Research Methods

RESEARCH METHODS are the strategies, processes or techniques utilized in the collection of data or evidence for analysis in order to uncover new information or create better understanding of a topic.

There are different types of research methods which use different tools for data collection. Types of research are typically broken up in or defined as qualitative or quantitative, and a third type of research, mixed methods, is a combination of both qualitative and quantitative.

Qualitative

Qualitative Research gathers data about lived experiences, emotions or behaviours, and the meanings individuals attach to them. It assists in enabling researchers to gain a better understanding of complex concepts, social interactions or cultural phenomena. This type of research is useful in the exploration of how or why things have occurred, interpreting events and describing actions.

Quantitative

Quantitative Research gathers numerical data which can be ranked, measured or categorised through statistical analysis. It assists with uncovering patterns or relationships, and for making generalisations. This type of research is useful for finding out how many, how much, how often, or to what extent.

Mixed Methods

Mixed Methods Research integrates both Qualitative and Quantitative Research. It provides a holistic approach combining and analysing the statistical data with deeper contextualised insights. Using Mixed Methods also enables Triangulation, or verification, of the data from two or more sources.

Combining multiple qualitative and quantitative data into a single study using mixed methods is often done to overcome the limitations of having only one type of data and can provide a very powerful narrative for telling the story of your makerspace. More data collection means more data analysis, and when you are correlating multiple types of data, you have to start triangulating your data to ensure that your resulting findings are supported. This triangulation process means introducing an additional methodological layer on top of your other layers, which focuses on how your different data streams relate to one another.

Selecting a mixed methods study design over a single method can make your research journey a bit more complex:

Mono and Multiple Method Research Design (based on Saunders et al., 2009:152), Mathers, B., Visual Thinkery, in: Farrow, R., Iniesto, F., Weller, M. & Pitt., R. (2020). The GO-GN Research Methods Handbook. Open Education Research Hub. The Open University, UK. CC-BY 4.0. http://go-gn.net/gogn_outputs/research-methods-handbook

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