This presentation is provide introduction to research design with focus on distinction between different strategies' of Research. Especially qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. .

1. Introduction to
Qualitative Research
Dr.K.Prabhakar

2. The present presentation
is dedicated to Professor
John W.Creswell

3. While
concluding a
research
three words
are used by
the
researcher
Derived
Inferred
Explained

4. Deductive
Inductive
Abductive
Deductive allows deriving of b
from a where b is a formal logical
consequence of a.
Inferring b from a, where b does
not follow necessary from a.
If b is best explained by a in the
given circumstances, then b is
explained by a.

5. Some
questions
about
research
• What is your philosophy or world view
about research you are undertaking?
• What are your assumptions and how they
are related to your research?
• Why you selected the strategy?
• How you arrived at a research method?

6. Research
Design
• Research Designs are plans and procedures
for research that span the decisions from
broad assumptions to detailed methods of
data collection and analysis (Creswell,2008).
We will revisit this definition again after
discussion on three strategies of inquiry.

7. Strategy1
Qualitative
Research
Qualitative research is the systematic inquiry into to the
“social phenomena” in “natural setting”.
It is a means for exploring and understanding the
meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social and
human problems.
It is reducing data without loosing information.
The phenomena = f (how people experience their lives,
how individuals achieve their goals, how organizations
function, or how our interactions are shaped)

8. The Process of Research
It involves emergent questions and procedures, data typically collected in
participant’s setting, data analysis inductively build from particulars to
general themes.
The researcher makes interpretations and meaning to the (worded)data. The
researchers honor inductive style, a focus on individual meaning and the
importance of rendering the complexity of a situation.
The output has a flexible style and may not follow linear style.

9. Strategy 2
Quantitative
Research
It is a means of testing objective theories by
examining relationship among variables. These
variables, in turn can be measured typically on
instruments, so that numbered data can be analyzed
using statistical procedure.
These researchers have assumptions testing theories
deductively building protection against biases,
controlled for alternative explanations and being able
to generalize and replicate findings.
The final output has a structure consisting of
introduction, literature and theory, methods, results
and discussion.

10. Strategy 3
Mixed Methods Research
It is an approach to inquiry that combines or associates both
quantitative or qualitative forms. It involves philosophical
assumptions of both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
It allows collecting both type of data so that overall strength of
study is greater than any one of the approaches.

11. Research Design
It is the plan or proposal to
conduct research.
It involves intersection of
philosophy, strategies of inquiry
and specific methods.
The researcher is expected think
through the philosophical world
view assumptions that they
bring to study.
The strategy of inquiry that is
related to this world view and
specific methods or procedures
of research that translate the
approach into practice.

13. Philosophical Worldviews
• Philosophical world view means “ a basic set of beliefs that guide
action” or “paradigms” or “Epistemologies” and “Ontologies”.
• The world views are shaped by the beliefs of faculty supervisor+
beliefs of the discipline + past research experiences.
• The research done by the JNU faculty has distinct flavor in the social
sciences area.
• The type of beliefs held by researcher influences the trajectory of
worldviews.

14. Is it applicable to
research in
management?

17. Descriptive
and
Normative
Theory

18. Theory of Avionics ~ From
Descriptive to Normative
Theory
• Starting point is observation ~ correlational
hypothesis
• Birds ( feathers and can fly)
• Ostriches (pesky wings but cannot fly)
• Bats ( no feathers but can fly)
• The correlational study or R square is high to have
feathers to fly.
• The flyers were having wings to fly and mostly
injured or dead.
• There are anomalies in the theory.

19. Roger Bacon (circa 1225)
• Roger Bacon was a medieval English philosopher who placed
considerable emphasis on the study
of nature through empiricism.
• In the early modern era, he was regarded as a wizard and
particularly famed for the story of
his mechanical or necromantic brazen head. He suggested that
humans have no hallow bones and need for mechanical
instruments to enhance capacity to fly.

22. Four Worldviews
The post positivist worldview or post positivism
Constructivism
Advocacy/Participatory
Pragmatism

23. Postpositivist
Worldview ~
Science
Research
• It is based on careful observation and measurement of
the objective reality that is existing out there in the
world such we find in experiments.
• Knowledge is conjectural and anti foundational.
Evidence established is always imperfect and fallible.
Hypothesis are never proved. We find failure to reject
them. ( Recent episode of Lancet withdrawal)
• Claims and refining as in the case of flying.
• Reductionist in approach. A bigger problem is reduced to
smaller problems and then tried to be solved.
• Objectivity is most important so that minimization of
biases and replicability is most important.
• Need for antecedent conditions ( What conditions are
necessary to have the phenomena)
Phillips and Barbules(2000)

25. Social
Constructivist
Worldview or
Interpretivism
• They address process of interaction ( social
constructivism) and context in which people work
and live. Individuals develop subjective meanings of
their experiences- meanings directed toward certain
object or thing.
• They do not start with a theory and a hypothesis.
• The researchers background also influences the
process and will not shy away from interpreting
from their own background.
• These subjective meaning are negotiated culturally
and historically.
• Meanings are constructed by human beings and
they are engaged with the world they are living.
• It is largely inductive.

26. Advocacy and Participatory Worldview
• Structural laws on individuals do not fit marginalized individuals of
society.
• The constructivist agenda failed to understand the needs of
marginalized individuals.
• Important issues such as racism, inequality, oppression, domination,
suppression and alienation.
• The researchers start with a focal point of specific issue and by
advocacy provide a voice to the individuals.
• Here participants may help design questions, collect data, analyze
information and reap the benefit of research.

27. The
Pragmatic
View
• Pragmatism arises out of actions, situations
and consequences.
• What works and solutions to problems
instead of methods.
• Inquirers draw liberally from both
quantitative and qualitative methods.
• It looks at what and how to research. It is
based on intended consequences.

28. Strategies of Inquiry or Research
Methodology
• Quantitative Research – Experimental designs, Surveys
• Qualitative Research – Ethnography, Grounded Theory, Case studies,
Phenomelogical Research, narrative research