A Research Study On Research

Positivism and interpretivism are two approaches of interpreting social reality, that each employ different methods of research and data collection to better help understand the study of human lived experiences. The positivist-interpretivist debate revolves around the ways in which human behavior should be conceptualized and studied (Pruss 1996: 4). Positivism is the most widely practiced research approach in social science, which regards the nature of social reality independent of consciousness. Positivists believe social reality can be studied independently from the researcher and that social life can be represented using numbers that according to positivists reveal features of social reality. On the other hand, interpretivists favor partipcant observation, interviews and social interaction where the researcher immerses into the informant’s reality to gain knowledge of their everyday human lived experiences.

The research topic is selected, the testable research question is developed, research on the topic is found, the literature review is completed, and a decision is made on the research design. Now, one of the most important steps in the research process to accomplish is the collection of data. Notwithstanding the research project and whether the method of research is whether qualitative or quantitative, data must be collected. Data collection is essential whether the method of choice is a mail survey, a telephone survey, an interview, an experiment, field research, or secondary data analysis. Data collection is an important aspect of any research study. Inaccurate data can impact the results of a study and ultimately lead to invalid results. During the data collection step, a significant amount of time, energy and attention are required. In order to ensure the data collection process is valid and successful, one should adhere to the four steps involved: (1) the construction of a collection data form which is used to organize all data that is collected; (2) the designation of the coding strategy used to represent data on a data collection form; (3) the collection of the actual data; and (4) entry into the data collection form (Salkind, 2012).

Research Philosophy is described as a belief about principles according to which data about a phenomenon ought to be gathered, analysed and utilised. There are two main perspectives that will be discussed: positivism and interpretivism. Remenyi et al. 1998 state that positivists prefer ‘working with an observable social reality and that the end product of such research can be law-like generalisations similar to those produced by the physical and natural scientists.’ In this case, the researcher does not get involved with the environment. The results of positivist research will most often result in quantifiable observations. Interpretivists on the other hand, believe that the reality can only ever be completely

This paper will review different styles of research design along with how different variables within research can be measured.

The study used statistical data that was significant to the accuracy of the results. Collecting data at different ages and conditions improved the accuracy of the information. The BSID and Chi squared test measures used to determine the norms of preterm infants were appropriate. The study provided data on mortality rates and handicaps of the children in the study.

Research methodology and methodological approaches that is, the structured process of conducting research and the overall concepts and theories which underpin research respectively (Bryman, 2008), occupy a central position in the research process as they are both shaped by and translate the researcher’s epistemological position. Epistemology then refers to a researcher’s philosophical stance about the nature, derivation and scope of knowledge (Gilbert, 2008). These positions are seldom ‘spelt out’ but rather understood in the matter of research methodology and approach (Sarantakos, 2005).

“Interpretive research begins and ends with the biography and self of the researcher." (Denzin, 1989, p.12). The positivist researcher is not affected by the subject of the research because he makes generalizations. (Saunders, 2003 p. 83). When the investigator is a positivist, he tends to use methods like experiments, surveys and field studies to generate data. In this approach, the interviewer is more likely to be an outsider which means that the investigator does not have any relation with the study group.

Positivism is a theoretical point of view which concentrates on social facts, scientific methods and quantitative data. The research methods that are commonly used by positivists are questionnaires, structured interviews, structured non-participant observation and official statistics. These methods are used as they are objective and reliable. One sociological study that used positivist methods was Durkheim’s Suicide Study. Durkheim used official statistics to study suicide and demonstrate society as a science with its own distinct subject matter.

This section provides an introduction to the different types of research paradigms and methods before concluding on the approach that this study will undertake.

Chapter 3 sets out the research strategy inclusive of the challenges found alternative methods, and scope of this research paper.

A paradigm is essentially what guides the research conducted by a researcher. Qualitative and quantitative are the main two research paradigms that guide a researcher. These are basically beliefs about reality or ontology. This is called relativism and in this paradigm, the researcher believes that there are many qualitative perspectives of reality. Generally this type of research is subjective. Qualitative research analysis is generally inductive and focuses on experiences and perceptions of research participants. Research design methods for this paradigm include phenomenology (lived experience), ethnography (influence of culture) and grounded theory (social process) (NurseKillam, 2017).

The social science paradigm also known as Post positivism consists of testing hypothesis and research questions that are developed through reasoning. This is done through measurements and observation. Social scientists aspire to science and they seek to study human behaviour, interaction and thought in an organized way; which we can then measure, generalize and replicate. Like any research, post-positivism needs to be backed up by evidence. When a social science research sets out a research project, it is their goal to find evidence that can either agree or disagree with the hypothesis or theories. Post positivism, compared to positivism allows more interaction with the participants of the research project and seeks to highlight the relationship between universal properties between the variables. The best way to understand post positivism is by comparing it to positivism and the interpretive paradigm. Compared to positivism, post positivism is more tolerant for value-based information, however is not focused on qualitative information like the interpretive paradigm, instead the research is mainly focused on quantitative data.

Research methodology is a way how the research is conducted step by step and in order. There are two methods used for data collection which is the primary data and secondary data. These data can be obtained and used many ways. The data is taken and analyzed in advance to produce a result that we can use for research and future reference. This study will relate to the objective we want to achieve and finding the answer to every objective we seek. In order to successfully achieve the objectives we seek, we must know

The four primary research philosophies include pragmatism, realism, positivism, and interpretivism. An ontology based on positivism assumes that social factors have no impact on the nature and objectives of reality. According to the ontology

There is a philosophical position in relation to the purpose and place of research in general. On the basis of positivism researchers take a scientific perspective when observing social behavior, with an objective analysis possible (Travers, 2001). It is important to note that