UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

Lecture One:
Introduction to Research Methodology
and Design
Professor David Walwyn

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Overview

• Lecture One: Introduction to Methodology

• Lecture Two: Research Proposal
• Lecture Three: Research Design
– QUANT and QUAL
– Mixed methods
• Lecture Four: Data Analysis

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Feedback on 2016

• More material on the various theoretical models in research

• More attention on addressing the issues relating to specific needs of
some faculties
– MSc engineering students would like presentations that focus specifically on doing
research in their fields
• More material on addressing the various modes of data analysis
– more statistics inferential workshops where things like regression and structural
modelling can be covered.
• More focus on academic writing skills
– journal writing workshops
• How to stay motivated during one's research

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Lecture One: Introduction to Research
Methodology and Design

• Definition of key terms

• The structure of knowledge
• Essential attributes of research

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Antonio Gramsci

• An Italian political scientist (Marxist), most well

known for his theories on civil society vs. political
society.
– he said “the point of modernity is to live a life without
illusions while not becoming disillusioned”.
– modernity is a rejection of the traditional in favour of
the principles of the Enlightenment (reason, evidence
and analysis)
– why is this relevant to research methodology?
• what is reality?
• what is (scientific) knowledge?
• what is research?

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Outline of the Dissertation Process

Develop an Understanding Submit Ethics Application

of Methodology

Define Problem Statement

Data Collection
Initial Literature Survey

Data Analysis
Develop Proposal (Includes
Research Design)
Write Final Report

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Key Definitions

• What is RESEARCH?
– An activity whose purpose is the generation of new
knowledge by means of scientific method(s)
• In more detail …
– Frascati Manual (OECD); research and experimental
development comprises creative work undertaken on a
systematic basis in order to increase the stock of
knowledge, including knowledge of man (sic), culture
and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to
devise new applications

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Key Definitions 2
• What is RESEARCH METHODOLOGY?
– body of knowledge which attempts to explain/understand
(and hence develop structure for) ‘how research is done’
– the various steps that are generally adopted by a
researcher in studying his research problem (method)
together with the associated logic (what and why)
• What is RESEARCH METHOD?
– the specific process or steps followed by researchers in
undertaking research (experimental design, data collection,
etc)
• What is RESEARCH DESIGN?
– the overview or plan of the actual steps (c.f. the architect’s
drawings of a house vs. the builders steps)

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Key Definitions 3

• What is ONTOLOGY?
– the (philosophical) study of the categories of being (reality)
and the relationships between them (ontology of NSI or
knowledge)
• What is EPISTEMOLOGY?
– the philosophical study of the nature and scope of
knowledge (e.g. traditional vs. scientific)
• What is TELEOLOGY?
– the notion of root cause or objectives; it is an account of a
given activity’s or object’s purpose OR a definition of an
object or activity based on its purpose (e.g. a car is a form
of transport)

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 Research Design and Personal
Epistemologies

• Beliefs and assumptions

about knowledge influence
research methodologies
and hence design
• Initial part of research must
be self-reflexive

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From the Fundamental to the Applied

Ontology

Epistemology

Teleology Methodology Process

Method

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Model of Personal Epistemology

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Major Philosophical Identities in
Management Research

• HART profiling; did you complete the assessment?

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Ontologies
• The dominant ontological claims:
– Positivism; that there exists are single reality which is constant in
time and independent of human experience or the observer
– Constructivism/relativism; that there exist multiple realities
dependant on the observer (in the extreme form there is no such
notion as an objective reality)
– Critical realism; that there multiple versions of the ‘knowledge of
reality’ but only a single reality
– Pragmatism; considers that practical consequences constitute the
essential criterion in determining meaning, truth, or value
– Post-modernism; contemporary movement of thought which
rejects ... the possibility of objective knowledge and is therefore
skeptical of truth, unity, and progress

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Research Philosophies and Design

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Philosophical Origins of the
Bifurcation
• Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951); “scientific
evidence”
– all knowledge claims must be verifiable in experience
independent of the observer
– founder of logical positivism
• Martin Heidegger (1889-1976); “being in the world”
– research cannot be conducted independent of the
observer
– founder of constructivism

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Assumptions of the Experimental
Scientific Method (Positivist)
• A belief that there is some kind of ORDER which will
be revealed (come to understand) through research
• External reality exists which is a shared or public
reality
• Human perception and intellect is reliable (our
senses can record and measure)
• Parsimony or simplicity is the ultimate aim
• Generality is possible; we can generalise from the
particular to the world at large

Cohen and Manion 2000

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A Comparison of Epistemological
Paradigms
Positivist Constructivist
Reality is single, objective and Reality is subjective and multiple
apart from the observer
Quantitative data derived from Qualitative data derived from
experiment observation
Reliability is most important Validity is important (improved by
(repeatable results) triangulation)
Deductive Inductive
Location is artificial; all variables Location is natural; not possible
held constant except the to control any variables
independent variable
Mainly experimental, preferably Type of research includes
with control ethnographic, participant
observation, case studies

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What is Knowledge?

• Highly contested!
• Can be defined in terms of how it MUST be
generated and what quality criteria it MUST meet

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 The Construction of Knowledge
Deduction

Research
Theory Hypothesis
Design

Induction

Analysis and Data

Observation
Interpretation Collection

Research Research
Questions Design

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Essential Attributes in Research

• Marais defines three necessary dimensions of

research:
– Teleological (describe, explore, explain/understand)
– Constituent (conceptualisation, hypothesis, observation
and communication)
– Epistemic (internal and external validity, reliability,
‘replicability’, objectivity)
• Most research can be judged on the extent to which
the three dimensions have been satisfied (was the
objective clear; has the due process been follow; is
the knowledge of a suitable quality?)

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Theory and Practice

• Theory is when you know everything but nothing

works
• Practice is when everything works but no one knows
why
• In our lab, theory and practice are combined.
Nothing works and no one knows why.

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Induction vs. Deduction

• Induction is the development of argument from the

specific to the general (or theoretical)
• Deduction is the development of argument from the
general to the specific

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Reference

• Marais, H. 2012. A Multi-Methodological Framework

for the Design and Evaluation of Complex Research
Projects and Reports in Business and Management
Studies. The Electronic Journal of Business Research
Methods, 10(2), pp 64-76.

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Epistemic Attributes (Positivist)
• Internal Validity: the degree to which the changes in
the dependent variable are indeed due to the
independent variable (is the relationship causal?)
• External Validity: the extent to which the results are
generally applicable (outside the sample population)
• Reliability: the extent to which the research finding
can be repeated by the same researcher/experiment
• Replicability: the extent to which the findings can be
repeated by another researcher (also objectivity)

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Attributes (Modern)

Traditional construct Underlying issue Replace with

Internal validity Truth value Credibility

External validity Applicability Transferability

Reliability Consistency Dependability

Objectivity Neutrality Confirmability

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Academic Research vs. Management
Study
Aspect Academic Research Management Study
External The results can be applied more The results are only valid to the
validity widely than the unit of research specific company or individual
(company or individuals)
Theory Builds new theory or tests existing Applies theory but at a
theory simplistic level
Source of Mostly recent peer-reviewed Mostly trade articles and other
background literature management studies
knowledge
Teleology Seeks causative relationship Focussed on improvements and
results
Methodology Seeks novelty (insights) Replication of proven formulas
for success

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Class Work

• Fill in three dimensions of the line below

Scientific Faith
Knowledge

Evidence is important

Sentiment (how it makes you

feel) is important

Objectivity is important

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Test Yourself
• There appear to be two opposing epistemological positions on the
relationship or interdependence between science, society and the
individual:
– relativism which situates science as merely one socially constructed way
of knowing among others of equal validity
– realism, which accords science a greater status as a universally true body
of knowledge.
• Realism has been cast as ignoring the influence of social factors on
science. Relativism has been pronounced to be impractical and
ignorant of the existence of many fundamental laws which are
observable independent of the observer.
• Explain the debate between the two epistemological viewpoints, why
relativism is considered impractical and suggest how a compromise
may be possible.

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Research Design

• What is it?

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Several Types of Research Design

• Qualitative vs quantitative vs mixed methods (see

Lecture 2)
• Types of designs
– Experimental
– Surveys
– Case studies
– Ethnographic studies
– Evaluation research
– Participatory action research (actually a separate
paradigm)

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Research Philosophies and Design

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