Importance of research methodology

Anyone investigating an issue from a scientific or academic perspective initially determines the research methodology that is suitable for providing answers. This applies to all scientific and academic projects: a bachelor´s thesis, a or even research undertaken on behalf of an institution.

Which different research methods are available?

A distinction is generally made between the following two approaches.

The individual conducting the research gains new insights, including for instance by means of group discussions, interviews or qualitative observations. They evaluate this information as part of their research activities. This method is therefore always used if a new theory is to be developed.

Qualitative research is used in projects that

• Form theories, that is to say introduce new hypotheses
• Don’t have fixed expectations regarding the results
• Enable conclusions to be derived from individual cases and become generally valid

The individual conducting the research collates figures and data to address their research issue and thereby verify the correlations between cause and effect. The research methods that are relied on therefore include, for example, experiments, case studies, surveys and measurement series that are statistically evaluated. This research method is used when a theory regarding a research issue already exists. The individual conducting the research uses it to derive hypotheses and verify them in a quantitative manner.

Quantitative methods are used in projects that

• Already have a clear concept of what is being investigated
• Are testing an existing hypothesis, that is to say confirming or refuting it
• Involve statistical evaluation and representative analysis of large amounts of data