Research Questions, Paradigms

1
Research Questions, Paradigms the Language of
Variables Hypotheses

• Links
• Charles Tilley Interview on Paradigms in the
  Social Sciences
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vHjESyyQ16AI
• Hans Rosling on Using Empirical Research to
  Understand World Change
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vhVimVzgtD6w
• Hans Rosling Let my data set change your mind
  set
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vKVhWqwnZ1eMfeature
  related

2
Research Paradigms

• Sets of shared patterns in a scholarly community
  about what constitutes worthwhile research
  (Thomas Kuhn, The structure of scientific
  revolutions)
• What problems are worth investigating?
• What constitutes an answer?
• Different views on how approaches are grouped

3
Classification of Theories to Understand
Different Approaches to Research Design

• Paradigms, other typologies (like quantitative
  vs. qualitative) refer to
• direction of reasoning (inductive, deductive)
• level of reality (micro, meso, macro)
• forms of explanation
• theoretical frameworks
• degree of abstraction
• Degree of complexity (trivium quadrivium,
  Comtes disciplinary ranking)

4
Ranking Disciplines Positivist ideas (Auguste
Comte)
19th century
5
Quantitative vs. Qualitative ApproachesSee also
Neuman Ch. 5 (p. 83) Ch. 16 (pp.333-41)
Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Objective
Subjective
Variables
Processes and events
Reliability
Authenticity
Value-Free
Explicitly Stated Values
Independent of Context
Aware of Content
Many cases or subjects
Few cases or subjects
Statistical Analysis
Other qualities
Detached Researcher
Involved Researcher
6
Empirical and Logical Foundations of
Research(does not have to start with theory)
Theories
The Scientific Process
DEDUCTION
Empirical Generalizations
Predictions (Hypotheses)
INDUCTION
Observations
Source Singleton Straits (1999 27) Babbie
(1995 55)
7
Assumptions about human nature ways of knowing
for use in classifying approaches )

• Used by Burrell and Morgan (1982)for
  classification according to subjective vs.
  objective dimensions
• ontology nominalism
  realism
• epistemology anti-positivism positivism
• human nature voluntarism
  determinism
• methodology idiographic
  nomethetic

8
Assumptions about Society (Order vs. Conflict)

• Order/regulation vs. Conflict/Radical Change
• Stability/solidarity
  Change/emancipation
• Integration Conflict
• Functional coordination Disintegration
• consensus Coercion
• need satisfaction Deprivation

9
Four Paradigms (Burrell Morgan)
Conflict/radical change

radical humanist radical structuralist inter
pretive functionalist
subjective
objective
Order/stability/regulation
10
Examples Paradigms Common in Communications
Research Training

• Positivist
• (savoir, prévoir, pouvoir A. Comte)
• Once widely taught as same as science
• early religious aspect
• association with quantitative research
• Interpretive
• (décrire, comprendre, expliquer Gilles Gaston
  Granger)
• Verstehen (understanding)
• association with qualitative research
• direct observation, context, meaningful action
• holistic
• Critical Theory
• Not just the Frankfurt School but also roots in
  humanities (notably literary studies)

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Differentiating Types of Research Agenda
Implications for Research Design

• 1. reasons for research
• 2. nature of social reality
• 3. nature of human beings
• 4. role of common sense
• 5. what theory looks like
• 6. explanation that is acceptable
• 7. good evidence
• 8. place for researchers values

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Positivism

• 1. Why conduct research?
• instrumental orientation (to predict and
  control)
• 2. Nature of Social Reality?
• has order, fundamentally unchanging
• can be discovered using science
• 3. Nature of Human Beings?
• self interest, pleasure seeking, rational
• operate on basis of external causes, probability
• mechanical model of humans
• 4. Science and common sense? Separate
• 5. What constitutes Explanation or Theory?
• science nomethetic (universal laws)
• causal relationships, universally valid
• 6. How to judge explanation
• use reason, no logical contradictions,
  observation, replication
• 7. Good evidence? Based on observations ,
  empirical knowledge
• can be communicated
• 8. Social/Political Values? value-free, objective

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Interpretive Approaches

• 1. Why conduct research?
• to understand meanings
• 2. Nature of Social Reality?
• importance of human consciousness
• socially constructed
• multiple social realities possible
• 3. Nature of Human Beings?
• people use meanings, have reasons
• laws (?)
• 4. Science and common sense?
• must study common sense, pragmatic
• 5. What constitutes Explanation or Theory
• ideographic
• thick descriptions), semantic relationships
• Rules in interpretive traditions shared beliefs
• 6. How to judge explanation as understanding
• makes sense to others
• Heuristic framework (meaning)
• 7. Good evidence?

14
Critical Theory

• 1. Why conduct research?
• discover structures
• change world, action oriented, knowledge is power
  (from below)
• 2. Nature of Social Reality?
• changing
• conflict (not always visible-myths, false
  consciousness)
• 3. Nature of Human Beings?
• have potential but can be mislead
• potential realized through collective action
• 4. Science and common sense?
• objective reality underlying truths but
• science can be instrument of oppression
• 5. What constitutes Explanation or Theory
• combination of determinism voluntarism
• 6. How to judge explanation
• capacity to describe social conditions promote
  change
• 7. Good evidence?
• material conditions separate from subjectivity
  but facts not neutral
• 8. Social/Political Values? always present,
  promotes activism

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Nature of Explanation

• Varies in different paradigms
• Causal Explanation (3 necessary features)
• temporal order (cause before effect)
• association
• elimination of plausible alternatives
• Causal explanation studies relationships between
  variables
• To test theories, predictions, etc
• Idea of advancing knowledge