Research Methodological Approaches - Essay Example

Research Methodological Approaches Executive Summary Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods are the three common approaches used by scholars. Each of the approaches has its pros that make it suitable for a given study. The qualitative and quantitative methods have been in use for quite a long time and studies done in the 1980s relied in either of the two. The mixed methods are also gaining recognition and wide application in studies since they act as a bridge for the gap existing between qualitative and quantitative approaches. Introduction The nature of research being done dictates the type and kind of methodology which is to be employed. This is in terms of the data collection and analysis. For example, in collecting qualitative data, the researcher will probably be measuring variables and using them to verify existing theories and question hypotheses. In some instances, data is used in coming up with a new set of hypothesis based on the results of a given study. Since every research may be unique in its own way, it is common to find different methodologies being used. Segon & Booth (2011) points out that the collection of data or statistics is not the answer to understanding an underlying meaning in a study. It is the type of data obtained and how it is analyzed that will help in understanding meanings, experiences, theories and beliefs. Data collection is always done in accordance to specific research vehicles guided by the underlying questions for that given study. This treatise looks into the various research methods which are used in academic journals. This is done by reviewing, evaluating and analyzing the methodological approaches which are used in thirty-five different studies. Literature Review According to of Benedict & Gupta (2004), different academic scholars use diverse methodological approaches to carrying out their studies. The various methodologies can generally be grouped into three major groups. These are qualitative, quantitative and quantitative research methods. Tsikata (2008) defines qualitative research as a method of inquiry which is used in academic studies with the aim of gathering in-depth understanding of a given behavior. The method is important in helping understand the reasons behind such behavior and trends. Qualitative research investigates not only why and how a given behavior is, but also where and when it takes place. Getnet (2004) remarks that, in most instances, focused samples are used. In other studies like Tsikata (2008), a larger sample can also be used depending on the trend being studied, and the research questions being investigated. Significant quantities of literature suggest that qualitative methodologies produce information on specific cases. On the basis of the particular subject being studied, general conclusions can be drawn. Such conclusions are referred to as informed assertions. The use of qualitative research began a long time ago. Towards the end of the 1970s, majority of academic journals started publishing articles on the basis of observations, interviews, and other non-participatory approaches. In the 1980s, the qualitative studies became more multidisciplinary with focus moving from the traditional disciplines of anthropology and philosophy. Chenery & Strout (2006) points out that such studies are specifically designed to reveal the range of behaviors in a specific range of behaviors and the perspectives that govern and drive such behavior. Majority of the studies use in-depth analysis of the behavior to support hypotheses that have been constructed. Despite the difference in study scope and research questions in the qualitative studies, a close analysis reveals that the results are descriptive in nature. Today, qualitative research is heavily found and employed in marketing studies. Chenery & Strout (2006) and William (2009) are some of the existing works on marketing that have been done with this kind of approach. The studies rely on in-depth interviews, group discussions, in context observations and diary exercises. Others have employed sessions conducted in person and by telephone to obtain the information needed to support a particular theory. Sessions done by means of the internet and video conferencing are also found in studies like Getnet (2004) and of Benedict & Gupta (2004). Quantitative research is the second methodology that is widely used in academic journals and studies. Asaba (2005) defines it as a systemic empirical investigation of a particular phenomenal through the use of statistical and computational techniques. The technique is used to develop models and theories about that given phenomena. Segon, & Booth (2011) remarks that the process of measuring the variables is very central to the study. The data collected is commonly referred to as quantitative data. According to Prompton & McKay (2004) quantitative data refers to research information that is in numerical form. Current studies like Dolles & Söderman (2005a) and Dolles & Söderman (2005b) analyze the research data with the help of statistics. This is done with the aim of coming up with unbiased results which are used for generalization purposes. Earlier on, quantitative research was used majorly in psychology and sociology. However, studies like Bresman, Birkinshaw & Nobel (2009), Bresman, Birkinshaw & Nobel (2009), Ebbinghaus (2005) and Eisenhardt (2009) show that it can be used in economics, marketing, finance and human development. A comprehensive analysis of about 1300 articles which were published in two major American business journals between the years 1935 and 2006 showed that about two-thirds of these studies used quantitative research approach. Mixed research methods is another methodological approach which is used in various academic studies. Barkema & Pennings (2006), Birkinshaw, Bresman & Hakanson (2000) and Blake & Mouton (2005) are just some of the articles which have been done on the basis of this technique and approach. Mixed research method is regarded as an approach which does not explicitly use either the qualitative or the quantitative approach but rather employs given aspects of both. They include blended studies (Aoki, 2009; Asaba, 2005), integrative studies (Angwin, 2004) and multi-method studies (Amano & Suzuki, 2002). Others include ethnographic residual studies (Mahlich, 2009) and Tokoro (2009) and triangulated studies (Preuss, Gemeinder, & Séguin (2014) and Yu & Meyer-Ohle (2005). According to Ahmad (2002), the concept of mixed research is normally defined in several ways. Thus, it is important to examine the criteria with which leading academic scholars define. Analyses of various views given by methodologists reveal that the definitions vary in terms of specificity. A cross-case analysis that was done by Rhee (2011) with the aim of comparing and contrasting different definitions concerning mixed research quantifies the themes based on quality and quality. The reason for use of both qualitative and quantitative approaches in carrying out an academic study varies from one scholar to the other. Söderman (2003) identified three major reasons why the methods are combined and integrated. The first reason was that the combination can be used to facilitate confirmation of each technique through triangulation. The second reason is that such combinations play a key role in developing an analysis which will yield richer data and conclusions. The final aspect is that it is used to initiate new methods of thinking. This happens by attending to various paradoxes that emerge from the two types of data from the different data sources. Das (2010), on the other hand, identifies five major rationales for the use of mixed research. They include triangulation, complementarity, development, initiation, and expansion. The use of this approach has been growing, and most current studies are done based on it due to its pros. Discussion, Analysis and Evaluation of Different Research Quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods are always compared and contrasted to discover the underlying similarities, differences, strongpoints and weaknesses (Robins, 2009; Dolles, & Söderman, 2007). Although a distinction can be drawn between the three methods of scientific investigation, it has been argued that they all go hand in hand. An analysis of the various studies considered reveals that a large amount of qualitative articles plays a big role in the quantification of the studies and phenomena. This is evident also in studies like Diaz Ruiz (2013) and Froese & Goeritz (2007) that use qualitative approach to get general sense of the aspects and concepts being studied to create theories which are then tested by means of a quantitative approach. Despite the fact that quantitative studies have existed ever since scholars began recording events, the major idea of the practice appears to have its roots in the positivist framework (Weisskopf, 2007). This framework puts emphasis on the use of scientific methods in observing a phenomenon and predicting why, where and how it takes place. One of the vital aspects of the kind of research method employed in academic studies is the validity and consistency of data which is collected and the analysis done on the particular set of data. Validity is generally described as the ability of the instruments used to measure what it is supposed to measure (Tsikata, 2008). Qualitative approach appears to be biased and anecdotal (William 2009). This is because of the small sample size used and a lack of in-depth analysis. According to Pesaran, Shin & Smith (2001), there is always the need to assess the extent to which the claims in the articles are supported by evidence. Some academic articles like Papanek (2007) fail to view reliability and validity of ideas and conclusion made with respect to a small sample size in the qualitative studies as a key area of consideration. In qualitative studies, a reliable measure is one which can produce the same set of results to a given research question. This allows for the replication of a prior study. An example is Dalgaard, Hansen &Tarp (2004) and Getnet (2009) which appear to be a replication of Benedict & Gupta (2004). These groups of articles are both designed to investigate the same phenomena. On the other hand, qualitative research appears to have a completely different goal. In terms of reliability, reconceptualization of phenomena must be possible. The mixed method in research articles is captured by what Chenery & Strout (2006) call pragmatically infected type of positivism. Irrespective of the fact that it acts as an alternative model that strives to breach the divide in qualitative and quantitative studies, the analysis used appears to be one that is supporting positivism. The mixed methods offer strengths that are very productive in carrying out paradigmatic analysis. It minimizes the limitations of the two approaches which are combined and integrated together. Findings and Lessons From a review of different academic journals and articles, it is quite clear that each and every study uses a specific type of methodology to study a particular topic or phenomena. However, the philosophical orientation as well as the theoretical drive in a given study should be made explicit at the beginning so that the researcher can make the right decisions in the implementation phase of the study. 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