METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES
METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES
•What is method?
•What is methodology?
•Types of methods
•The connection between the argument and methods selection
•Choosing the rights methods
•Using methods to analyse data
•Justification for case selection
•Units on analysis, methods and impact on findings
•Conclusions
What is method?
•Method
•“A method is simply the tool used to answer your research questions — how, in short, you will go about collecting your data” (Brookshier 2018).
•Examples:
•Interviews
•Surveys
•Documentary analysis
•Observations
•Experiments
What is methodology?
•Methodology
•Describes the “general research strategy that outlines the way in which research is to be undertaken” ( Howell 2013).
•Examples:
•Ethnography
•Grounded theory
•It is a rationale for the selected research
•The methodology impacts the selections of methods
•Should we say “I use several methods” or “I use several methodologies”?
Inductive vs. deductive approaches
Deductive or “top-down” approachInductive or “bottom-up” approach
Types of methods: qualitative vs. quantitative
•Qualitative methods
•Approaches that stress qualitative methods tend to be most interested in the WHY questions“Involves methods of data collection that are non-quantitative” (Lofland and Lofland, 1984)
•Often based on grounded theory. Built from the ‘bottom up’.
•Examples:
•Interviews
•Discourse analysis
•Content analysis
•Case studies
Types of methods: qualitative vs. quantitative (I)•Quantitative methods
•Employs measurement; is objective and rigorous and believes in generalisation of results to larger populations
•Stresses on quantification of concepts; deals with numbers and hard data
•Usually uses a deductive “top-down” approach and focuses on testing of theories
•Examples:
•Surveys
•Questionnaires
•Polls
•Statistical analysis
The connection between argument and methods
•The methods chosen should be the most appropriate ones for answering that specific question
•Sample questions:1.Why is case A not able to improve corruption control?2.How does corruption impact economic development?
•Sample methods:•Qualitative analysis of corruption control in case A, interviews, questionnaires, and documentary analysis as sources of information
•Quantitative regression analysis to examine the relationship between the different variable
•Case selection/ variables selection:
•Why is the selected case/ variables important and relevant for answering the question?
•What other cases/ variables could have been considered and why is the case you are using more appropriate?
The connection between argument and methods
•The methods chosen should be the most appropriate ones for answering that specific question
•Sample questions:1.Why is case A not able to improve corruption control?2.How does corruption impact economic development?
•Sample methods:
•Qualitative analysis of corruption control in case A, interviews, questionnaires, and documentary analysis as sources of information
•Quantitative regression analysis to examine the relationship between the different variable
•Case selection/ variables selection:
•Why is the selected case/ variables important and relevant for answering the question?
•What other cases/ variables could have been considered and why is the case you are using more appropriate?
