Terms

Research Question

A research question poses a problem that requires further investigation after a thorough literature review of the chosen topic.

Research Aims and Objectives

Research aims are the overall goals of a project; objectives are the steps that must be taken to achieve them.

Literature Review

A literature review is the selection, reading, summary and analysis of existing research articles to construct or develop a research question.

Research Design

A research design is a framework for collecting, analysing and interpreting research data.

Methodology

A methodology is a chosen approach for researching and reporting a project.

Ontology

An ontology is a belief system based on a person’s interpretation of what constitutes a fact.

Epistemology

An epistemology is a belief system based on how people think about facts.

Research Methods

Research methods are the techniques used to collect and analyse primary and secondary data.

Hypotheses versus Propositions

A hypothesis is an informed statement that suggests possible relationships between variables measured in research; a proposition is an argument based on those findings.

Deductive versus Inductive Paradigms

Deductive research produces specific conclusions from general principles; inductive research constructs and/or explores general propositions from specific observations.

Qualitative versus Quantitative versus “Mixed Methods” Research

Quantitative research involves collecting and analysing words and numbers; qualitative research means interpreting and generalizing data gained mainly from oral interviews in and beyond the research context.

Data Analysis

Data collection is the process of obtaining and organizing primary and secondary data; data analysis is the use of tools to establish patterns and relationships in collected data by discursive or statistical means.