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5. The Methodological Issues

This discussion and materials sets out the methodological issues and justification. It is for those undertaking research projects for action enquiry or other works.

What is (your) research? 

How is it distinguished from other pursuits such as campaigns, publicity, or opinion?

 

 

By the nature of this module your research is a form of "action enquiry". By that we mean that it is practitioner based, evaluative for improving actions. However, the precise form of 'enquiry" needs to be outlined.

Methodology describes the overarching way of creating a form of knowledge which we might trust. The main methodological groups are :
  • "scientific/positivist",
  • naturalistic, illuminative or qualitative
  • action research
  • evaluation as research
(These are not exhaustive  and types may overlap)

A discussion of methodology is not the same as the outline of the procedures (sometimes called methods) that you use to collect data. Rather it deals with issues such as:

  • The kind of knowledge that will be created and its purpose
  • The methodology that best fits the context and scale of your research
  • The control you have over variables in this research
  • The extent  you can generalise knowledge gained from this research to other cases.
  • The tests you will use for truthfulness, reliability and validity.
  • The involvement and relationships between researcher and subject(s)
  • The treatment of socially constructed ideas in your research

 

Your  account should explain both the methodology  (about 1000 words) and procedures (another 1000 words (or methods).

 

In these sections you should show the following MA level descriptors.

  • a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to your own research or advanced scholarship;
  • a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline
  • evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them

 

You need to show you understand the research process and are self-critical  and critical of it.

Materials to support you are in the research folder here - Research  Materials. Indeed, the materials here contain the headings and some of the text to build your own specific account. Supplement this with your own references.

 

Discussion

 What are the characteristics of (your) research that make it high quality?

 

Share and discuss here.
Document Actions

By way of contrast:

Posted by Ian at Jan 04, 2010 12:37 PM
This may be helpful. It is fictitious feedback to a very poor dissertation.
"This work is not a peice of research because you do not have a genuine enquiry. Rather you have written it in a style that reveals that you are out to prove your argument is correct. You do not show me your data collection procedures but report on opinions selected to justify your argument. Your work focuses only on one insitution and has no contribution to make to the many institutions with similar work going on.You reveal very little about the circumstances and context. You appear not to appreciate the weaknesses in the account but state with absolute certainty your opinion.

By way of contrast:

Posted by John Badu Amoah at Jan 09, 2010 06:26 PM
are we saying that we are not supposed to outline the method i.e. the specificity of the method/

By way of contrast:

Posted by Ian at Jan 11, 2010 11:06 AM
I am not sure I undertand the question.


You need to outline both the methodology and the procedures(methods).


But do you understnd the difference?

By way of contrast:

Posted by John Badu Amoah at Jan 12, 2010 11:34 AM
After reading the information Middlesex University provided, I don't know the exact difference and I would be glad if you could outline them to me. Thanks

By way of contrast:

Posted by John Badu Amoah at Jan 12, 2010 07:58 PM
Philip has done just so you don't need to anymore.

By way of contrast:

Posted by Ian at Jan 13, 2010 09:56 AM
Methods are procedures - the step by step actions you take to collect data and ananlyse it. They inlcude the actual detail of the questions you ask in interviews and on surveys, the sample. We need to see the "tool" you use to collect the data. You should show that you have a firm grasp of how to colelct data, and are skillful in doing so. You should show that you are aware of how bias is avoided by your choices but alos may have crept in.

By way of contrast:

Posted by Ian at Jan 13, 2010 10:01 AM
The "methodology " is about the process os creating knowledge through your type of research and what that actually means in terms of
purpose,
the nature of knowledge,
how knowledge is created,
how it relates to generalising from the case,
how important the specific context of the case is,
whether and how you control variables,
what means we might use for judging the trustworthiness of your account
who has the power and control over the knowledge creation
what ethical rules are applied

have I missed anything?

By way of contrast:

Posted by Ian at Jan 13, 2010 10:02 AM
Four groups of methodologies are
1. Scientific, quantitative, positivist
2. Naturalistic, Interpretative, Qualitative
3. Evaluation
4. Action Research

Choice and mixing methodologies?

Posted by Ian at Jan 13, 2010 10:08 AM
 Can you mix methodologies as much as you can mix procedures (methods)?


ie an action researcher or interpretavist could use some quantitative data but can a sceintific researcher also be interpretavist? Can you say that the case and its context is the main focus and you are providing rich detail and hope to replicate the research hundred of times to find the same thing to prove that it is true?

Research into improving speaking and listening within the classroom

Posted by peta griffiths at Jan 19, 2010 11:15 AM
In reseraching within a class setting there must be great allowances maded to context. the class that i am focussing my research on has already changed considerably since Sept. I now have 6 students who were not there when I set my aims, and they are all non English speaking. This will impact upon my results and findings. If the variables are constantly changing then the evaluation preocedures may be threatened? Is the research going to become less accurate / still valid? There is now a new dynamic between the stduents which will impact upon the strategies and plans
Peta griffiths

variables are consantly changing

Posted by marion craven at Jan 22, 2010 01:22 PM

I have a similar problem to yours Peta, in that the variables are consantly changing. I have already started my project due to personal reasons, but now I have been told that some of my subjects will be having additional wave 3 intervention after half term from a different teacher. Although not in the same area as mine but it may still have a knock on affect on my project's results of looking at their attitudes to writing. I suppose the school can't work around my MA but it does question whether the research will be still valid.

variables are consantly changing

Posted by marion craven at Jan 23, 2010 05:20 PM
I read in Punch that with a interpretative approach variables do not need to be considered because it is about understanding what we see, not proving whether it is one thing or another. Marion

variables are consantly changing

Posted by peta griffiths at Jan 26, 2010 11:00 AM
Marion
Thanks for this I lkie your quote. In some senses if the research we are carrying out is an action research within a teaching situation there seems little control over the context and this will always be changing. My feelings are that the changes that have taken place are rather large and significant as the group ize has changed considerably and the breakdown of the group....
We will see!
Peta

variables are consantly changing

Posted by marion craven at Jan 31, 2010 05:28 PM
Hi Peta,
Once I read this point it helped me to get into control of my situation and focusing on one thing - understanding what I am seeing during the journey.
Have you started your data collection?
Marion

variables are consantly changing

Posted by Ian at Jan 26, 2010 03:48 PM
yes thats right. Well done Marion and Punch.

I see you have developed a different view.

best wishes

Research into improving speaking and listening within the classroom

Posted by Ian at Jan 26, 2010 03:49 PM
Controlling variables outside a laboratory can be impossible. Better to stick to the rich complexity of the case and all ist variety.?

You have to mention something about this:-

Posted by Ian at Jan 26, 2010 03:50 PM
    * The kind of knowledge that will be created and its purpose
    * The methodology that best fits the context and scale of your research
    * The control you have over variables in this research
    * The extent you can generalise knowledge gained from this research to other cases.
    * The tests you will use for truthfulness, reliability and validity.
    * The involvement and relationships between researcher and subject(s)
    * The treatment of socially constructed ideas in your research

Choosing Methodology

Posted by Morag Scally at Jan 27, 2010 03:36 PM
I'm still mid literature review but the reading crosses over into methodology. My research is curriculum research but I am using qualitative approaches (applying meaning to results) as well as evaluation (stakes matrix based). Some of the procedures are quanitive in terms of data. But the overall is qualitative. As the module is action enquiry I am looking at the loop and have been working in this way. I'm now unsure whether I have to select the dominant methodology. And if so is it still reasonable to use elements of the others?

Morag

Choosing Methodology

Posted by marion craven at Jan 31, 2010 05:42 PM
Hi Morag,

Ian said to me and I have also read in Punch that action research is a subgroup. Is evaluation part of action research?

Marion

Choosing Methodology

Posted by marion craven at Feb 02, 2010 06:56 PM
Evaluation is another subgroup - i think. On the dissertation conversation Ian has put - can you believe in one thing and still believe in another methodology. i think the approaches positivist sees what it sees and measures it (mainly quantitive). Where as the interpretative puts their own understanding on it using their own experience - hence it is measured in qualitative data. You have to decide from the top what approach you are taking but with subgroups to focus your data collection.
Marion

Choosing Methodology

Posted by Morag Scally at Feb 05, 2010 09:02 PM
Thanks Marion

My research is definately qualitative but I like the idea of a sub group. I am doing evaluation as research for my small scale case study but its sits within a larger curriculum development model which is action research. I think my Methodology chapter will say this (but in more detail and following Ian's paragraph headings)

It's starting to get really interesting now. I am pleased I have done all the groundwork and am eager to do the data collecting and analysis.

Hope you are getting on well,
Morag
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