Political science methodology: A plea for pluralism

Introduction In answering the question posed for my essay I will define key terms and concepts; discuss the relevant literature and debates within social science. This will be done by examining the two main schools of thought and a critical overview of the different research methods use. This will help to formulate a research question. According to Brewer & Miller (2003) Epistemology is concerned with the nature of knowledge and justification in how we know and what we know. It also explores how we know what we know when it comes to the nature of social reality. According to Bryman (2007), epistemology is about “what is or should be regarded” as acceptable knowledge in social science and whether the social world can be studied according to the same principles as natural science (2007:14). Practical consideration explores how social research should be carried out based on various dimensions such as choice of research strategies, design, or the method that best suits the particular research or question being enquired (Bryman, 2007:26). Methodology is a philosophical framework that is part of a research which determines the researcher’s epistemological stand. Marsh argues “methodology is the method used to carry out a piece of research” (2002:18). The choice of research is often based on how we view the world which reflects how the researcher intends to carry out their research and/or the choice of method. In the case of social research it has a diverse range of considerations which depend on how the social world should be studied. As Bryman (2007) points out “methods are not simply neutral tools, they are linked with the ways which social scientists envision the connection between different viewpoints about the nature of social reality and how it should be examined” (2007:4). Thus, the researcher’s questions determine the type of information the researcher wants to collect; whether opinions or statistical data, which then determines the method that will be chosen. The ultimate desire or expectation of a researcher is to achieve the core objectives of their specific study problem. Given that the very purpose and rationale of a research initiative is predetermined by the objectives of the study, a statement of the main objectives for a specific serve as the ultimate guiding map in shaping both the designing and ultimate execution of the research. There is no doubt that the success in achieving these objectives of the research is in turn dependent on the effectiveness of the researcher choosing a research method that best matches the unique requirement of the research problem. This will apply, given the presence of different research methods and the fact that the individual application in different subjects of research highlights prominent strengths and limitations according to Tashakorri & Teddlie (2003). Developing a research question is dependent on the methodology used. However, it can be argued should questions be developed first and then methods applied. In spite of the availability of literature and common consensus among scholars on the strengths and limitations of different research methods and their value for use in specific research problems; considerations on the choice of research method continues to be a common source of contention. This is in part due to a lack of consensus on whether the choice of research method should be based on epistemological or on practical consideration. Spencer, et al., (2003) argue for proponents of epistemological considerations, the effective meeting of research goals should be the priority However, their opponents assert that an effective research method choice cannot be without consideration into the practical constrains to specific research. Since the ultimate goal of the research method is to effectively meet the objectives of the research, the choice of research method for a successful research should be informed by both qualitative and quantitative methods. These two particular methods follow different positions in terms the way they link between ideas and evidence (Brewer & Miller, 2003). According to Bryman (2007) both methods form different strategies in research terms of their epistemological stance.

Journal of General Education and Development, 2015

This is a method article focused on the different choices at the paradigmatic or philosophical level which actually leads to researcher's choice of research design and methods at subsequent stages. Research methodology is the section that distinguishes a research paper from a usual narrative or newspaper like essay. Researchers are often prone to jumping into particular methods of data collection instruments, data collection methods, and data analysis methods (questionnaire design, Likert scale, factor analysis etc.). Sometimes they are confused by their evaluators who themselves might not be aware of the implications of different top level choices of the research like research philosophy and paradigms. While it is a convention that researcher has to detail the paradigmatic position the research, many scholars put it in this way: 'management' or 'business' research is often a mixture of these philosophies and approaches. All the positions are appropriate or depending on what the research objectives are. Researchers do not have to make an extreme choice for the sake of making. Rather we need to see what the nature of the problem is and what philosophy would be best to detail the inquiry. And often, it is a mixed approach and multiple methods.

Part I: Discussing the notion of "quantitative/qualitative divide" and how this distinction is productive in the social sciences? Research paradigms and methodologies are, without a doubt, the most important element of any research study. Quantitative and qualitative research are the two types of methods. However, these two methods have typically different views and values to one another. Since the quantitative method is dominant in many disciplines compared to the qualitative paradigm, Fielding and Schreier (2001, pp.187-188) stated that social science is a clear example of a discipline that adequately represents the methodological divide.