GUIDANCE FOR NEW RESEARCHERS
PLANNING YOUR METHODOLOGY
What is research methodology?
A research methodology is the design or plan for your research, including the philosophical foundation for your approach, your strategy and the methods you will use. It reflects a particular paradigm of how things can be known.
The choices you make should be the most appropriate to answer your specific research question/s, to meet your objectives, and to achieve your aim.
Knowing how to research - the process itself - is sometimes more important that the knowledge generated by the research!
Why do you need a research methodology?
The plan or design of your research needs to be selected and clearly explained in any written dissemination of your research.
This enables other researchers to replicate your research using the same methodology, in order to test, challenge or build upon your work.
Therefore a detailed explanation of your methodology is required in most academic research publications.
What will you need to consider?
Research philosophy
Whether consciously or unconsciously, you research will reflect a certain philosophy that has informed your activities. Research philosophy reflects the researcher's beliefs about the nature of reality, knowledge, and how knowledge is acquired. Your research philosophy will, therefore, guide your choice of research approach, strategy and methods.
In many academic contexts, (for example in a PhD and MPhil thesis, and for some MA dissertations) your research philosophy will need to be explained carefully in relation to your specific project, with reference to supporting theory.
Common research philosophies found in creative arts research are pragmatism, interpretivism, critical realism, positivism and post-modernism.
Pragmatism
Pragmatism prioritises practicality, flexibility, and problem-solving over adherence to abstract principles, encouraging researchers to focus on what works in addressing real-world issues rather than theoretical ideals. It enables the researcher to adapt their methods of inquiry to whatever will work best as their research unfolds in real-world. It most commonly, but not exclusively, uses a mixed methods research strategy to gather information in response to research questions and is commonly used in creative arts related research.
Interpretivism
Interpretivism emphasizes understanding human behaviour through subjective interpretation, acknowledging the influence of context, culture, and individual perspectives. It requires qualitative methods such as interviews and participant observation to explore the meanings and experiences underlying social phenomena.
Positivism
Positivism asserts that knowledge is only derived from measurable facts and empirical evidence, advocating for scientific methods to uncover objective truths. It emphasizes quantifiable data, seeking to eliminate bias and subjectivity in research through rigorous experimentation and measurement. It relies on the gathering of objective, numeric data that is both theory and value-free, and therefore requires quantitative research methods.
Critical realism
Critical realism asserts that reality exists independently of human perception, offering a middle ground between positivism and interpretivism. It acknowledges the influence of social structures on human understanding while emphasizing the objective reality underlying phenomena, encouraging researchers to explore both empirical evidence and underlying causal mechanisms. It normally requires a mixed methods research strategy of both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Postmodernism
Postmodernism critiques grand narratives, hegemonies, and fixed truths, emphasising the plurality of perspectives and the subjective nature of knowledge. It encourages deconstruction and reflexivity in research, questioning power dynamics, language, and cultural constructs to reveal diverse interpretations and challenge established norms.
A disclaimer - sometimes the terms ‘strategy’ and ‘approach’ are used interchangeably in different publications.
For clarity at IML, we are defining these as follows:
Research approach
Your research may involve conducting a series of activities, from which to form a hypothesis, in a sort of (bottom-up) inductive approach, or may seek to challenge an existing hypothesis (top-down) deductive approach. An abductive approach will go back and forth between theory and emerging data.
Inductive
Inductive research involves deriving general principles and theories from specific observations or patterns in data. It starts with collecting and analysing empirical evidence, then moves towards developing hypotheses and theories based on the observed patterns, often used in qualitative research.
Deductive
Deductive research starts with a theory or hypothesis, then seeks to test its validity through empirical evidence. It involves collecting data to confirm or refute a pre-existing theory or hypothesis, and is commonly used in quantitative research.
Abductive
Abductive research involves generating plausible explanations or hypotheses to explain observed phenomena, often in cases where multiple interpretations are possible. It combines elements of both inductive and deductive reasoning, focusing on creating the most reasonable explanation given the available evidence.
Why and how does your research reflect an inductive/deductive/abductive approach?
Research strategy
Your research will use either a mono-method or mixed method strategy, that includes qualitative methods (measuring attitudes, beliefs, experiences, behaviours and interactions), quantitative methods (measuring numbers), or a mixture of these (using both qualitative and quantitative methods).
Qualitative
Qualitative research investigates the complexities of human experiences, behaviours, and social phenomena through non-numerical data collection methods such as interviews, observations, and analysis of texts. It seeks to understand context, meanings, and underlying processes, often employing inductive reasoning to generate insights. A wide range of qualitative research methods are available to researchers.
Quantitative
Quantitative research involves the systematic collection and analysis of numerical data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends. It emphasises measurement, statistical analysis, or controlled experimentation to test hypotheses and draw generalisable conclusions, often employing deductive reasoning to verify theories.
Mixed methods
Mixed methods research combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of a research question. It integrates diverse data collection and analysis techniques, leveraging the strengths of both qualitative depth and quantitative breadth to provide nuanced insights and robust findings.
Research Methods
Research methods are systematic procedures used to collect, analyse, and interpret data in order to answer research questions or test hypotheses. They encompass various techniques, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, chosen based on the nature of the inquiry and desired outcomes. There is a wide range of research methods, with explanations on the page for research methods.