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Research Methodologies
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Understanding Sociological Research Methods
In this course, Dr Rosie Nelson (University of Bristol) explores research methods comprehension in sociology. In the first lecture, we think about what a research method is, differentiating it from a methodology. In the second lecture, we think about the differences between quantitative and qualitative research. In the third lecture, we think about different sources of data when gathering from participants. Next, we think about the use of materials like documents and other forms of media in qualitative research. In the fifth and final lecture, we think about primary and secondary data and methods.
Research Methodologies
In this lecture, we think about what a research method is, focusing in particular on: (i) the importance of trustworthiness of methods and results in research; (ii) differentiating between a research method and a research methodology, with the former being the literal method used and the latter being the philosophical approach to generating research findings; (iii) an example of research into media presentations of masculinity, with the methodology and method contextualised in the investigation process.
Hello.
00:00:06My name is dot to Rosie Nelson and I'm a lecturer and gender
00:00:07at the University of Bristol.
00:00:10And this lecture is all about what is a research methodology
00:00:12So a research methodology is how researchers define how they
00:00:16found out things about the world. So as you know, research
00:00:21are very invested in researching things in the sense
00:00:25of trying to create findings that are trustworthy.
00:00:28Sometimes it's important that these results can be replicated,
00:00:32but more often than not,
00:00:35it's about the ability to trust that the researcher has done a
00:00:37good job to invest create the world around them and find out something
00:00:40using a strong and solid method of research.
00:00:45So when we talk about research methodologies,
00:00:50we sometimes differentiate between a research method and
00:00:52research methodology. These are two slightly different things.
00:00:56So a research method is the quite literal method that one
00:01:00used to gather findings.
00:01:04So for example,
00:01:07you might think about things like interviews or serve ways
00:01:10or literal ways that you gathered information as a researcher.
00:01:14That would be considered a method. So in that sense,
00:01:18you use a particular method such as a focus group,
00:01:21to gather people together, talk to them,
00:01:25generate data and information that then forms the basis of
00:01:27your research findings.
00:01:31So a method is the literal act that you do to collect data.
00:01:33A methodology
00:01:38is more so a philosophical approach to the method. In that
00:01:39sense, what that means, is that a methodology
00:01:44is how we think about the world around us to rate
00:01:48research findings.
00:01:52Now, this matters a lot more than you might think, because
00:01:54our methodology defines what we consider to be trustworthy
00:01:58data, good data, and a rigorous and
00:02:02trustworthy way of gathering data. So in that sense,
00:02:07your methodology is the way in which you philosophic
00:02:11understand the world around you that then informs the method
00:02:15that you choose to investigate your research subject.
00:02:19So for example, Say I was interested in television
00:02:23adverts and the way in which
00:02:27masculinity was represented in television adverts.
00:02:30So that might be something that I want to research.
00:02:34To do that, I would then have to think about, first of all,
00:02:37my methodology in terms of what I think is important to
00:02:40understand or or how I see the world around me. And then I
00:02:43would think about my method in terms I'm literally going to
00:02:48study that topic. So for example,
00:02:52from a methodological perspective, I might think, okay,
00:02:54representations of masculine ability is going to be
00:02:59important here. So understanding how adverts show
00:03:01men or what kind of pictures they use, or what kind of
00:03:06phrases are used in reference to masculinity,
00:03:11and so on, so forth.
00:03:14Me thinking that those kind of things are important forms the
00:03:16basis of my methodology
00:03:20in terms of what method I then choose use. So the method I
00:03:22would then choose to use would be closely related to looking at those images,
00:03:27exploring that dialogue in trying to figure out how
00:03:32masculinity is represented.
00:03:36So I might then use a media analysis method, which would
00:03:38complement my methodology everything would be in line with itself.
00:03:42In this sense, methodology and method is a really central
00:03:47issue you for researchers in any field of research, because
00:03:51it is how the researchers communicate to other
00:03:56researchers that they considered their approach very thoroughly.
00:04:00It's a justified approach of research and it's going to
00:04:04result in trustworthy research findings because they're
00:04:08following a strategic approach to gathering data and
00:04:11analyzing data.
00:04:16This differentiates research from things like journalism
00:04:17quite extensively,
00:04:22because whilst you might think, okay, journalists into new
00:04:23people, so do researchers, the data might be similar.
00:04:27The reality is that researchers follow more extensive and
00:04:31applied protocol because they have to respond to
00:04:36calls to justify their methodology and method.
00:04:41To summarize, if we think about methods and methodologies,
00:04:45then it is the idea that it is a systematic way that
00:04:48researchers engage with world around them to gather data and
00:04:53analyze data.
00:04:57The main concern around methods and methodologies
00:04:59is that they're logically thought out
00:05:02that they are
00:05:06justified in relation to the research the researcher wants
00:05:08to do. It's all important for research because it makes it trustworthy
00:05:11and it means that we can evaluate one another's research
00:05:17to see if it is quality research or bad quality
00:05:21research, which means that we can trust it or not trust it,
00:05:24which obviously has significant implications nations if you're
00:05:28trying to use your evidence for things like changing the law or
00:05:31changing policy or trying to do a new health investigation,
00:05:34you know, this kind of assessment of the evidence
00:05:38matters. As a result,
00:05:41method and methodology are two really important concerns for researchers.
00:05:43
Cite this Lecture
APA style
Nelson, R. (2023, July 04). Understanding Sociological Research Methods - Research Methodologies [Video]. MASSOLIT. https://massolit.io/courses/understanding-sociological-research-methods
MLA style
Nelson, R. "Understanding Sociological Research Methods – Research Methodologies." MASSOLIT, uploaded by MASSOLIT, 04 Jul 2023, https://massolit.io/courses/understanding-sociological-research-methods