rsbm business school research in the real world: the users dilemma dr gill green
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Research in the real world: the users Research in the real world: the users dilemmadilemma
Research in the real world: the users Research in the real world: the users dilemmadilemma
Dr Gill Green
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Overview of the LectureOverview of the LectureOverview of the LectureOverview of the Lecture
Context for the examination of research approaches Examine aspects of the Qualitative Research: Defining,
Attributes, Features &Types
Examine aspects of the Quantitative Research: Defining, Attributes, Features &Types
Reflect and summarise on each approach
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Business School The users dilemmaThe users dilemmaThe users dilemmaThe users dilemma
How do users get what they want?– Traditional view of software development
– Analysis – specification-development-implement-signoff
– Happy users
– So why do researchers report that 70% of system implementations fail
How do users know what they want?– The Marco Polo effect
» How do you describe something you have never seen before
– The gambler effect
» How do you speculate how you may like to do things in the future
– The tigger effect
» How easy is it to ask for the wrong thing
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Business School Some hard wordsSome hard wordsSome hard wordsSome hard words
Ontology – What is epistemology – what it means to know Why is this important? You need to know for yourself how you interpret your
world?
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Theoretical perspectives Theoretical perspectives and what they teach usand what they teach us
Theoretical perspectives Theoretical perspectives and what they teach usand what they teach us
Positivist– Reality consists of what is available to the senses
– Inquiry should be based upon scientific observation and empirical action
– Principles are shared between Natural and human sciences and deal with facts not values
Interpretivist– Reality is a shifting state culturally derived and historically situated
– Inquiry deals with the actions of individuals in social settings
– Principles suggest the emergence of unique individual qualitative aspects
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What is Qualitative What is Qualitative ResearchResearch
What is Qualitative What is Qualitative ResearchResearch
“Qualitative research is a process of enquiry that draws data from the context in which events occur, in an attempt to describe these occurrences, as a means of determining the process in which events are embedded and the perspectives of those participating in the events, using induction to derive possible explanations based on observed phenomena.”
(Gorman & Clayton, 1997)
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What happens in What happens in Qualitative Research?Qualitative Research?
What happens in What happens in Qualitative Research?Qualitative Research?
Data taken from context in which events occur Data collection first hand Attempt to describe occurrences Focus on process not snapshot Immersion leading to insight Induction
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Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: InductionInduction
Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: InductionInduction
Use of “bottom-up” approach to analyse and interpret data
Research based on observed data “Grounded” theory
– that is based on established theories
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Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: Attributes 1Attributes 1
Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: Attributes 1Attributes 1
Assumptions– social construction of reality
– primacy of subject matter
– complexity of variables
– difficulty in measuring variables
Purpose– contextualisation
– interpretation
– understanding participant perspectives
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Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: Attributes 2Attributes 2
Qualitative Research: Qualitative Research: Attributes 2Attributes 2
Approach– Theory generalising
– Emergence and portrayal
– Researcher as instrument
– Naturalistic
– Inductive
– Pattern Seeking
– Looking for pluralism and complexity
– Descriptive
Researcher Role– personal involvement and partiality
– empathetic understanding
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Business SchoolKey features of Qualitative Key features of Qualitative
Research (Hittleman & Simon)Research (Hittleman & Simon)Key features of Qualitative Key features of Qualitative
Research (Hittleman & Simon)Research (Hittleman & Simon)
Data is collected within its natural setting. Main data collection instruments are the researchers themselves
Data are not numerical Focus on the process of an activity, not just its outcomes Data analysed in non-numerical manner. Outcomes
generate debate rather than verifying a predicted outcome
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Business SchoolQualitative Research: Why is Qualitative Research: Why is
it important in ITit important in ITQualitative Research: Why is Qualitative Research: Why is
it important in ITit important in IT
Many of techniques and methods can be applied to the requirements engineering process
Helps to place user at centre of design process Enables triangulation with quantitative methods
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Doing Qualitative Doing Qualitative ResearchResearch
Doing Qualitative Doing Qualitative ResearchResearch
Many ways of collecting and analysing data – Historical
– Correlational
– Developmental
– Descriptive
– ...
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Business SchoolQualitative Research: Qualitative Research:
Overview of TechniquesOverview of TechniquesQualitative Research: Qualitative Research:
Overview of TechniquesOverview of Techniques
Observation Interviewing Questionnaires Group Discussion Historical Study Content Analysis Ethnographical Research
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Qualitative Research Qualitative Research SummarySummary
Qualitative Research Qualitative Research SummarySummary
Increased knowledge of qualitative research
Awareness of qualitative approaches relevance to computing
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Quantitative Research: Quantitative Research: What is it?What is it?
Quantitative Research: Quantitative Research: What is it?What is it?
The aim of quantitative research is not simply to state that something has a relationship with something else, but to state causality
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Business School Quantitative ResearchQuantitative ResearchQuantitative ResearchQuantitative Research
Focuses on numerical and statistical data Positivist approach
– Recognising only positive/measurable facts and observable phenomena
Empirical “scientific” approach– Relying on experimentation and not untested theory
Searches for causality and effect
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Quantitative Quantitative Research :DeductionResearch :Deduction
Quantitative Quantitative Research :DeductionResearch :Deduction
Top-down approach
The inferring of particular instances from a general law
Working something out from something else - Sherlock Holmes style
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Attributes of Quantitative Attributes of Quantitative Research 1Research 1
Attributes of Quantitative Attributes of Quantitative Research 1Research 1
Assumptions– objective reality of social facts
– primacy of method
– possible to identify variables
– possible to measure variables
Purpose– generalisation
– prediction
– causal explanation
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Attributes of Quantitative Attributes of Quantitative Enquiry 2Enquiry 2
Attributes of Quantitative Attributes of Quantitative Enquiry 2Enquiry 2
Approach– Hypothesis based
– Manipulation and Control
– Uses formal instruments
– Experimentation
– Deductive
– Component analysis
– Seeking norms and consensus
– Reducing data to numerical indices
Researcher Role– detachment and impartiality
– objective portrayal
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Features of Quantitative Features of Quantitative Research 1Research 1
Features of Quantitative Features of Quantitative Research 1Research 1
Tests for cause and effect– X causes Z to happen
– Y does not cause Z to happen
Not simply that something has a relationship with something else
Involves empirical studies Uses numerical and statistical techniques
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Features of Quantitative Features of Quantitative Research 2Research 2
Features of Quantitative Features of Quantitative Research 2Research 2
Assume primacy– Researcher defines the research activity
Relationships are measured
Causal explanations are made
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Quantitative Research : Quantitative Research : Descriptive StatisticsDescriptive Statistics
Quantitative Research : Quantitative Research : Descriptive StatisticsDescriptive Statistics
Allows summaries of large quantities of information Should be easily comprehensible for reader Presentation is vital
– long strings of numbers…
– tables, charts, graphs
– numerical techniques
– concise, appropriate text
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Quantitative Research : Quantitative Research : Inferential StatisticsInferential Statistics
Quantitative Research : Quantitative Research : Inferential StatisticsInferential Statistics
Procedures for making generalisations about characteristics of a population based on information taken from that population
Powerful– estimation
– hypothesis testing
Methods and rules for organising and interpreting data
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Quantitative Research: Quantitative Research: Why is it important in ITWhy is it important in ITQuantitative Research: Quantitative Research:
Why is it important in ITWhy is it important in IT
Establishes metrics– Report on process and system efficiency concerns
– Predict outcomes from developments
– Improve development and operational processes
Basis for managing risk– Analysis of incidents
– Identify causal relationships
– Plan
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Quantitative Research Quantitative Research SummarySummary
Quantitative Research Quantitative Research SummarySummary
Quantitative research is based on scientific inquiry
Offers numerous techniques for data analysis
Searching for causality and prediction
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Some questions to answer Some questions to answer for next weekfor next week
Some questions to answer Some questions to answer for next weekfor next week
Can you identify your epistemological stance? Have you identified a theoretical perspective Is your approach deductive or inductive Have you considered research methodology