Research Methods

    Introduction to Systems of Human Inquiry 
EDA 387Q Dr. James Scheurich

[NOTE TO "BASELL READERS":  This is just a rough draft of some of my study notes.  It gives you an idea, though, of the direction that we might go with this project. -- LA].

Research Paradigm
Quantitative
Methods
Qualitative
Methods
Basic Beliefs About the Nature of Reality
 
 

Epistemology

 There is an objective reality that is not dependent on human interpretation. Nature is orderly and follows specific laws. Occurrences or events have causes, which can be discovered. There are multiple realities. "Reality is what you think it is." Reality is not purely objective, and does not exist independent of the humans who interpret it. Occurrences and events have causes, which can be explored but never completely explained.
Paradigm Types
 Positivism(some describe this paradigm as extinct)

Post-positivism

 

 Constructivist

Interpretivist 

Deconstructivist

Critical Theorist

Post-modernist

Post-structuralist
Basic Perspectives

(Lenses through which the researcher interprets the world)

 Empiricism -- "the Scientific Approach"
 


 

 

 Feminism

Marxism

Humanism

Race-based

Multi-cultural

Practitioner-based 
Description of Common Basic Strategies

(Collection of methods or tools with a history)

 Experimental 

Quasi-experimental

Causal-comparative

Correlational

Descriptive
 
 

 

 Naturalistic Inquiry 

                "So: what's it like,
                being on the hook?

Action research

Ethnography

Grounded theory

Life histories 

Hermeneutics

Narrative Inquiry

Case study
Basic Methods

(Data gathering and evaluation tools)

 Statistical Measures used: ANOVA

ANCOVA

MANOVA

t-tests

 Correlations

Standard deviation, Mean, Medium, Mode, Significance, Type I and Type II errors

Historical analysis

Focus Groups

Interviews -- emergent and semi-structured

Surveys

Member-checking

Self-report 

Observations 

Document analysis 

Questionnaire

Reflexive journals 
Quality Assurance

 

 Reliability: Internal and External

Validity: Construct, Content, Face

Sampling: Random and deliberate

 Trustworthiness: Credibility, Confirmability, Dependability, Transferability

Authenticity: Fairness, Ontological, Educative, Tactical, Catalytic

Sampling: Purposive
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[preliminary notes from Lynda Abbott]

Return to Lynda's home page | Related page on Research paradigms