Hi Ajit,

Your methodology will depend on your reseach question -- either qualitative or quantitative.

Have a great day!

--Adrian

Hi Ajit,

Your methodology will depend on your reseach question -- either qualitative or quantitative.

Have a great day!

--Adrian

Agree with you dr Daniel.

thanks for recommending my question Dr Daniel.

The following sources may further help, particularly the views: choice of methodology rests on research questions; aim of the research; the researcher’s belief/interest as to the methodology that is able to provide meaningful results towards the goals. Furthermore, the direction of such choice is also based on a set of decisions about some questions that a researcher should answer, for example: Is the researcher allowed to talk to people? Under which circumstances will these conversations take place? How much time do the researcher have for this research?.....etc. (see: Libarkin and Kurdziel, 2002, p. 85; Opoku et al, 2016, p. 33).

Methods within a specific methodology refers to the choice of techniques (instruments/tools) that enable the researcher to achieve the goals efficiently. Further to the choice for a certain technique(s) that is guided by norms and criteria/personal preferences, etc., researchers should also base their decision on the efficiency/appropriateness of the methods, rather than trying to look for/compare a method that is superior to others (see: Jonker and Pennink, 2010, pp. 33-35; Denscombe, 2010, pp. 153-154).

• Denscombe, M. (2010) The Good Research Guide For Small-scale Social Research Projects. 4th edn. Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
• Jonker, J. and Pennink, B. (2010) The Essence of Research Methodology: A Concise Guide for Master and PhD Students in Management Science. New York: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
• Libarkin, J. C. and Kurdziel, J. P. (2002) Research Methodologies in Science Education: The Qualitative-Quantitative Debate, Journal of Geoscience Education, 50, 1, pp. 78-86.
• Opoku, A., Ahmed, V. and Akotia, J. (2016) Choosing an appropriate research methodology and method, in Ahmed, V., Opoku, A. and Aziz, Z. (eds.) Research Methodology in the Built Environment: A Selection of Case Studies. London: Routledge, pp. 32-29.

You're welcome, Ajit!

According to Sekaran (2003) a research design is set up to decide on, among other issues, how to collect further data, analyze and interpret them, and finally, to provide an answer to the problem.

Sekaran (2003) has identified six elements of research design. They are listed below.

1. Purpose of the study

2. Type of investigation

3. Extent of researcher interference

4. Study setting

5. Unit of analysis

6. The time horizon

Sekaran (2003) wrote:

“The researcher would determine the appropriate decisions to be made in the study design based on the problem definition, the research objectives, the extent of rigor desired, and cost considerations. Sometimes, because of the time and costs involved, a researcher might be constrained to settle for less than the ideal research design. For instance, the researcher might have to conduct a cross-sectional instead of a longitudinal study, do a field study rather than an experimental design, choose a smaller rather than a larger sample size, and so on, thus sub-optimizing the research design decisions and settling for a lower level of scientific rigor because of resource constraints."

Methodology

The theory of how research should be undertaken, including the theoretical and philosophical assumptions upon which research is based and the implications of these for the method or methods adopted (Saunders, 2007).

Method

The techniques and procedures used to obtain and analyze research data, including for example questionnaires, observation, interviews and statistical and non statistical techniques (Saunders, 2007).

Reference

Saunders, M.N., 2007. Research methods for business students, 5/e. Pearson Education India.

Sekaran, U., 2003. Research methods for business: A skill building approach. John Wiley & Sons.

Six factors can help you to select the right research methodology:

1. Goals

2. Statistical Significance

3. Quantitative versus Qualitative Data

4. Sample Size

5. Timing

6. Availability of Existing Information

http://www.martinoflynn.com/blog/2014/03/20/6-steps-choosing-right-research-methodology/

As Dr. Mahesh Kumar said.

Please refer to the following article: Steps for Choosing the Right Research Methodology | Martino Flynn. http://www.martinoflynn.com/blog/2014/03/20/6-steps-choosing-right-research-methodology/

When starting a research project, the most challenging question can often be, “What type of research do I need?” Selecting an appropriate research methodology is one of the key factors that can make or break a research project. Here are six factors to help you select the right research methodology.

Goals:

When selecting a research methodology, start with the end result—your research goals—as the first consideration. Carefully considering what your research project needs to accomplish will greatly inform the methodology selection. Are you just looking for more information? Do you need “go” or “no-go” decisions? Do you need to find out all the information in one fell swoop, or will you the have opportunity for follow-up research? Knowing what type of information you need to confidently possess at the project’s conclusion will often narrow your available methodologies right from the start.

Statistical Significance:

Once you have established your research goals, the next key factor for selecting a research methodology is the statistical significance of the results. When a result is statistically significant, it means that it is highly unlikely that the result occurred by chance alone. If you need definitive, clear, black-and-white, highly data-driven research results, or then you are generally looking for statistically significant answers. This means you will need quantitative data, and a large sample size, both factors that inform your research methodology. Statistical significance is key when extrapolating results from a sample set to a larger population, which is an important factor to consider in research.

Quantitative versus Qualitative Data:

In addition to the statistical significance of data, it’s important to consider whether you need quantitative data, qualitative data, or both. Methodologies that capture qualitative data, such as focus groups, can be excellent for capturing consumer insights and open-ended reactions. Other methods for qualitative data collection, like highlighting tools and heat maps, allow for consumers to indicate areas of strong like or dislike. Conversely, quantitative data provides more cut-and-dry results. If you have many questions that need to be asked, a survey with quantitative questions may be best, as consumers can answer these quickly. In addition, new online survey tools allow for quantitative questions to be much more interactive, helping to prevent survey fatigue.

Sample Size:

When considering your research goals, sample size often comes into play, which again helps select a research methodology. How big does your sample size need to be for you to be confident in making business decisions based upon the results? For example, if you are investigating price tolerance for a new product, will you be confident in the results after surveying 20 people, or would you prefer to survey 2,000? If you need a larger sample size, that will eliminate time-consuming, smaller-format methods such as focus groups and in-person interviews.

Timing:

How quickly do you need results? If you need quick turns on completion of data collection, you may want to consider an online survey, where national panels can field hundreds of completed surveys in just a few days. If you have a longer lead time, methods that are more time-intensive, such as in-home interviews, are possible. The project’s timing will also affect your screening criteria used in your participant selection—a general rule is that the stricter the screening criteria, the longer it will take to find the required number of participants.

Availability of Existing Information:

A final factor for consideration is one that is often overlooked, “Does the data I need already exist via another source?” If you answered “yes” to this question, you may not even need to conduct primary research, and may be able to accomplish your project via secondary research sources such as Forrester Research, Market Research Insights (MRI), Nielsen, or Mintel. While secondary research is not as customizable as conducting proprietary research, it is a valuable research resource for a variety of topics. Keeping these six factors in mind when selecting a research methodology will help you successfully navigate the research process and, more importantly, achieve your research goals.

With the best wishes

Mr Rezaei Ahvanooei.