methods Archives - Enhancing Postgraduate Environments https://postgradenvironments.com/tag/methods/ Wed, 19 May 2021 08:57:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://postgradenvironments.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/favicon.png methods Archives - Enhancing Postgraduate Environments https://postgradenvironments.com/tag/methods/ 32 32 What is researcher positionality? https://postgradenvironments.com/2021/05/19/what-is-researcher-positionality/ Wed, 19 May 2021 08:57:21 +0000 https://postgradenvironments.com/?p=1119 This 23-minute video presents three academics’ comments about positionality in research. Increasingly researchers are expected to state their considerations on positionality in their research design...

The post What is researcher positionality? appeared first on Enhancing Postgraduate Environments.

]]> This 23-minute video presents three academics’ comments about positionality in research. Increasingly researchers are expected to state their considerations on positionality in their research design and ethical clearance processes. But such reflections should go beyond trite compliance statements to genuinely engage with how who they are as researchers influences what they research, how they research it and how they present the data they collect. While positionality is more frequently grappled with in qualitative research, this video suggests that all forms of research require choices by the researcher, which may be affected by the positions they hold in society as well as ideological positions they may ascribe to.


This video is produced by Rox Chiappa, through conversation with academics, Rethabile Mawela, Sioux McKenna, and Ken Ngcoza; all of Rhodes University

Explore these additional resources

Who might find this useful?

This video is made for postgraduate scholars and supervisors.

 

The post What is researcher positionality? appeared first on Enhancing Postgraduate Environments.

]]> Research design and methods https://postgradenvironments.com/2017/10/13/research-design-methods/ Fri, 13 Oct 2017 13:43:37 +0000 http://postgradenvironments.com/?p=680 Methodology and methods are often confused in postgraduate research, especially in smaller scale, shorter studies, such as those completed in a coursework Honours or Masters...

The post Research design and methods appeared first on Enhancing Postgraduate Environments.

]]> Methodology and methods are often confused in postgraduate research, especially in smaller scale, shorter studies, such as those completed in a coursework Honours or Masters degree programme. These terms mean quite different things, though with methodology referencing a more conceptual, abstracted understanding of what kind of study you are doing, and why, and methods understood as practical tools that you can use to realise your study design and purpose. This Prezi takes students through a basic explanation of what the different terms mean, and how they fit together in designing a research study. It then goes further to explore how methodological choices are made by crucially taking guidance from the research questions, and theoretical framework for the study. The additional reading recommended below, as well as the worksheet, enable further exploration of this topic, and an opportunity for students to link the video and reading materials with their own research study.

Developed by Sherran Clarence, Independent higher education consultant. Thanks to Carmel van Niekerk for the narration.

Who might find this useful?

This material is primarily for postgraduate scholars, to assist them in conceptualising and plotting out their methodology and methods, if they are starting out, or revising this section if they are further along in their study. It can also be utilised, with the worksheet, in postgraduate research workshops. The additional reading may be useful for supervisors and postgraduate mentors, to guide their students in developing this section of the research project.

Questions for users:

For supervisors/PG support staff: What methodologies do you typically use in your research – qualitative/quantitative, exploratory/causal and so on. Why and how do you use these? What aspects of your own research design process and decision-making can you share with your students, to help them to think about and construct their own? What reading, or other resources can you point them to, to get them started, or deepen their thinking?

For students: What is your research design? Why have you chosen this design? What data are you planning to generate, why, and how?

Explore these additional resources

Worksheet: Outlining a research design and its tools

Blogposts:

 

The post Research design and methods appeared first on Enhancing Postgraduate Environments.

]]>