Research and Research Methods

What is Research?

Research is defined as, ‘The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions’ (English Oxford Dictionaries , 2016).

But Zina O’Leary says that it is much more than that.

Research is the process of thinking creatively yet in a logical and systematic manner. Creative thinking will help you to explore further ideas and think out of the box, while logical thinking will guide you to keep a structure and flow to your research (O'Leary, 2004).

What is a Research Question?

A research question should be robust and answerable sociologically. It should be first of all researchable and to be researchable it should have at least six properties:

• Interesting

• Relevant Feasible

• Ethical

• Concise

• Answerable

(Stoneman, 2007)

‘find a question, an unresolved controversy, a gap in knowledge or an unrequited need within the chosen subject.’ (Walliman, 2006, p. 30, in Stoneman, 2007)

What is a Research Method?

A research method is the technique you use to collect data about your research question. Therefore, we can say that research methods are surveys, interviews, experimentation, participative observation.

But before even starting to think about research methods, one should evaluate the situation, resources and most important that he/she have a solid research question. This is called a methodological design.

If you still do not have a good researchable research question, then it is advised to revise it to create a better one. Once you are happy we should consider pros and cons of your specific context. It is very important to keep your design addressing your question and not float out. O’Leary believes that ‘research is an ongoing and iterative process of development and redevelopment that may see questions shifting and change before taking on their final form’ (O'Leary, 2004, pp. 89-90).

The well-articulated question can help you point out which methods you need to adapt in order to help you answer it. Other questions that one should keep in mind when building the method and tool plan are:

• ‘Who do you want to be able to speak about?’

• ‘Where is the physical domain of your sample?’

• ‘How do your methods fit into your time frame?’

• ‘How will I collect my data?’

• ‘How will I conduct my methods?’

• ‘What will you look for/what will you ask?’

(O'Leary, 2004, pp. 95-96)

These questions sum up a methodological plan and helps you to structure it well.

Methods data is also classified under these two adjectives:

‘Qualitative data – data represented through words, pictures, or icons analysed using thematic exploration; and quantitative data- data that is represented through numbers and analysed using statistics’ (O'Leary, 2004, p. 99).

O’ Leary also adds that she doesn’t like when people try to describe a researcher (O'Leary, 2004).

References

English Oxford Dictionaries , 2016. research - definition of research in English | Oxford Dictionaries. [Online] Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/research [Accessed 2016 October 2016].

O'Leary, Z., 2004. In: C. D. (. Ltd., ed. The Essential Guide To Doing Reserch. s.l.:Sage Publications.

Stoneman, N. G. a. P., 2007. In: Researching Social Life. s.l.:Sage, pp. 41 - 62.