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Research Methodologies
Buroshiva Dasgupta
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What is research ?
Most of us do - what we call research - all the time : look
forinformation
[Latin re (again), cercier (to search)]like Molieres
characterMonsieur Jourdain who talks of speaking prose without
knowing
it. Find answers to questions, solve problems, we
google/search.
Difference between everyday research and scholarly research:
Everyday research is intuitive, casual, based on common sense
andusually subjective.
Scholarly research is structured, theory based, logical
andobjective.
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What is research ? 2
Every statement needs evidence; and evidence comes from
research.
Human mind (says Saussure) makes sense of the world by forming
binaryoppositions ... and comparisons are at the heart of most
research :qualitative/quantitative, thesis/synthesis ( Hegel) ,
bourgeois/proletariat( Marx), capitalism/communism( Marx),
raw/cooked ( Levi-Strauss), theone/ the many (Plato),
idealism/materialism, existence/essence(Kierkegaard).
In research, we often seek a resolution from such dialectic.
The basic dialectic/opposition in research we find in the ideas
ofqualitative/quantitative... Quality (Latin qualitas means of what
kind?)associated with evaluation/judgement . Quantitative (Latin
quantitasmeans how great/how much/how many) deals with
numbers/magnitude/measurement. Resolution of
oppositions/dialectic can come through a mixed form of
research which involves both quantitative and qualitative
methods.
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Qualitative/Quantitative 2
Limits holistic knowledge: division is artificial:
mostquantitative data starts out as word based qualitativeconcepts
(poverty, gender, consumerism,development). These words get coded
numerically
(quantified) and treated statistically. We are habituated to
this switch from qualitative to
quantitative data: we mark our students merits
innumbers/grades.
In the quantified form, they represent real knowledgeof real
people, merits, behaviors and issues.
Take a mixed approach not either/or : combine thepower of words
with authority of numbers.
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Orientation of scholars
Data Man Data-free Man
Information Interpretation
The mean Meaning
Quantitative Qualitative
Ingenuity in design Ingenuity in analysis
Focus on audience Focus on text
Statistics Concepts data a problem idea a problem
American pragmatic European philosophical
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Research - multidisciplinary
Semiotics
Aesthetic theory
Literary theory
Psychoanalytic theory Sociological theory
Political theory
Economic theory
Anthropological theory
Philosophical perspectives
Historical perspectives
Comparative perspectives
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Types of Research
Primary Research
- Documentation ( field survey)
- Questionnaire Secondary Research
- books, journals, websites, search engines
Quantitative, Qualitative
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Steps of Research
Proposalthe objective, hypothesis
Data Collectionprimary, secondary
Literature Reviewdifferent, up-to-date views
MethodologyAnalysis
Quantitative : graphs, tables,softwares (spreadsheet. SPSS)
Qualitative : historical, literary, psychological Conclusion -
findings
Bibliography
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Analysing Research papers -
quantitative
Look for not just findings, but also methodologies
Identify the method or methods used
Determine the research questions/hypotheses
Identify the independent variable and dependentvariables
Consider the sample size, N=?
Evaluate the sampling method
Ask how the survey was conducted
Note the major results/conclusions
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Analysing Research Papers
Qualitative
What topic was investigated?
What methods were used?
What were the conclusions? What problems you found with
methods used ?
How valid are the findings ?
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Citation Style & Bibliography
MLA : Modern Language Association(Humanities)
author, title, city, publisher, year,
APA : American Psychological Association (SocialSciences)
author, year, title, city, publisher
CMS : Chicago Manual Style ( history sourcesfootnotes,
endnotes)
author, title, city, publisher, year
