Research comes in many shapes and
sizes. Before a researcher begins to conduct a study, he or she must decide on
a specific type of research. Good researchers understand the advantages and
disadvantages of each type, although most end up specializing in one.
Dimensions of Research`
The various features
of a study correspond to four dimensions of research. The four dimensions
overlap, and some tend to go together.
1. The Use of Research: This is about How will you use study results?
a. Pure/ Basic/ Fundamental Social Research: Basic researchers seek an
understanding of the fundamental nature of social reality. Basic research is
mostly used for academic purposes. It is more focused on creating scientific
knowledge and predictions for further studies. It involves developing and
testing theories and hypotheses that are intellectually challenging to the
researcher but may or may not have practical application at the present time or
in the future. Example: A company studies how different product
placements affect product sales. This study provides information.
b. Applied Social Research: Applied research is designed to
identify solutions to specific problems or find answers to particular questions
that plaguing our daily lives, impacting our work,
health or welfare of a business, government body, or individual. In applied social research, building or testing theory or
connecting results to a larger theory is a secondary concern. Most applied
studies are small in scale and offer practical results we can use in the near
term. Example: A study searching for ways to encourage college graduates
to attend University.
Types
of Applied Research: There are many specific types of applied research:
i. Action Research: Action research,
coined by MIT professor Kurt Lewin in 1944, involves examining actions,
assessing their effectiveness, and making adjustments based on the results.
It's commonly used in education for self-assessment and improvement. For
instance, a teacher collects data on their fifth-grade math teaching methods,
finds only 33% proficiency after the first quarter, and then implements new
methods in the second quarter.
ii.
Social Impact Assessment (SIA): A Social Impact
Assessment (SIA) involves researching, planning, and managing the social,
environmental, economic, and health consequences of policies, projects, or
developments. It looks at both intended and unintended positive and negative
effects, such as changes in food availability and prices resulting from
alterations in water and land use.
iii.
Evaluation Research: Evaluation research measures the success of
programs, policies, or interventions, answering questions like: Does Socratic
teaching enhance learning more than lecturing? Does mandatory arrest in law
enforcement reduce spousal abuse? Does a flextime program boost employee
productivity? The collected data helps assess if the investment in a project is
worthwhile.
Types of Evaluation Research
a. a. Formative Evaluation: This is a form of evaluation research performed prior to starting a project. It involves analyzing the needs and preferences of a target market to establish project objectives that align with those findings.
b. Mid-Term
Evaluation: As the name suggests, mid-term evaluation is conducted while a project
is in action to assess how far a project has come and whether or not it is in
line with the set goals and objectives that were determined for it.
c. Summative
Evaluation: The summative evaluation research, also referred to as end-term
evaluation, is conducted immediately after completing a project. It is used to
evaluate the results or output of the project concerning the objectives and
projected results.
2. Purpose of the
Study: It’s about What is the primary purpose of
your study. Research has various motivations, such as assignments or
curiosity. However, social research generally falls into three categories:
exploring new topics, describing social phenomena, or explaining why things
happen. While some studies may serve multiple purposes, one of these three is
typically the primary focus.
a. Exploratory Research:
Exploration has been the humankind’s passion since the time immemorial. This
study is undertaken when not much is known about the situation at hand, or no
information is available on how similar problems or research issues have been
solved in the past. Exploratory research frequently addresses the “what?”
question “What is this social activity really about?” and it rarely yields
definitive answers. this tends to rely more on qualitative data.
b. Descriptive Research:
Descriptive research involves detailing a social phenomenon, focusing on
"how" and "who" questions like "How did it
happen?" and "Who is involved?" Researchers use various
techniques, including surveys, field research, and content analysis. The goal
is to describe characteristics like market potential or consumer demographics
and attitudes.
c. Explanatory Research:
Explanatory research aims to answer the "why" question, explaining
events and testing theories. It delves into existing knowledge, like turning
over many rocks to find valuable gems. For instance, it can explore factors
behind customer satisfaction or why people switch from small shops to
departmental stores. An exploratory survey on social media might reveal
customer dissatisfaction, prompting corrective action.
3. Time Dimension in Research:
This is about How
will you incorporate time into the study? Research uses different
research questions and studies incorporate time in several ways. The ways are
as follows:
a. Cross-Sectional
Research: In cross-sectional research, you examine a
group of people or other subjects at a single point in time, just like taking a
snapshot. It's a simple and cost-effective method, often used in exploratory,
descriptive, and explanatory studies. However, it has limitations; it can't
capture changes or social processes over time. So, it's like looking at a
photograph of a moment, but you miss out on how things change before and after
that moment.
b. Longitudinal
Research: Longitudinal studies are all about studying
change over time. Instead of one snapshot, they take several, like a movie
capturing development and shifts. There are three main types:
i.
Time Series Study:
This approach observes different people or subjects repeatedly over multiple
time periods, collecting the same type of information each time. For example,
scientists might use this to track changes in calcium deficiency risk in
children aged 2-12 across the United States over several years.
ii.
Panel Study:
In a panel study, the exact same people or group are observed at multiple time
points, which provides valuable insights into their changes and experiences. It
can be a bit challenging and costly due to tracking difficulties, but it's a
bit like watching how a group of friends' internet usage changes over two
years.
iii.
Cohort Study:
Cohort studies focus on groups of people who share a common life experience
during a specific time. Researchers study the entire group, not individual
members. For example, a 20-year study on smoking habits and respiratory health
might follow a group of people who share this experience over time.
iv.
Case Study:
Case studies are all about digging deeply into an individual, a group, or a
specific situation. They use various data sources and techniques to get a
detailed understanding of complex and unique scenarios. You'll often find case
studies in fields like psychology, business, education, medicine, and social
sciences. They're like the detailed, close-up investigation of a specific
person's experiences or the workings of a unique organization.
4. Data Collection Techniques and
Study Designs: This is about Which specific data collection technique and study
design will you use? Social researchers use one or more
specific techniques to collect qualitative and quantitative data.
a. Quantitative
Research: This method uses numbers and statistics to
measure and quantify changes. It's like counting things. Example, if you want
to find out how many people in a city use a specific product, you can conduct a
quantitative study by surveying a large group of residents and expressing
findings in percentages.
a) Experiments:
Researchers use experiments to control different factors and see how they
affect a particular outcome. For instance, in a drug trial, some patients
receive the new drug (the variable), and others get a placebo. By comparing the
outcomes, researchers can say if the drug is effective.
b)
Surveys:
Surveys involve asking people structured questions to collect data. For
example, imagine you want to know what percentage of students prefer online
classes. You can create a survey with questions like "Do you prefer online
or in-person classes?" and collect numeric data.
c)
Content Analyses:
This method is used to study things like written texts, images, or audio.
Researchers create categories and count how often specific things appear. For
instance, you could analyze how often certain words appear in online reviews to
understand consumer opinions.
d)
Existing Statistics:
Researchers might use data that's already available, like government reports or
data from previous studies. This approach saves time and resources. For
example, you can use existing health records to analyze trends in disease
rates.
b. Qualitative Research:
This method delves into non-numeric, textual data to understand things like
experiences, opinions, and behaviors in-depth. It's like understanding the
"whys" behind the numbers.
a)
Field Research:
Field research involves studying a small group of people for a long time, like
observing a community's customs over several months. Researchers might
participate and conduct interviews to gain a deep understanding of their
experiences and culture.
b)
Historical-Comparative Research:
This approach looks at historical data across different societies or time
periods to find patterns and differences. For instance, you might study how
different societies' histories have influenced their present-day cultures and
behaviors.
Conclusion The dimensions of research loosely overlap with each other. The
dimensions of social research are a kind of “road map” to help you make your
way through the terrain of social research.
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