research & methodology chap2

8/20/2019 Research & Methodology Chap2

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Research and

Methodology

Lecture 2

1



Organization of this lecture

Research and Methodology:

• Research dened and described

•

Some classications of research• Dene and discuss methodology

• Description of the research

process• Discuss creativity and its role in

the research process

2



Research Defned andDescribed

“Research is the systematic approachto obtaining and confrming new andreliable knowledge”

–

Systematic and orderly follo!ing aseries of steps"

– #urpose is ne! $no!ledge% !hich mustbe reliable

&his is a general denition !hichapplies to all disciplines

'



Notice that:

“… truth was not used in the defnitiono research” (p 16)

“his concept o truth is outside o the producti!e realm o thinking by

researchers” (p 16)

(



Research is not

)ccidental discovery :

1* )ccidental discovery may occur instructured research process

2* +sually ta$es the form of aphenomenon not previously noticed

'* ,ay lead to a structured research

process to verify or understand theobservation

-



Research is not . cont*

Data /ollection

• an intermediate step to gain reliable

$no!ledge• collecting reliable data is part of the

research process

0



Research is not . cont*

Searching out published researchresults in libraries or the internet"

• &his is an important early step ofresearch

• &he research process al!ays includessynthesis and analysis

•ut% ust revie!ing of literature is notresearch

3



Research is.

1* Searching for e4planation of events%phenomena% relationships and causes – 5hat% ho! and !hy things occur

– )re there interactions62* ) process

– #lanned and managed 7 to ma$e theinformation generated credible

– &he process is creative

– 8t is circular 7 al!ays leads to more9uestions



• )ll !ell designed and conducted research

has potential application*• ;ailure to see applications can be due to:

– +sers not trained or e4perienced in thespecialized methods of economic research

and reasoning – Researchers often do not provide ade9uate

interpretations and guidance on applicationsof the research

• Researchers are responsible to helpusers understand research implications

<o!6"

=



#ublic good

• #ublic research is a public good

– ,ay be more rigorous and obectivebecause it is subect to more scrutiny

• #rivate research may also berigorous

– ut research on a company>s product

may be 9uestioned as biased*

1?



Classifcation oResearch

• efore classication% !e must rstdefne types of research

• Di@erent criteria are used to classifyresearch types

)ll of these are some!hat arbitrary andarticial"

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asic vs )pplied Research

•

asic 7 to determine or establishfundamental facts and relationships !ithina discipline or eld of study* Developtheories . e4amples in economics6"

•

)pplied 7 underta$en specically for thepurpose of obtaining information to helpresolve a particular problem

• &he distinction bet!een them is in the

application – asic has little application to real !orld policy

and management but could be done to guideapplied research

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1'

Disciplinary% SubectAmatter% and#roblemAsolving Research

Bohnson% 1=0"



• designed to improve a discipline

• d!ells on theories% fundamentalrelationships and analytical procedures andtechni9ues

• 8n economics% the intended users are othereconomists

• #rovides the conceptual and analytical basefor other economic research

• 8t is synergistic and complementary !ithsubect matter and problemAsolving research

1(

Disciplinary



•

#rovides the foundations for appliedresearch

• /ircular as applied research reveals

the shortcomings of disciplinaryresearch

• C4amples of some economictheories6

supply demand% price elasticity%consumer utility ."

1-

Disciplinary. cont*



SubectAmatter research

• Eresearch on a sub"ect o interest to a seto decision makers “ p 22"

• &ends to follo! subectAmatter boundaries

!ithin a discipline eg* resourceeconomics% production economics% laboreconomics"

• 8nherently multidisciplinary% dra!ing

information from many disciplines – eg* consumer economic dra!s from

psychology% natural resource economics frombiology% economic policy from political science

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SubectAmatter research .cont*

• #rovides policy ma$ers !ith general$no!ledge to ma$e decisions aboutvarious problems*

• ) primary source of policy applicationsfor economics

• SubectAmatter research is a

cornerstone in economics 7 it involvesdirect application of economics tocontemporary issues*

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#roblemAsolving research

• Designed to solve a specic problem for aspecic decision ma$er

• Often results in recommendations ondecisions or actions

• #roblemAsolving research is holistic 7 usesall information relevant to the specicproblem

!hile disciplinary research tends to be

reductionist"• Disciplinary research is generally the most

EdurableF long lasting"G problemAsolvingresearch the least durable

1

) l i D i i



)nalytic vs DescriptiveResearch

• Descriptive Research 7 the attempt todetermine% describe% or identifysomething

– &he intent is often synthesis% !hich pulls$no!ledge or information together

• )nalytic 7 the attempt to establish !hy

something occurs or ho! it came to be

• )ll disciplines generally engage in both

1=



Methodology Defned &Described

,ethodology and ,ethod are oftenincorrectly" used interchangeable

•,ethodology 7 the study of the general

approach to in9uiry in a given eld•,ethod 7 the specic techni9ues% tools orprocedures applied to achieve a givenobective

– Research methods in economics includeregression analysis% mathematical analysis%operations research% surveys% data gathering%etc*

2?



• /ontrast research methodology ineconomics the approach toresearch" to economic methodologythe general approach to economicreasoning and economic concepts"

• 5hile these are di@erent they areinterdependent in the same !ay asscience and research are related"

21



The Process o Research

•

&he process is initiated !ith a 9uestionor problem step 1"

• He4t% goals and obectives areformulated to deal !ith the 9uestion or

problem step 2"• &hen the research design is developed

to achieve the obectives step "

• Results are generated by conducting the

research step !"• 8nterpretation and analysis of results

follo! step "#

22



2'

The Process o Research

C ti it i th



Creati$ity in theResearch Process

•

Research is a creative process• “…research includes ar more than mere

logic … #t includes insight$ genius$ groping$ pondering % &sense' … he logic we can

teach the art we cannot” (p *)• Research re9uires or at least !or$s best"

!ith imagination% initiative% intuition% andcuriosity*

• &here are di@erent types of creativity%characteristic of di@erent situations 7EappliedF and EtheoreticalF most closelyassociate !ith economic research

2(

% i C i i



%ostering Creati$ity 'add

1()*#

)* Iather and use previously developedknowledge

* C4change ideas

/* )pply deductive logic

D* Loo$ at things alternate !ays

C* Juestion or challenge assumptions

;* Search for patterns or relationships

I* &a$e ris$s

<* /ultivate tolerance for uncertainty

2-

% i C i i



%ostering Creati$ity +

cont,

8* )llo! curiosity to gro! B* Set problems aside . and come bac$ to them

K* 5rite do!n your thoughts

E. fre9uently 8 don>t $no! !hat 8 thin$ until 8 !rite itF

L* ;reedom from distraction . some time tothin$*

+reati!ity may pro!ide the di,erencebetween satisactory and outstandingresearch-

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research & methodology chap2

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