A brief teaching note on the main examples of research approach types

A brief teaching note on the main examples of research approach types (information from perplexity.ai)

My question: "Is it appropriate to consider the following topics as a kind of research approach type in social science? Try to clarify briefly with reference to the main features of a research approach.

1. the research approach type (reasoning) [e.g., the deductive, inductive and abductive approach]
2. the research approach type (methods) [e.g., the qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research]?"

The reply: "It is appropriate to consider both the reasoning type (deductive, inductive, abductive) and the methodological type (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods) as kinds of research approaches in social science, but they represent different dimensions of research approaches.

1. Research approach type (reasoning):

• This refers to the logical process used to develop or test theory.

• Deductive reasoning starts from theory or hypotheses and tests these through data collection and analysis.

• Inductive reasoning begins from observations or data to generate new theory.

• Abductive reasoning explains surprising facts by generating or modifying theories.

• These reasoning types orient the theoretical framework and guide how research questions and hypotheses are formulated and tested.

2. Research approach type (methods):

• This refers to how data is collected and analyzed.

• Qualitative methods aim for rich, contextual understanding of social phenomena.

• Quantitative methods focus on measurable variables and statistical analysis.

• Mixed methods combine qualitative and quantitative approaches for complementary insights.

• These methodological types relate to the empirical level of research—how observations and data are handled to address the research problem.

In summary: Reasoning (deductive, inductive, abductive) shapes the research logic and theory relationship, while methodological types (qualitative, quantitative, mixed) shape the data collection and analysis techniques. Both are integral and appropriate classifications of research approaches in social science.

This distinction aligns with the main features of a research approach as a fundamental orientation to how knowledge is generated and investigated systematically in social science."

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