RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION ETHICS

Introduction to Philosophy and Ethics of Moral Judgement

What is Philosophy?

 Derived from two Greek words “philos” and “sophia”

 Philos means ‘love of’ and sophia means ‘wisdom’
 So the philosophy means “love of wisdom”
 Philosophy gives answers such as
 What is reality?
 What is life for?
 What is the essence of the universe? etc.
 Philosophy

 It signifies a natural and necessary urge in human beings to know

themselves and the world the live
 Human beings inquire and reason about the world around them and all
situations that encompass them in the world they live in
 Plato  philosophy evolved around curiosity and inquisitiveness
 Aristotle inquisitiveness impels humans to desire to know what they
initially do not know
 Urge in human beings to know their surroundings leading to philosophy
What is Philosophy?

"The great virtue of philosophy is that it teaches not what to think, but how
to think. It is the study of meaning of the principles underlying conduct,
thought and knowledge”
 Goal of philosophy: Improved quality of life
 Hence, philosophy is a way of transforming oneself for the better
 It provides a framework for life and our action
 It can be useful in solving educational problems
What is Philosophy?

 Philosophy is the systematic inquiry into the principles and

presuppositions (assumptions, beliefs) of any field of study
 Philosophy is the rational attempt to formulate, understand, and answer
fundamental questions
What is Philosophy?

 Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as

those connected with
 existence,

 knowledge,

 values,

 reason,

 mind, and
 language
Definitions

 Henderson  Philosophy is a search for comprehensive view of nature

and attempt at universal explanation of the nature of things
 Fichte  Philosophy is the science of knowledge
 Coleridge  Philosophy is the science of all sciences
 Cicero  Philosophy is the mother of all arts
 Dr. Radhakrishnan  It is logical inquiry in to the nature of reality
Characteristics of Philosophy

 Philosophy is a living force

 It is way of life
 It is the oldest and original discipline of thought
 It is search for truth and reality
 It is based on inquiry about life and existence
 It is a logical approach
 It is ever growing and developing
 It answers the questions of life
Functions of Philosophy

 Analytical function
 Logical function
 Theoretical function
 Thinking function
 Knowledge function

 Research function
Philosophical Approaches

 Idealism: Ideas rule the world (Mind and matter separate)

 Idealists stress the importance of learning ideas and concepts
 They believe in reasoning but question the use of scientific method and sense
perception
 Realism: Sense organs based reality
 Unlike idealists, realists highly recommend the use of scientific investigation
and senses in order to learn
 They put focus on the physical world, arguing that reality, knowledge and
value exist independent of the mind
Philosophical Approaches

 Pragmatism: Everything changes from time to time

 Pragmatists place their focus on the idea of change
 They believe that truth and values are always changing because the people
who have those values change with the surrounding environment
 Existentialism: Existing is reality
 Existentialists place their focus on the ideas of existence and essence
 Individuals create their own meaning
 Finding one’s purpose becomes a lifelong goal for existentialists
Philosophical Approaches

 Reconstructionism: Addressing of social questions and a quest to create a

better society and worldwide democracy
 Naturalism: Nature is supreme
 Marxism: Struggle between social classes
Philosophy and Education

 Both are inter-related and inter-dependent

 Philosophy is the foundation to decide the goals of life; and education
then equips people suitably to achieve the said goals
 Philosophy helps in clarifying the numerous educational issues and
problems
Philosophy and Education

 Great philosophers have been great educationist also

 John Adams  Education is the dynamic side of philosophy
 Spencer  True education is practicable only by a true philosophy
 Ross  Philosophy and education are like the sides of the same coin
 Connor  Theory (Philosophy) directs practice (education), practice directs
theory
Nature of Philosophy

1. Philosophy is a set of views or beliefs about life and the universe, which
are often held uncritically
 We refer to this meaning as the informal sense of philosophy or “having” a
philosophy
 Usually when a person says “my philosophy is,” he or she is referring to an
informal personal attitude to whatever topic is being discussed.
Nature of Philosophy

2. Philosophy is a process of reflecting on and criticizing our most deeply

held conceptions and beliefs
 These two senses of philosophy— “having” and “doing”— cannot be treated
entirely independent of each other
 Having a philosophy, however, is not sufficient for doing philosophy
A genuine philosophical attitude is searching and critical; it is open-minded
and tolerant—willing to look at all sides of an issue without prejudice
Nature of Philosophy

2. Philosophy is a process of reflecting on and criticizing our most deeply

held conceptions and beliefs
 To philosophize is not merely to read and know philosophy
 There are skills of argumentation to be mastered, techniques of analysis to be
employed, and a body of material to be appropriated such that we become
able to think philosophically
Nature of Philosophy

3. Philosophy is a rational attempt to look at the world as a whole

 Philosophy seeks to combine the conclusions of the various sciences and
human experience into some kind of consistent world view
 Philosophers wish to see life, not with the specialized slant of the scientist or
the businessperson or the artist, but with the overall view of someone
cognizant of life as a totality
Nature of Philosophy

4. Philosophy is the logical analysis of language and the clarification of the

meaning of words and concepts
 In fact, nearly all philosophers have used methods of analysis and have sought
to clarify the meaning of terms and the use of language
 Some philosophers see this as the main task of philosophy, and a few claim
this is the only legitimate function of philosophy
Nature of Philosophy

5. Philosophy is a group of ever lasting problems that interest people and for
which philosophers always have sought answers
 Philosophy presses its inquiry into the deepest problems of human existence
 Many questions, however, have been answered only tentatively, and many
problems remain unsolved
 What is truth?
 What is the distinction between right and wrong?
 What is life and why am I here?
 Why is there anything at all?
Importance of Philosophy

 The study of Philosophy enables us to think carefully and clearly about

important issues
 We learn to take a step back from our everyday thinking and to explore
the deeper, bigger question which underpins our thought
 Philosophy is to learn not what to believe, but how to think
 Philosophy sharpens your analytical abilities, enabling you to identify and
evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in any position
 It hones your ability to construct and articulate arguments of your own
Importance of Philosophy

 It prompts you to work across disciplinary boundaries and to think flexibly

and creatively about problems which do not present immediate solutions
 Because philosophy is an activity as much a body of knowledge, it also
develops your ability to think and work independently
Branches of Philosophy

 Historically, philosophical concerns have been treated under these broad

categories:
1. Ontology or Metaphysics (Theory of Existence)
2. Epistemology (Theory of Knowledge)
3. Axiology (Theory of Values) (Ethics and Aesthetics)
4. Logic
1. Metaphysics

 Ontology or Metaphysics (meta: beyond, physica: nature)

 It means, the study or theory of being or reality
 Explores the nature of reality in totality
Definitions of the Metaphysics
 Plato  Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy whose special concern is to
answer the question ‘What is there?’
1. Metaphysics

 Definitions of the Metaphysics

 Plato: Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy whose special concern is to
answer the question ‘What is there?’
 Broadly, metaphysics seeks to answer the questions:
 Who am I, and
 Why am I here?
1. Metaphysics

 It is concerned with such problems as:

 The relation of mind to matter
 The nature of change
 The meaning of “freedom”
 The existence of God, and
 The belief in personal immortality
1. Metaphysics

 Some questions asked are:

 What is the ultimate reality?
 Is reality one or many different things?
 Can reality be grasped by senses?
 What is it to exist?
 Which is truth?
 Is there a supreme being?
1. Metaphysics

 Metaphysics seeks to describe the world on the basis of reason and

experience
 Metaphysics is the philosophical investigations of the nature of reality,
being or existence
1. Metaphysics

 Scope of metaphysics
 Metaphysics is the science of being as being
 Metaphysics is the science of immaterial being: Spiritual
 Metaphysics is the science of the most abstract conceptions
 Metaphysics is the science of the principles
 Metaphysics is the science of the most universal conception
2. Epistemology

 The theory of knowledge is epistemology

 It explores methods and techniques involved in knowledge
 It comes from the Greek word episteme, meaning “knowledge”
 In general, epistemology is the branch of philosophy that studies the
sources, nature, and validity of knowledge
2. Epistemology

 There are three central questions in this field:

1. What are the sources of knowledge?
 Where does genuine knowledge come from or how do we know?
 This is the question of origins
2. What is the nature of knowledge?
 Is there a real world outside the mind, and if so can we know it?
 This is the question of appearance versus reality
3. Is our knowledge valid?
2. Epistemology

 Definitions of Epistemology
 American Encyclopedia  It is systematic philosophical investigation of
human knowledge
 Britannica Encyclopedia  Epistemology is the study about nature of
knowledge and uses of knowledge
 International Education Encyclopedia  Epistemology is theory of
knowledge, it is valuable and natural
2. Epistemology

 The Rationalists  Human reason alone can discover the basic principles
of the universe
 The Empiricists  All knowledge is ultimately derived from experience
and, thus, that our knowledge is limited to what can be experienced
 It should be clear that there is a necessary relation between metaphysics
and epistemology
 Conversely, our theory of knowledge depends on our understanding of
ourselves in relation to the whole of reality
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 It is the branch of philosophy that studies values

 It deals with the problems of values
 It can be subdivided into
 Ethics

 Aesthetics, and

 Social and political philosophy

3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Ethics
 The study of values in human behavior or the study of moral problems
 e.g.,

1. The rightness and wrongness of actions

2. The kinds of things which are good or desirable, and
3. Whether actions are blameworthy or praiseworthy
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Ethics
 It concerns itself with the question of morality
 What is right and what is wrong in human relations?
 It seek to identify, within the range of human conduct, the motives, desires,
and intentions as well as overt acts themselves
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Ethics: Three kinds

1. Descriptive ethics
 It considers

 The conduct of individuals, or personal morality

 The conduct of groups, or social morality; and
 The culture patterns of national and racial groups
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Ethics: Three kinds

2. Normative ethics (what ought to be)
 Here philosophers try to work out acceptable judgments regarding what ought to
be in choice and value
 “We ought to keep our promises” and “you ought to be honorable” are examples
of normative judgments— of the moral ought, the subject matter of ethics
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Ethics: Three kinds

3. The area of critical or meta-ethics
 Here interest is centered on
 The analysis and meaning of the terms and language used in ethical discourse and
 The kind of reasoning used to justify ethical statements
 Typical problems for metaethics include:
 What is the meaning of “good?”
 Can ethical judgments be justified?
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Aesthetics
 Concerns the theory of art and beauty
 The study of value in the arts
 The inquiry into feelings, judgments, or standards of beauty and related
concepts
 Questions of art and beauty are considered to be part of the realm of values
because many philosophical problems in aesthetics involve critical judgments
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Aesthetics
 Philosophy of art is concerned with judgments of sense, taste, and emotion
 E.g., Is art an intellectual or representational activity?
 Does art represent sensible objects or ideal objects?
 Is artistic value objective?
 Is it merely coincidental that many forms in architecture and painting seem to
illustrate mathematical principles?
 Are there standards of taste?
 Is there a clear distinction between art and reality?
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Aesthetics
 There are wide differences of opinion as to what objects call forth the
aesthetic response, and what beauty really is
 Our concepts of beauty may differ not because of the nature of beauty itself
 Therefore, if we cannot perceive beauty in objects that others find beautiful,
it may be wise to withhold judgment until we are capable ourselves of making
a competent analysis of the aesthetic experience
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Social and political philosophy

 It investigates value judgments concerning
 The society
 The state, and
 The individual’s relation to these institutions
3. Axiology/Value Theory

 Social and political philosophy

 The following questions reflect the concerns :
 Why should individuals live in society?
 What social ideals of liberty, rights, justice, equality & responsibility are desirable?
 Why should anyone obey any government?
 Why should some individuals or groups have political power over others?
 What criteria are to be used in determining who should have political power?
 To what positive goals should political power be directed, and what are the
criteria for determining this?
4. Logic

 Logic is the systematic study of

 The rules for the correct use of supporting reasons
 The rules we can use to distinguish good arguments from bad ones
 Most of the great philosophers from Aristotle to the present have been
convinced that logic spreads all other branches of philosophy
 The ability to test arguments for logical consistency, understand the logical
consequences of certain assumptions, and distinguish the kind of evidence
a philosopher is using are essential for “doing” philosophy
4. Logic

 The following are essential for “doing” philosophy

 The ability to test arguments for logical consistency
 The ability to understand the logical consequences of certain assumptions,
and
 The ability to distinguish the kind of evidence a philosopher is using
What is Ethics?

 Ethics is concerned with what is good for individuals and society and is also
described as moral philosophy.
 The term is derived from the Greek word ethos which can mean custom, habit,
character or disposition(nature, outlook)
 Ethics covers the following dilemmas:
 How to live a good life?
 Our rights and responsibilities
 The language of right and wrong
 Moral decisions - what is good and bad?
Meaning of Ethics

 Ethics is also called as moral philosophy or philosophical thinking about

morality
 This morality has been further elaborated as action and behaviour which
is concerned with ‘good’ or ‘evil’, of particular traditions, groups or
individual
 The term ‘moral’ and ‘ethical’ is often used as equivalent to right or good
as opposed to ‘immoral’ and ‘unethical’
Meaning of Ethics

 Ethics is that science which is concerned with moral behaviour or with

right or wrong and good or evil of human behaviour
 It advocates those principles which make our conduct moral
 The word right is derived from Latin word ‘rectus’, which literally means
‘straight’ or ‘according to rule’
 It means that we are concerned with those principles which make our
conduct right or straight
Meaning of Ethics

 Rules are the means and whenever there are means, there must be an
end or goal as well
 If Right is the mean of conduct, then the question arises that what should
be its end
 Ethics as a science is not concerned with particular good of the
individuals; on the contrary it is concerned with the supreme goal or the
ultimate end with reference to which the entire life of individual is
directed – the ‘Summum Bonum’.
Moral Philosophy

 One of the big questions in moral philosophy is whether or not there are
unchanging moral rules that apply in all cultures and at all times
 The moral philosophy involves systematizing, defending, and
recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior
 Ethical theories are divided into three general subject areas:
 Metaethics

 Normative ethics
 Applied ethics
Moral Philosophy

 Metaethics
 It investigates where our ethical principles come from, and what they mean
 Are they merely social inventions?
 Do they involve more than expressions of our individual emotions?
 Normative ethics
 It takes on a more practical task, which is to arrive at moral standards that
regulate right and wrong conduct
 This may involve articulating the good habits that we should acquire, the
duties that we should follow, or the consequences of our behavior on others
Moral Philosophy

 Applied ethics
 It involves examining specific controversial issues, such as:
 Abortion

 Iinfanticide

 Animal rights

 Environmental concerns

 Homosexuality

 Capital punishment(Death sentence), or

 Nuclear war
Moral Values

 Truth
 Non-violence
 Kindness
 Equality
 Happiness
 Friendship
 Peace
 Patience
Meaning of Moral Judgment

 The moral judgement is the judgement which deals with the moral value or
quality of an action
 It is a judgement of value and it evaluates the rightness or wrongness of our
actions
 When we analyse a moral judgement then we find that it contains
a) a subject which will judge
b) an object whose action will be judged
c) a standard in conformity to which the action of the subject will be judged, and
d) a power of judging the action as required
Meaning of Moral Judgment

 He should not have taken the money Judgment

 Because that was stealing Rationale: Reasons that involve

 And stealing is wrong appeal to (application of) some
 Because it caused great unhappiness principle

 Generalisable: Whatever causes great unhappiness is wrong

Meaning of Moral Judgment
Meaning of Moral Judgment

 Moral judgment is the judgment of moral quality of voluntary habitual

actions
 Generally, a moral judgment is given on the voluntary and habitual actions
of a rational being
 They are considered to be right or wrong with the reference to the moral
standard
 And on the basis of this standard, moral judgment is given
Meaning of Moral Judgment

 If the voluntary actions have conformity with the standard or the ideal,
then the moral judgment will express it as the right action
 If the action has conflict with the standard or norms, then the moral
judgment will express it as wrong
 So, moral judgment involves comparison of voluntary acts with the moral
standard
Meaning of Moral Judgment

 Moral judgment is active in nature

 Because moral judgment is given upon voluntary and habitual acts of persons
and not upon their passive experiences
 Moral judgment is social in character
 Because, as we know, voluntary acts of a person are right or wrong, because
they more or less affect the interest of others
Meaning of Moral Judgment

 Man is a social being

 His rights and duties of actions rise out of his relation to other persons in
society
 So, moral judgment, apart from society is inconceivable
 Moral judgment can be said to be obligatory in character
 Because a judgment can be given as right, while we feel the moral obligation
to do it
 Similarly, moral judgment is given on an act as wrong, when we feel the moral
obligation to refrain from it
Meaning of Moral Judgment

 Thus, moral judgment is always accompanied by the sense of duty or

moral obligation
 And this moral obligation is essentially self-imposed.
Nature of Moral judgment

 Ethics is a science of morality and it discusses the contents of moral

consciousness and the various problems of moral consciousness
 Moral consciousness is the consciousness of right and wrong
 It involves three factors:
 Cognitive or intellectual
 Affective or emotional
 Conative or volitional
Nature of Moral judgment

 Moral judgement is the main cognitive factor in moral consciousness

 It involves intuition of moral standard by reason and comparison of a
voluntary action with it
 It also involves evaluation of voluntary action of it as right and wrong
 We feel we are under moral obligations to do what is right and avoid what
is wrong
Nature of Moral judgment

 Moral judgment is a judgment of values. It is distinct from the judgment of

facts
A Judgment of value is a judgment of “what ought to be”
 But a judgment of fact is a judgment of “what is”
 Judgment of fact is a descriptive judgment, while moral judgment is an
appreciative or critical judgment
 So, moral judgment is a mental act of pronouncing a particular action to
be right or wrong
Nature of Moral judgment

 Moral judgments are always accompanied by moral obligation and moral

sentiments, which are not accompanied by logical and aesthetics
judgments
 When we judge an action to be right, we feel a moral obligation to
perform it and have a feeling of approval
 And we judge an action to be wrong, we feel that under moral obligation
we are not to perform it and therefore, we have a feeling of disapproval
Nature of Moral judgment

 Feeling of approval, disapproval, rightness, wrongness etc. are called

moral sentiments
 ‘To speak the truth is always right’ is a moral judgement
 Moral judgement is inferential in character though the element of
inference generally remains implicit
The Philosophy of Research
The Philosophy of Research

 Curiosity and the self-driven efforts to satisfy the curiosity lie at the root of
research
 It involves systematic and creative investigations in any domain of
knowledge
 These can be related to
 Either philosophy or matter
 Or anything in this Universe that can be perceived by our senses
The Philosophy of Research

 Research has…
 Owner/s

 who actually find something new, and

 Recipients

 who learn about the new discovery when the owner communicates the new
information/knowledge to the larger group
The Philosophy of Research

 The more we learn about something, we instinctively become more

curious about what still remains unknown
 Thus, the philosophy underlying the human learning is:
 The more we know, we get to know what we still do not know.
 Aristotle stated:
 “The more you know the more you know you don’t know”
 Albert Einstein said:
 “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know”
Research as a Social Responsibility

 The research output is

 Self-satisfying for the researchers as owners of the new knowledge/
understanding, and
A stepping stone for the next level of enquiry
 Its dissemination to a larger peer group is
A social responsibility
Why is Philosophy Important in Research?

1. Problem-solving
 It enhances the ability to evaluate and resolve problems
 It helps to analyze concepts, definitions, arguments, and problems
 It contributes towards the capacity to
 Organize ideas and issues
 Deal with questions of value, and
 Extract what is essential from masses of information
Why is Philosophy Important in Research?

1. Problem-solving
 It helps both to
 Distinguish fine differences between views and
 Discover common ground between opposing positions
 It can help to synthesize a variety of views or perspectives into a coherent
understanding
Why is Philosophy Important in Research?

2. Research and analysis of methods

 Through reading, writing, and dialogue, it teaches students how to analyze
and interpret texts, concepts, and the reasoning of others
 It teaches how to
 Frame hypotheses and
 Put problems into manageable form
Why is Philosophy Important in Research?

2. Research and analysis of methods

 Philosophical thinking emphasizes
 Clear formulation of ideas and problems,
 Selection of pertinent information, and
 Organization and communication of complex ideas
 It also emphasizes
 Development of a sense of the new directions suggested by the hypotheses, and
 Questions you might encounter while doing research
Why is Philosophy Important in Research?

3. Persuasion (encourage and influence)

 It teaches students how to develop and support their own positions,
interpretations, and analyses.
 It provides training in the construction of clear formulations, good arguments,
and apt examples.
 It teaches how to become more convincing
Why is Philosophy Important in Research?

4. Writing skills and effective communication

 It teaches……..
 Interpretive writing
 Comparative writing

 Argumentative writing, and

 Descriptive writing

 Philosophical writing emphasizes clear structure, good arguments, and

original ideas
 Students learn to be both critical and creative thinkers
The Essence of Research Philosophy

 Research philosophy deals with the source, nature and development of

knowledge
 It deals with how research should be conducted based on ideas about
reality and the nature of knowledge
 In simple terms, research philosophy provides framework that guides
about how data should be collected, analysed and used
The Essence of Research Philosophy
The Research Onion

 The research onion framework explains various aspects of research to be

examined and planned in order to come up with a sound research design
 It guides the researcher through all the steps that need to be taken when
developing a research methodology
The Research Onion

 Scholarly research starts with the research question(s), the objectives

 This is followed by a series of decisions on
 Choice of research philosophy
 Approach to research
 Research design
 Methodological choices, research

strategy, the time horizon, and

 The last inner core
 Data collection and data analysis
The Research Onion

 All the layers of research onion are interrelated and interdependent

 In other words, the choice of philosophy
influences the approach
 This in turn influences selection
of methodological choice,
strategy, time horizon, data
collection and analysis
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Knowingly or unknowingly a researcher will be making numerous
assumptions while embarking on research
 These assumptions help a researcher to design the research questions,
choose appropriate methods, and influence the interpretation of findings
 These assumptions altogether form the research philosophy of the study
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 These assumptions are of three types:
 Ontological assumptions

 Epistemological assumptions

 Axiological assumptions
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Ontological assumptions
 Assumptions regarding

 The reality faced in the research or

 What makes something a reality, and
 How a researcher can understand existence
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Epistemological assumptions
 Assumptions associated with

 human knowledge or
 What forms valid knowledge or
 Whether it can be known, and
 How a researcher can get it and transfer it
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Axiological assumptions
 These are assumptions about
 The level of influence of the researcher’s values on the research process or
 What is essential and valuable in the research
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 According to Saunders et al. (2019), there are five research philosophies:
 Positivism

 Critical realism

 Interpretivism

 Postmodernism; and

 Pragmatism
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Positivism
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Critical realism
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Interpretivism
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Postmodernism
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Philosophy
 Pragmatism
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Approach
 According to Saunders et al. (2012), there are three research approaches:
 Induction

 Deduction, and

 Abduction
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Approach
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Approach
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Approach
 Inductive approach to research
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Approach
 Deductive approach to research
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Approach
 Abductive approach to research
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Design
 It is the overall plan of a research project which involves three distinct but
interrelated aspects
 They are: methodological choice, research strategy and time horizon
 Sanders et al. (2019) classified research designs into three types:
 Qualitative research design
 Quantitative research design
 Mixed methods research design
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Design
 Qualitative research design
Peeling the Research Onion

 Research Design
 Quantitative research design
Peeling the Research Onion

 Methodological Choices
 Methodological Choice involves the selection and use of a quantitative,
qualitative, or mixed methods research design
 Mono method: A single data collection technique is utilized, followed by
corresponding qualitative or quantitative analysis procedures
 Multiple method design: More than one data collection techniques and analysis
procedures are employed
 Mixed-method approach: It utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data
collection techniques and analysis procedures
Peeling the Research Onion

 Methodological Choices
 According to Saunders et al. (2019), mixed method research can be classified
into three ways which are as follows:
 Concurrent mixed methods research

 Here a researcher collects both qualitative and quantitative data and analyses them in
a single phase study.
 Sequential mixed methods research

 Here a researcher collects and analyses data in two phases, which can further be
divided into two forms:
Peeling the Research Onion

 Methodological Choices
 According to Saunders et al. (2019), mixed method research can be classified
into three ways which are as follows:
 Sequential exploratory research design

 where a researcher collects and analyses qualitative data in the first phase, followed
by quantitative data collection and analysis in the second phase;
 Sequential explanatory research design

 Here a researcher collects and analyses quantitative data in the first phase followed
by qualitative data collection and analysis in the second phase.
Peeling the Research Onion

 Methodological Choices
 According to Saunders et al. (2019), mixed method research can be classified
into three ways which are as follows:
 Sequential multi-phase

 In this a researcher collects and analyses data in more than two phases, in sequence.
For example, qualitative followed by quantitative and then qualitative.
Peeling the Research Onion

 The Research Strategy

 The research strategy describes how the researcher aims to carry out the
work
 There are several research strategies
 Here we can include other research strategies appropriate to our study
Peeling the Research Onion

 The Research Strategy

 Experimental design
 Here, a researcher tries to study a cause-effect relationship between two or more
variables
 He/she decides to systematically manipulate the independent variable to study
the corresponding changes in the dependent variable
Peeling the Research Onion

 The Research Strategy

 Survey design
 Here, a researcher tries to seek answers for ‘what’, ‘who’, ‘where’, ‘how much’ and
‘how many’ types of research questions
 Data is collected and analyzed from a sample of individuals.
 Case study
 It is an empirical inquiry of an individual social unit
 Here the researcher tries to seek answers for ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions.
Peeling the Research Onion

 The Research Strategy

 Action research
 A systematic inquiry to address real-life practical problems
 Here a researcher tries to find practical solutions for problems through
participation and collaboration with members of a social unit
 Grounded theory
 This is a systematic inductive method for conducting qualitative research to
develop a theory
Peeling the Research Onion

 The Research Strategy

 Ethnography

 It is a research strategy adopted to explore cultures and societies

 Here a researcher collects data through direct interaction and involvement so as
to gain firsthand information from research subjects
 Archival research
 It is a systematic inquiry wherein primary sources held in archives are studied for
evidence collection or deep understanding
 Here a researcher does not use secondary sources relevant to the research topic
Peeling the Research Onion

 Time Horizon
 Research can be grouped into two types based on time
 Longitudinal or successive independent samples
 The longitudinal study refers to the study of a phenomenon or a population over a
period of time
 Cross-sectional

 A cross-sectional study is a ‘snap-shot’ study, it means a phenomenon or a cross-

section of the population is studied for one time
Peeling the Research Onion

 Data Collection and Analysis

 The inner circle of research onion is made up of ‘tactics’ which refers to
aspects about the finer details of data collection and analysis
Peeling the Research Onion

 Data Collection and Analysis

 In this section, the following aspects are described:
 Data collection tools and procedures
 Study Area

 Research population and sampling procedures

 Study phases

 Variables and their measurement

 Statistical analysis

 Ethical considerations
 https://www.aesanetwork.org/research-onion-a-systematic-approach-to-
designing-research-methodology/