MAN-10

Research Methods
Instructor
Erlan Bakiev, Ph. D.
Chapter 2: What are the Major
Types of Social Research?

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Use and Audience of Research

• Basic research

• Applied research

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 Use and Audience of Research
• Applied research
– Three types of applied research
• Evaluation research
• Action research
– Participatory action research
• Social impact assessment

– Tools in applied research

• Needs assessment
• Cost-benefit analysis

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 Beyond Basic-Applied Dichotomy

• Forms of knowledge
– Instrumental knowledge
– Reflexive knowledge
• Audience of research
– Public
– Activists
– General practitioner
– Narrow practitioner

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 Beyond Basic-Applied Dichotomy

• Research autonomy

• Commissioned social research

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 Purpose of Research
• Exploratory research
– Familiar w/ basic facts
– Create a general picture
– Formulate question for future research
– Generate new ideas for research
– Feasibility of future research
– Measurement development

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 Purpose of Research
• Descriptive research
– Detailed, highly accurate picture
– Locate new data
– Create typology
– Clarify stages or process
– Document a causal process
– Report on background or context

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 Purpose of Research
• Explanatory research
– Test hypothesis
– Elaborate/elaborate theory
– Support/refute theory
– Link specific situation to theory

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 Within or Across Cases
• Case-Study Research
– Conceptual validity
– Heuristic impact
– Causal mechanisms identification
– Ability to capture complexity and trace processes
– Calibration
– Holistic elaboration

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 Within or Across Cases

• Across-Case Research

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Single or Multiple Points in Time
Cross-sectional research

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 Single or Multiple Points in Time
Longitudinal
• Time series research

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Single or Multiple Points in Time
Longitudinal
• Panel research

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 Single or Multiple Points in Time
Longitudinal
• Cohort study

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 Data Collection Techniques

• Quantitative data
– Experiments
– Surveys
– Nonreactive Research
• Content analysis
• Existing statistics

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 Data Collection Techniques

• Qualitative data
– Field research
– Historical-comparative research

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