Presentation on theme Developing a Methodology Presentation transcript
Published at : December 06, 2021
#Presentation on theme: #Developing a #Methodology "— Presentation transcript:
1 Developing a Methodology
2 Today… Research methods & ethics Developing a methodology
Research time (continuing with your literature review)
3 Research methods Some key terms: Primary data Secondary data
ReliabilityValidityQuantitativeQualitative
4 Primary Data Collecting data / information yourself Some examples:
Surveys / questionnairesFocus groupsInterviewsExperiments
5 Secondary data Data / information collected by somebody else.
Make use of information which is already out thereYour literature review will be based on secondary data.What is a “good” source for secondary data?(Remember, your research question may change as you review the existing literature).
6 Reliability Reliability:
Consistency of data collection, analysis and interpretationCould independent researchers reproduce the study and obtain the same (or similar) results?
7 ValidityValidity:Are you measuring what you think you are measuring ?!
8 Qualitative vs. Quantitative
DetailedFewer participantsMore subjectiveLess reliableLower external validityMeasurable dataMore participantsMore objectiveMore representativeMore reliableHigher internal validityThink of any examples?
9 Methods More Qualitative More Quantitative Participant observation
Informal interviewsUnstructured interviewsSemi-structured interviewsStructured interviewsFocus groups / workshopsIncreasing control over responsesIncreasing flexibility / openness to the unexpectedOpen questionsClosed questions
10 What question(s) are you asking ?
What, who, when : descriptive / exploratory : information gatheringWhy : explanatory / understandingHow : informing processes of changeYOUR QUESTION(s) WILL DETERMINE YOUR METHOD(s) & METHODOLOGY
11 InterviewsOpennessUnstructuredSemi-structuredStructuredControl
12 Interview Tips Practice beforehand
Organise the meeting around the intervieweePay attention to the venueIntroduce yourself and your research (ethics)Use open questionsStart broad, narrow down, end broadUse prompts, encouraging noisesTake notes / recordManage the time / group dynamicsThank them !
13 Semi-structured interview guides
14 Structured Interviews (Questionnaires)
Interview guide with fixed, usually short questionsExplanation (short) of the research (
(ethics)Various methods of administration (Q&A – not a conversationTend to use “closed” questionsEach question should get you information on a specific variable that you have defined in advance
15 Questionnaire tips List the topic of interest
Develop question(s) for each topicCheck – are questions understandable; relevant; leading; composite...??Question order / grouping – think about flowUse a range (but not too many) question types (e.g. closed checklist; ranking; scales)Clear layout – font size, paper colour, single- sidedPilot
16 Document analysis (1) Finding and interpreting patterns in data
Can include….Written documents (public records, private papers, biography); Photographs, Posters, Maps, Films….Why do it ?- Documents reveal what people do or did and what they value- Behaviour occurred in a natural setting- Data has strong validityWhen to do it ?- When documents exist that are relevant to your question !!- If you don’t do it you have a hole in your research- If you can’t observe or do interviews with your population
17 Document Analysis (2) Types of Document Analysis: Quantitative
Content Analysis (formal, systematic; lends structure to research; topics are categorized in a precise manner so you can count them; ignores context and multiple meanings)QualitativeDiscourse Analysis (concerned with production of meaning through talk and texts; how people use language)Thematic Analysis (concerned with finding the frequent themes)
18 Sampling… Who / what is to be included in your study?
Is your sample representative?Where do you get your sample from?Who can you speak to?What media could you look at?Will you need to look at official documents?Will you be able to get access?
19 Ethics“Ethics serve to identify good, desirable or acceptable conduct and provide reasons for those considerations (National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (1999).”Physical and psychological welfare of participantsRespect for privacyUse of deceptionInformed consentDebriefExamples of research that might be considered unethical?
20 Task 1 – Thinking about a methodology
Identify the different methods that you could use to complete your ProjectUnder each method, write one reason (justification) for using that particular methodUnder each method, write one justification for not using that particular method.
21 Task 2 - Selecting a method
From the list of methods that you could use, select the method(s) that you feel is most appropriateIn pairs, question your partner on their choice of method:Why have they chosen it?How are they going to “execute” their project? (How much detail can they give you?)Why didn’t they go with another method?
1 Developing a Methodology
2 Today… Research methods & ethics Developing a methodology
Research time (continuing with your literature review)
3 Research methods Some key terms: Primary data Secondary data
ReliabilityValidityQuantitativeQualitative
4 Primary Data Collecting data / information yourself Some examples:
Surveys / questionnairesFocus groupsInterviewsExperiments
5 Secondary data Data / information collected by somebody else.
Make use of information which is already out thereYour literature review will be based on secondary data.What is a “good” source for secondary data?(Remember, your research question may change as you review the existing literature).
6 Reliability Reliability:
Consistency of data collection, analysis and interpretationCould independent researchers reproduce the study and obtain the same (or similar) results?
7 ValidityValidity:Are you measuring what you think you are measuring ?!
8 Qualitative vs. Quantitative
DetailedFewer participantsMore subjectiveLess reliableLower external validityMeasurable dataMore participantsMore objectiveMore representativeMore reliableHigher internal validityThink of any examples?
9 Methods More Qualitative More Quantitative Participant observation
Informal interviewsUnstructured interviewsSemi-structured interviewsStructured interviewsFocus groups / workshopsIncreasing control over responsesIncreasing flexibility / openness to the unexpectedOpen questionsClosed questions
10 What question(s) are you asking ?
What, who, when : descriptive / exploratory : information gatheringWhy : explanatory / understandingHow : informing processes of changeYOUR QUESTION(s) WILL DETERMINE YOUR METHOD(s) & METHODOLOGY
11 InterviewsOpennessUnstructuredSemi-structuredStructuredControl
12 Interview Tips Practice beforehand
Organise the meeting around the intervieweePay attention to the venueIntroduce yourself and your research (ethics)Use open questionsStart broad, narrow down, end broadUse prompts, encouraging noisesTake notes / recordManage the time / group dynamicsThank them !
13 Semi-structured interview guides
14 Structured Interviews (Questionnaires)
Interview guide with fixed, usually short questionsExplanation (short) of the research (
(ethics)Various methods of administration (Q&A – not a conversationTend to use “closed” questionsEach question should get you information on a specific variable that you have defined in advance
15 Questionnaire tips List the topic of interest
Develop question(s) for each topicCheck – are questions understandable; relevant; leading; composite...??Question order / grouping – think about flowUse a range (but not too many) question types (e.g. closed checklist; ranking; scales)Clear layout – font size, paper colour, single- sidedPilot
16 Document analysis (1) Finding and interpreting patterns in data
Can include….Written documents (public records, private papers, biography); Photographs, Posters, Maps, Films….Why do it ?- Documents reveal what people do or did and what they value- Behaviour occurred in a natural setting- Data has strong validityWhen to do it ?- When documents exist that are relevant to your question !!- If you don’t do it you have a hole in your research- If you can’t observe or do interviews with your population
17 Document Analysis (2) Types of Document Analysis: Quantitative
Content Analysis (formal, systematic; lends structure to research; topics are categorized in a precise manner so you can count them; ignores context and multiple meanings)QualitativeDiscourse Analysis (concerned with production of meaning through talk and texts; how people use language)Thematic Analysis (concerned with finding the frequent themes)
18 Sampling… Who / what is to be included in your study?
Is your sample representative?Where do you get your sample from?Who can you speak to?What media could you look at?Will you need to look at official documents?Will you be able to get access?
19 Ethics“Ethics serve to identify good, desirable or acceptable conduct and provide reasons for those considerations (National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (1999).”Physical and psychological welfare of participantsRespect for privacyUse of deceptionInformed consentDebriefExamples of research that might be considered unethical?
20 Task 1 – Thinking about a methodology
Identify the different methods that you could use to complete your ProjectUnder each method, write one reason (justification) for using that particular methodUnder each method, write one justification for not using that particular method.
21 Task 2 - Selecting a method
From the list of methods that you could use, select the method(s) that you feel is most appropriateIn pairs, question your partner on their choice of method:Why have they chosen it?How are they going to “execute” their project? (How much detail can they give you?)Why didn’t they go with another method?
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