Analysis of Sounders Research Onion.

Presented by:
Ali Abdelhady Ali
Under supervision of:
Dr/ Rasha Wahieb

 Introduction to Saunders research onion

The Saunders Research onion, created by Saunders et al., shows the stages involved in the
creation of a research effort. In other words, a more thorough explanation of the stages of a
research process is provided by the onion layers. It gives designers of research methodologies an
efficient process to follow. It may be applied to practically any form of research approach and is
effective in a variety of situations. When using a study onion, Saunders observed that one must
move from the outer to the inner layer. Each layer of the onion represents a more thorough stage
of the study process as seen from the outside. According to Saunders et al., the study process is
like peeling an onion layer by layer; in order to see the inner layer, the outer layer must first be
exposed. The proper steps must be done in order to accomplish a goal; in research, this means
completing one stage before moving on to next.
Saunders' research onion, which he developed, explains the various choices you'll have to make
while creating a research methodology, whether it's for your dissertation, thesis, or any other
type of formal research endeavour. You'll have to make a variety of decisions as you move inside
from the outside of the onion, ranging from high-level and philosophical to tactical and practical
in nature. Additionally, it follows the overall format of the methods chapter.
Saunders' research onion is a good tool for considering methodology holistically, despite its
obvious shortcomings. It at the very least clarifies the choices you must make regarding your
research design.

 The Layers of the Saunders research onions

The Saunders research onion stages include:

 Research philosophy
 Research Approach
 Research strategies
 Research Choice
 Research time horizon

1. Research Philosophy
A research philosophy is a set of assumptions about how the reality under investigation works
(Bryman, 2012). It is the fundamental explanation of what knowledge is. Research philosophies
might also differ with regard to the objectives of the study and the most effective strategy for
achieving these objectives (Goddard & Melville, 2004). These are not always different, but the
research project's chosen research philosophy is determined by the kind of knowledge being
examined (May, 2011). Three primary philosophical approaches are crucial to the research
process.

1.1 Ontology

Essentially, ontology is the study of reality. It explains the nature of reality, what thoughts occur
to mind when doing research, and what effects it has on people and the environment. The
distinction between reality and how you see it is made obvious by ontology. Additionally, it
teaches you about how people's behaviour is affected by it. The ontological worldview primarily
encompasses three philosophical perspectives. They are pragmatism, constructivism, and
objectivism. Goddard & Melville (2004) stated that understanding how reality actually is and
how it affects our surroundings and the people who live in it might be helpful. Ontology
distinguishes between reality as it is and reality as it is perceived. Ontology comprises
pragmatism, objectivism, and constructivism. Objectivism helps you understand social events
and the various meanings that people may give them. It distinguishes how various people's social
phenomena affect them. Contrary to objectivism, constructivism holds that individuals are
responsible for shaping social processes. Theories are employed by pragmatism to determine a
specific problem's solution. It is a substitute for others and is relatively new when compared to
others.

1.2 Epistemology

Epistemology is frequently utilised in scientific study, and this is because it aids in the discovery
of knowledge that can be proven beyond a reasonable question; in other words, it looks for
generally accepted knowledge and addresses the facts accordingly. Here, you must specify what
level of expertise is appropriate in the area of your study and provide details on the findings of
in-depth testing. The philosophical stances that fall under the epistemological worldview are
positivism, critical realism, and interpretivism. Epistemology, according to Bryman (2012),
incorporates positivism, realism, and interpretivism. Positivism employs testable research
questions. Using the information that is generally accepted by individuals can aid in your search
for an explanation. New research techniques can be used when one is realistic. You must conduct
investigation before you can understand reality. It is comparable to positivism, but realism
opposes the scientific method, whereas positivism does. Interpretivism helps you understand
how people perceive their own actions and those of others. Understanding people's cultures and
social interactions is beneficial.

1.3 Axiology
Axiology teaches you how opinions and values affect the gathering and evaluation of your
research data. According to Silverman (2013), it helps one comprehend the influence that public
opinion has on the gathering and analysis of research. It aids in your comprehension of how
important it is to consider others' opinions when conducting research.

1.4 Positivism, Realism, Interpretivism and pragmatism.

Positivism generates testable research topics and hypotheses that can be examined. Positivism
can be used to quantify and explain general knowledge about the world. The law of gravity is an
illustration of it.

Realism research philosophy relies on the idea of independence of reality from the human mind.
This philosophy is based on the assumption of a scientific approach to the development of
knowledge. Realism can be divided into two groups: direct and critical.
Direct realism: naive realism, can be described as “what you see is what you get. In other
words, direct realism portrays the world through personal human senses.
Critical realism: argues that humans do experience the sensations and images of the real
world. According to critical realism, sensations and images of the real world can be deceptive
and they usually do not portray the real world.

Interpretivism is based on the assumption that reality is subjective, multiple and socially
constructed. That is to say we can only understand someone’s reality through their experience of
that reality, which may be different from another person’s shaped by the individuals’ historical
or social perspective. Interpretive approaches rely on questioning and observation in order to
discover or generate a rich and deep understanding of the phenomenon being investigated. This
is closely associated with qualitative methods of data collection.

One of these philosophical approaches is not necessarily superior to the other despite the
fundamental distinctions between them, even though some researchers may prefer one over the
other (Podsakoffet al., 2012). The research methodology is merely justified by the philosophy.
The nature of the phenomenon being observed should guide the methodology.

Pragmatism
Pragmatism is a philosophical movement that includes those who claim that an ideology or
proposition is true if it works satisfactorily, that the meaning of a proposition is to be found in
the practical consequences of accepting it, and that unpractical ideas are to be rejected.

2. Approach to Saunders research onions

The second layer of the research onion includes the phrases deductive and inductive. Knowing
the purpose of the research and its constraints is crucial since the previous layer of the onion has
an impact on this one.

2.1 The Deductive Approach

The deductive method creates a hypothesis or set of hypotheses based on an existing theory
before formulating a research strategy to test them (Silverman, 2013). The positivist approach,
which allows for the formation of hypotheses and the statistical testing of anticipated findings to
an agreed degree of probability, can be thought of as being particularly well suited to the
deductive approach (Snieder & Larner, 2009). It is defined as the progression from general to
specific: first, the general theory and knowledge foundation are developed, and then the
particular knowledge obtained through the research process is compared to it (Kothari, 2004).
The expectations created by prior study might be stated differently than through hypothesis
testing in such instances, but a deductive approach may still be applied alongside qualitative
research approaches (Saunders et al., 2007). Deductive reasoning creates comprehension of
observation through the use of questionnaires, allowing you to compare various interpretations of
individuals using empirical evidence. The information acquired aids in confirming or disproving
the hypothesis, and the procedure can be repeated.

2.2 The Inductive Approach

In contrast to the deductive method, which requires you to adopt an established theory, the
inductive method lets you develop your own theories. This demonstrates how the two strategies
differ from one another. The inductive method is distinguished by a shift from the particular to
the general (Bryman & Bell, 2011). Since there is no structure that guides the data gathering in
this method, the research focus can be determined after the data has been gathered (Flick, 2011).
Although the analysis of the data may reveal that it fits into an existing theory, it is also true that
this may be considered as the point at which new theories are produced (Bryman & Bell, 2011).
This approach is frequently employed in qualitative research. Interviews are conducted regarding
specific occurrences, and the collected data may then be used to look for trends among
respondents (Flick, 2011). This strategy can, however, also be successfully applied in positivist
approaches, which generate findings by first analysing the data and looking for important
patterns.

3. Strategies to Saunders research onions

The research strategy describes how the researcher intends to carry out the work (Saunders et al.,
2007). The strategy can include a number of different approaches, such as experimental research,
action research, case study research, interviews, surveys, or a systematic literature review.

3.1 Experimental

The method of developing a research procedure that compares experiment outcomes to

anticipated results is known as experimental research. It is applicable to all research fields and
typically just takes into account a small number of variables.

3.2 Survey

The deductive method is frequently associated with the survey strategy of the research onion.
One of the best and most affordable research methods is this one. Through this strategy, you can
gather detailed and trustworthy data. Most quantitative research projects use surveys, which
sample a representative sample of the population (Bryman & Bell, 2011). The survey strategy is
mostly employed to identify relevant factors among various data. It allows for the gathering of
enormous amounts of data that will be used to address the study issue.

3.3 Case Study

This tactic is concentrated on a single person or group of people. It can provide insight into the
particulars of any example and demonstrate the significance of culture and context in the
variations among cases (Silverman, 2013). The use of this tactic in financial research is greater.
Case study research involves analysing a single unit to determine its important characteristics
and make generalisations (Bryman, 2012). This type of research is useful for comparing the
experiences of two organisations or the impact of investments in various circumstances in
financial research.

3.4 Action research

In fields like teaching or nursing, where practitioners can analyse how to better their professional
approach and understanding, this type of research is prevalent (Wiles et al., 2011). This tactic is
mostly employed to identify a potential answer to a problem.

4. Choice to Saunders research onions

Research choice is a term used to describe the fourth layer of the research onion. This layer
enables you to determine whether using either one approach or a combination of quantitative and
qualitative methodology is appropriate. The research onion has three described choices,
including the Mono, Mixed, and Multi method research choices or approaches, according to
Saunders et al. (2007).

 Mono method;
You must only collect one sort of information—either quantitative or qualitative—when utilising
this methodology. The two cannot be combined.

 Mixed method;
Using this technique, one is able to integrate quantitative and qualitative approach in a study to
produce precise data. According to (Flick, 2011), the multi method is used when the research is
divided into segments, with each producing a specific data set. The mixed method combines
methods to create a single dataset.

 Multi-method;
This method and the mixed method both incorporate quantitative and qualitative methodology in
a study, making them similar. Despite their similarities, they yet differ in some ways. Multi-
method does not combine methodologies to establish a specific set of data, whereas mixed
method does.

5. Time Horizon to Saunders research onions

The time horizon describes the required time for the completion of the project work. wo types of
time horizons are specified within the research onion: the cross sectional and the longitudinal
 5.1 Cross Sectional

The already-established cross-sectional time horizon is the one during which data collection is
required. When a specific phenomenon at a certain period is being studied as part of an
investigation, this method is used.

5.2 Longitudinal

When examining change over time is a key component of the research, a longitudinal time
horizon for data collection is used, which involves collecting data periodically over a lengthy
period of time.

6. Analysis and Data collection

6.1 Secondary Data

Derived from the work or opinions of other researchers.

6.2 observations
By observing behaviour, events, or physical traits as they occur in the wild, observers can gain
information. There are two types of observations: overt (everyone is aware they are being
watched) and covert (no one is aware they are being watched, and the watcher is hidden).

6.3 Interviews
A qualitative research technique known as an interview relies on the collection of data through
the use of questions. Two or more persons participate in interviews, one of them is the
interviewer who asks the questions. There are various interview kinds, which are frequently
distinguished by their degree of structure.

6.4 Questionnaires
The purpose of a questionnaire is to collect information from respondents about their attitudes,
experiences, and opinions. You can gather quantitative and/or qualitative data with
questionnaires.
In the social and health sciences as well as market research, questionnaires are frequently
utilised.

Conclusion
This study has been able to describe the different layers of the Research onion by Saunders et al.,
2007. Although surface, the study critically examines the onion and how it can be used as a
guide to successfully develop a research work.

References:
1. Assignment Help UK (2017) Research Onion – Made easy to understand and follow.
Retrieved from https://www.allassignmenthelp.co.uk/blog/research-onion-made-easy-to-
understand-and-follow/?share=twitter&nb=1
2. Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
3. Feilzer, M. Y. (2010). Doing mixed methods research pragmatically: Implications for the
rediscovery of pragmatism as a research paradigm. Journal of Mixed Methods Research,
4(1), pp.6-16.
4. Institut Numerique, (2012). Research Methodology,
http://www.institut-numerique.org/chapter-3-research-methodology-4ffbd6e5e339.