
Both extensive and intensive research design
are concerned with the relationship between
individual observations drawn from
measurements programmes or case studies,
and the ability to generalize on the basis of
these observations. The detailed distinctions
are illustrated.
 extensive research design
• In an extensive research design, the emphasis
is on pattern and regularity in data, which are
assumed represent the outcome of some
underlying (casual) regularity or process.
• Usually large numbers of observations are
taken from many case studies so as to ensure
a representative dataset ,and his type of
design is sometimes referred to as the large
type of study.
 intensive research design
• In an intensive research design, the emphasis
is on describing a single or small number of
case studies with the maximum amount of
detail.
• This approach is therefore sometimes known
as the small type study.
Notes Intensive
Research questions How? What? Why? In a
certain case or example
Type of explanation Causes are elucidated through Representatives generalization
in-depth examination and
interpretation
Typical methods of research Case study. Ethnography.
Qualitative analyses
Limitations The relationships discovered
will not be representative or
an average / generalization
Philosophy Method and explanation rely
on discovering the connection
between events, mechanisms
and casual properties
Extensive
How representative is a
feature, pattern, or attribute
of a population?
are produced from repeated
studies or large samples
Questionnaire, large scale
surveys. Statistical analysis
Explanation is a generalization
–it is difficult to relate to the
individual observation.
Generalizations specific to the
group / population in question
Explanation based upon
formal relations of similarity
and identification o taxonomic
groups