Research Framework and Design Flashcards
List the 4 elements of Crotty’s (1998) Framework (from broadest to most specific)
Epistemology, Theoretical framing/orientation, methodology & Methods
Describe epistemology
A way of understanding and explaining how we know what we know’, (Crotty, 2003). Epistemology is also ‘concerned with providing a philosophical grounding for deciding what kinds of knowledge are possible and how we can ensure that they are both adequate and legitimate.
Give 3 examples of epistemologies
Objectivism
Subjectivism
Constructivism
Describe what objectivists believe
Objectivism - Assume that realities exist independent of our consciousness need to separate the person from the experience
Describe what subjectivists believe
Subjectivism - Understanding that is developed is specific to the individual so researchers should emphasise the unique perspective of each person. Assume that knowledge is ambiguous, fragmented, and specific to particular events
Describe what constructivists believe
Constructivism - Assume people construct their own understanding of the world. Researchers should clarify meanings with participants to ensure they have the same meaning to both parties.
Define theoretical framework
The structure that can hold or support a theory of a research study
Give examples of theoretical frameworks
Positivism
Critical inquiry
Interpretivism
Pragmatism
Feminism
Postmodernism
Describe postivism
Positivism embraces objectivism and thus assumes that systematic, standardized procedures should be applied to observe and measure phenomenon to uncover the true reality.
Describe critical inquiry
Assumes that political agendas have shaped and biased knowledge. To overcome this effect, researchers often consider marginalized or disadvantaged segments of society to address inequalities and offer a voice for these segments. Generally, adopts a constructionist epistemology
Describe interpretivism
Embraces constructivism and tends to focus on how individuals interpret the world. Proponents want to understand the meanings that guide the choices of people. They do not believe that researchers can remain impartial and independent of their inquiry
Describe pragmatism
Blends positivism and interpretivism: Researchers shift from objectivist to constructionist views to achieve their goals and to effect change. The aim is to solve a problem
Describe feminism
focuses on the experiences of women in natural social settings, where the aim is to ‘make women visible, raise their consciousness and empower them’
Describe post-modernism
Postmodernism rejects realism - thinks everything is influenced by something nothing is neutral. Instead, postmodernists believe that no one ideology or narrative can be considered appropriate—but conducts researcher to characterize the fragmentation, ambiguity, and ambivalence in the world.
Describe methodology
“The strategy, plan of action, process or design lying behind the choice and use of particular methods and linking the choice and use of the methods to the desired outcomes.” (Crotty, 2003)
Give some examples of methodologies
Grounded theory
Ethnography
Narrative research
Phenomenological research
Action research
Thematic analysis
Discourse analysis
Foucauldian discourse analysis
Define the method
The techniques or procedures used to gather and analyse data
Give some examples of methods
○ Spoken word
* Interviews
* Focus groups
○ Written word
* Surveys
* Documents and archival records—such as webpages accessed using the Wayback Machine
* Correspondence
* Diary methods
○ Visual methods
* Drawing
* Recording photos or videos
○ Artifacts
* Social media
* Official media
* Physical remnants
* Observations
Describe grounded theory and the associated method
Willing to adjust the questions asked, and the methods used, as ideas develop. Do not need to finalize the methods before collecting data
Develop a theory that explains or characterizes a specific experience or change, such as changes in identity that people experience after their partner dies
Describe ethnography and the associated method
Researchers immerse themselves in a particular setting or culture—such as a remote community
Observe and describe the values, beliefs, and practices of a particular setting or culture
Methods= observations
Describe narrative research and the associated method
Analyse the stories people relate about some experience or event
Want to understand how some event or experience evolves across time—to understand the process or sequence of events.
Method= stories derived from interviews, letters, biographies, field note, or other sources
Describe phenomenology and the associated method
Explore how people experience, conceptualize, and perceive a specific circumstance, primarily to characterize the essence of this circumstance
Report both the unique perspective of each person as well as commonalities
Method= Mainly use interviews to collect data—and interview fewer than 10 or so people in depth
Describe action research and the associated method
Explore how the insights of past research could be applied to resolve a practical and ongoing problem—such as a problem in a school or community
I would like to examine the effects of changing some setting or community—such as a workplace
Improving practice. It involves action, evaluation, and critical reflection
Methods: Interview
Describe thematic analysis and the associated methods
Reduce qualitative data to 2 to 8 broad categories—although each category could be divided into 2 to 8 specific themes
Not especially interested in the association between these categories or themes.
Method= interviews
