Category: Methodology

  • Observation Methods in Research Case Study Essay

    Observation Methods in Research Case Study Essay

    Case Study of Observation Methods in Research Essay; This essay will look at the difference between two research methods; Case Study and Observation. A case study is the understanding of complex issues or can extend experience or add strength to what is already known through previous research. It is an in-depth study of an individual, group, incident, or community. Case studies emphasize the detailed analysis of the event or conditions and their relationship.

    Here is the article to explain, Case Study of Observation Research Methods Essay!

    Sometimes researchers use the case study method for real-life situations and use sources of evidence to prove their study. Observation method of data collection in research methodology; The first step to take in the case study is to collect all data about the case and should organize to draw attention to important points in the case. The case study’s questions are most likely to be information questions “why “and “How “therefore these questions are helpful to focus on the study’s goal.

    David;

    In this case, study researchers gather facts from different sources, and conclusions made of these facts. Here is a case study of David’s behavior,” David, 13 year old who has been admitted to a detention facility in California. Police reports indicate that he and another boy stood arrested for breaking into a private residence. David grew up in an upper-middle-class section of California. David’s father is a professor at a college, and his mother is a dentist who works for a health care group. Even as a small child, David seemed unable to restrain himself. He would bound around the house, crashing into walls and objects, frequently breaking items or destroying house plants.

    David entered puberty at the age of 11, and at that time, his behaviors became more destructive. He frequently got in fights with his classmates, and would verbally assault teachers. His parents suspect that he may have tried smoking cigarettes and may have experimented with sniffing glue. After his arrest for breaking, David began to cry and told his parents that he felt bad for what he had done. He added that he was unable to control himself.”

    In David’s case study which took a long time to study David’s behavior from his childhood to his teenage and in different circumstances David’s behavior had changed and resources have been used to prove his behavior such as his parents or police.

    Another example for case study research;

    it’s Freud’s little Hans case study,

    “Freud used a case study method to investigate little Hans’ Phobia however the case study was carried out by the boy’s father who was a friend of Freud. Freud probably only met the boy once. The father reported to Freud via correspondence and Freud gave directions as to how to deal with the situation based on his interpretations of his father’s reports. Freud noted that it was the special relationship between Hans and his father that allowed the analysis to progress and for the discussions with the boy to be so detailed and so intimate.”

    “The first reports of Hans are when he was 3 years old. When Hans was almost 5, Han’s father wrote to Freud explaining his concerns about Hans. He described the main problem as follows:’ he is afraid of the horse will bite him in the street, at age 19 the not so little Hans appeared at Freud’s consulting room having read his case history. Freud believed that the findings from the case little Hans supported his theories of child development.”

    Observation involves looking and listening to the object very carefully. Researchers in observation studies an individual or group in their natural settings without being informed of the observation in advance. Observational data usually detailed information about a particular person, group, or situation and reveals changes.

    Non-participant observation;

    In a non-participant observation researchers observe the behavior of the subject without interacting with the subject whereas in participant observation the researchers put themselves in the subject’s position; so the researchers become part of the world of the subject while focusing on their study and indirect observation; people know that you are watching them, and there is concern that sometimes individuals change their actions; while not showing what you are looking for or what they look like.

    Research led by Charlton,

    “studied the effect of television on children’s behavior when it was introduced to an island of St Helena in mid-1990s, The researchers focused specifically on pro-and-anti-social behavior. Using video recording, they found that, compared with playground observation on three to eight years olds made four months before television started, five years after its introduction 5 out of 64 measures were showing a decrease in pro-social behavior. However for boys, only there was a significant increase on two pro-social measures and a significant decrease on two anti-social measures. In other words, for boys at least there was almost as much positive as a negative effect.”

    The research led by Charlton was a naturalistic observation that use to collect behavioral data in real-life situations. The data-gathering device in this research was the video recording, which taped the children’s interaction daily.

    There is another example of Whyte studies about Italian gangs for an Observation research study,

    “Whyte studied an Italian street gang in Chicago by joining it. It was obvious Whyte was not a normal gang member. His ‘cover’ was that he was writing a book about the area. He made the famous statement that ‘I began as a non-participating observer. As I became accepted into the community, I found myself becoming almost a non-observing participant.”

    Whyte;

    Whyte’s research study existed undisclosed participant observation. Whyte as an observer kept hidden his study about the gang from gang members; Whyte aimed the understanding of the gang by putting himself in their position; and observed gang members in their natural setting, as they were busy in their everyday lives.

    Ethical issues;

    Two ethical issues Consent and Deception, both are very important issues to concentrate on before deciding on psychological research. Consent should obtain in an early time of research; this would involve informing the participant about the grounds for the research and their role in the research; however, there are some cases where this does not require; if the research is something in public where they would normally expect to observe; they would need permission to observe on the other side in deception; participants should never deceive about any aspect of the study they are taking part in. Same as consent participants should be provided with sufficient information at the earliest stage.

    Other ethical issues;

    Other ethical issues are, the introduction where both sides’ confidence need between the researcher and the participants, and the data protection act protects participants in the research; therefore confidentiality and privacy are important to agree on both sides except in a situation where the human life is in danger. And participants must inform of their right to withdraw from the research at any stage of the research. After debriefing, participants have the right to ask for their details in the study to destroy in their presence. Participants should not ask to risk their lives in any circumstances during the study.

    The publication is another important part of the ethical issues; it’s the responsibility of the researcher to publish is his research; this is because if the research failed has cost a lot of time; and money someone else might have the same idea and might invest lots of time and money, which would waste.

    Colleagues;

    It’s the researcher’s responsibility to monitor his colleagues in research to ensure that code follow; and, if the researcher becomes aware of the participant’s problems in the study; the researcher should refer them to someone qualified to advise them on the issue if the participants wish to.

    In Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment, participants existed deceived and existed physically harmed; they do not inform properly about all that took place later in the research; therefore deception does not allow in any circumstances; and, all that is going to take place in research should talk to participant in an earlier stage. And the participant’s consent existed not obtained before the research and participants do not inform of the reason for the study

    This involves informing the participant of the reasons for the study and what is expected of them. There are few cases where this does not require; if someone is doing something in public where they would normally expect to observe, they permit to observe.

    Observation Methods in Research Case Study Essay Image
    Observation Methods in Research Case Study Essay; Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay.

    References; Case study and observation research methods. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/case-study-and-observation-research-methods.php?vref=1, http://www.holah.karoo.net/freud.htm

  • 10 Dissertation Methodology Examples Topic with Essay

    10 Dissertation Methodology Examples Topic with Essay

    What is a Dissertation Methodology Examples 10 Topic with Essay? The methodology section will be the article that you write following your literature review. After you have researched and discovered the gap in the available literature, you can create ideas for your proposed research.

    Here is the article to explain, What is a Dissertation Methodology Examples 10 Topic with Essay?

    In your research proposal, you will have had a suggested methodology where; you would have given ideas about how to approach the research; this would have been either through a primary data approach or through collecting secondary data. Before discussing the topic of Dissertation Methodology Examples with essays we just take look at types of data. The following types of data;

    Primary data;

    Primary data is any form of evidence that you collect yourself through; your research in the form of surveys, interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, observations, experiments. Also, Primary data collection methods do not involve the collection of data from other researchers’ work and their studies.

    Secondary data;

    Collecting secondary data is the collection of evidence from previous researchers’ work. An example could be focusing on another researchers’ experiment and using their findings as a basis for your dissertation. An example could be collecting the findings from two different experiments and comparing the findings of these studies about the question posed.

    Once you have decided what type of data you will be collecting; you will then need to determine whether the data being collected is qualitative or quantitative as this will have an impact on the analysis of your research.

    10 Dissertation Methodology Examples Topic and Essay;

    We have provided the selection of examples of methodology dissertation topics below to help and inspire you.

    An assessment of the relative strengths of different interviewing techniques within qualitative research;

    Furthering the hypothesis that choosing the correct interviewing technique (or techniques) is a vital prerequisite to the attainment of quality primary research data; this dissertation offers a comparative critique of four interviewing techniques and scenarios. They are; face-to-face interviews versus email interviews, structured versus semi-structured interviews, individual interviews versus group interviews, and open versus closed questioning techniques. Having used secondary data to assess the relative strengths and merits of each; the second part of the dissertation will then conduct a ‘fictitious’ study upon ‘perceptions of Norwich as a romantic weekend holiday destination’ and will conduct interviews using each of the aforementioned techniques. Through so doing, the study will be able to offer a series of reasoned comments as to which interviewing technique was most useful for the given study area.

    Adapting the Likert scale for a more sophisticated audience: an opinion.

    As a mechanism through which to quantify primary data, especially within the social sciences, a Likert scale is an oft-used tool. Whilst this dissertation advances the view that quantitative data is superior to qualitative (a contention discussed within the study); it nevertheless posits, that improvements could make to the Likert scale. In so doing, it suggests that a fundamental weakness exists within the scale as a consequence of its usage of terms such as ‘agree strongly’ for such phrases are nebulous concepts. The result is that, whilst 80% of respondents may ‘strongly agree’; there may be substantial variations amongst the respondents as to what ‘strongly agree’ specifically means.

    A critique of Bryman.

    To many, the work of Alan Bryman has been pivotal to their studies. Offering a range of key texts on issues relating to methodology and ethics within research; Bryman is an acknowledged guru of research techniques within the social sciences, particularly within the United Kingdom. However, not all agree that, without Bryman, a research methodology bibliography is ‘not complete’. This dissertation addresses some of the questions raised by authors such as Leahey and Tashakkori; who contend that mixed methods research can be anomalous as it attempts to cross the qualitative/quantitative divide.

    Theoretical perspectives within the social sciences: they always need?

    Amongst the social sciences, there appears to exist an almost institutional doctrinal expectation that all primary research must underpin by reference to either the work of Michel Foucault or Karl Marx, both ‘sacred cows’ in theoretical studies. This dissertation takes issue with this assumption and in so doing reviews the doctoral theses of Geography Ph.D. students from the years 1950-1960 and those of 1999-2009 as held within the libraries of the universities of York, Durham, Newcastle, and Leeds. In so doing it notes the theories within them and suggests that the present-day preoccupation with ‘shoehorning’ Foucauldian or Marxian theory into the methodology of each dissertation detracts from a wider academic ground.

    A discussion of the importance of ontological research within the pedagogy of education.

    As “a theory of existence concerning the status of the world and what populates it”, ontological research advances concerning pedagogy by educationalists who posit that ‘reality’ is evaluated by two broad assumptions: ‘interpretivism’ and ‘realism’. Combining these theoretical assumptions and philosophical definitions, this dissertation evaluates the methods currently being applied to assessing pedagogy and determines; which approach best suits this area. Accordingly, it also examines the value of epistemological research methods and considers the merits of both approaches. Finally, it investigates how much ‘learning’ is actually ‘knowing’; and how much the methodology in pedagogy has affected the understanding of ‘learning’.

    Epistemological research within the classroom: a rejoinder.

    Hamlyn posits that epistemology is concerned with “the nature of knowledge, its possibility, scope, and general basis”. In applying such concepts to pedagogical issues and wider educational research, Pring furthers that epistemology is, resultantly, a concept upon which individual researchers can adopt different (but logical) positions. This dissertation debates the theoretical research viewpoints of epistemology with interpretivism and non-interpretivism and in so doing furthers existing academic debate such as that advanced by Crotty that reality ‘comes into existence in and out of our engagement with the realities of our world’, rather than existing independently of peoples’ thinking.

    The literature of qualitative data; a secondary source-based commentary.

    Qualitative research evolves out of a pursuit of phenomenological data that provides evidence of particular behaviors, occurrences, and perspectives. Traditionally employing a greater emphasis on sociological techniques for its investigative process; a qualitative approach can therefore generate relevant findings retrieved from fundamentally complex scenarios. This dissertation reviews existing literature on the merits and weaknesses of qualitative data and in so doing seeks to make its contribution to research within the social sciences more accessible to the general reader. Thus this is a dissertation that involves close textual referencing and will require the writer to explain complex methodological issues clearly and concisely.

    A critique of the complications involved in using interviews within primary research.

    Walliman asserts that interviews are a useful method of obtaining both information and opinions from experts during the early stages of a research project. However, Sarantakos warns that the process of interviewing can affect by many diverse problems, leading to errors. These problems generally tend to associate with the nature of the method used; which includes data recording, evaluation, and instruction errors. This dissertation accordingly, therefore, also discusses the proactive steps that researchers can take to recognize potential errors and mitigate them. This is a dissertation that would be ideal for a researcher who has previously conducted research using interviews.

    Ethical considerations within primary research: an overview of its development and existing best practice.

    This dissertation notes that several ethical issues can arise during conducting primary social research, particularly “to prevent harming or wronging others”. Accordingly, it further notes that the best advice for the researcher is to be constantly ethically aware and to ensure that the ‘meaning and justification of moral consideration which underlies research’ are always apparent. Working with specific reference to the ethical considerations that arise when interviewing vulnerable members of society; this dissertation charts the development of ethical research codes within higher education over the past twenty years and thereafter presents a commentary on existing best practices. In so doing, it hopes also to proffer reasoned suggestions as to how existing codes could further improve.

    The importance of Boyatzis and Glaser and Strauss to contemporary approaches to methodology.

    From a methodological viewpoint ‘grounded theory’ is often taken to refer to the theoretical explanations about the social world that emerge from empirical data. This approach was developed by Glaser and Strauss, to conduct research that generates inductive and qualitative theories. In addition, it is widely acknowledged that a more formal definition of thematic analysis existed developed by Boyatzis in 1998. Moreover, his technique recognizes that to analyze appropriately unrelated or dissimilar information; a theme or pattern must be discerned that describes and organizes the possible observations. This dissertation reviews the importance of the work of these authors to prevailing attitudes to the collation of research.

    What is a Dissertation Methodology Examples 10 Topic with Essay Image
    What is a Dissertation Methodology Examples 10 Topic with Essay? Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay.

    References; Methodology Dissertation Topics. Retrieved from https://ukdiss.com/topic/methodology-topics.php?vref=1