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Summary Research Methodology of human environmental interactions
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Niels WautersTUTORIAL 1
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Scientific research is:
- Systematic: using procedures and measurement instruments that are reliable (consistent) and valid
(measures what it is supposed to measure)
- Objective: not being dependent on own perspective so it is unbiased and non-normative
- Theoretical: undertaken within a framework of a set of philosophies and adding to existing knowledge
and theory.
We have to draw multiple distinctions in scientific research:
1. Scientific research is descriptive (describes something in the world), correlational (investigates the
relationship between two things, relational) and explanatory (explains why things are as they are,
causational boundaries).
2. The data in scientific research can be deducted in primary data: data you collected yourself acquired
through field or laboratory research and aimed at answering your specific research question and
secondary data: primary data that were collected by others that is acquired by you by desk research
and not specifically aimed at answering your research question.
3. Empirical versus non-empirical research. Empirical research is knowledge acquired through
measurements in the real world and non-empirical is knowledge based on logic, definition or
authority.
4. We have beta (natural and technical sciences); gamma (social sciences) and alpha (arts, humanities).
Importance of beta-gamma relation:
Failure of technocratic approach: technological innovations/solutions do not always fit in the socio-cultural
reality, for example the vacuum toilet. On the other hand do social ideas or solutions not always fit in the
technical reality.
5. When you do research you can do quantitative or qualitative research. Quantitative research
measures characteristics of the world in the form of numbers, it identifies regularities that apply to
many cases. For example you can ask: “how positive or negative are you about the Hoge Veluwe?” and
give the numbers 1 2 3 4 5. Qualitative research describes the world in terms of words, it identifies
specifics in purposively selected cases (holistic approach) unstandardized. For example: “what is your
opinion about the Hoge Veluwe?”…….
6. Applied or practice-oriented research gains knowledge for the purpose of helping to solve a practical
problem while fundamental/pure/theory-oriented research gains knowledge for the purpose of
improving or expanding the existing knowledge about a specific topic.
Theory oriented versus practice oriented research:
Any good scientific research project has both theoretical and (indirect) practical relevance!
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,Niels Wauters
EMPERICAL CYCLE:
The goal of the empirical cycle is to build and test theories. The cycle has multiple phases and starts off with a
knowledge problem. The phases are:
- Building a new theory which consists of observation and induction (mostly qualitative)
- Testing existing theory which consists of deduction, testing of hypothesis and evaluation. (quantitative)
Empirical cycle:
1. Observation: some things in the world is/are investigated
2. Induction: based on specific observations, a general assumption about the world is formulated
(induction = reasoning from the specific to the general bottom-up reasoning)
3. Deduction: the general assumption from the induction phase is applied to specific examples in the
world. An expectation (hypothesis) about these specific examples is formulated (deduction =
reasoning from the general to the specific top-down reasoning).
4. Testing: data are collected to test if the hypothesis is true or not
5. Evaluation: results from testing phase are compared to the general assumption from induction
phase (is it supported or refuted?)
Project starts at observation or deduction (or something it goes through all the 5 phases)
Correlational research: investigates the relationship between two things. It is not about the impact of x on y
(explanatory research).
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, Niels Wauters
REGULATIVE CYCLE
differences: this is not a research cycle but a policy formation cycle to help solve a problem. We are looking at
policy formation phases. It is usefull only for practice-oriented research because in this type you also want to
help to solve a problem. However research only generates knowledge but still you can use this to find out in
which part of this cycle research has been done, what is known and in which phase it could be helpful to do
research and to help policy makers to decision making.
Regulative cycle:
1. Problem identification: what is the problem? - Research to further explore the problem.
2. Diagnoses: what is the (potential) cause of the problem? - Research to find the cause of the problem
3. Design: what can we do to solve the problem? - Research to test an intervention that might solve the
problem
4. Implementation: intervention is implemented and monitored. - Research to monitor execution of
intervention and measure intermediate/preliminary outcomes
5. Evaluation: has the problem been solved? - Research to assess effectiveness of intervention.
WHAT DOES A RESEARCH PROPOSAL LOOK LIKE?
Conceptual design: what do you wish to achieve through and in your research project?
- Why do you research? help to solve a problem (applied), fill in a knowledge gap (fundamental)
- What do you need? knowledge!
Technical design: how to realize all this in the course of your research project?
- How? study design, data collection methods
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