Encyclopaedia of Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods in Management, Education and Science (Science Research Methodology)

Although research is important in both business and academic studies, there is no consensus in the literature on how it should be defined. One reason for this is that research means different things to different people. Research may be categorized into two distinct types: qualitative and quantitative. The former focuses on words and observations to express reality and attempts to describe people in natural situations. On the other hand, the quantitative approach grows out of a strong academic tradition that places considerable trust in numbers that represent opinions or concepts. Over the past 15 years, the debate over the relative virtues of quantitative and qualitative methodologies has gained considerable impetus. While the exact constitution of the two methodologies varies somewhat from author to author or is defined with varying degrees of specificity, there is substantial agreement about the fundamental antinomies and their practical implications for the conduct of research. Research strategy should be chosen as a function of the research situation. Each research strategy has its own specific approach to collect and analyze empirical data, and therefore each strategy has its own advantages and disadvantages. Although each strategy has its own characteristics, there are overlapping areas, which bring complexity to the process of strategy selection. This book provides insight into the research areas with regard to the procedure of taking up research problems, objectives, methodologies, etc. in management, education and science.