3 main levels in research methods: a brief note

Students studying research methods should be aware of the different "levels" in research methods. For example, Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007) introduced an onion model on research with the following levels:

Level 6 (top): philosophies (e.g. positivism, realism, interpretivism, etc.)
Level 5: approaches (e.g. deductive and inductive approaches)
Level 4: strategies (e.g. experiment, survey, case study, action research, grounded theory, etc)
Level 3: choices (e.g. mono method, mixed methods, and multi-method)
Level 2: time horizons (e.g. cross-sectional, longitudinal)
Level 1 (bottom): techniques and procedures (ie various data collection techniques)

In my own research on systems thinking (Ho, 1996), I discerned three main levels in research work:

Level 3: Theoetical levels (e.g. hard systems thinking, soft systems thinking, and critical systems thinking)
Level 2: Methodological levels (e.g. hard systems methodology, soft systems methodology and critical systems methodology)
Level 1: Techniques (e.g rich picture building exercise, cognitive mapping technique, various quantitative methods)

When you formulate your research design in research work, try to anchor your research methods to your choseen research philosophy properly (ie perspective anchoring); try to be aware of when you have made a theoretical switch from one mode of thinking to another, e.g. from hard systems thinking mode to soft systems thinking mode (ie perspective switch). The following diagram is illustrative (Ho, 1996):

In general, you need to be aware of the works of Burrell and Morgan (1979) on sociological paradigms, Avision and Fitzgerald's (20003) discussion on methodologies, contemporary systems thinking, and other research methods publications as related to the various levels in research methods.


Related notes
Note 1

Note 2

References

1. Avison, D. and Fitzgerald, G. (2003) Information Systems Development: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools,  McGraw Hill.
2. Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (1979). Sociological Paradigms and Organizational Analysis: Elements of the Sociology of Corporate Life. London: Heinemann
3. Ho, J.K.K. (1996). “MPSB Research Explained”, pp. 843-852, Journal of the Operational Research Society, 47, Stockton.
4. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., and Thornhill, A. (2007) Research Methods for Business Students, Prentice Hall.