Approaching Research in Different Ways - How to Choose an Appropriate Research Approach/Reasoning During Ph.D. Program in India?

Abstract

Purpose: A good description, explanation, and claim about the fact/reality/truth/dependent variable/effect and a piece of complete knowledge about reality are only possible if such a reality is explained using many possible research approaches/reasoning. Owing to such importance the key purpose of this article is to explain the essence of ‘research approach/reasoning’ and various available research approaches/reasoning in doctoral-level research and recommend an ideal model that would enable Ph.D. scholars in India to carry out doctoral-level research that is aimed at improving knowledge about a reality using different research approaches/reasoning.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Postmodernism philosophical paradigm; Inductive research approach; Observation data collection method; Longitudinal data collection time frame; Qualitative data analysis.

Findings/Result: As long as the Ph.D. scholars can understand all the available research approaches and make mindful choices of approaches to answer their research question they will be able to determine (on their own) all the other choices in succeeding steps of doctoral-level research such as i) data collection method; ii) data collection time frame; iii) sample size; iv) sampling technique; v) data collection instrument; vi) data analysis techniques.

Originality/Value: There is a vast literature about reasoning in research. However, there are only a few stakeholders in the research education system who encourage Ph.D. scholars to choose a research approach/reasoning that is uncommon in a discipline. Through this article, we have attempted to explain the purpose of reasoning in doctoral-level research in addition to recommending a decision framework that enables Ph.D. scholars to choose an appropriate research approach during Ph.D.

Paper Type: Conceptual model.