Research Methods

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.