MediaTechnologyatKTH: Final Blog Post: Comments and Commentary

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Combinations of Research Methods

Before starting Theory and Method for Media Technology course, I had barely implemented various research methods. Basically I carried out content research method (qualitative research) analyzing how media framed and covered stories. Therefore, this course extended my capacities to do a solid research combining different research methods.

Begin with understanding of theory

In order to implement appropriate and useful methods under certain research circumstances and meet formulated research goals, it is important to understand what theory is. Therefore, in the beginning of the course we focused on the explanation of theory. Looking from scientific point of view: theory is a constructed model which is based on scientific methods and represents the world in logic way. Theory is a ground to conduct the method since scholar constitutes and validates research methods according to existence theories and do observations in already tested and approved explanatory framework. On the other hand, current theories are shifting due to changing paradigms and existing theories are inducement to conduct research method in order to deny or modulate theory. Usually, the outcome of implemented research methods is a new theory but not necessarily. For instance, the research results deny the formulated hypothesis and do not establish any new theory but it is not necessarily mean that theory is not legitimate, sometimes the wrong hypothesis cause that problem. It is obvious that research method is tightly coherent with theory as the basis to choose the right method, structure data according existence theory and as the basis to make an outcome – a new theory.

Quantitative and Qualitative methods

It is common to combine quantitative and qualitative methods in one research paper. Quantitative method provides empirical data and correlations between variables and this information is deeply analyzed using qualitative method which put data in the context and in the interpretation framework. Both of these methods complement each other, give a background to go deeper and enable to look at the phenomena the from different perspectives. Analysis based on different approaches is the core in order to gain knowledge. As it was said during the course, only data is not a theory, neither knowledge nor a grounded research. It is required to analyze what is beyond data, and different methods enable diverse points of view and result in enhanced analysis. For instance, quantitative analysis of empirical data how many people reacted to domestic violence and what kind of actions were taken, how participants’ groups are related to specific behavioral patterns will state one tendency while interviews with participants (qualitative method) why people chose to be in particular position will give additional value to research paper and will broaden answers which will not be possible only doing quantitative method.

Designing research and experiment

Designing and experiment methods interact with each other and this symbiosis result in creating additional value. Designing is a way to create an alternative artificial reality to collect data. Designing is used to narrow down the research field and create the research frame. Research through design contains more than designing research since designing is a way to go into the problem and analyze the context. Designing is not the same as an experiment since this method lacks of hypothesis, defined variables and measures. On the other hand, an experiment complements designing in a way of formulating the hypothesis or research questions, defining variables. Usually the prototype is used to do an experiment as a concept of proof. Designing is a process, modulation and analyzation of artificial reality which not necessarily will give the answer. While an experiment can provide the answer to research question and prove or deny hypothesis. An experiment is a way, implementing and testing a particular solution, to test what designed process pointed out as a problem or interested phenomena. Both designing and experiment require deep analysis of the problem before conducting research since the articulation of problem is the way to bring a solution.

Method as a basis to do conduct another method

In research paper the only one method could be implemented but chosen method might be refined using an another method. It is crucial to do a method piloting before the research. And the piloting includes other research methods. For instance, Drumming in Immersive Virtual Reality is a quantitative research but before starting an experiment methodology was reshaped according to qualitative criterions. Also, the results or gained knowledge of one method can be a stimulus to conduct other research based on different method. It is common that case studies which expanded knowledge horizons’ about particular object become the background to specialize in particular phenomena and conduct qualitative, quantitative or any other method and combination of methods. For instance, case study might reveal that refugees do not have the same rights to get the living permission equally and quantitative research will provide additional information how commonly spread this problem in which regions, if it depends on nationality and quantitative method will contribute to analysis and interpretation why that problem occurred, a focus group of experts could point out the causality.

What method or methods do I need to choose?

This is the core question before starting the investigation. There are some rules and questions which are used to clarify the most effective method. Firstly, the method should give the chance to collect interesting and novel data. There is no point to calculate how many people use email, but it would be more interesting to analyze the content of email between different groups. Method will not provide a value itself but it should provide data which are valuable to analyze in order to draw solid and grounded conclusions. Also, the research field influences the choices of methods. There are topics which are based on logic argumentation of data, such as nature sciences. On the other hand, humanities and social sciences tend to be analyzed on the qualitative basis such as interpretation, interviews, and explanatories. Finally, before deciding which method will be implemented it is useful to ensure that it is possible to get data carrying out the particular method. For example, in order to do participatory qualitative method a researcher must know if it is possible to be involved in the community.
In conclusion, conducted method is only the beginning of research which creates the patterns to analyze data. Method is a framework which provides to scholars a logic structure to analyze data. Combination of methods enriches the research paper since difficult phenomena is consisted of various causalities and aspects which are revealed and noticed only looking from different methodological perspectives. The articulation of phenomena from various angles leads to grounded knowledge.

MediaTechnologyatKTH

2015 m. spalio 30 d., penktadienis

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