Research methodology part 1/5

1. Definition

 A paper containing a substantial text based on original research, written according to the editorial standards of a scientific document, is considered as a thesis. The thesis is in the field of economics and management or in a legal field related to economics and management. A final project must mobilize the students' abilities in terms of:

• analysis
• devaluation
• synthesis and creativity   

 

 SOURCE: By Pubic Administration. Inspired in P.A Bertholet, 2004

  

2. From the common sense approach to the scientific approach

For the realization of the Project Graduation (PG), the student must normally adopt a scientific approach which aims to establish his analyzes as his conclusions on the rigorous study of the facts (ie the data collected) and on their critical appreciation in the light of the theoretical knowledge acquired during its formation. It follows that the scientist is not satisfied with the impressions or prejudices which he may have on the question he is studying, but rather that he seeks to validate by concrete facts. Similarly, it will not immediately credit all information gathered, but will verify the credibility of the sources, the accuracy of the information, and the degree of reliability of the information.

3. Some elements of methodology 

3.1 Issues and research questions

Defining one's problem is knowing what one is doing and why one is doing it. Moreover, the issue must be translated into research questions. For example, if we are interested in the field of Human Resource Management, and we are looking at the issue of staff turnover, we will still have to specify the angle to which we want to address this problem. One can thus see the process of defining the (PG) from the analogy of the funnel. From a very broad definition, the field of research is gradually reduced to more and more specific questions which will in turn influence the type of approach appropriate to research.

SOURCE: Public Administration

3.2 Deductive or inductive approach
Generally there are two different ways of generating knowledge.A.Induction: 

it starts from the empirical observation of facts or events to reveal the regularities that will serve to establish statements likely to turn into laws. Often the inductive approach is used to document and describe phenomena and the relationships between certain variables, when we do not have a theory that can guide us.

B.Deduction:  

proceeds the reverse, starting from a theory established a priori, one speculates on what one thinks to find on the ground and one checks that the events confirm or invalidate our anticipations. Deduction is possible only when the theoretical corpus is already fairly well structured in a field of research.
 

3.3 Qualitative or quantitative approach
there are different ways of approaching a problem, depending on whether you want to understand and describe or want to predict and explain. Therefore, depending on the research questions:

A.The qualitative approach:

May be judicious when one wants above all to describe and understand a situation. It uses data collection techniques such as:

• interview
• Case study
• Participating or non-participating observation,
• Life history (biographical method),
• Text analysis

B.Quantitative approach
Quantitative research generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers.

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OTHER SOURCE