RES701 Blog #5

Since I was never assigned to a group for the presentations on a research method, I will write about all of the research methods as I understand them. If my interpretation of a method is incorrect please leave a comment and let me know.

Secondary Research
Sometimes also called desk-research, this method utilises already existing data. It can mean sorting and organising of data to gain a better insight into the subject of research. It can also pave the way for new research methods.

Secondary research is probably the most common research method and the one people most likely think of when they hear the word research. I do a lot of secondary research everyday in a lot of my other courses when I need clarification or better understanding on a topic. My secondary research is often in the form of a google search.

Exploratory Research
Exploratory research helps you identify a problem which may not be clear or understood properly. It’s aim is to provide you with a better understanding of a problem you are researching. This method is often used at the very start of a research journey if you are not quite 100% on what you are actually researching.

In software development I often run into problems with my code which I have to google. But often times I do not know how to word the problem or even know what the problem is so I have to do exploratory research to find out what I actually need to research to solve my problem.

Case Study Research
Case studies is research done “in real life”, it looks at events, people or places to gain a better understanding of a problem or principal. An example of a case study could be looking at a local animal population in a very specific and often small area. Case studies can provide close up observations of the research subject in context.

I have not done a case study before and am not sure if the following statement is an example of a case study. A case study in IT could be on a certain group of users for a software system. By understanding your users it might be easier to create the user experience for a system .

Experimental Research
Experimental research is the classic science research approach. By conducting experiments in a controlled environment where data can be observed and measured it can lead to the support or rejection of a hypothesis. It can also lead to new discoveries and observations.

This is what you do in high school science classes minus the new discoveries 😉

Discourse Analysis
Discourse analysis analyses discourse. Discourse can be written or spoken language as well as tones and gestures used in communication. Discourse analysis can provide an understanding of how people (the person speaking or their written work) understands things and how they communicate.

Action Research
Action research is research conducted by someone, for someone, in order to solve a problem. Hence the name action research, it essentially means to take action on some sort of problem. For example, the action researcher works with a client who owns a business and has some problem. They would diagnose the problem and hopefully develop a solution based on the diagnosis.

I think this method can be applied to the software development example of running into errors or problems you do not understand when coding. I suppose every time you have a problem, research the problem and then fix it, it’s an example of action research.

Meta-Analysis
Meta-analysis is a combination of statistics and research. It takes previously conducted studies and identifies patterns or common effects to gain a better understanding of a topic.

Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT)
RCT are often used in medicinal science to gauge the effectiveness of a new medication. It’s aim is to reduce bias and often relies on a control group and an experimental group. The control group either receives a placebo or no medication at all while the experimental group gets the new medication. By contrasting and analysing the two groups it is possible to find the effectiveness of said medication.

Design-based Research (DBR)
DBR is done through the creation and implementation of new solutions to a problem and testing how effective said creation is in solving the problem. This approach is obviously not catered to certain fields where you cannot risk something failing.

I can’t imagine this approach being useful for things with a high cost factor since rebuilding when a creation fails may add up to being rather expensive.

Observational Research
As the name states, observational research is done by observing something in it’s natural habitat or environment. The way you observe can vary with different levels of engagement in what ever is being researched. For example you can observe through participation or be completely seperate to the subject. Observational research is often conducted on wildlife as a complete observer to gain better understanding of how wildlife behaves and lives.

I think this may actually apply more towards better understanding a user group when creating a user experience. By doing some observational research on how they may use other systems could provide good insight of how to create the user experience for a system.