O'Leary and Creswell Ch1

Research MethodsCreswell and O’Leary

Chapter one, both books

O’Leary: Chapter One

Relevance and Need for research that grapples with real-world problems

Problems abound but so do problem solvers and problem solving

What is the role of research in problem solving?


Research is the process of gathering data in order to answer a particular question and the questions asked generally relate to a need for knowledge that can facilitate decision-making, aiding problem resolution.

Research is a key tool in informed decision making


Applied Research: findings, results and conclusions, can lead to practical recommendations, genuine change, great opportunities, and real problem solving.


Culture

PolicyPrograms

Practice

Professional Development


Pyramid advocates that the process of conducting research is a learning journey that impacts researcher through professional development

Second, research can impact practice by allowing individuals, organizations or communities to reflect on and refine what it is they do.


Third, research constitutes a more systemic attempt to change projects, procedures, plans and strategies used within organizations and communities

Fourth, research can make a contribution to broader guiding principles, by setting new directions, policies.


Professional development Engage in problem based learning a) learn

about problem, b)learn how to tackle problem

Engage in action learning a) engagement in real experiences (concrete experiementation, b) thoughtful review and consideration (reflexive observation), c) broader theorizing (abstract conceptualization), d) attempts to improve action (active experimentation)


Professional Development continued… Enhance communication skills: engaging

with people in interviews, observations, focus groups, asking questions…

Develop research skills: real learning comes from the doing

Produce new knowledge: make a contribution. Tell us something we don’t know

Engage in, or facilitate evidence-based decision making

Attain recognition


Practice: research to modify, refine and improve what it is you/your organization do or make recommendations that can influece practices of others within a particular settingAssess a problem situation: (conduct

needs assessment)Assess/trial/evaluation new practices


Programs: more planned, organized, structured, defined approaches to operations, projects, strategies used within an organization. Research targeted at systemic changeNeeds assessmentAssessing potential programsProgram evaluation/review


Policy: Plan/course of action intended to influence and determine decisions, actions and other matters. Research that attempts to produce knowledge that can impact an organization’s strategic plans, aims and objectives, and/or mission statement.


As you move up the hierarchy of change, your ability to make change happen through research—to have findings that lead to action—becomes ever more challenging.


Culture: research aimed at any level of the hierarchy has the potential to influence an organization’s culture Research can suggest downside of current

culture and/or benefits of an alternative culture

Conduct of research particularly when conducted by organization’s practitioners, can herald and facilitate a cultural shift towards values that include listening, learning, empowerment and dedication to change.


Personal

Social

Political

Cultural

Biophysical

Economic

The Problem

O’Leary Chapter One

Real world problems mean there often is no controlled environment and even “controlled environments” in social research are not like pure science.

Must be flexible, patient, mindful, creative, resourceful and adaptable


Research Teams:Research can be conducted by

practitioners themselves, professional/social or applied science researchers, students, a team that combines all categories

Research can be conducted by insiders/outsiders of an organization, some combination as well.

Examples pp. 13-15


Working on, for, or with othersResearch “on” others: objective,

scientific, CensusResearch “for” others: undertaken for

a client i.e., commissioned research, conducted for the good of the researched. Important to consider whether research agenda arises from, is assigned to, or imposed on the researched.


Research with others: collaborative research by, for and with a range of stakeholders, Conduct of research is not seen as the domain of the expert. Distinction between researched and researcher is minimized; local knowledge, empowerment, ownership emphasized

See Table 1.1 for more info.

Creswell: Chapter One

Ironically, we must return to Crotty Framework:

What epistemology—theory of knowledge embedded in a theoretical perspective—informs the research?

What theoretical perspective—philosophical stance—lies behind the methodology in questions?

What methodology—strategy or plan of action that links methods to outcomes—governs our choice and use of methods?

What methods—techniques and procedures—do we propose to use?


Creswell adjusts Crotty to read:What knowledge claims are being

made by the researcher? (Combine epistemology and theory)

What strategies of inquiry will inform the procedures?

What methods of data collection and analysis will be used?

See figure 1.1 p. 5


Elements of InquiryApproaches to Research

Design Process of Research

Alternative knowledge claims

Strategies of Inquiry

Methods

Qualitative

Quantitative

Mixed Methods

Conceptualized by the researcher

Translated into Practice

Questions

Theoretical Lens

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Write-Up

Validation


Preliminary steps in designing a research proposalAssess the knowledge claims brought

to the studyConsider the strategy of inquiry that

will be usedIdentify specific methods.


Knowledge claim: researchers start a project with certain assumptions about how they will learn and what they will learn during their inquiry

These claims might be called paradigms, philosophical assumptions, epistemologies, and ontologies, broadly conceived research methodologies


Philosophically, researchers makes claims about:What is knowledge (ontology)How we know it (epistemology)What values go into it (axiology)How we write about it

(rhetoric/discourse)Processes of studying it

(methodology)


Four Schools of thought about knowledge claimsPost-positivism p. 6, 7, 8Constructivism p. 8, 9Advocacy/participatory p. 9, 10, 11Pragmatism p. 11, 12

Review from Crotty


Strategies of Inquiry Quantitative Approach: invoke post-

positivist perspectives; true experiments/quasi-experiments of social science, correlational studies, single-subject experiments, multi-variate analysis

Experiments: true experiment-random assignment of subjects to treatment conditions, quasi-experiment-non-random design and single-subject design

Surveys: cross-sectional/longitudinal studies using questionnaires, structured interviews; to generalize from a sample to a population.


Strategies of Inquiry Qualitative Approach: ethnographies (within

that is participant observation), grounded theory-constant comparison, emerging categories, theorizing directly from the data, case studies-explore one specific subject in depth through an example, phenomenological research-lived experiences of participants, narrative research-criticism and analysis of stories and their relationship to identity and culture and practices


Strategies of Inquiry Mixed Methods: combining observations

and interviews with traditional surveys, triangulating data sources—a means for seeking convergence across qualitative and quantitative methods, sequential procedures-qualitative and quantitative phases, concurrent procedures-qualitative and quantitative data collection at the same time, transformative procedures-overarching theoretical lens


Research MethodsPre-determined, pre-designed vs.

emergingClose-ended vs. open-endedNumeric/statisticalTextual/symbolic data


Definitions of three methods p. 18Chart p. 19Figure 1.2 p. 20

Given these three approaches, what factors affect the choice of one approach over another for a design of a proposal?


The Research Problem, the personal experiences of the researcher, and the audience for whom the report will be written all play a role in deciding on an approach…

I always say, let the question drive the method, not the other way around.


Match between problem and approach Certain types of problems call for certain

types of approaches Identifying factors that influence an

outcome, utility of an intervention, best predictors of outcomes, test theory or explanation = quantitative

Concept/phenomenon with little understanding=qualitative

When researcher wants to both generalize findings and understand a phenomenon in depth=mixed


Personal ExperiencesTrainingPersonalityTopics of personal interest


AudienceWho is the research for? Who will

evaluate the research? Who has a stake in the research?

Assignment: Question #2 p. 24Chart it out.

O'Leary and Creswell Ch1

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