Without any doubt, performing basic academic research is the most challenging task. It is easy to see why it is challenging. The plenty of approaches to research on a topic makes it difficult. Students remain confused about which approach is the right one and which is wrong. This confusion leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere. Not being able to take timely decisions, students face problems in basic academic research as time passes. Today’s discussion is all about selecting the right approach to research on a topic. It will discuss the best approaches available, but first, there will be a description of how students can choose an approach. Let’s begin discussing the topic with the following question:
What is the basic approach in research?
A basic approach is a research approach to gain a better understanding of the topic. The topic could be a basic phenomenon of nature or a complex scientific problem. Basic academic research defines the problem and finds different solutions to the problem. This research is performed to extend the scientific knowledge. The extended knowledge may or may not have the immediate benefit.
To perform this fundamental research, of course, there are some approaches. Most of dissertation writing services adopt those approaches and perform tests. Those approaches are different and depend on a number of factors. The next section is all about choosing the right approach.
How Do You Choose a Research Approach?
Choosing the right approach to basic academic research is very important. Despite knowing its importance, students underestimate it. As a result, they find themselves unable to research on the topic. To choose the right approach, there are three important factors that you need to keep in mind all the time. A brief description of those three factors is as follows:
Nature of Research
Each research has different goals and objectives. The research questions and other things also differ. You can say that this difference lies in the type of research. The type of research then affects the approach to basic academic research. To get an answer to this question, you can ask yourself the following questions:
- Is your research explanatory, confirmatory or a mixture of both?
- What are your research aims and questions?
You will see a major shift in your research as you answer these two questions. The right approach will appear before you automatically.
The Disciplinary Norms
Choosing the right approach to basic academic research also involves looking at the literature. You should explore what other researchers in your field are doing. What are the approaches used by other researchers? Answering this question can solve many of your problems. It is why disciplinary norms are also related to the literature review. Oftentimes, within a discipline, there exists a common research approach or a set of research approaches. This does not mean that you should also follow those approaches blindly. Remember the first point; your approach depends on your type of research.
Practicality
This is the last factor you must keep in mind while choosing the right approach to basic academic research. Measuring the practicality of the approach is also a good thing. There always exists a tension between doing what is theoretically best and doing what is practically best. Do not worry; it is the nature of doing research. In research approaches, you will see a number of trade-offs. You might face a situation in which one approach, apparently, is good to use, but the research demands the other. So, these kinds of trade-offs are common in basic academic research approaches.
How would you describe the three types of approach to basic research?
There are different types of research approaches being used to research. A brief description of those three approaches is as follows:
Quantitative Approach
The first approach is the quantitative research approach. This approach emerged around 1256 A.D. The researchers use this approach where there is a need to quantify the data. Due to its large applicability, this research approach has dominated the western world for so long. Western scholars use this approach to extract new knowledge.
This research approach involves numerical aspects. All the research data is in numbers and statistics. This research approach is also called objective research. Quantitative research creates the meaning of data through objectivity. The quantitative research results can be explanatory, predictive or confirming. It develops the relationship between what is known and what can be learned by research. As the whole game revolves around numbers, it uses statistical analysis to test the hypotheses.
Qualitative Approach
Next up is the qualitative approach. It is a holistic approach to basic academic research that involves discovery. This approach is also called the unfolding approach. The researchers explore the natural phenomenon in depth. The higher involvement of the actual experiences makes it a more suitable approach.
In qualitative research, the researcher collects the viewpoints of the participants. It could be a viewpoint on climate change or any global issue. The social issues also come under this research approach. It involves collecting, describing, analysing and interpreting the data. Many researchers say that the qualitative approach is less structured in terms of description.
Mixed Approach
This research approach is last on the list. It attempts to combine both qualitative and quantitative research. The mixed approach uses both techniques. It uses the qualitative technique to explore the situation. To make the conceptual framework, the researchers also use a qualitative approach. The quantitative approach comes into play when there is a need to test the model. The statistical analysis empirically examines the model.
In simple words, you can say that qualitative and quantitative approaches are at odds with each other. Sometimes, they can be used together to get the desired results.
Conclusion
Performing basic academic research is not an uphill task. All you need to do is have a good command of all the research approaches. It is important to understand that each research approach serves a different purpose. It is always recommended to use a single research method. You can use the mixed approach if the situation demands.
