A brief teaching note on the data gathering design considerations of research methods

A brief teaching note on the data gathering design considerations of research methods (information from perplexity.ai)

My question: "Briefly highlight the main research methods considerations of the data gathering design requirement from the perspectives of: positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism and critical realism"

The reply: "Here is a brief highlight of the main research methods considerations for data gathering design from the perspectives of positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism, and critical realism:

• Positivism: Emphasizes objectivity, empirical evidence, and use of quantitative methods such as surveys, experiments, and structured observations. The focus is on measurable and generalizable data, testing hypotheses, and establishing causal relationships with reliable and valid instruments to minimize researcher bias.

• Interpretivism: Focuses on understanding subjective meanings, beliefs, and motivations through qualitative methods like interviews, observations, and document analysis. It values context-rich, naturalistic data to interpret social interactions and rejects a single method to access "truth".

• Pragmatism: Offers flexibility in method choice, combining qualitative and quantitative methods based on what works best to answer the research question practically. Data collection methods are chosen for their utility in providing actionable and relevant knowledge, often using mixed methods and adapting design as needed.

• Critical Realism: Emphasizes uncovering underlying causal mechanisms through qualitative and sometimes quantitative methods that provide depth and context. It relies on theory-driven data analysis using techniques such as abduction and retroduction to link empirical observations to real causal structures, often using in-depth interviews and holistic approaches.

These perspectives shape the data gathering design by guiding the choice of methods, the nature of data collected, how context and causality are handled, and the role of the researcher in the data collection process."

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.