Research Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Methodology - Essay typeFinally, iodin has to note what cardinal is likely to conclude in terms of the research worry and unitarys hypothesis (an early conclusion in other words). All this goes into a brief and pithy introduction, to be termed Introduction and/or Abstract, of the proposed research. To illustrate the research process thus described, I shall in the following adopt the perspective of anthropology, the intuition of culture, as an example of a an inductive, falsifiable social science with appropriate methods to tackle social science research questions Literature Review Having thus described the contents of the proposal, one now turns to these items, one by one, beginning with a focused analysis of relevant literary sources and notions in order to answer the research question. The critical review reflects the state of the art regarding knowledge of the research topic. The review will highlight various issues that are particularly relevant to solving the identified research problem. background knowledge and Sample Next, one describes the setting and/or sample size. Depending upon ones choice of research problem one describes the setting which, when social science research is conducted, may be a community (e.g., affluent, middle-class, poor), an base (e.g., a school, a bank), a neighbourhood, street corners, a slum, etc. (Hannerz, 2007). Based upon this choice, a sample is defined. one may want to work with a small, large, partial or complete sample, a random selection, a certain quota or a representative sample. The economic anthropologist Polly Hill studied cocoa faming and development in southern Ghana. She used maps and air photography to define her sample (Hill, 1963). This may seem an extreme choice, and it isnt for an anthropologist conducting research in a non-Western setting. Methodology 1. Induction-Deduction Research, the search for knowledge and problem-solving, is a process whereby one continually adds to knowledge (Ellen, 1984). By this understanding, research is an ongoing process. There are, however, certain procedures to be followed and standards to be adhered to, be they of an inductive (experimental arriving at a theory based on facts) or deductive (facts are nonionized to match theory) nature. Based on this division, one arrives at a positivistic and relativistic location, resulting in a contrast of explanation (deduction, positivism) and understanding (induction, relativism) (Manners and Kaplan, 1968 Alexander, 1983 Gellner, 1985). Within anthropology and with its emphasis on induction and empirical research, the contrast between induction and deduction has been conceptualized as two modes of inquiry that are opposed to one another. The renowned anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski advocated 90 years ago long-term immersion in the research site chosen and the use of a set of qualitative methods, considered suitable to such an approach (Malinowski, 1922). Since the nineteen twenties a nd Malinowskis statement, the tension of deduction and induction is thought of as contrast between the natural sciences, such as biology, insisting on distance, and the human and social sciences stressing the value of experience-nearness. The contrast has been exemplified by the different emphases placed upon