Empirical research is based on observation, so that evidence is collected to reach a conclusion. But how do you figure out what to observe or how to observe once you have a research question? That's your methodology.
A methodology is an approach or process to your research. It is influenced by the philosophy and reasoning behind the particular research design that you have chosen. More specifically, a methodology is the set of particular steps taken to conduct a research project. People often talk about methodologies in terms of these groups.
Qualitative and Quantitative
- Philosophically, quantitative research assumes that the world can be objectively observed and measured, and thus information is quantifiable.
- Philosophically, qualitative research assumes that the world is contextual, with multiple perspectives. Qualitative research also depends on careful observation, through which even questions on complex phenomena such as behavior can result in prediction, analysis and interpretation.
Simple summation: If you count the people in several study areas, you can quantitatively determine the most popular study spaces on campus. If you want to know what qualities make a space popular, you would need qualitative methods, such as surveys or questionnaires, to directly question the users.
Primary and Secondary
- In primary research, the researcher directly observes, and/or gathers data. This might be during the course of an experiment, or it could be through field work, or questionnaires.
- In secondary research, the researcher uses data that has been compiled by others. The researcher is still observing. How does that work?
- A researcher might download data sets from the US Census, or the Center for Disease Control and look for correlations between demographic and other kinds of data.
- A scientist might review all the current literature on a particular brain trauma issue and review the imaging results over several studies to form a conclusion about treatment.
