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What is a research approach?
What is a research approach?
Epistemology relates to the nature of knowledge and how knowledge is obtained. A number of paradigms have been described and determining which paradigm your research inquiry fits within is an important first step in any research design. Each paradigm provides a 'world view' or understanding of the natural and social world. There is no one 'correct answer' with regards to which paradigm to situate your research, rather it is up to researchers to determine which paradigm best 'fits' the research question. How you approach your qualitative enquiry also depends on what it is that you are hoping to achieve from your enquiry. For example, a phenomenological study describes the meanings that several individuals have of experiencing a single phenomenon, an ethnographic study is an in-depth study of a cultural group that typically includes extended observation of that group 'in the field’, while an narrative inquiry study analyses experiences by examining the way the individuals tell their story about their life experiences. Each approach will be best suited to answering different types of research questions. For example a phenomenological study may be an approach chosen to explore the experiences of people engaging with a new treatment modality, while an ethnographic approach may best suit examining a question about how patients and therapists interact during a consultation, while a narrative inquiry approach may best suit research questions seeking to examine the professional identity of clinician researchers making a transition to academia.
The question guides the approach
The question guides the approach
When designing a qualitative research project, the approach taken needs to align with the desired outcome, which is ultimately a way to examine the research question. Thinking conceptually about what you are trying to achieve with your research project and the existing theories that are relevant to your research question are helpful starting points for determining a relevant approach.
From here this series focuses primarily on approaches that utilise pattern recognition analysis methods as they are approaches commonly used in applied health research
Apply
Apply
Take a few minutes to write:
Take a few minutes to write:
Identify which concepts or ideas is your project is related to? Are there any theories that you know of that are relevant to your project?
How are you applying your knowledge of those theories to your project design?
What is your qualitative research approach?
Is it descriptive or interpretive phenomenology (most common in applied health science studies) or something else? If you are unsure, check with a project supervisor or research mentor.
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