Approaches To Research

Paradigmatic Issues
1. A Paradigm is a shared framework of assumptions held within a discipline. It basically helps in the solutions that arise from research. Mainly there a four types of paradigmatic issues.
2. Positivist and critical/interpretive research: The positivist and critical approaches are the two central paradigms of social science. In the positivist paradigm, generally facts and observations of the organisations are considered. In this the approach is focussed upon objective explanation. The critical paradigm explains that the social world is socially constructed and subjective. The interpretive researcher always tries to get inside the minds of the main subject. Despite the contrast between positivist and critical paradigms , they tend to complement each other. This is because both positions make significant approaches to research.
3. Quantitative and qualitative research: The quantitative research involves the statistical data to draw conclusions. This is generally done with computers. On the other hand qualitative research involves the quality of work which means collecting detail information about a small subject. The main difference between the two is the nature of information collected and the way it is analysed.
4. Induction and deduction: If the research process starts with observation and goes to analysis and then to the explanation part, then it is known as inductive research. But if the research process starts with the explanation and then to observation and analysis, then it is known as a deductive research. Generally, the positivist researchers tend to go with deduction rather than induction in their approach to research.
5. Experimental and non-experimental research: In the experimental research the researcher attempts to control the environment of subject of the research but this is not practical if the same research is to be carried out on human beings. For this purpose, the non-experimental research is used in which the differences between the people are investigated. But at times the results of non-experimental research are likely to be less precise than the results from a controlled experiment.
Data Issues
1. Primary and secondary data: The new data collected during a research process is known as the primary data and the researcher is the primary user. The already existing data of somebody used during a research is known as the secondary data.
2. Self-reported and observed data: The information gathered about the people's behaviour through interviews or surveys is known as self-reported data. The data collected by observing a human's behaviour rather than asking them about their behaviour is known as observed data.
Choosing A Method
1. Choosing the appropriate methods for a research task is part of process of designing a research project. Some of the considerations are:
  1. The research question or hypothesis: This generally points the researcher in the direction of certain data sources.
  2. Previous research: The methods used in this research are likely to influence the choice of methods with the aim of replicating previous studies.
  3. Data availability: In this we can take an example of a set of archives of an organisation providing basis for historical research.
  4. Time
  5. Validity. reliability and generalisability: Validity reflects to the accuracy of the data being studied. Reliability is the extent to which the research findings are same. Generalisability refers to the probability that the research findings apply to other subjects.
  6. Ethics
  7. Uses/users of the findings: They are an important factor in shaping research.
Triangulation
1. This method involves the study of more than one research approach in a single study in order to have a complete understanding of the issue.
2. It involves both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
3. Four methods can be used in this namely: analysing data in more than one way, using more than one sampling strategy, using different interviewers, observers and analysts in one and using more than one methodology to gather data.
4. In this method all the outcomes should be outlined like the possible weaknesses of a method or ways to overcome this weakness.
The Range Of Research Approaches
1. The research approach range varies from the major approaches to the cross-cutting techniques.
2. Scholarship: Scholarship is practised in the role of a teacher who is well informed about a subject and can analyse and appraise the subject. It involves the discovery of new knowledge which leads to the research process. It involves the innovative ways of looking at things.
3. Just Thinking: Thinking is the best exercise for a research process because it puts in very creative and out of the box data into the research.
4. Using the literature: Literature plays an important part of the research process because it makes use of the reference of the existing data of the literature.
5. Using secondary data: Making use of the already existing data for the research process saves a lot of time and it proves to less expensive compared to using primary data.
6. Observation: Observation is helpful in research process because it helps in collecting information about people's behaviour without their knowledge. In this way the observation is more accurate rather than using techniques to judge human behaviour.
7. Qualitative methods: The qualitative techniques are helpful when the focus of research is on people's attitudes. This is not useful when there are larger number of people. The qualitative approaches can be informal, group interviews, participant observation, ethnography or biological research.
8. Questionnaire-based surveys: These are the most common in the management research. This is is based upon surveys consisting various questions but these have to be very specific. These surveys should only be used when quantified information is required concerning a specific population.
9. Case studies: It involves the study of single example in detail which could be a community or a country or an organisation.
10. Experimental methods: In this, the researcher controls all the relevant variables in the experiment. But the control is not of the same level as in a scientific laboratory.
11. Cross-cutting and Subsidiary techniques
  1. Textual analysis: In this the focus of research is textual. For example politicians speeches, content of annual budgets. This technique has traditionally not been widely used.
  2. Longitudinal studies: This involves a longer period of time because it involves the sample of organisations studied over a number of years. It is ideal for studying organisational changes
  3. Panel surveys: In this a panel of respondents are involved in questioning on a periodic basis. This is very helpful market research firms that conduct surveys on regular basis.
  4. Projective techniques: This is more like a hypothetical technique because it just makes a projection of the future which is not so accurate.
  5. Use of scales: Scales are numerical indexes used to measure constructs. In this rating scales are given to subjects and then the scores are combined. This is helpful in psychology and related disciplines.
  6. Meta-analysis: This is the technique of combining the literature review and secondary data involving a quantitative appraisal of findings of projects on same topic. It is helpful in vast exploration of a specific area.
  7. Action research: This research involves the researcher to be deliberately involved in the topic and be a part of the process of bringing about change.
  8. Historical research: This is involved in biographical research and case study research. It has its own business research approach.
  9. Media-sponsored surveys: In these surveys the media is involved like radio, television, newspapers, etc. In the the public view on an issue may be included in the form of newspaper.
  10. Delphi technique: It involves the gathering and analysing of information from a panel of experts about the future trends about a particular area of interest.