Hello everyone, today I want to share with you the topic of “graduate research methods”. I believe everyone has heard about it, but some students may still be confused. So, let me give you a detailed answer.
First of all, research method is an important factor that we must consider when conducting postgraduate research. It is the cornerstone of our research and the key to making reasonable academic hypotheses and testing them. Here, I would like to introduce to you the classification of common research methods.
1. Qualitative research and quantitative research. The former is mainly for non-quantitative data (such as text, pictures, etc.) to carry out deep mining; The latter is data-driven and extrapolates results by analyzing large amounts of data. Choosing the right research method can greatly improve the research efficiency.
2. Field research, experimental research and questionnaire survey. Field research is conducted by observing the behavior pattern of the object; Experimental research explores the relationship between variables by controlling variables. While questionnaire survey obtains data through large-scale survey.
Second, keep rational and find the most appropriate research method
In the following, I will share some suggestions for finding a research method that works for you.
1. Establish clear and feasible research objectives. Identifying the research goal can help us find the right direction and quickly identify the method that is suitable for this research. At the same time, consider whether specific laboratory equipment, samples, and analytical methods are appropriate for the current project.
2. Refer to existing research results. A review of the research methods used by scholars in the past can help us better understand the characteristics of the subject field and further identify the methods that are suitable for us. At the same time, we should also pay attention to the limitations of previous research methods.
Third, qualitative research method
Now that we know about quantitative research, let’s talk about qualitative research.
Qualitative research mainly collects non-data information, such as images, text and so on. By reflecting on the thought, emotion, attitude and behavior of the survey object, it fundamentally explores the regularity or trend of individual, collective and social levels.
In qualitative research, in order to make the research results repeatable and representative, the following basic principles need to be paid attention to:
1. Select appropriate samples to ensure that their representativeness and coverage are large enough;
2. Control variables and exclude non-target influencing factors;
3. The analytical means should have reliability and validity, and can accurately reflect the relationship between research phenomena or things.
So, how do you start a qualitative study? First, we must determine the research objectives and problems; Secondly, probes are designed to conduct in-depth interviews. After that, the steps of texts analysis and data interpretation are carried out. Finally, according to the evidence and arguments obtained, the final research report is formed.
