Tilburg University
Summary:
Research skills
Summary of all the slides, class-discussions & notes
Tamara Jovanović
2-11-2022
,Inhoud
Week 1:.................................................................................................................................................... 2
Week 2:.................................................................................................................................................. 10
Week 3:.................................................................................................................................................. 21
Questions for in-class discussion....................................................................................................... 28
Week 4:.................................................................................................................................................. 33
Questions for in-class discussion....................................................................................................... 37
Week 5:.................................................................................................................................................. 40
Stata rudiments ................................................................................................................................. 49
Week 6:.................................................................................................................................................. 50
Slides: Hypotheses testing................................................................................................................. 50
Slides: Measurement and data analysis ............................................................................................ 59
Week 7:.................................................................................................................................................. 67
Slides: Moderation and mediation .................................................................................................... 67
Slides: Panel data analysis ................................................................................................................. 77
1
,Week 1:
2.1 Research philosophies
- Ontology and epistemology together form research Philosophies
- “Ontology” is concerned with the nature of reality
▪ Scientists take an ontological position: is reality affected by the actions of the researcher or
not?
▪ The positivist position maintains that reality exists and can be measured.
-“Epistemology” is the theory of knowledge
▪ Knowledge should have three components; justification, truth and belief
▪ Knowledge is a justified true belief
▪ Post modernism maintains that truth depends on contextual factors
2.1-2.2 Knowledge and common sense
Common sense is the beliefs of a group of people about a certain thing
- Knowledge based on sense is called “a priory” knowledge
- Knowledge based on experience is called “a posteriori” knowledge.
When we do research, we work systematically and learn critically to analyse issues/matters
before believing in them or acting upon them.
2.3 Managerial problem solving and the role of the researcher
- Research in business studies and managerial problem solving are not much different from
each other
- Managers must have the capability to analyze their situations and to use investigative
approaches to decision making and problem solving
▪ The researcher explains how information is collected, argues for methods used to
obtain
- results and explains their limitations: they work systematically
▪ The researcher has to explain and convince the reader of the purpose and methods
of observation
2.4 Originality in research
- Originality is a basic condition for a scientific study
- ‘Originality’ describes studies that create a new dimension to already existing knowledge
• some novel twist, fresh perspective
• new hypothesis or assumption
• new and innovative methods of handling an existing topic/knowledge
2
,2.4 Different research orientations
➔ Leren!
2.5 Induction
▪ Induction is based on empirical evidence
▪ Through induction we draw general conclusions from our empirical observations
▪ The process goes from observations → analysis→ findings → theory building
▪ This type of research is often associated with the qualitative type of research
Deduction
▪ Deduction is based on logic
▪ The researcher builds/deduces hypotheses from the existing knowledge (literature), which
can be subject to empirical scrutiny (testing) and thus can be accepted or rejected
▪ This type of research is often associated with the quantitative type of research
Induction vs. deduction
• Deductive reasoning – the logical process of deriving a conclusion from a known premise or
something known as true
• Inductive reasoning – the systematic process of establishing a general proposition on the basis of
observation or particular facts
3
,Questions:
• Which process represents deduction?
• Which process represents induction?
1= deduction
2= induction
2.5 Abduction
- Not just a combination of induction and deduction
- A theoretical interpretation of an empirical problem that can lead to development of new
theories
- The original framework and theoretical assumptions of the researcher are continuously
modified as a result of empirical findings
Translation to master thesis
- Deductive studies use quantitative methods and start with the development
of hypotheses, based on theory
- Abductive studies use qualitative methods and use the literature to identify concepts that
might be relevant to the problem and situation under study
- Inductive studies are not used, mainly because of time constraints
Which of these three is more consistent with positivism?
•Deductive: good answer
•Abductive
•Inductive → Not on master thesis
2.7 Different ways of knowing
- Method of tenacity, where we hold firmly to the truth or the truth we know to be true, as we
have always known it to be true
- Method of authority, where it has been established that this is the case
- A priori method or method of intuition, where knowing is based on propositions that are self-
evident or ‘agreeable to reason’ (vanzelfsprekend/aanvaardbaar)
- Method of science, where we find a way of knowing, where everybody’s final conclusion is
the same
4
, 2.8 Research never stops
2.11 The researcher’s moral responsibility
- The moral responsibility of the researcher deals with social guidelines and constraints upon
research techniques and measurements
- Research findings might lead to action that is against the principles of the researcher or the
funding organization
- The results might influence an important decision to be made by policy makers (e.g.,
regarding mergers and acquisitions, anti-trust measures or standards setting for a particular
industry)
-
5
Summary:
Research skills
Summary of all the slides, class-discussions & notes
Tamara Jovanović
2-11-2022
,Inhoud
Week 1:.................................................................................................................................................... 2
Week 2:.................................................................................................................................................. 10
Week 3:.................................................................................................................................................. 21
Questions for in-class discussion....................................................................................................... 28
Week 4:.................................................................................................................................................. 33
Questions for in-class discussion....................................................................................................... 37
Week 5:.................................................................................................................................................. 40
Stata rudiments ................................................................................................................................. 49
Week 6:.................................................................................................................................................. 50
Slides: Hypotheses testing................................................................................................................. 50
Slides: Measurement and data analysis ............................................................................................ 59
Week 7:.................................................................................................................................................. 67
Slides: Moderation and mediation .................................................................................................... 67
Slides: Panel data analysis ................................................................................................................. 77
1
,Week 1:
2.1 Research philosophies
- Ontology and epistemology together form research Philosophies
- “Ontology” is concerned with the nature of reality
▪ Scientists take an ontological position: is reality affected by the actions of the researcher or
not?
▪ The positivist position maintains that reality exists and can be measured.
-“Epistemology” is the theory of knowledge
▪ Knowledge should have three components; justification, truth and belief
▪ Knowledge is a justified true belief
▪ Post modernism maintains that truth depends on contextual factors
2.1-2.2 Knowledge and common sense
Common sense is the beliefs of a group of people about a certain thing
- Knowledge based on sense is called “a priory” knowledge
- Knowledge based on experience is called “a posteriori” knowledge.
When we do research, we work systematically and learn critically to analyse issues/matters
before believing in them or acting upon them.
2.3 Managerial problem solving and the role of the researcher
- Research in business studies and managerial problem solving are not much different from
each other
- Managers must have the capability to analyze their situations and to use investigative
approaches to decision making and problem solving
▪ The researcher explains how information is collected, argues for methods used to
obtain
- results and explains their limitations: they work systematically
▪ The researcher has to explain and convince the reader of the purpose and methods
of observation
2.4 Originality in research
- Originality is a basic condition for a scientific study
- ‘Originality’ describes studies that create a new dimension to already existing knowledge
• some novel twist, fresh perspective
• new hypothesis or assumption
• new and innovative methods of handling an existing topic/knowledge
2
,2.4 Different research orientations
➔ Leren!
2.5 Induction
▪ Induction is based on empirical evidence
▪ Through induction we draw general conclusions from our empirical observations
▪ The process goes from observations → analysis→ findings → theory building
▪ This type of research is often associated with the qualitative type of research
Deduction
▪ Deduction is based on logic
▪ The researcher builds/deduces hypotheses from the existing knowledge (literature), which
can be subject to empirical scrutiny (testing) and thus can be accepted or rejected
▪ This type of research is often associated with the quantitative type of research
Induction vs. deduction
• Deductive reasoning – the logical process of deriving a conclusion from a known premise or
something known as true
• Inductive reasoning – the systematic process of establishing a general proposition on the basis of
observation or particular facts
3
,Questions:
• Which process represents deduction?
• Which process represents induction?
1= deduction
2= induction
2.5 Abduction
- Not just a combination of induction and deduction
- A theoretical interpretation of an empirical problem that can lead to development of new
theories
- The original framework and theoretical assumptions of the researcher are continuously
modified as a result of empirical findings
Translation to master thesis
- Deductive studies use quantitative methods and start with the development
of hypotheses, based on theory
- Abductive studies use qualitative methods and use the literature to identify concepts that
might be relevant to the problem and situation under study
- Inductive studies are not used, mainly because of time constraints
Which of these three is more consistent with positivism?
•Deductive: good answer
•Abductive
•Inductive → Not on master thesis
2.7 Different ways of knowing
- Method of tenacity, where we hold firmly to the truth or the truth we know to be true, as we
have always known it to be true
- Method of authority, where it has been established that this is the case
- A priori method or method of intuition, where knowing is based on propositions that are self-
evident or ‘agreeable to reason’ (vanzelfsprekend/aanvaardbaar)
- Method of science, where we find a way of knowing, where everybody’s final conclusion is
the same
4
, 2.8 Research never stops
2.11 The researcher’s moral responsibility
- The moral responsibility of the researcher deals with social guidelines and constraints upon
research techniques and measurements
- Research findings might lead to action that is against the principles of the researcher or the
funding organization
- The results might influence an important decision to be made by policy makers (e.g.,
regarding mergers and acquisitions, anti-trust measures or standards setting for a particular
industry)
-
5
