The ultimate guide to research methodology

Choose your data type

The initial step of conducting any primary research is to settle on the kind of data that you will use. Essentially, you can widely choose from primary, secondary, and/or big data. Note that this guide centers on the primary type. Regardless, it is helpful to know somewhat about every one of the other options.

This type of data has been gathered by the scientists themselves. While doing primary research for scholarly works, you will most generally depend on this kind of information. It is frequently said that this data is in real-time, implying that it is freshly gathered during your research and is, therefore, under the analyst's immediate control.

On the other hand,

Secondary data refers to the type of data that was gathered by another person before and is typically available through past archives, sources, and databases. This kind of information is alluded to as past data since it isn’t freshly collected during the research. Utilizing this kind of data is moderately simple since you don't need to gather any information yourself. In any case, it isn't generally sure that this would be 100% significant for your work, since it was gathered based on different research questions. Besides, their credibility can be quite questionable.

Big data is the most intricate sort of information, which is why it is never utilized during undergrad or graduate investigations. This data can be portrayed in three varieties: high data volumes, wide data types, and high data processing speed. Because of its intricacy, standard big data processing systems require lots of training before you can handle them.

Choose your methodology

Running primary research involves using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methodologies. Every one of these will be portrayed independently, and afterward, see the various steps to follow when carrying out each.

The former method is generally exploratory. This implies that it is regularly directed when there are no quantitative examinations on the theme, and you are looking to investigate the point unexpectedly. This investigation is accomplished by thinking about the points of view of explicit people. You are worried about the specific implications that mirror a dynamic reality. By watching or talking to individuals, you can go to their very own comprehension of the real world.

Quantitative methods are largely corroborative. Accordingly, the primary objective is to affirm or disconfirm theories depending on factual investigations. In the quantitative examination, you will be worried about mathematical information that mirrors a fixed and quantifiable reality. Using large samples and testing subjects, you can later project your findings to the whole population.

The former type consolidates the other two methodologies. The objective is to increase a more exhaustive comprehension of a theme than would be conceivable by depending on a solitary approach. Normally, mixed methodologies include doing a qualitative survey and supplement it with quantitative methods.

Subsequently, first, you investigate a wander through a low-scale study that centers on the implications of specific people, and afterward, you look to shape theory and test it with a bigger sample.