Types of Research Methodology in PhD

Doctoral research is the cornerstone of a PhD program. In order to write the dissertation, you must complete extensive, detailed research, and there are different types of research for different types of studies—involving very different methodology. 

Two Primary Dissertation Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative

1. Qualitative.

Qualitative research focuses on examining the topic via cultural phenomena, human behavior, or belief systems. This type of research uses interviews, open-ended questions, or focus groups to gain insight into people’s thoughts and beliefs around certain behaviors and systems.

The three most routinely used include:

• Case Study. “This is the most common approach for studying work environments,. The research involves the use of multiple sources of data. This might include interviews, field notes, documents, journals, and possibly some quantitative elements (more information on quantitative research follows). A case study focuses on a particular problem or situation faced by a population and studies it from specific angles. For example, a researcher might look at violence in the workplace, focusing on when, where, or how it occurs.

• Phenomenology. “The researcher is trying to understand what the experience is like for the subject a researcher using this method will be trained during coursework and residencies in how to conduct this type of research, which involves specialized interviews and surveys with the people involved in the phenomenon.

• Generic Qualitative Inquiry. Also called generic qualitative, generic inquiry, or other variations. So the researcher may be using similar methods, but will not have as thorough of a foundation of research available.” For that reason, it’s also less desirable, because the research isn’t going to be as extensive and inclusive. The researcher could run into problems with less data to analyze. That it’s a better approach for someone who is perhaps seeking a second advanced degree and has done a considerable amount of research, or who just needs to answer a research question or subtopic.

2. Quantitative.

Quantitative research involves the empirical investigation of observable and measurable variables. It is used for theory testing, prediction of outcomes, and determining relationships between and among variables using statistical analysis. They outlines two primary data sources for quantitative research:

• Primary Data Collection. In this approach, data are collected by the researcher. Participants are recruited for study, informed consent is obtained, and quantitative data are obtained either electronically or in person by the researcher. This approach allows the researcher to decide exactly what variables he or she is interested in exploring and how they will be operationalised in the study. Variables are measured using instruments whose psychometric properties (reliability and validity) have been established by other authors. Data are analyzed using statistical techniques to assess the nature of the relationships between and among variables.

• Secondary Data Analysis. This approach involves the statistical analysis of data collected by other researchers or organizations. There are a number of publicly available data sets for researchers, often from large-scale, federally funded research projects or data repositories. Secondary data analysis may save time for researchers as participant recruitment and data collection are avoided. It is also a way to access information about vulnerable populations in an ethical manner (as it does not involve direct contact). However, when utilizing this approach, researchers must build their research questions based on the available data.

 The choice of whether to use a qualitative or quantitative methodology is based on the nature of the questions being asked, the state of the field, and the feasibility of the approach with the population of interest.

“There are so many variations and possibilities,” House said. “PhD students need to be resourceful and willing to shift their expectations as they learn new research techniques. Researching a doctoral dissertation is an ongoing learning process.”