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Text For Reading

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hkkkkkkkk
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CRITERIA FOR SELECTING A RESEARCH APPROACH

Given the possibility of qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods approaches, what


factors affect a choice of one approach over another for the design of a proposal?
Added to worldview, design, and methods would be the research problem, the
personal experiences of the researcher, and the audience(s) for whom the report will
be written
1. The Research Problem and Questions
A research problem, more thoroughly discussed in Chapter 5, is an issue or concern
that needs to be addressed (e.g., the issue of racial discrimination). The problem
comes from a void in the literature, and conflict in research results in the literature,
topics that have been neglected in the literature; a need to lift up the voice of
marginalized participants; and “real-life” problems found in the workplace, the
home, the community, and so forth. Certain types of social research problems call
for specific approaches. For example, if the problem calls for (a) the identification
of factors that influence an outcome, (b) the utility of an intervention, or (c)
understanding the best predictors of outcomes, then a quantitative approach is best.
It is also the best approach to use to test a theory or explanation. On the other hand,
if a concept or phenomenon needs to be explored and understood because little
research has been done on it, then it merits a qualitative approach. Qualitative
research is especially useful when the researcher does not know the important
variables to examine. This type of approach may be needed because the topic is new,
the subject has never been addressed with a certain sample or group of people, and
existing theories do not apply with the particular sample or group under study
(Morse, 1991). A mixed methods design is useful when the quantitative or
qualitative approach, each by itself, is inadequate to best understand a research
problem and the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research (and its data)
can provide the best understanding. For example, a researcher may want to both
generalize the findings to a population as well as develop a detailed view of the
meaning of a phenomenon or concept for individuals. In this research, the inquirer
first explores generally to learn what variables to study and then studies those
variables with a large sample of individuals. Alternatively, researchers may first
survey a large number of individuals and then follow up with a few participants to
obtain their specific views and their voices about the topic. In these situations,
collecting both closed-ended quantitative data and open-ended qualitative data
proves advantageous.

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2. Personal Experiences
Researchers’ own personal training and experiences also influence their choice of
approach. An individual trained in technical, scientific writing, statistics, and
computer statistical programs and familiar with quantitative journals in the library
would most likely choose the quantitative design. On the other hand, individuals
who enjoy writing in a literary way or conducting personal interviews or making up-
close observations may gravitate to the qualitative approach. The mixed methods
researcher is an individual familiar with both quantitative and qualitative research.
This person also has the time and resources to collect both quantitative and
qualitative data and has outlets for mixed methods studies, which tend to be large in
scope. Since quantitative studies are the traditional mode of research, carefully
worked out procedures and rules exist for them. Researchers may be more
comfortable with the highly systematic procedures of quantitative research. Also, for
some individuals, it can be uncomfortable to challenge accepted approaches among
some faculty by using qualitative and transformative approaches to inquiry. On the
other hand, qualitative approaches allow room to be innovative and to work more
within researcher-designed frameworks. They allow more creative, literary-style
writing, a form that individuals may like to use. For transformative writers, there is
undoubtedly a strong stimulus to pursue topics that are of personal interest—issues
that relate to marginalized people and an interest in creating a better society for them
and everyone. For the mixed methods researcher, the project will take extra time
because of the need to collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. It
fits a person who enjoys both the structure of quantitative research and the flexibility
of qualitative inquiry.
3. Audience
Finally, researchers write for audiences that will accept their research. These
audiences may be journal editors and readers, faculty committees, conference
attendees, or colleagues in the field. Students should consider the approaches
typically supported and used by their advisers. The experiences of these audiences
with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies can shape the decision made
about the choice of design.

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Paraphrase:

Summary:

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Example:

SUMMARY
In planning a research project, researchers need to identify whether they will
employ a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods approach. This approach is
based on bringing together a worldview or assumptions about research, a specific
design, and research methods. Decisions about choice of an approach are further
influenced by the research problem or issue being studied, the personal
experiences of the researcher, and the audience for whom the researcher writes.

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