Research
Research
is at times mistaken for gathering information, documenting facts, and
rummaging for information. Research is
the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data in order to
understand a phenomenon (Leedy & Ormrod, 2001). The research process is systematic in that defining the objective,
managing the data, and communicating the findings occur within established
frameworks and in accordance with existing guidelines. The frameworks and
guidelines provide researchers with an indication of what to include in the
research, how to perform the research, and what types of inferences are
probable based on the data collected.
Research
methodology is defined by Leedy & Ormrod (2001) as “the general approach
the researcher takes in carrying out the research project”. The
common approaches to conducting research:
1. Quantitative
2. Qualitative
3. Mixed
Methods
Quantitative
Research Approach
Quantitative
research emerged around 1250 A.D. and was driven by investigators with the need
to quantify data. Since then quantitative research has dominated the western
cultural as the research method to create meaning and new knowledge. What
constitutes a quantitative research method involves a numeric or statistical
approach to research design. Quantitative research creates meaning through objectivity uncovered in
the collected data. The
findings from quantitative research can be predictive, explanatory, and
confirming.
Quantitative research involves the collection
of data so that information can be quantified and subjected to statistical
treatment in order to support or refute “alternate knowledge claims” (Creswell,
2003). Quantitative research involves
data collection that is typically numeric and the researcher tends to use
mathematical models as the methodology of data analysis. Additionally, the
researcher uses the inquiry methods to ensure alignment with statistical data
collection methodology.
Several research methods exist to
conduct quantitative research. In descriptive research method, correlational,
developmental design, observational studies, and survey research are used.
These research methods may also be used in various degrees with experimental
and causal comparative research.
In the correlational research
method, the research examines the differences between the two characteristics
of the study group. Leedy and Ormrod (2001) felt
that it is crucial to observe the extent to which a researcher discovers
statistical correlation between two characteristics depending on some degree of
how well those characteristics have been calculated. Hence, validity and
reliability are important components that affect correlation coefficients.
During the development design, the researcher explores how
characteristics may change over time within a study group. Two types of
development designs include cross-sectional and longitudinal. In the
cross-sectional study, the researcher compares two different groups within the
same parameters. Whereas, the longitudinal study is commonly used in child
development research to better understand a phenomena of particular age groups
or to study a group over a specific period of time (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001).
In the observational study method, the researcher observes a
particular aspect of human behavior with as much objectivity as possible and
records the data. This research method may provide an alternative to various
qualitative research methods. In the survey research method, the researcher
tends to capture phenomena at the moment. This method is used for sampling data
from respondents that are representative of a population and uses a closed
ended instrument or open-ended items. A survey research is one of the ways to
gather data in the social sciences.
Qualitative Research Approach
Qualitative research is a holistic
approach that involves discovery. What constitutes
qualitative research involves purposeful use for describing, explaining, and
interpreting collected data. Leedy and Ormrod (2001) alleged that qualitative research is less
structured in description because it formulates and builds new theories.
Qualitative research can also be described as an effective model that occurs in
a natural setting that enables the researcher to develop a level of detail from
being highly involved in the actual experiences (Creswell, 2003). One identifier of a qualitative research is the social phenomenon being
investigated from the participant’s viewpoint. There are
different types of research designs that use qualitative research techniques to
frame the research approach. As a result, the different techniques have a
dramatic effect on the research strategies explored. There are several different methods
for conducting a qualitative research; however, Leedy and Ormrod (2001)
recommend the following five: case studies, grounded theory, ethnography,
content analysis, and phenomenological.
Creswell (2003) define
case study as “researcher explores in depth a program, an event, an activity, a
process, or one or more individuals”. Creswell (1998)
suggests the structure of a case study should be the problem, the context, the
issues, and the lessons learned. The data collection for a case study is
extensive and draws from multiple sources such as direct or participant
observations, interviews, archival records or documents, physical artifacts,
and audiovisual materials. The researcher must spend time on-site interacting with
the people studied. The report would include lessons learned or patterns found
that connect with theories.
The ethnography differs from a case
study. Creswell (2003) defines “ethnographies, in which the
researcher studies an intact cultural group in a natural setting over a
prolonged period of time by collecting, primarily, observational data” (p. 14).
The focus is on everyday behaviors to identify norms, beliefs, social
structures, and other factors. Ethnography studies usually try to understand
the changes in the group’s culture over time. As a result, findings may be limited to
generalization in other topics or theories.
Creswell (2003)
defines grounded theory research as the “researcher attempts to derive a
general, abstract theory of a process, action, or interaction grounded in the
views of participants in a study”. Leedy and Ormrod (2001) further clarifies
that grounded theory research begins with data that develops into a theory.
The purpose of
phenomenological study is “to understand an experience from the participants’ point of
view” (Leedy & Ormrod, 2001). The focus is on the participant’s perceptions of the
event or situation and the study tries to answer the question of the
experience. Creswell (1998) points out that the essence of this study is the
search for “the central underlying meaning of the experience and emphasize the
intentionality of consciousness where experiences contain both the outward
appearance and inward consciousness based on the memory, image, and meaning”.
Leedy and Ormrod (2001)
define content analysis method as “a detailed and systematic examination of the
contents of a particular body of materials for the purpose of identifying
patterns, themes, or biases”. Content analysis review forms of human
communication including books, newspapers, and films as well as other forms in
order to identify patterns, themes, or biases. The method is designed to
identify specific characteristics from the content in the human communications.
The researcher is exploring verbal, visual, behavioral patterns, themes, or
biases.
Mixed Methods Approach
With the mixed methods
approach to research, researchers incorporate methods of collecting or
analyzing data from the quantitative and qualitative research approaches in a
single research study (Creswell, 2003; Johnson & Onwuegbuzie; Tashakkori
& Teddlie). That is, researchers collect or analyze not only numerical
data, which is customary for quantitative research, but also narrative data,
which is the norm for qualitative research in order to address the research
question(s) defined for a particular research study. As an example, in order to
collect a mixture of data, researchers might distribute a survey that contains
closed-ended questions to collect the numerical, or quantitative, data and
conduct an interview using open-ended questions to collect the narrative, or
qualitative, data.
By having the ability
to design research studies that combine data collection or data analysis
methods from the quantitative and qualitative research approaches, researchers
are now able to test and build theories. Researchers are also able to employ
deductive and inductive analysis in the same research study. The mixed methods
approach to research provides researchers with the ability to design a single
research study that answers questions about both the complex nature of phenomenon
from the participants’ point of view and the relationship between measurable variables.
Source:
Williams,
Carrie. 2007. Research Methods.
Amerika Serikat: Grand Canyon University. Diunduh pada file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/2532-10126-1-PB%20(1).pdf
pada tanggal 19 Oktober 2016.
