Critical evaluation of research methods

Critical evaluation of research methods in THE ( 1250 words) .

a) Literature Review (600 words)

This is an important part of any project as it forms the foundation for your research. No study starts from scratch but rests on earlier works, and a thorough review of the relevant literature on the topic, and the trends that have developed is vital to enable you to gain a good understanding and insight into the topic and the issues surrounding it. You will need to establish the current state of knowledge pertinent to the topic under investigation (the theories, concepts, ideas, issues, debates and so on) with emphasis on seminal (i.e. important) and recently published texts (particularly journal articles and conference papers).

Don’t just quote the words of others ad verbatim (this is the sign of a poor literature review and very likely a poor project). A literature review IS NOT simply a description of relevant books/journals that you have read or that you think will be helpful to your research. You should paraphrase and critique (i.e. restate, in your own words, the main points made by the writer(s) in question, in addition to evaluating their contribution, often with reference to the works of other writers. When reviewing the literature, remember to highlight

: ● ‘gaps’ in the current body of knowledge that could be filled by your proposed research project

● out-of-date work in need of revision

● opportunities to expand on research conducted by someone else. It is important to state clearly how your work will improve the reader’s existing knowledge of the subject. Also, make sure that you cite the works according to the Harvard System of Referencing throughout.

b) Outline of one method (650 words)

You should mention the options open to you (e.g. a quantitative or qualitative approach, or secondary research for Independent Study), state and justify the reasons for the option you have chosen (e.g. a qualitative approach using a combination of participant observation and in-depth interviews) as opposed to the other options. Thought should be given to the sample (who, how many, where and so on) and for example, in the case of a questionnaire, reflect on issues such as the likely response rate, the type and wording of questions, and the statistical tests to be used in analysis of the data. For qualitative methods such as focus groups, and interviews, thought should be given to the potential participants, the methods of recording and transcription, and the analytical techniques to be used. For observation, consider the researcher-subject relationship and the setting in which the data is to be captured. For documents, comment on the availability of archive material, and the method(s) of textual analysis to be employed.