RESEARCH

Research Philosophies, Model, Method, Qualitative & Quantitative

By Muhammad Ali, Meesam, Rizwan & Taimoor

WHAT IS RESEARCH?

• The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order
to establish facts and reach new conclusions - (Oxford)

• Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to

increase our understanding of a topic or issue. (Creswell, J. W.: Research
Design 2014)
RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY; POSITIVISM
• Positivism believes in scientific/systematic method
• Believes in ‘objective reality’
• It focuses on quantitative data.
• Max Weber urged people to select research topics that are not value-
relevant, but value-free and value-neutral by controlling their opinions/bias.
• Solution to above problem is ‘replication’ (repetition of research by others).
• When other get same result you found earlier, it means your research wasn’t
biased. Hence the word ‘re-search’
RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY;
INTERPRETIVISM
• Not everyone believes in scientific approach

• Don’t reject science totally but reject objective reality and believe in
‘subjective reality’

• It focuses on qualitative data.

RESEARCH MODEL
RESEARCH MODEL
1. Select and define the topic
2. Review the literature
3. Formulate the hypothesis
• Hypothesis predicts relation b/w variables. Independent variable (cause)
& dependent variable (effect).
• Variables need an ‘Operational definition’ (a explanation that we meant
by a particular term; for ex; happiness)
4. Choose research method
5. Collect data
• Validity & Reliability
6. Analyze data
7. Conclusion/recommendation
8. Share results with scientific community for ‘replication’ (at advanced level)
RESEARCH METHOD
Before proceeding, you need to narrow your population (sampling); random
sampling & stratified random sampling are the best ways.
1. Survey
• Subjects respond to questions on a questionnaire or in an interview.
• Ask value-neutral (bias-free) questions
2. Participant Observation or Fieldwork
3. Case study
4. Secondary analysis
• You analyze findings provided by other researchers.
5. Documentary analysis
• Books, newspapers, police reports, court records, immigrant files, records kept
by organizations; CDs, DVDs, movies & even Facebook included in it.
6. Experiment
7. Unobtrusive measures
• Studying people so they don’t know they are being studied
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
• Emphasizes ‘non-numerical data’
• In-depth study
• Open-ended questions
• Biasness can occur
• Subjectivity
• Provides the best understanding
• Few respondents/subjects
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
• Emphasizes ‘numerical data’
• Precise study
• Specific & measureable data
• Unbiased
• Close-ended questions
• Use graphs, statistics, etc.
• Objectivity
• Many respondents/subjects
THE END
Zahiri galh aw!