Summary: Research Design
and Methods
Master Public Administration and Sociology
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Sociology: FSWSM-9020
Public administration: FSWBM-9010
Rd. R. Bouwman, Dr. S. Braster, Dr. T. Emery, Dr. R van Reekum & Dr. S. van Thiel
16 February 2024
1
,Module 1: Research design and
methods
Learning goals module I:
1. Students can describe philosophies of science and explain what views and
actions are
implied by each philosophy of science.
2. Students can identify the defining characteristics of research strategies
such as
experiments, surveys, cases studies, secondary data analysis,
ethnography, content and
discourse analysis, and evaluation research.
3. Students can identify answerable social scientific research questions and
identify which
data collection methods and data analysis techniques best match with
those questions.
4. Students can identify operationalisation strategies and identify the parts of
a coherent
conceptual framework and conceptual model.
5. Students can apply criteria for scientific quality (such as validity and
reliability) on the
quality of research designs.
Week 1: Worldviews & Research questions
This lecture:
1. Approaches to Social Research
2. Philosophical worldview
3. Research Questions
4. Research Strategy
Foundations of social science:
- Theory vs. logic
- Data collection vs. observation
- Data analysis vs. the comparison of what is logically expected with what is
actually observed
Approaches to social Research
- Qualitative Data: Nonnumerical data
Quantitative Data: Numerical data. Makes observations more explicit
and makes it easier to aggregate, compare, and summarize data
- Idiographic: Seeks to fully understand the causes of what happened in a
single instance (case)
- Nomothetic: Seeks to explain a class of
situations or events rather than a single
one (generalizability)
- Induction: From specific observations to
the discovery of a pattern among all the
given events.
2
, - Deduction: From a pattern that might be logically expected to
observations that
test whether the pattern occurs.
Example Emile Durkheim, Suicide
Explaining suicide on the basis of existing statistics:
1. Generalisation 1: people that are alone commit suicide more than people
that are married
2. Generalisation 2: people that are living in cities commit suicide more than
people living in villages
3. Generalisation 3: protestants commit suicide more than Catholics
Theory: lack of social cohesion explains suicide
The traditional model
- Deductive: start with theory
- Nomothetic: causal models
- Quantitative: numerical variables
Which philosophical worldview do you prefer?
1. Post-positivism
2. Constructivism
3. Transformative
4. Pragmatism
Philosophical beliefs:
1. Ontology: What is the nature of reality?
2. Epistemology: How reality is known?
3. Axiology: What is the role of values?
4. Methodology: What is the approach to inquiry?
Post-positivism:
Ontological Epistemological Axiological Methodological
beliefs (the beliefs (how beliefs (role of beliefs
nature of reality is values) (approach to
reality) known) inquiry)
A single reality Reality can only The researcher’s Scientific method
exists beyond be approximated, biases need to be and writing is
ourselves, “out but it constructed controlled and not used. Object of
there”. The through research expressed in a research is to
researcher may and statistics. study. create new
not be able to Interaction with knowledge.
understand it or research subjects Method is
get to it because is kept to a important.
of lack of minimum. Validity Deductive
absolutes. comes from peers, methods are
not participants. important, such
as testing of
theories,
specifying
important
3
, variables, and
making
comparisons
among groups.
Positivist worldview: Auguste Comte (1789-1857): Knowledge as a mirror of
nature (E = m * c2).
Inductive: start with observations and develop theory (also known as: Grounded
Theory). How to choose the appropriate path? “Beneath any given research
design and choice of methods lies a researcher’s understanding of the nature of
the world and how it should be studied” Moses & Knutsen 2012:1
Constructivism:
Ontological Epistemological Axiological Methodological
beliefs (the beliefs (how beliefs (role of beliefs
nature of reality is values) (approach to
reality) known) inquiry)
Multiple realities Reality is co- Individual values More of a literary
are constructed constructed are honoured and style of writing is
through our lived between the are negotiated used. Use of an
experiences and researcher and among inductive method
interactions with the researched individuals. of emergent ideas
others. and shaped by (through
individual consensus) is
experiences. obtained through
methods such as
interviewing,
observing, and
analysing texts.
Transformative:
Ontological Epistemological Axiological Methodological
beliefs (the beliefs (how beliefs (role of beliefs
nature of reality is values) (approach to
reality) known) inquiry)
Participation There are co- There is respect Methods consist
between created findings for indigenous of using
researcher and with multiple values; values collaborative
communities or ways of knowing. need to be processes of
individuals is problematized research,
being studied. and interrogated. encouraging
Often a subjective political
objective reality participation,
emerges. questioning of
methods, and
highlighting issues
and concerns.
Pragmatism:
Ontological Epistemological Axiological Methodological
beliefs (the beliefs (how beliefs (role of beliefs
nature of reality is values) (approach to
reality) known) inquiry)
4
and Methods
Master Public Administration and Sociology
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Sociology: FSWSM-9020
Public administration: FSWBM-9010
Rd. R. Bouwman, Dr. S. Braster, Dr. T. Emery, Dr. R van Reekum & Dr. S. van Thiel
16 February 2024
1
,Module 1: Research design and
methods
Learning goals module I:
1. Students can describe philosophies of science and explain what views and
actions are
implied by each philosophy of science.
2. Students can identify the defining characteristics of research strategies
such as
experiments, surveys, cases studies, secondary data analysis,
ethnography, content and
discourse analysis, and evaluation research.
3. Students can identify answerable social scientific research questions and
identify which
data collection methods and data analysis techniques best match with
those questions.
4. Students can identify operationalisation strategies and identify the parts of
a coherent
conceptual framework and conceptual model.
5. Students can apply criteria for scientific quality (such as validity and
reliability) on the
quality of research designs.
Week 1: Worldviews & Research questions
This lecture:
1. Approaches to Social Research
2. Philosophical worldview
3. Research Questions
4. Research Strategy
Foundations of social science:
- Theory vs. logic
- Data collection vs. observation
- Data analysis vs. the comparison of what is logically expected with what is
actually observed
Approaches to social Research
- Qualitative Data: Nonnumerical data
Quantitative Data: Numerical data. Makes observations more explicit
and makes it easier to aggregate, compare, and summarize data
- Idiographic: Seeks to fully understand the causes of what happened in a
single instance (case)
- Nomothetic: Seeks to explain a class of
situations or events rather than a single
one (generalizability)
- Induction: From specific observations to
the discovery of a pattern among all the
given events.
2
, - Deduction: From a pattern that might be logically expected to
observations that
test whether the pattern occurs.
Example Emile Durkheim, Suicide
Explaining suicide on the basis of existing statistics:
1. Generalisation 1: people that are alone commit suicide more than people
that are married
2. Generalisation 2: people that are living in cities commit suicide more than
people living in villages
3. Generalisation 3: protestants commit suicide more than Catholics
Theory: lack of social cohesion explains suicide
The traditional model
- Deductive: start with theory
- Nomothetic: causal models
- Quantitative: numerical variables
Which philosophical worldview do you prefer?
1. Post-positivism
2. Constructivism
3. Transformative
4. Pragmatism
Philosophical beliefs:
1. Ontology: What is the nature of reality?
2. Epistemology: How reality is known?
3. Axiology: What is the role of values?
4. Methodology: What is the approach to inquiry?
Post-positivism:
Ontological Epistemological Axiological Methodological
beliefs (the beliefs (how beliefs (role of beliefs
nature of reality is values) (approach to
reality) known) inquiry)
A single reality Reality can only The researcher’s Scientific method
exists beyond be approximated, biases need to be and writing is
ourselves, “out but it constructed controlled and not used. Object of
there”. The through research expressed in a research is to
researcher may and statistics. study. create new
not be able to Interaction with knowledge.
understand it or research subjects Method is
get to it because is kept to a important.
of lack of minimum. Validity Deductive
absolutes. comes from peers, methods are
not participants. important, such
as testing of
theories,
specifying
important
3
, variables, and
making
comparisons
among groups.
Positivist worldview: Auguste Comte (1789-1857): Knowledge as a mirror of
nature (E = m * c2).
Inductive: start with observations and develop theory (also known as: Grounded
Theory). How to choose the appropriate path? “Beneath any given research
design and choice of methods lies a researcher’s understanding of the nature of
the world and how it should be studied” Moses & Knutsen 2012:1
Constructivism:
Ontological Epistemological Axiological Methodological
beliefs (the beliefs (how beliefs (role of beliefs
nature of reality is values) (approach to
reality) known) inquiry)
Multiple realities Reality is co- Individual values More of a literary
are constructed constructed are honoured and style of writing is
through our lived between the are negotiated used. Use of an
experiences and researcher and among inductive method
interactions with the researched individuals. of emergent ideas
others. and shaped by (through
individual consensus) is
experiences. obtained through
methods such as
interviewing,
observing, and
analysing texts.
Transformative:
Ontological Epistemological Axiological Methodological
beliefs (the beliefs (how beliefs (role of beliefs
nature of reality is values) (approach to
reality) known) inquiry)
Participation There are co- There is respect Methods consist
between created findings for indigenous of using
researcher and with multiple values; values collaborative
communities or ways of knowing. need to be processes of
individuals is problematized research,
being studied. and interrogated. encouraging
Often a subjective political
objective reality participation,
emerges. questioning of
methods, and
highlighting issues
and concerns.
Pragmatism:
Ontological Epistemological Axiological Methodological
beliefs (the beliefs (how beliefs (role of beliefs
nature of reality is values) (approach to
reality) known) inquiry)
4
