CH 600: GRADUATE RESEARCH METHODS
RSCH 600 (CAMPUS-WINTER-01)
Bezabih, Dereje
Reflection 1
Asifbhai Vahora (20218217)
22/01/2022 Time: 8:20
Graduate Research Methods Course is very critical for a student and professional of any field as it develops
research skills required to understand, evaluate, interpret, investigate any relevant or new topic using various
research approaches and methods critically and ethically in a way that researcher can remain free from personal
perceptions, prejudices, biased opinions and half backed claims and can reach to conclusion based on facts and
figures and that his research studies can be beneficial for himself in particular and for the society at large in general.
It is important to understand for a research students and professionals not only the types of research
studies, or its methods, approaches but also how to develop strong research proposal which can acts as a blueprint
as well provide an idea about how the entire research can be planned and executed and find out what has not been
explored beyond the established perceptions or assumptions about any topic whatsoever. It may start with
hypotheses but has to end with the facts that can be evaluated and debated rationally, and conclusion have to be
based on findings. The course develops the research proposal writing skills and provides overall structure for the
same which includes abstract, introduction, theoretical background, problem statement, research methodology,
evidence, discussion, and conclusion. Actual research work, thus, has to be aimed to derive inferences from analysis
and investigation of raw data based on standardised research practice using various suitable research methods,
approaches, and skills and present course in research covers aims the same.
Week 1 focussed on defining the research focussing on its various characteristics and comparative studies
of its various research approaches and their components and criteria for selecting specific research for any specific
research topic. There can not be one universally or encompassing definition of research since it is a combination of
critical and ethical process aimed to reach the fact from the existing varied data sets in a scientific manner using
various tools, means, methods, approaches, and resources.
Research Planning requires intense desire to carry out research come what may and then it starts with the
selection of the topic which generally might not be satisfactorily covered so far or has been a matter of debate due to
various contradictory opinions, sufficient to generate an interest among research professionals. This could be a
burning social issue or scientific puzzle or any topic under the sun warranting an immediate attention and its solution
could have potential benefits for the society at large. Next step includes the critical study of existing literature which
can provide an overall background about various established opinions and their bases. Post study of literature review,
one has to select suitable research approach and formulate the research design accordingly. While doing research
work, one may encounter various ethical issues in gathering evidence or approaching unorganized data. Thus, one
may require choosing how one would carry out data sampling or what would be the primary or secondary data source
or carry out observation or group interview or collecting data from questionaries. These data collection can be carried
out using one or more/mixed of quantitative or qualitative methods. All these steps help with the forward planning to
the researcher with writing a proper project report and its presentation. One may return to any stage and review and
modify any part before the final report or presentation is prepared and submitted formally and works as an important
blueprint for the later research execution.
Qualitative Research Approach gives importance to its overall emerging understanding and relevance of the
problem and employs data collection in participant’s own settings using inductive approach to analysis. Whereas the
Quantitative Approach tests objective theories deductively and investigates relationship among various variables and
believes in using statistical analysis of data and therefore uses survey instrument that can produce numerical data
sets and finally uses set structure in the report. However, a researcher is not bound to use any one of these two
approaches and therefore researcher is free to use both at the same time where one collects both quantitative and
qualitative data types to get additional insights to the research topic undertaken. Researcher must understand that
there is no one formula that would fit all and so he or she has to understand that in general he may realize that
Quantitative approach is more suitable when he or she has to identify the causes or factors for specific resulting
outcome, mostly for known research topics as compared to Qualitative Approach more suitable to new topic with no
preexisting research or datasets or theories. Similarly, one may choose mixed methods when both methods seem
inadequate if employed in isolation and therefore require both methods to understand in a detailed manner.
Various components to research approaches are Philosophical Worldviews (Belief Types or Established
General Orientation such as Postpositivist, Constructivists, Transformative, Pragmatic) to start the research with,
Research Designs (Quantitative such as experiments, Qualitative such as ethnographies, Mixed such as Explanatory
Sequential) to get help with specific direction for procedure, and research methods (such as Questions, Data
Collection, Data Analysis, Interpretation, Validation etc.) based on types of raw data available or based on data types
The kind of research problem and question itself and its suitability with one of the research approach or
researcher’s own experience (Training, Preferences, Time & Resources Availability, Experiences etc.), Research
Audience or Beneficiary (Journal editors, Journal readers, Faculty committees, Conference attendees, Colleagues in
the field, Advisors) remain the criteria behind the selection of specific research approach.
Finally, supported Video in the week 1 provided an insight into the fact that each approach or method may
have its all advantages and limitation to another and similarly researcher can have its own biases or suitability about
specific research approach or methods which can also affect the research output. This makes any research as limited
and can not claim itself as absolute and infinite truth since various studies and data type is an ongoing process but
prompting researcher to focus more on quality of the research based on making best of existing standardized practice
and resources and leaving aside his own personal preferences or perceptions.