Research Publication & Ethics Module 1 Lecture 2

Summary

Research Approaches: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods

The lecture reviews the distinctions among three research approaches:

• Qualitative research gathers subjective information, often by interacting with participants and interpreting their views or experiences.
• Quantitative research uses measurements and statistical analysis to examine variables and relationships, including possible cause and effect.
• Mixed-methods research combines qualitative and quantitative data within a planned research design, then draws conclusions from both.

Examples of questions that may call for mixed methods include:

• How do students’ perceptions of their school relate to their test scores?
• How does employee satisfaction relate to company sales?
• Does belief in democracy relate to voter turnout?

In these examples, perceptions or satisfaction are qualitative, while test scores, sales, and turnout are quantitative. The lecturer notes that change over time and differences among people may also matter, so researchers may need to collect data across several years.

Why Philosophy Matters to Research

Philosophy helps researchers examine how they form beliefs, define problems, choose methods, and interpret results. Unlike fields where findings may be broadly agreed upon, philosophical questions often do not have universally accepted answers. The lecture uses changing views about cooking oils to illustrate how beliefs about what is “true” or beneficial can shift over time.

The lecturer presents several purposes of philosophy:

• Investigate truth, while recognizing that it may be absolute or relative.
• Think about how to live well and create rules that allow people to live together.
• Examine the strengths, weaknesses, and possible biases in one’s own views.
• Consider the consequences of personal and research choices.
• Improve reasoning and critical thinking.

The examples of plastic use and solar power illustrate the importance of thinking beyond immediate effects. In research, this means considering whether a project’s outcomes could have harmful consequences, as well as its intended benefits. The lecturer also emphasizes acknowledging sources in presentations and research, particularly in light of plagiarism.

Four Broad Schools of Philosophical Thought

Idealism

Idealism emphasizes ideas, reasoning, and the search for truth. It encourages researchers to ask questions, examine assumptions, and reason toward an answer.

Its relevance to research includes asking:

• Why is this research question important?
• How does an idea connect to the problem?
• What assumptions are being made?
• What might follow if those assumptions are wrong?
• Are there comparable examples or prior cases?

The lecturer connects idealism with developing a research problem and assessing its relevance. She also describes Socrates’ repeated questioning as a way to deepen inquiry and support higher-order thinking.

Realism

Realism holds that reality exists independently of an individual’s thoughts or perceptions. It emphasizes observation, the senses, and scientific investigation rather than speculation alone.

In research, realism can involve:

• Making observations and conducting experiments.
• Applying scientific methods to test claims.
• Using critical thinking and evidence to identify relationships.
• Classifying data according to relevant differences.

The lecturer notes that researchers may use idealism to develop a research problem, then rely on realist methods—such as experiments and data collection—to investigate it.

Pragmatism

Pragmatism views reality and understanding as subject to change through experience and interaction with the environment. Rather than seeking a single, unchanging truth, it often asks what works in a particular situation.

The lecture outlines a problem-solving process associated with pragmatism:

1. Recognize that a problem exists.
2. Define the problem clearly.
3. Suggest possible solutions.
4. Consider the likely consequences of those solutions.
5. Make further observations or conduct experiments.
6. Accept, revise, or reject the proposed solutions in light of the findings.

The life-jacket example illustrates how people’s judgments can change when new details are introduced. In research, pragmatism supports critical thinking, exploration, problem-solving, projects, experimentation, and learning through experience.

Existentialism

Existentialism focuses on the individual, personal experience, and responsibility. It questions whether there is an authoritative truth independent of human experience and stresses the importance of understanding and valuing oneself.

The lecture connects existentialism to research by emphasizing that researchers should take responsibility for their decisions and work. It also describes existentialists as opposing standardized assessments when these reduce people to metrics or fixed judgments. Instead, they value opportunities for self-direction and personal development.

Research Philosophy and the Research Onion

A research philosophy concerns the beliefs and assumptions that guide how a researcher:

• Chooses a problem or question.
• Decides what data is needed.
• Collects and analyzes data.
• Uses the results and explains the choices made.

Researchers may draw on qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, and may use different philosophical perspectives at different stages of a project.

The lecture introduces the research onion as a way of viewing research design in layers. From the inner layers outward, it presents:

1. Data collection and analysis techniques
2. Research strategy, such as an experiment, survey, or case study
3. Methodological choice, such as qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods
4. Approach to theory development—deduction, abduction, or induction
5. Research philosophy, including perspectives such as realism and idealism, along with interpretivism and positivism

The lecture concludes with two practical lessons: define the research problem clearly and take responsibility for the choices made in conducting the research.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Professor Uma Rao — retired professor from RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru, and the lecturer.
• Plato, Socrates, Immanuel Kant, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Buddha, and Mahavir — named in connection with idealism.
• Aristotle and John Locke — named in connection with realism.
• Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey — named in connection with pragmatism.
• Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche — named in connection with existentialism.
• YouTube — acknowledged as the platform through which illustrative videos about Plato and Locke were made available; the video creators are not identified in the subtitles.
• World Philosophy — cited by the lecturer as the source of material on the purpose of philosophy; the exact page or publication is not specified.
• Research-onion source — the lecturer says the slide provides its source, but the source’s name is not included in the subtitles.