Research Methods (new research methods and paradigms) Essay

Research Methods (new research methods and paradigms) - Essay Example econometrics), laboratory experiments and several numerical methods (e.g. mathematical modelling) (Myers, 1997). Quantitative stance offers a variety of tools including standardized questionnaires and survey, experiments, etc (Wainer and Braun, 1998). The concepts of reliability and validity have traditionally been considered the cornerstones of quantitative approach. On the other hand, poor applicability to examination of poorly quantifiable issues is a serious shortcoming of quantitative methods and techniques. This effect is known as 'decontextualization' of study results: models built on the basis of quantitative results fail to cover certain essential variables that come into play in the real world context (Patton, 2002). By contrast, qualitative methodology seeks to explore phenomena in the "real world setting [where] the researcher does not attempt to manipulate the phenomenon of interest" (Patton, 2002: 39). Qualitative stance can be defined as follows: "any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification" (Strauss and Corbin, 1990: 17). Qualitative research reveals findings observed in the real world context where the phenomena being studied unfold naturally (Patton, 2002). As a result, qualitative perspective incorporates a different set of validation criteria than quantitative stance does (Kirk and Miller, 1986). For example, the replicability criterion can not be used to evaluate validity and legitimacy of a qualitative study. Instead, credibility, transferability and precision play very important role in determining validity of qualitative findings (Hoepfl, 1997). Some researchers argue that the concept of validity as it is defined within the quantitative paradigm is also not applicable to qualitative research (Creswell and Miller, 2000). Instead, they tend to develop their own concepts of validity or adopt other assessment criteria that depend upon each particular case. The examples of such criteria are quality, trustworthiness, rigor and some others (Dingwall et al, 1998). The distinctions between quantitative and qualitative research methodologies are determined by the underlying philosophical principles. The choice of epistemology, which guides the research, is admittedly the most important of these principles (Hirschheim, 1992). Epistemology Over the last years many experts have expressed concerns regarding the use of positivist paradigm and methods associated with it in the area of business and organisational research. The underlying assumption of positivist perspective, which is existence of an objective world that can be measured and quantified through the use of traditional scientific methods of inquiry - has been vigorously attacked. A number of organisational theorists started to claim that the positivist approach "strips contexts from meanings in the process of developing quantified measures of phenomena" (Guba and Lincoln, 1994: 106). Other concerns about the applicability of quantitative methodologies to in-dept examination of complex social phenomena include taking the collected data out of the real-world setting, poor representativeness and generalisation of data, exclusion of discovery from the realm of scientific inquiry, etc The positivist perspe

Quantative critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Quantative critique - Essay Example The population sample is defined clearly from the title for multiple sclerosis patients. However, the length of the title is inappropriate; also, this study does not contain an abstract. The two researchers (Yeliz and Nuran) are both professors. Both work with the nursing department of the health science department from Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. This is enough evidence that they are both qualified as researchers as they come from reputable companies. The department of nursing from Hacettepe University is a well-established institution, and by them, researchers, associated with the nursing department in the faculty of health sciences, is a good explanation of the their qualification to undertake a research on nursing (Figved, et. al, 2007). The problem is indicated where the research paper indicates that the sufferers of multiple sclerosis have high co-morbidity, which relates to poor life quality and the high costs in health care. As a result, such patients cannot acces s the optimal homecare, and there is no any model for nurse-based home visiting. The problem stated has the significance in that it introduces the reader to the purposes and aims of the research study. As a result of the existence of the above problem, the study aims at determining the effects of the nursing interventions based on NANDA in order to determine the effects of home-based nursing interventions on issues that relate with Quality of Life (QOL) among patients with multiple sclerosis. The research variables are the intervention and control groups in the study sample. The participants in the intervention groups were 21, and those in the control group were 24 making a total of 45 participants (Carton, et. al., 2004). The hypothesis has been stated clearly whereby the author says that patients with MS live with their families, and they need homecare services just like other people with other diseases, which are chronic. This hypothesis acts as a basis in which the research focu ses on, seeking for the effectiveness of home-based nursing interventions. This natural flow from the theoretical framework and the research problem (whereby because of the problem of inappropriate home-based model, the patients live with their families where the homecare services) are inefficient. This provides the theoretical framework of the research in that when people suffering from multiple sclerosis lack sufficient home-based care, the effects can be chronic, and there should be an appropriate model, which aims at handling the resulting problems. The hypothesis contains two variables that are investigated; intervention and effectiveness of the homecare based nursing. These are clearly and objectively worded whereby from just the mention of the hypothesis, because of living with their families, the homecare based might be challenging since they require health professionals to administer the services. Through this, a reader can evaluate the effectiveness of the homecare-based n ursing (Karantay, 2002). This research used the pretest-posttest experimental group design where patients from the control group received the interventions from standard care that has to be given to patients with multiple sclerosis; the participants in the intervention group received the nurse-based home-visiting care. The appropriateness of the design to the research question is well defined, where due to the purpose of the research of establishing the effectiveness