The Vietnamese proverb “Học thầy không tày học bạn” (Learning from a teacher is not as good as learning from friends) holds true in every field, and scientific research is no exception. But how can you “learn” effectively, ensuring your “friends” are predecessors, experts, and cutting-edge research? That lies in approaching scientific research correctly.
What is a Research Approach?
Just like exploring a new city, a research approach is how we “navigate” to understand and uncover new knowledge and unsolved mysteries. It’s the process of searching for information, analyzing data, proposing theories, testing hypotheses, and ultimately drawing conclusions.
4 Common Research Approaches
As the saying goes, “No matter where you go, remember the anniversary of the Hung Kings on the tenth day of the third lunar month.” Similarly, in science, despite numerous approaches, the ultimate goal remains the pursuit of truth. Here are 4 common approaches:
1. Quantitative Approach:
- Like “counting stars in the sky,” the quantitative approach focuses on collecting numerical data and statistical analysis to find relationships between variables.
- Example: Researching the effectiveness of a new drug. Scientists collect data on the number of patients treated with the drug, their recovery time, and compare it to a control group.
- Advantages: Objectivity, ease of comparison, and replicability of results.
- Disadvantages: May overlook qualitative factors and subjective experiences.
2. Qualitative Approach:
- “Body language” is immeasurable, and so is the qualitative approach. It focuses on collecting subjective data from individuals or groups, such as interviews and observations, to gain a deeper understanding of an issue.
- Example: Researching the impact of social media on youth psychology. Scientists interview young people, observe their social media usage, and analyze shared stories and emotions.
- Advantages: Provides in-depth insights into issues, understanding context and reasons.
- Disadvantages: Difficult to generalize and analyze, susceptible to subjective influences.
3. Evaluation Research Approach:
- Like “testing” a new dish, the evaluation research approach focuses on measuring and assessing the effectiveness of a method, program, product, or service.
- Example: Researching the effectiveness of a soft skills training program for students. Researchers use tests and questionnaires before and after students participate in the program to assess the improvement in their soft skills.
- Advantages: Provides clear information on effectiveness, helps assess the degree of success.
- Disadvantages: May be limited by measurement factors, not fully reflecting reality.
4. Mixed Methods Approach:
- “Wood alone is not as good as a tree, a tree alone is not as good as a forest,” the mixed methods approach combines quantitative, qualitative, and evaluation research to create the most comprehensive picture for research.
- Example: Researching the impact of living environment on children’s health. Scientists may use quantitative methods to collect data on air pollution levels, qualitative methods to interview parents about their health concerns for their children, and evaluation research to assess children’s health through medical examinations.
- Advantages: Provides complete and multi-faceted information, helping to draw more accurate and comprehensive conclusions.
- Disadvantages: Requires more resources, time, and skills.
Choosing the Right Approach for Your Research
To choose the right approach, remember the saying “Fire tests gold, hardship tests strength.” Consider your research goals, target audience, resources, and time.
- Example: If you want to research the effectiveness of a new teaching method, you can use a quantitative approach to measure students’ learning outcomes or a qualitative approach to gather teachers’ and students’ opinions on the method.
Conclusion
Mastering research approaches will help you navigate the “ups and downs” of scientific research, but remember: “Knowledge is power.” Always explore, learn, and constantly improve your research methods to achieve the best results.
Do you have any other questions about scientific research? Leave a comment and we’ll discuss it together!
