Seminar - IdMRC Social Research Methods
Theory behind research methods
The lecture will be followed by a workshop. Please inform Tom Howard if you wish to attend the workshop.
So you're attempting social or behavioural research in fields such as engineering, computer science, management and architecture. Do you take a positivist approach? Or, maybe you’re a reductionist, a realist or an instrumentalist? Your theoretical and epistemological perspective could have serious bearing on the outcome of your research and the methods you choose.
Whilst there is great potential to adopt research methods from neighbouring fields to deliver new insights within our own domain, it is important to understand the philosophical foundations of each of these methods to allow you to identify which methods are consistent with your own 'view of the world'. This lecture attempts to provide an introduction to the philosophy of science and will provide a good starting point for researchers who are interested in exploring different views of the world and their related research methods.