This is a very comprehensive summary of the subject “Research Design and Research Methods”. Teaching material from the various lessons and all related literature have been incorporated into the summary, necessary for achieving a splendid grade. In addition, examples have been given multiple tim...
deterministic vs probabilistic concepts of causation
quantitative and qualitative research
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
Edition:
ISBN:
Edition:
More summaries for
College aantekeningen RM1 - Research Methods 1 (XTO-12306) Research Design in Social Research, ISBN: 9780761953470
Samenvatting Research Design in Social Research, ISBN: 9780761953470 RM1 - Research Methods 1 (XTO-12306)
College aantekeningen Research designs and research methods (YRM20806) Research Design in Social Research, ISBN: 9780761953470
All for this textbook (9)
Written for
Wageningen University (WUR)
Bedrijfs En Consumentenwetenschappen/ MME/ MFQ/
Research Design and Research Methods (YRM20806)
All documents for this subject (1)
1
review
By: PetervanderHeijden • 3 months ago
By: frankprinsen • 3 months ago
Translated by Google
Hi Peter, thank you so much for your review!
Seller
Follow
frankprinsen
Reviews received
Content preview
YRM-20806
Summary: Research Design & Research Methods
Prinsen, Frank
1
,Chapter 1 What is Research Design:
The context of design:
✓ Scientific research is:
▪ Objective: unbiased, non-normative (should present facts, not norms)
▪ Systematic: measurement reliable and valid.
▪ Theoretical: undertaken in framework with existing theories, cumulative.
✓ Data types:
▪ Primary data: self-collected (through experiment)
▪ Secondary data: other researchers’ primary data (desk research)
✓ Empirical vs. non-empircal:
▪ Empirical: knowledge acquired through observation (water → gravity)
▪ Non-empirical: knowledge based on logic or definition (Einstein → gravitational
waves)
✓ Quantitative research:
▪ Measurement by assigning numbers to a limited set of variables
▪ Identifying general patterns that apply to many objects (reductionist approach)
▪ E.g. what is your opinion about fair trade? VNegative 1 2 3 4 5 VPositive
✓ Qualitative research:
▪ Measurement in terms of words
▪ Identifying unique patterns in only a few objects (holistic approach)
▪ E.g. what is your opinion about fair trade?
✓ Applied research or practice-oriented research:
▪ Gain knowledge to help sole a practical problem (Important)
▪ E.g. fuel-wood use and deforestation in Africa
✓ Fundamental research or theory-oriented research:
▪ Gain knowledge to improve or expand existing knowledge about a specific
phenomenon
▪ E.g. identification of dimensions constituting disaster experiences
• Two fundamental types of research questions:
1. Description: What is going on?
o E.g. covers much government sponsored research (e.g. population growth)
o Questions e.g.: is the level of social inequality increasing or declining?, How much
poverty is there in this community?
o Good description provokes the ‘why’ questions of explanatory research.
o The focus, facts and dimensions of the ‘problem’ should be clearly set before doing
research. Otherwise, research will be performed on a potential ‘non-existence
problem’.
2. Explanation: Why is it going on?
o Primarily covers why questions and answer the cause of the problem questions
stated as a descriptive problem. (the crime rate has risen over the years, BUT why
did it rise?
o Answering the ‘why’ questions involves developing causal explanations.
o Causal explanations argue that phenomenon Y (income level) if affected by factor X
(gender)
o More complex causal explanations e.g. there is a direct effect of gender on income
o Therefore, different causal models can be used for the explanations:
▪ Direct causal relationship; Gender → income
▪ Indirect causal relationship; Gender → …. → …. → …. → income level
2
, ▪ Complex direct and indirect causal relationship;
• Prediction, correlation and causation
o Correlational is not directly causation. It could be coincidence rather than
causational
o Examples:
▪ Correlation between the number of fire engines at a fire and the amount of
damage caused by the fire (the more fire engines the more damage).
Conclusion; number of fire engines causes the amount of damage? →
clearly the number of fire engines and the amount of damage will both be
due to some third factor (e.g. fire intensity).
▪ The divorce rate changed over the twentieth century the crime rate
increased a few years later. → this does not mean that divorce causes
crime. Rather than divorce causing crime, divorce and crime rates might
both be due to other social processes such as greater poverty
o Where two event or characteristics are correlated we can predict one from the
other
o Good prediction does not depend on causal relationships. Nor does the ability to
predict accurately demonstrate anything about causality.
o Correlation can be observed. Nevertheless, causation cannot be observed.
o It should be minimised saying that the chances of incorrectly saying that a
relationship is causal when in fact it is not.
o Invalid inferences should be avoided in explanatory research!!!
• Deterministic and probalistic concepts of causation:
o Two ways of thinking about causes:
1) Deterministically:
▪ Where variable X is said to cause Y if, and only if, X Invariably
produces Y. That is when X is present then Y will ‘necessarily,
inevitably, and infallibly’ occur. (when X is there Y will 100% be
as a result)
▪ E.g.: when a smoker denies that tobacco causes cancer because
he smokes heavily but has not contracted cancer.
▪ This approach seeks to establish causal laws: Facts
3
, ▪ But those laws (facts) should be specified to exclude any
potential influencing factors (e.g. at sea level heating pure water
to 100Co will always boil)
2) Probabilistically:
▪ Most causal thinking in the social sciences is probabilistic
rather than deterministic.
▪ E.g.: illustrated by health authorities who point to the increased
chances of cancer among smokers.
o That is, we work at the level that a given factor increases (or decreases) the
probability of a particular outcome.
o Probabilistic explanations can be improved by specifying conditions under which X is
less likely OR more likely to affect Y.
o Due to the fact that behaviour is not simply determined we cannot achieve
deterministic explanations. BUT we can achieve probabilistic explanations; e.g. a
given factor will increase the likelihood of a given outcome but there will never the
certainty about outcomes.
• Theory testing and theory construction
o The empirical cycle: Research phases
▪ phases:
▪ Theory building:
▪ Observation
▪ Induction (Cause)
▪ Theory testing:
▪ Deduction (Hypothesis)
▪ Testing of hypotheses
▪ Evaluation
o Theory building (explained):
▪ Is the process in which research begins with observations and uses inductive
reasoning to derive a theory from these observations.
4
, ▪ This form entails asking whether the observation is a particular case of a
more general factor, or how the observations fits into a pattern or a story
o Theory testing (explained):
▪ In contrary to building, it begins with a theory and uses theory to guide
which observations to make: it moves from general to particular.
▪ Should provide a test of the worthiness of the theory (an experiment)
▪ Using deductive reasoning to derive a set of propositions from the theory
does this. (making hypothesis)
▪ Types of hypothesis:
➢ Non-relational: expectation about one concept (variable)!
o Y is…
o E.g. >30% of car drivers on the A12 is speeding
➢ Correlational: states relation between concepts (variables)
o Relation between X and Y
o E.g. speeding is related to region
➢ Developmental: states development of one or more
concepts (variables) over time
o Y changes with time
o E.g. speeding has decreased in the last decade
➢ Causal: States causal relation between concepts (variables)
o X causes Y
o E.g. speeding leads to higher number of road
accidents.
▪ Correlational, developmental, causal hypothesis can be further refined
into:
➢ Directional hypothesis: states the direction
o As X increases, Y increases/decreases
o E.g. as age goes up speeding becomes less
➢ Non-directional hypothesis: does not state direction
o As X changes, Y changes
o E.g. age and speeding are related.
▪ If the predictions are correct the theory is supported. If not, theory should
be rejected or modified.
5
,• What is research design?
o Social research needs a design or a structure before data collection or analysis can
be performed.
o A research design is not just a work plan!!!
o It details what has to be done to complete the project, but the work plan will be
derived from the project’s research design.
o Function: to ensure that the evidence obtained enables us to answer the initial
question as unambiguously as possible (as correct as possible).
o When designing we need to ask: given this research question, what type of evidence
is needed to answer the question in a convincing way.!! (or theory)
o Design versus method:
▪ Data for any design can be collected with any data collection method. How the
data are collected is irrelevant to the logic of the design!
▪ By choosing cross-sectional designs with e.g questionnaires or case studies with
participant observation, means that the outcome is often not a unambiguous
conclusion.
6
, o Quantitative and qualitative research:
▪ Information to prove the theory should be found as; we should be sceptical
on the information which supports the evidence or theory but rather
seeking evidence that provides a compelling test of the theory!!
o Plausible rival hypotheses:
▪ Social research involves evaluating plausible rival hypotheses.
▪ It is needed to examine and evaluate alternative ways of explaining a
particular phenomenon. (REGARDLESS: qualitative, quantitative data;
research design (experiment, cross sectional, case study, etc.) and the
method of data collection)
▪ The mindset needs to; anticipate alternative ways of interpreting findings
and to regard any interpretation of
these finding as a subject to further
testing (do not assume data is 100%
correct)
7
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller frankprinsen. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $11.95. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
