The Main Research Traditions

Question 1

Positivism

Answer 1

Positivist analysts study what is there, it is a branch of social science. They recognise what can be scientifically verified or which is capable of logical or mathematical proof. Data collection is objective. Quantitative research approach. (Objective reality)

Question 2

Naturalism

Answer 2

(Branch of Positivism) The unity of sciences, culture and society can be studied just like natural phenomena.

Question 3

Empiricism

Answer 3

(Branch of Positivism) Knowledge based upon direct observation and precise measurement alone is trustworthy. They avoid speculative statements.

Question 4

Realism and Structuralism

Answer 4

People who study realism can be classed as structuralists. They argue that structures that are ‘real’ may exist below the surface of observable phenomena. Reality may not always be amenable to observation.

Question 5

Phenomenology and Social Constructionism

Answer 5

Phenomenology focuses on how the values we hold shape the way we understand ‘facts’. They disagree with positivism and realism and suggest that all there is, is the inter-subjective experience we share as subjects. Research is a subjective process in which meanings are exchanged. Social constructionism is a branch of phenomenology and an example is focus group research.

Question 6

Post-struturalism

Answer 6

Study the role language plays in making meaning/fact. They suggest that meaning is slippery and that readers may connect signs to signifiers in many different ways. It is essentially positivism deconstructed as there isn’t one true meaning or main fact.

Question 7

Validity

Answer 7

The extent to which a research design really measures what it is supposed to measure.

Question 8

Reliability

Answer 8

The extent to which a research design can be checked by others.