Page 48 - DLIS401_METHODOLOGY_OF_RESEARCH_AND_STATISTICAL_TECHNIQUES

Unit 2: Research Design

Notes

Did u know? In writing up the report, an account of the method of observation and/or
participation, as well as reflections of the researcher’s experiences and
motives are inevitable.

4. Advantages and Disadvantages of Field Research
Field research is especially appropriate if you want to research a social phenomenon as completely
as possible (comprehensiveness), within its natural setting, and over some period of time.
Also, the method is flexible and can move freely from induction to deduction, it is relatively
inexpensive.

With regard to validity, field research is generally stronger than survey research. But as a
matter of reliability, the method may be too much tied up to the person that did the research
(which is why their methods and experiences have to be reported and evaluated).
Finally, field research lacks generalizability, because of the uniqueness of the researcher’s
investigative qualities, because the comprehensiveness of research essentially excludes generalizability,
and because of selectivity in observations and question asking. Therefore, the findings of field
research are suggestive (not definitive).
D. Unobtrusive Research
Survey research and in-depth interviewing affect their object of study in at least (and hopefully
only) one way: people are confronted with social-science research! Unobtrusive methods of
inquiry, on the other hand, have no impact on what is being studied. There are three methods
of unobtrusive research— content analysis, analysis of statistics, and historical analysis.
1. Content and Document Analysis
Content analysis refers to the quantitative study of written and oral documents. This requires
sampling of the units of analysis in a source (best probability sampling), codification of the
units, and finally classification of the units to reveal their manifest and latent content.
Document analysis refers to the qualitative study of traces of the past: it involves the in-depth
investigation of sources and aims at hermeneutic understanding.
2. Historical Analysis
Historical research refers to the study of the past through an examination of the traces the past
has left behind (written documents, oral histories, and artefacts). The procedure of historical
research typically involves— (1) selection of sources relevant for research; (2) identification
and registration of sources according to formal and substantial criteria; (3) confrontation and
(internal/external) critique of sources; (4) interpretation and analysis of sources to determine
who said what to whom, why, how, and with what effect.
Three methods of data collection can be used in historical research (note that these methods
do not have to be, but can be historical): content analysis, document analysis, and historical
study of statistics. The historical investigation of statistics can trace a pattern over time (e.g.,
crime reports). Of course, you are again stuck to what you found (validity!).
3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Unobtrusive Research

The unobtrusive nature of research is the main advantage of the method: the researcher cannot
affect what has happened. Several topics can be studied from this perspective, particularly
forms of communication (who says what to whom, why and with what effect). Note that the
techniques can be very rigidly applied (good on reliability).

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