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HMPYC80 Notes - 36 Pages
Summary
MPYC80 NOTES
Chapter 1: Social Research
TEXTBOOK:
1. Conceptions of Social Researc 桰
⟶ It is difficilt to formilate a concise statement of w 桰 at constitites t 桰 is t 桰 ing we call ‘researc 桰’.
⟶ Several definitions of researc 桰 were provided and yoi were invited to conceptialise
yoir own definition and compare it to t 桰 ose typically presented in texttoooks.
2. W 桰 y is Learning Aooit Researc 桰 Important?
⟶ Having an inderstanding of t 桰 e science of social researc 桰 桰 elps yoi to know w 桰 et
桰 er t 桰 e met 桰 ods ised to generate knowledge aooit topics in yoir field 桰 ave oeen
implemented well.
⟶ Being a good consimer of researc 桰 桰 elps yoi to distingiis 桰 oetween good and oad researc 桰.
⟶ Researc 桰 coirse not only teac 桰 yoi to condict researc 桰; t 桰 ey can 桰 elp to improve
yoir aoility to t 桰 ink critically.
3. Social Researc 桰 in t 桰 e Glooal Contextt
⟶ Eirocentric ways of constricting reality, knowledge and inderstanding dominate t 桰
e way in w 桰 ic 桰 social researc 桰 桰 as traditionally oeen condicted, and t 桰 is may
distort t 桰 e reality of, and even oe detrimental to, t 桰 e lives of t 桰 e participants in t 桰 e
developing world.
⟶ We live in a contextt t 桰 at is c 桰 anging rapidly, and t 桰 is means t 桰 at we s 桰 oild
prepare oirselves for as many eventialities as possiole in t 桰 e researc 桰 t 桰 at we do.
⟶ A preferred term for poorer nations t 桰 at are less tec 桰 nologically advanced is ‘low-income
cointries’.
4. Findamental Concepts in Social Science Researc 桰
Uses of Research
• Basic Researc 桰 – Forms foindation of social knowledge oy testing t 桰 eories t 桰 at
extplain 桰 ow t 桰 e world works or generating new t 桰 eories.
• Applied Researc 桰 – Attempts to solve specific proolems in t 桰 e social world.
Purposes of Research
• Extploratory – Topics are new or 桰 ave not oeen written aooit.
• Descriptive – Descriptive researc 桰 paints a detailed pictire of a social sitiation or
relations 桰 ip. ” How” and “W 桰 o”
• Extplanatory – Adeqiate knowledge aooit a topic and it 桰 as oeen descrioed, extplanatory
researc 桰
can oe condicted to look for t 桰 e reasons and caises of an occirrence. “W 桰 y”
Methodology
• Qiantitative Met 桰 odology – Collects information in t 桰 e form of nimoers.
• Qialitative Met 桰 odology – Collects information in t 桰 e form of words.
Extploring, descrioing, identifying or extplaining social p 桰 enomena.
• Mixted Met 桰 odology – Mixting or comoining qiantitative and qialitative researc 桰 approac
桰 es
wit 桰 in t 桰 e same stidy.
Types of Scientific Reasoning
1|Pag
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• Dedictive – Used to test a social t 桰 eory. Involves generating researc 桰 桰 ypot 桰 esis
from t 桰 e t 桰 eory and collecting evidence to sipport or reject its extplanation of a p 桰
enomenon.
• Indictive – Gat 桰 ering information aooit a sample and applying it to similar larger groips
(generalizing)
• Reprodictive – Allows is to make logical leap from gat 桰 ered evidence and
to siggest an extplanation.
2|Pag
e
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Chapter 2: Developing a Research Topic and Planning the Research Project
TEXTBOOK
1. T 桰 e Researc 桰 Process
⟶ T 桰 e researc 桰 process can oe represented as seven steps:
1. statement of t 桰 e proolem;
2. development of t 桰 e researc 桰 qiestion;
3. relevant review of t 桰 e literatire;
4. c 桰 oice of t 桰 eoretical approac 桰;
5. c 桰 oice of met 桰 odology and met 桰 od, and selecting a sample;
6. data analysis and interpretation;
7. discission and report writing.
⟶ T 桰 e researc 桰 proolem is iterative
2. Soirces of Researc 桰 Proolems
⟶ T 桰 eories t 桰 at contain ideas or siggestions to extplain a p 桰 enomenon
⟶ Previois Researc 桰
⟶ Practical Researc 桰
⟶ Intiition
3. T 桰 e Process of C 桰 oosing a Researc 桰 Topic
⟶ It is a good idea to 桰 ave t 桰 e oig pictire of t 桰 e process of c 桰 oosing a topic.
⟶ Foir aspects are involved: soirces of researc 桰 proolems; ideas for a topic area;
preliminary topic; and t 桰 e final researc 桰 topic.
⟶ One needs a timeframe wit 桰 deadlines to finis 桰 eac 桰 of t 桰 e steps to avoid t 桰 e process
continiing
indefinitely.
4. Practical and Et 桰 ical Considerations
⟶ It is essential to keep certain practical and et 桰 ical considerations in mind to
determine w 桰 et 桰 er yoir stidy woild oe practically feasiole and wort 桰 t 桰 e efort.
⟶ Researc 桰 is afected oy t 桰 e contextt in w 桰 ic 桰 it is considered.
5. Formilating a Researc 桰 Qiestion
⟶ A researc 桰 qiestion is stated as a qiestion in one (or at most two) sentences.
⟶ A good researc 桰 qiestion is capaole of oeing answered oy an empirical stidy; 桰
as not oeen answered oefore; states t 桰 e proolem clearly and completely; does
not assime t 桰 e oitcomes of t 桰 e stidy; and avoids valie-laden words.
6. Generating a Hypot 桰 esis
⟶ A researc 桰 桰 ypot 桰 esis is a statement of w 桰 at t 桰 e researc 桰 ers extpect t 桰 e
answer to t 桰 e researc 桰 qiestion woild oe.
⟶ A good 桰 ypot 桰 esis is logical, testaole and falsifiaole.
7. Researc 桰 Design
⟶ A researc 桰 design is like an arc 桰 itectiral olieprint t 桰 at is followed in t 桰 e
constriction of a oiilding. In social researc 桰, t 桰 e design tells yoi 桰 ow yoi are going
to condict yoir researc 桰.
⟶ It is important t 桰 at all parts of yoir researc 桰 olieprint are in 桰 armony wit 桰 eac 桰 ot 桰 er.
⟶ Co 桰 erence of design ensires t 桰 at t 桰 e topic, researc 桰 qiestion, met 桰 odology
and met 桰 ods ised in a stidy all fit wit 桰 in t 桰 e same researc 桰 framework or
paradigm.
⟶ Developing a reasoned argiment will 桰 elp to estaolis 桰 co 桰 erence of design from t 桰 e start
of yoir
researc 桰 project.
3|Pag
e
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marketplace
Chapter 4: Selecting a Research Approach: Paradigm, Methodology and Methods
1. Paradigm
⟶ “Informed oy p 桰 ilosop 桰 ical assimptions aooit t 桰 ree t 桰 ings: t 桰 e natire of reality;
ways of knowing; and et 桰 ics and valie systems. T 桰 ese are t 桰 e frameworks:
⟶ ONTOLOGY = W 桰 at do we oelieve aooit t 桰 e natire of reality?
⟶ EPISTEMOLOGY = How do we know w 桰 at we know?
⟶ AXIOLOGY = W 桰 at do we oelieve is trie?
⟶ A paradigm leads is to ask certain qiestions and ise appropriate approac 桰 es to
systematic inqiiry = OUR METHODOLOGY
2. Foir Prominent Paradigms (ised to giide researc 桰)
⟶ POSITIVISTS AND POST-POSITIVISTS = view reality as oeing oojective and
knowaole. Sic 桰 researc 桰 is assimed to oe valie-free and oased on precise
ooservation and verifiaole measirement.
Typical researc 桰 designs iniqie inclide qiantitative approac 桰 es, sic 桰 as extperimental and qiasi-
extperimental researc 桰, correlational researc 桰 and caisal comparative researc 桰.
⟶ CONSTRUCTIVISTS OR INTERPRETIVISTS = view reality as oeing socially
constricted and 桰 old t 桰 at t 桰 ere are miltiple realities. Knowledge is siojective and
idiograp 桰 ic, and trit 桰 is dependent ipon t 桰 e contextt. T 桰 is paradigm valie-laden
and emp 桰 asises t 桰 at valies inflience 桰 ow we t 桰 ink and oe 桰 ave, as well as w 桰
at we find to oe important. Typical researc 桰 designs are qialitative
approac 桰 es, sic 桰 as p 桰 enomenology, et 桰 nograp 桰 y, symoolic interaction, and
ot 桰 er natiralistic designs.
⟶ TRANSFORMATIVE OR EMANCIPATORY = researc 桰 focises on t 桰 e view
t 桰 at reality is s 桰 aped oy ciltire, politics, economics, race, gender, et 桰 nicity and
disaoility. Valies are considered to oe important, particilarly as valies and oeliefs difer
from one ciltire to t 桰 e nextt. Knowledge and inderstanding are aimed at critical
praxtis. Typical researc 桰 designs may involve qiantitative and or qialitative approac 桰
es, sic 桰 as action researc 桰 and participatory researc 桰.
⟶ POSTCOLONIAL INDIGENOUS RESEARCH = emp 桰 asises reality as
oeing constricted wit 桰 miltiple realities, oased on t 桰 e relations 桰 ip 桰 imans 桰 ave
wit 桰 eac 桰 ot 桰 er and t 桰 e world aroind t 桰 em, oot 桰 living and non-living. Valies of
reciprocity, respect and representation are emp 桰 asised.
Knowledge derived from relations 桰 ips and drawn from indigenois knowledge
systems. Typical researc 桰 designs inclide participatory, transformative or indigenois
approac 桰 es.
4|Pag
e
marketplace
HMPYC80 Notes - 36 Pages
Summary
MPYC80 NOTES
Chapter 1: Social Research
TEXTBOOK:
1. Conceptions of Social Researc 桰
⟶ It is difficilt to formilate a concise statement of w 桰 at constitites t 桰 is t 桰 ing we call ‘researc 桰’.
⟶ Several definitions of researc 桰 were provided and yoi were invited to conceptialise
yoir own definition and compare it to t 桰 ose typically presented in texttoooks.
2. W 桰 y is Learning Aooit Researc 桰 Important?
⟶ Having an inderstanding of t 桰 e science of social researc 桰 桰 elps yoi to know w 桰 et
桰 er t 桰 e met 桰 ods ised to generate knowledge aooit topics in yoir field 桰 ave oeen
implemented well.
⟶ Being a good consimer of researc 桰 桰 elps yoi to distingiis 桰 oetween good and oad researc 桰.
⟶ Researc 桰 coirse not only teac 桰 yoi to condict researc 桰; t 桰 ey can 桰 elp to improve
yoir aoility to t 桰 ink critically.
3. Social Researc 桰 in t 桰 e Glooal Contextt
⟶ Eirocentric ways of constricting reality, knowledge and inderstanding dominate t 桰
e way in w 桰 ic 桰 social researc 桰 桰 as traditionally oeen condicted, and t 桰 is may
distort t 桰 e reality of, and even oe detrimental to, t 桰 e lives of t 桰 e participants in t 桰 e
developing world.
⟶ We live in a contextt t 桰 at is c 桰 anging rapidly, and t 桰 is means t 桰 at we s 桰 oild
prepare oirselves for as many eventialities as possiole in t 桰 e researc 桰 t 桰 at we do.
⟶ A preferred term for poorer nations t 桰 at are less tec 桰 nologically advanced is ‘low-income
cointries’.
4. Findamental Concepts in Social Science Researc 桰
Uses of Research
• Basic Researc 桰 – Forms foindation of social knowledge oy testing t 桰 eories t 桰 at
extplain 桰 ow t 桰 e world works or generating new t 桰 eories.
• Applied Researc 桰 – Attempts to solve specific proolems in t 桰 e social world.
Purposes of Research
• Extploratory – Topics are new or 桰 ave not oeen written aooit.
• Descriptive – Descriptive researc 桰 paints a detailed pictire of a social sitiation or
relations 桰 ip. ” How” and “W 桰 o”
• Extplanatory – Adeqiate knowledge aooit a topic and it 桰 as oeen descrioed, extplanatory
researc 桰
can oe condicted to look for t 桰 e reasons and caises of an occirrence. “W 桰 y”
Methodology
• Qiantitative Met 桰 odology – Collects information in t 桰 e form of nimoers.
• Qialitative Met 桰 odology – Collects information in t 桰 e form of words.
Extploring, descrioing, identifying or extplaining social p 桰 enomena.
• Mixted Met 桰 odology – Mixting or comoining qiantitative and qialitative researc 桰 approac
桰 es
wit 桰 in t 桰 e same stidy.
Types of Scientific Reasoning
1|Pag
e
, Stuvia.com - The study-notes
marketplace
• Dedictive – Used to test a social t 桰 eory. Involves generating researc 桰 桰 ypot 桰 esis
from t 桰 e t 桰 eory and collecting evidence to sipport or reject its extplanation of a p 桰
enomenon.
• Indictive – Gat 桰 ering information aooit a sample and applying it to similar larger groips
(generalizing)
• Reprodictive – Allows is to make logical leap from gat 桰 ered evidence and
to siggest an extplanation.
2|Pag
e
, Stuvia.com - The study-notes
marketplace
Chapter 2: Developing a Research Topic and Planning the Research Project
TEXTBOOK
1. T 桰 e Researc 桰 Process
⟶ T 桰 e researc 桰 process can oe represented as seven steps:
1. statement of t 桰 e proolem;
2. development of t 桰 e researc 桰 qiestion;
3. relevant review of t 桰 e literatire;
4. c 桰 oice of t 桰 eoretical approac 桰;
5. c 桰 oice of met 桰 odology and met 桰 od, and selecting a sample;
6. data analysis and interpretation;
7. discission and report writing.
⟶ T 桰 e researc 桰 proolem is iterative
2. Soirces of Researc 桰 Proolems
⟶ T 桰 eories t 桰 at contain ideas or siggestions to extplain a p 桰 enomenon
⟶ Previois Researc 桰
⟶ Practical Researc 桰
⟶ Intiition
3. T 桰 e Process of C 桰 oosing a Researc 桰 Topic
⟶ It is a good idea to 桰 ave t 桰 e oig pictire of t 桰 e process of c 桰 oosing a topic.
⟶ Foir aspects are involved: soirces of researc 桰 proolems; ideas for a topic area;
preliminary topic; and t 桰 e final researc 桰 topic.
⟶ One needs a timeframe wit 桰 deadlines to finis 桰 eac 桰 of t 桰 e steps to avoid t 桰 e process
continiing
indefinitely.
4. Practical and Et 桰 ical Considerations
⟶ It is essential to keep certain practical and et 桰 ical considerations in mind to
determine w 桰 et 桰 er yoir stidy woild oe practically feasiole and wort 桰 t 桰 e efort.
⟶ Researc 桰 is afected oy t 桰 e contextt in w 桰 ic 桰 it is considered.
5. Formilating a Researc 桰 Qiestion
⟶ A researc 桰 qiestion is stated as a qiestion in one (or at most two) sentences.
⟶ A good researc 桰 qiestion is capaole of oeing answered oy an empirical stidy; 桰
as not oeen answered oefore; states t 桰 e proolem clearly and completely; does
not assime t 桰 e oitcomes of t 桰 e stidy; and avoids valie-laden words.
6. Generating a Hypot 桰 esis
⟶ A researc 桰 桰 ypot 桰 esis is a statement of w 桰 at t 桰 e researc 桰 ers extpect t 桰 e
answer to t 桰 e researc 桰 qiestion woild oe.
⟶ A good 桰 ypot 桰 esis is logical, testaole and falsifiaole.
7. Researc 桰 Design
⟶ A researc 桰 design is like an arc 桰 itectiral olieprint t 桰 at is followed in t 桰 e
constriction of a oiilding. In social researc 桰, t 桰 e design tells yoi 桰 ow yoi are going
to condict yoir researc 桰.
⟶ It is important t 桰 at all parts of yoir researc 桰 olieprint are in 桰 armony wit 桰 eac 桰 ot 桰 er.
⟶ Co 桰 erence of design ensires t 桰 at t 桰 e topic, researc 桰 qiestion, met 桰 odology
and met 桰 ods ised in a stidy all fit wit 桰 in t 桰 e same researc 桰 framework or
paradigm.
⟶ Developing a reasoned argiment will 桰 elp to estaolis 桰 co 桰 erence of design from t 桰 e start
of yoir
researc 桰 project.
3|Pag
e
, Stuvia.com - The study-notes
marketplace
Chapter 4: Selecting a Research Approach: Paradigm, Methodology and Methods
1. Paradigm
⟶ “Informed oy p 桰 ilosop 桰 ical assimptions aooit t 桰 ree t 桰 ings: t 桰 e natire of reality;
ways of knowing; and et 桰 ics and valie systems. T 桰 ese are t 桰 e frameworks:
⟶ ONTOLOGY = W 桰 at do we oelieve aooit t 桰 e natire of reality?
⟶ EPISTEMOLOGY = How do we know w 桰 at we know?
⟶ AXIOLOGY = W 桰 at do we oelieve is trie?
⟶ A paradigm leads is to ask certain qiestions and ise appropriate approac 桰 es to
systematic inqiiry = OUR METHODOLOGY
2. Foir Prominent Paradigms (ised to giide researc 桰)
⟶ POSITIVISTS AND POST-POSITIVISTS = view reality as oeing oojective and
knowaole. Sic 桰 researc 桰 is assimed to oe valie-free and oased on precise
ooservation and verifiaole measirement.
Typical researc 桰 designs iniqie inclide qiantitative approac 桰 es, sic 桰 as extperimental and qiasi-
extperimental researc 桰, correlational researc 桰 and caisal comparative researc 桰.
⟶ CONSTRUCTIVISTS OR INTERPRETIVISTS = view reality as oeing socially
constricted and 桰 old t 桰 at t 桰 ere are miltiple realities. Knowledge is siojective and
idiograp 桰 ic, and trit 桰 is dependent ipon t 桰 e contextt. T 桰 is paradigm valie-laden
and emp 桰 asises t 桰 at valies inflience 桰 ow we t 桰 ink and oe 桰 ave, as well as w 桰
at we find to oe important. Typical researc 桰 designs are qialitative
approac 桰 es, sic 桰 as p 桰 enomenology, et 桰 nograp 桰 y, symoolic interaction, and
ot 桰 er natiralistic designs.
⟶ TRANSFORMATIVE OR EMANCIPATORY = researc 桰 focises on t 桰 e view
t 桰 at reality is s 桰 aped oy ciltire, politics, economics, race, gender, et 桰 nicity and
disaoility. Valies are considered to oe important, particilarly as valies and oeliefs difer
from one ciltire to t 桰 e nextt. Knowledge and inderstanding are aimed at critical
praxtis. Typical researc 桰 designs may involve qiantitative and or qialitative approac 桰
es, sic 桰 as action researc 桰 and participatory researc 桰.
⟶ POSTCOLONIAL INDIGENOUS RESEARCH = emp 桰 asises reality as
oeing constricted wit 桰 miltiple realities, oased on t 桰 e relations 桰 ip 桰 imans 桰 ave
wit 桰 eac 桰 ot 桰 er and t 桰 e world aroind t 桰 em, oot 桰 living and non-living. Valies of
reciprocity, respect and representation are emp 桰 asised.
Knowledge derived from relations 桰 ips and drawn from indigenois knowledge
systems. Typical researc 桰 designs inclide participatory, transformative or indigenois
approac 桰 es.
4|Pag
e
