Methods in Social Sciences as Viable Tools Means of Disciplined Inquiring - Assignment Example

English 26 March Compare and Contrast the Research Methods in Social Sciences as Viable Tools/Means of Disciplined Inquiring Introduction: In common parlance research refers to search for the information. The main purpose of every research is to find out answers to queries in the course of the application of various types of scientific procedures. Research method in social science is one of the most viable tools to collect information. The function of research can be seen as tracking the information in our environment and considering its feasibility and efficiency, or whether these can add value to the beginners in pursuit of the complete experience. There are various accounts of research methods; although in this study, the author will look deeply into the two recognized aspects of doing and designing researches in two different forms, namely, the qualitative and quantitative methods. So, in order to compare, contrast and evaluate these research methods, it is essential to explore each individual ideas and basic characteristics of every method prior to evaluating them collectively. The quantitative method is the structured type of examination and investigation of the quantitative knowledge and information. The idea behind the quantitative method is the employment of various numerical and arithmetic forms, and the inspection of the hypothesis. It is a research practice whereby it generates post-positivist claims in developing relevant information in the course of watching and in regard to its dimensions. The quantitative method is the relationship between the empirical methods and the mathematical study. The investigation is the foundation, and it is primarily used in the social sciences and anthropology. The quantitative facts relate to the most significant use of the quantitative variables, as they are capacity oriented and based on result. “Quantitative methods come in two main types: time-series methods and explanatory methods. Time-series methods make forecasts based purely on historical patterns in the data. Time-series methods only use historical site visit data to make that forecast. Explanatory methods use other data as inputs into the forecasting data” (Mason 4). The qualitative method proposes high chances to identify deep into the minds of respondents, and it is capable to draw a rough picture of the respondent’s requirements and desires. This assists in recognizing the respondent’s concerns and thoughts. There are different reasons why qualitative method also explains to identify respondent’s mind and draw a rough picture on the subject of the respondent’s perceptions and expectations regarding their job. Qualitative method also helps to find the most precise result through direct contact with respondents. Various qualitative methods used to collect information are: Participant observation which is appropriate for collecting data on naturally occurring behaviors in their usual contexts. In-depth interviews which are optimal for collecting data on individuals’ personal histories, perspectives, and experiences, particularly when sensitive topics are being explored. Focus groups are effective in eliciting data on the cultural norms of a group, and in generating broad overviews of issues of concern to the cultural groups or subgroups represented” (“Module 1: Qualitative Research Method Overview” 2). As every research, whether quantitative or qualitative, it is mainly based upon some of the underlying suppositions regarding what creates a “valid” research and what kinds of research methods are suitable. Both these methods are significant to collect information from the target audience. The analysis of the qualitative data is just to perceive and detect the presence of various substances in the given sample, whereas the analysis of quantitative data is the assessment of various substances, i.e., in which quantity it is present in the given sample. Quantitative method includes Questionnaires, survey, and statistical analysis of data. So it needs more expense than what is needed in qualitative method it’s merely include interview, observation and non- statistical analysis of data. Qualitative information is not objective. It cannot be consistently verified. Quantitative data can frequently be verified so that we can see the proof on paper that it is accurate. Cost Incurred in the Research: A Comparison The cost involved in research is an important thing to be considered. The research cost depends on the type and the kind of the research carried out. Various factors are dependent on the expenses. The cost can be classified as directly incurred and indirectly allocated. The directly incurred cost includes the staff cost, which is dedicated in pursuing the project to the travel expense, equipment costs, consumables that are needed for the project, library books, survey fees, publication fee, and the cost of vehicles needed in doing the project. The indirectly allocated costs include the cost of the investigator, cost for the effort taken by the staff, charges involved in research facilities, buildings, other technological aspects and charges for the shared equipment in the research. Differences in the Research Costs: The differences in the costs can be estimated from the various kinds of operations performed, Primary Research: There is different kind of the researches included in the primary research, the various kinds of the research cost and time depend of the nature of the research and the content of the topic. Online Survey: It depends on the size of the questionnaire. An online study can be as small as $750’ it includes plan of the survey and one correspondence out. The survey included basic aspects like developing of the questionnaire, designing, emailing the contents, general management, and the reporting of the same. Focus Groups: For each collection of 6 or 4 people the group endures between 60 and 90 minutes. According to counting report the expenditures amount to $675, the extra amounts also have to consider incentives which are $40 - $75 depending on the size of group, category of persons, record of taped data; room rent - about $500 per group - is needed for viewing a room, food, drinks, operating cost for respondents, and the employment costs which are up to $90 per person. Face to Face Interviews: It takes about 60 minutes, maximum 2 days, to conduct intensive face-to-face interviews, and the expenditures include $1500. The other costs include the dictation of tapes, printed reports, incentive, tour and expenses. Telephone Interviews: It depends mainly on the target customer - commerce or consumer, amount of calls, duration of call and so on. The extras have to be paid for statement writing, examination, presentation and administration of project. Desk Research: It depends on the kind of research, namely, the senior and the junior research. $750 has to be paid per day for the executive researcher and may consist of $500 per day for the senior researcher Presentations: The expense in the presentation is the final expense to be considered. $750 per day will be the expense for the presentation, and the charges are likely to increase when the presentation is made more attractive and good results are obtained. Secondary Research: The secondary research includes the data, and the article selected from the library journals or the peer reviewed articles. The secondary research is not a high cost involved process, as it uses the data and figures used previously by somebody else. A good library is an efficient source of secondary material collection. There are no much cost incurred in the secondary research because they are the systematic review, which can be handled by the candidate when they have fast reading and understanding ability. Time Comparison: As the time is considered in the research, it varies with considerable differences. As the primary research is taken into account, the first and foremost reason is the collection of the samples, the collection of the samples takes time, around a day, which includes the selection of population with respect to the topic content. The questionnaire survey in the study includes around 6 days for the study, the questionnaire has to be distributed and the survey has to be conducted. The normal survey for the study includes an overall analysis by asking the facts and data collections by an informal talk. The survey can take duration of around 10 days, because the survey has to face lot of challenges like the little response from the selected sample or the vague answers. The interview method is another effective method as it includes the face to face interaction and the participation of both the candidate and the interviewer at the same time. this takes only 5 days because they will be no clarification left to be cleared later,each and everything will be a first hand information and they will be effective. Telephonic interview: This kind of interview is conducted when the person is at a longer distance and it is impossible to conduct interview in a shot span. The telephonic interview has some time delays because the respondents have to be in a convenient time and free from other calls and also need o fix an appointment for the same. Secondary Research: There is much time incurred in the secondary research because it is the systematic review, which can be handled by the candidates when they have fast reading and understanding ability, if the topic is a well known topic the candidate may have to review a lot of articles and journals. Gantt Chart: Various resources are used to complete the study. Gantt chart is used to schedule the time taken to complete each activity in the study. It is the duty of the project manager to chart all the activities. The Gantt chart gives the exact time duration and the time interval for the each of the activity performed. “A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart developed as a production control tool in 1917 by Henry L. Gantt, an American engineer and social scientist. Frequently used in project management, a Gantt chart provides a graphical illustration of a schedule that helps to plan, coordinate, and track specific tasks in a project” (Definition: Gantt Chart par. 1). Task Starting Finishing Topic selection 14.04.2012 16.04.2012 Primary research: Questionnaire (formation & distribution) 17.04.2012 22.04.2012 Survey conducted 23.04.2012 2.05.2012 Interview conducted 3.06.2012 8. 06.2012 Telephonic interview 9. 06.2012 12. 06.2012 Secondary research: (journals and articles) 12. 06.2012 16. 06.2012 Findings/conclusion 17. 06.2012 19. 06.2012 Conclusion: The essay shows the variations in the qualitative and quantitative methods in terms of research time, validity, cost and analysis. It is understood how they contribute to the study and how researchers are prepared to plan the research. Works Cited “Definition: Gantt Chart.” SearchSoftwareQuality. 2006. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. Mason, Neil. “Forecasting Techniques, Part 1: Quantitative Methods.” ClickZ. 2006. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. “Module 1: Qualitative Research Method Overview.” Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide. n.d. Print. Read More