Introducing
Your new presentation assistant.
Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.
Trending searches
Second Class MPA 620
15
MPA 620 Research methods
01-29-2020
Agenda
Class #2
- Lecture
- Epistemology
- Choosing your methodology (Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods
- The research problem (continued) intro,lit review
- Case study workshops
- Oral presentations
- Seminar/Group discussion on Readings
The Capstone is your MPA's culminating experience.
Your project can be :
(1) Original
(2) Innovative
(3) Insightful
Last week (recap)
BUT
You must devote enough time to produce a quality project proposal
This proposal starts with the identification of a problem and defining thoroughly what it is.
The funnel.
The funnel.
Theme introduced
General question
Specification of important dimensions (conceptual/analytical framework)
The research problem includes all the information required to support the reasoning justifying the research itself.
Boiling down to (focus on) one sub-theme
Research gap
(Specific problem)
Understanding the pitfalls of casual inquiry
Rousseau, Manning, Denyer 2008
Text's thesis?
To define the good scientific practice of systematic research syntheses
Core arguments?
Literature reviews are usually biased, relying on the author's interest and selective (cherry-picking). Which puts us at risk of knowledge lost
Rousseau, Manning, Denyer 2008
What is a good, valid, and true account of existing evidence in Management Organization Studies?
A critical-realist is necessary to a systematic accumulation of empirical observation.
because it takes into account:
- fallibility of observation and
- the fact that there is no value-free inquiry
Evidence- based management
Evidence-based decision-making relies on :
1- critical evaluation of the best available research evidence
2- the perspective of those who might be affected by the decision
3- evidence from the local context, and
4- practitioner's expertise and judgement (acquired through learning and experience)
Public Administration research
Interdisciplinary by approach
considers a wide array of subjects
ex: NPM, Co-production of policy process, crisis management, leadership, globalization, corruption, health and social issues, etc.
few big theories of its own -
New public governance,Osborne 2009)
Public Service motivation (Perry and Wise 1990)
Network governance (Provan and Kenis 2007)
Public Administration research
Relatively young discipline which inherited from different intellectual tradition (Follet, Weber, Taylor, Waldo, Wilson, Simon)
Often applied by nature : although, rarely applied or acknowledged in practice
Important concept : EPISTEMOLOGY
Epistemology is the theory regarding the nature of knowledge
Positivism and relativism are two opposed epistemological stances
What is pragmatism? In what pragmatism means, William James (1907) wrote:
"The pragmatist clings to facts and concreteness, observes truth at its work in particular cases, and generalizes. Truth, for him, becomes a class-name for all sorts of definite working-values in experience" (p. 54).
"If theological ideas prove to have a value for concrete life, they will be true, for pragmatism, in the sense of being good for so much. For how much more they are true, will depend entirely on their relations to the other truths that also have to be acknowledged". (p. 57) As a good pragmatist, I myself ought to call the Absolute true "in so far forth", then, and I unhesitatingly now do so. (p.57-5)
James, W. (1907). Lecture II: What pragmatism means.
Pitfalls of casual inquiry
(first impressions, incomplete, partial, not thorough)
1- Inaccurate observation:
inferring the characteristics of an individual on a group:
2- Overgeneralization:
Trying to prove preexisting ideas/stereotypes ("Projection")
3- Selective observations
4- Illogical reasoning
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"
Source: Dantzker, Hunter and Quinn, 2018, pp.5-6
Building a research problem
Writing your problem statement
What is a research problem?
The elaboration of a research problem
2
A Research problem is...?
A Research problem is...?
In a project, a report of a research paper, research problems are essentially an argumentative text presenting the theme, a specific problem which is linked to a general question and the information required to support the reasoning justifying the research itself.
Steps for building a research question
1) Choose a theme
Choosing a theme is difficult. My advice is to chose something that will motivate you. Consult introductory books, content of previous courses. Do not chose something you are too intimately involved with.
2) Elaborate a general question (using general books, encyclopedias, readings on this theme).
Tip: the research question is too vast to be subject to research.
Steps for building a research question
3) Collect, structure and critically analyze pertinent information (scientific literature)
4) Identify a specific research problem and specific research questions
Keep in mind the goal (aim) and link it to specific, potential research outcomes
The (eventual) answering of the research question should be specific enough to address the gap identified in the literature.
Chapter 1 : problem statement
Why do we need to conduct this research and know the results it is proposing?
Include in this assignment contextual / background information about a given topic.
For example: there are 10 000 unreported thefts each year in this region of the world...
Assignment #2 does not require you to justify the scientific pertinence of your research topic, but the social pertinence. You must present why is it important - outside of academia - for you to undertake this project?
Chapter 1 : problem statement
Social pertinence must be argued. That is, what will this research mean to practitioners, to legislators or to citizens...
Your topic selection will include the formulation of a general question, again, which is too vast to be operationalized, but it is a question that is intriguing, pertinent, and that will orient your literature review (assignment #3).
On the other hand, the literature review will be the grounds for the justification of the scientific pertinence of your research.
Chapter 1 : problem statement
Use references ( peer-reviewed
or official reports from an agency)
Outline 3 elements (interesting facts, reasons) that make this topic important, and explain them concisely.
Do not use "I"
Give your best "sales pitch" for this topic- make it interesting for
whomever will read you!
Writing strategies
Some writing tips
Some writing tips
- Write while you a fresh, at a slow pace
- Write in small, regular amounts
- Schedule writing tasks (separate units of writing each session you write)
- Keep a check list of your planned tasks and take note of how much writing you have achieve after each writing session and the number of pages remaining : monitor your own progress
Some writing tips
- Write several drafts of the same paper
- review your drafts
- rewrite it.
- Polish it.
Some writing tips
- Develop an outline: create a visual map of ideas
- Shift and sort ideas so that they are (ultimately) presented in a logical sequence.
- Make writing a daily activity (get into the habit of writing
- Write simple, short phrases.
- Find the wordy sentences and "trim them";
Verb tense
Use the past tense in the literature review.
The methodology and discussion section will use the future tense
Writing your literature review
Writing your literature review
General definition
Why a literature review?
At the beginning of any research project, you must to first acquire in depth knowledge about your general question : the important dimensions and the methods used to analyze them.
Only when you have sufficient knowledge about a given theme, (having mapped out the lines of inquiry, its important constructs and dimensions, variables, previous findings, can you identify a pertinent research question.
This the "funnel" you narrow down (or boil down) your general question to specific dimensions that you wish to further comprehend.
Literature review
The purpose of the literature review, at the outset of your research project, is for you to analyze critically the existing scientific literature.
In this way you will:
- build your awareness of specific problems
- inspire your research
When going through the article's text, ask yourself if this research is coherent, reliable, credible, rigorous, is its empirical basis solid, and representative? Structure your extraction (facts, concepts, ideas)
Problem statement vs
lit review
The goals of a literature review
1. To demonstrate a familiarity with a body of knowledge and establish credibility
A review tells a reader that the researcher knows the research in an area and knows the major issues. A good review increases a reader's confidence in the researcher's professional competence, ability and background.
2. To show the path of prior research and how a current project is linked to it.
A review outlines the direction of research on a question and shows the development of knowledge. A good review places a research project in a context and demonstrates its relevance by making connection to a body of knowledge.
3. To integrate and summarize what is known in an area.
A review pulls together and synthesizes different results. A good review points out areas where prior studies agree, where they disagree, and where major questions remain. It collects what is known up to a point in time and indicates the direction for future research.
Your lit review is your project's "analytical framework"
What important theories is your project relying on or deriving from?
Have all important concepts been defined using credible references in the field?
Have you given your reader an overview of the trends, important theories or finding about this topic?
THIS IS NOT AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY!!! (not a summary of articles)
Remember: you report tendencies about previous findings, so you must regroup
the information by themes:
Make a judicious use of section titles
Good section titles are crucial
The table of content is your funnel's architecture.
Define and discuss all of your project's concepts.
Also, remember to:
- announce your structure in the lit review's intro
- summarize each sub-section (transition)
- have a "limitations in existing research section (which specifically points out what limitations can be found and which uses references!)
- put a section summary (which also includes references)
- The section summary's last sentence is outlining a precise gap :
- "There is a lack of research on [specific problem]
A Research problem is...?
Literature review
You are not looking for answers in your literature review. You are positioning yourself, your research, and you are looking for a gap.
This gap represents your specific question.
EXAMPLE OF RESEARCH GAP
DEFICITS OR DIFFICULTIES CAN BE NOTICED IN THE STRUCTURE OR COHERENCE OF CURRENT SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE.
- We do not know anything or our knowledge is partial about one of the elements of the general question.
- We cannot generalize previous findings.
- Certain dimensions are missing or were not considered and we have reason to believe they play a role in a phenomena
- We are uncertain of the conclusions of previous research, because of methodological issues
- Some research's conclusions are contradictory on a given topic
- There were not verification done on a theoretical model.
Analyzing an article
Find the aim / goal / question (s)
Identify the method or approach
Analyzing an article
Extract the main results (summarize them)
- careful:
always quote if you cite &
always cite if you quote.
3
Analyzing an article
Other things you may want to keep:
- setting (country/unit of analysis/target population / specifications about how constructed the analysis, etc.
- N or n
- questions : main dimensions
- results and their meaning (how to interpret)
- pertinence?
- quality? (ratings...)
3
Analyzing an article
Rephrase the article's contribution in 1-2 sentences
Categorize your articles by methods or theme (aspects that authors tend to focus on while studying this topic)
3
Selecting your research methods
By following the steps!
How can I be rigorous ?
Building a research problem
(finding a specific "gap")
Selecting the proper design
Crafting your instruments
Knowledge claims, strategies of inquiry and Methods
Criteria for selecting methods
Qualitative is constructivist, interpretative.
The main goal is to develop themes from the data.
- The researcher collects open-ended emerging data, multiple meanings of individual perspectives.
- The researcher seeks to establish the meaning from the view of the participant.
Strategies associated with the Qualitative Approach
Ethnographic: to study an intact cultural group in a natural setting over prolonged periods
Grounded theory:deriving a general theory from the grounded views of participants
Case studies: detailed exploration of a case bounded in time through a variety of method. (Cases can be: program, event or activity, an individual or a process).
Phenomenological research: identification of "the essence" of experiences concerning a phenomenon as described by the study's participants.
Narratives: to study the lives of individuals to provide stories about them. Combination of experiences
Criteria for selecting methods
Quantitative methods are used for descriptive, or explanatory research
The questions will relate to the notion of measurement, or aim at establishing a causal relationship or a correlation.
If you use the explanatory approach, your project aims at testing an hypothesis that derives from an existing theory.
The question will focus on specific variables and hypotheses are developed to test the relationship between these variables .
(reduces the problem or inquiry to a research hypothesis)
(in qualitative research, variables are called dimensions)
The researcher uses a "cause and effect" thinking;
Criteria for selecting methods
Mixed methods are pragmatic by nature.
- This approach uses the principle of triangulation looking at the same phenomena from multiple angles, is problem-centered and pluralistic:
- Sometimes, the two approaches (quanti and quali) are used simultaneously, but usually, both approaches are used in sequence:
Remember this
3 PURPOSES of research / and the approaches that fit these purposes
1- If your purpose is to EXPLORE:
Qualitative methods are best appropriate
2- If your purpose is to DESCRIBE :
Either Qualitative, quantitative or mix methods are best appropriate
3- If your purpose is to EXPLAIN:
A Quantitative approach is the best fit, because you are in a cause-and-effect inquiry.
COMPARING QUALI, QUANTI & MIXED APPROACHES
the weak
Criteria for selecting a design - remember...
If it is measurement oriented, it is quanti
If it is meaning oriented, it is quali
If it is problem-oriented (pragmatic) the most appropriate design is probably mixed method (sequential or simultaneous)
Test your skills!
a) Quali (meaning),
b) Quanti (correlation/numerical description)
c) Mixed (problem-solving)?
What is the appropriate research design for each question?
How can we better detect ethical deficits within public organizations?
To what extent does an individualistic organizational climate creates deviant behavior in public agencies?
How does drug-addicted youth perceive the criminal justice system?
What are the unexpected consequences of oversight failure in public transport systems?
Answer: c -b - a - c
Requires a numerical description
Quantitative methods
There is no necessity to report results and tie them to specific socio-cultural context
When it is important to be able to duplicate the experiment
Are appropriate when...
When researcher wants to expand the results beyond contexts and compare populations
When indicators have already been developed to report given realities
In other words, when the goal is EXPLANATORY
The theme is new, not familiar
Qualitative methods
Exploratory research: important concepts and variables are unknown
Need for a thick description: the goal is not to quantify but interpret behavior or phenomena (depth, meaning)
Are appropriate when...
Looking for sense (not frequency)
More flexibility in the approach to make unexpected findings or explore in depth particular themes
Research aims at a detailed understanding or particular dimensions, situations or events
Methods
In depth
Semi-structured
Interviews
Individual
Group
(focus groups)
Overt
Undercover
Participating observer
Non participating observer
Direct
Indirect
Observations
Conversational analysis
Documentary analysis
Working Together
Online forum assignment
You are all assigned to a team of 3 students.
The goal of this forum is to help out your team members in identifying the scientific articles and sources to include in their literature review due 02/15/2020 according to the topics they have chosen.
You can start your literature review without delay, but provide assistance to your team members and reach out to them so they give you a hand with finding your 20 sources.
You must participate to your team's online forum (asking questions, answering questions, discussing topics and articles).
Every team member must participate to their team's forum. Since each forum is opened to the whole class, if you would like to consult or contribute to other team's discussion, you can.
The structuring of this online activity is to be determined by your team. For example, you can establish specific time frames where all members are present and dedicate parts of this time to each participant's topic. It is preferable to set specific durations for the help given to each so that team efforts in helping out finding pertinent sources are equally divided among team members.
You are all assigned to a team of 3 students.
You must participate to your team's online forum (asking questions, answering questions, discussing topics and articles).
The goal of this forum is to help out your team members in identifying the scientific articles and sources to include in their literature review due 11/19/2017 at noon - there was change of deadline - according to the topics they have chosen. Every team member must participate to their team's forum. Since each forum is opened to the whole class, if you would like to consult or contribute to other team's discussion, you can.
Forum organization : The structuring of this online activity is to be determined by your team. For example, you can establish specific time frames where all members are present and dedicate parts of this time to each participant's topic. It is preferable to set specific durations for the help given to each so that team efforts in helping out finding pertinent sources are equally divided among team members.
Active participation, collaboration, helpfulness, professional courtesy and reciprocity is expected from every group member.
The Forums will be made available for you to use Friday, Nov. 10th 8:30 AM to Sunday Nov. 12th at 1:00 PM.
YOU WILL NOTICE THAT I've opened up the forums ; You are allowed to use the forums right away but please make sure you have completed assignment #2 (which is due Friday Nov. 10th at 11:55PM the latest) before moving on to assignment #3.You can start your literature review without delay, but provide assistance to your team members and reach out to them so they give you a hand with finding your 20 sources.
This assignment's aim is that you help others in discovering interesting research articles.
The directions to use the data bases are online.
Online forum assignment
The collaboration's structure is at your discretion, minimum 5 suggestions of articles per team members ( = approx. 1 hour online)
- it will help you practice the stills you've learned tonight!
Please participate to your team's online forum (asking questions, answering questions, discussing topics and articles).
Forums will be open during 2 weeks (from Now to Week 4's seminar's)