SCIENTIFIC METHODLINDA PRATIWI DARMADI/ IR MAJOR/ DESIGNING SOCIAL INQUIRY

Question

The authors of Designing Social Inquiry claim that “the logic of good quantitative and good qualitative research designs does not fundamentally differ.” What are the grounds of such argument? What is that logic? Do you agree? If the logic is not that different as authors claim, when do we have to use qualitative method as opposed to quantitative method and also vice versa? Which method would you use in your research?

Introduction

Quantitative research: The key point of quantitative research is using

numerical measurement and statistic of specific aspect with source of

data that can be described by numbers.

Purpose:

Analyze the research problem

Resulted general description (describe the causal conclusion from related

case).

Result could become guidance or example for others.

The result of quantitative research can be figured by statistic graphic.

Quantitative Research

Example from economic research; research of World Bank related

Global Income Inequality by the Numbers: in History and Now (2012)

by Branco Milanovic. The research is presenting the calculation of

global inequality.

Research was conducted using the mean income and Gini Coefficient

data from 150 countries. In addition the research also took 120-130

surveys from the population in the world. In this case, amount of

population also take important part in conducting economic research.

Introduction

Qualitative research

Relying on textual and contextual understanding.

Approach is through investigation, observation of social behavior.

Information has wide range and

Focus on less case compared to quantitative research and get details of

those small number of cases.

Qualitative Research

Example from anthropology or area study research. Work from Clifford

Geertz Thick Description/Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight

(1973). He conducted Field Work for collected the information and get

immersed with the local society activity and environment. The

research also did not using a lot of cases study and only focus did

research in same place for more than a year.

Discussion (Qualitative and Quantitative fundamentally same)

Qualitative ≠ quantitative : style. Methodologically and Substantively

not important.

Qualitative = quantitative :

The ground logic are ‘The rule of inference and Scientific Research’.

Both are having goal to produce the causal inference from the research.

Through the rule of causal inference, result is expected to be able describe

explicitly the fact that is happened and being accepted as reality and

useful for further and other kind of research.

Agree or Not Agree?

Either quantitative or qualitative is attempt for rule of causal inference.

The logic both of quantitative and qualitative are having same goal and seen as style of research design.

To aim the goal need to be “scientific research”. Good result will be produced if adheres with scientific and systematic approaches.

Both have similar goal to learn the reality in the world which is can be concluded as causal inference.

The point is, authors are seeing “scientific and systematic approach” as the methodology. Statistic or numerical is not seen as methodologically but as style.

Discussion

Scientific and systematic approaches might be easier to be found in quantitative data as usually numerical and statistical graphic can be seen in quantitative research.

It does not mean qualitative research cannot or not become scientific research. As stated by Skocpol, Historical research could make wider analysis perspective and give more chance to evaluate alternative explanation (Skocpol 1984:374-86).

Qualitative research can be seen as scientific and systematic when researcher conduct the research using the principle of knowledge, planning and execution of the research process in appropriate order, sticking to set of rules of inference, the validity and accuracy of result can be tested.

Those are the reason why designing research procedure is important. 

Discussion

Authors’ ideal definition of scientific research are having four characteristics.

1st: Produce ‘explanatory and descriptive’ inference. Research is not only gather facts, but those fact that are being collected need to be proceed by observe and analyze the material that not yet observed and make inference that is beyond the observation itself.

2nd: ‘Publicity’; Researchers need to use method that is explicit, codified and following the research procedures that supposed to be. So the reliability of inference can be validated and give benefit for the public.

3rd: ‘Conclusion is uncertain’ and not perfect. Scientific research can be acknowledged when the uncertainty can be assessed.

4th: ‘Content is the method for scientific research’. The content can be defined as the set of rules to make causal inference. Material that are collected not the content and can be find endlessly when it become public and the uncertainty can be measured.

Discussion

Do not use the complexity of scientific research as reason to down grading the scientific value in research. Study research will be improved through collecting more data as many as observable implication.

Designing appropriate data collection procedures become important part to re-evaluate theory and avoid researchers become stuck.

Neither qualitative nor quantitative dominated each other as being used for research. As human being, people will have tendency to prioritize one of approaches considering the benefit and cost.

Combination of qualitative and quantitative is inevitably needed regardless of research problem.

Comparison is required to make strong evidence. Researcher also indeed will have more curiosity, when the causal inference from research become ambiguous, researcher will be more skeptics and improve their data.

Discussion (Combination of quantitative and qualitative)

“Lisa L. Martin Coercive Cooperation (1992) explain the relations of international cooperation with economic sanction, the quantitative approach was using ninety-nine cases of attempted economic sanctions after World War II. But the causal inference that was produced were ambiguous, then she did another qualitative research by executed six cases more detail to gather strong evidence in the end.

Research project of Robert D. Putnam and his colleagues for Making Democracy Work (1993) using quantitative method by interviewed 115 community leaders and spread questionnaire to more than 500 community leaders. Still, those information not yet enough for them and they conducted detailed case in six regions politic”.

In the end they gained more valuable information by maximized the combination of using qualitative and quantitative research. Each style has limitation, and those limitation could be filled in by each other.

Discussion

Inference = approximate of truth that is being discovered.

Because the accuracy of research inference might be not perfect.

Limitation of researcher knowledge and insight might display some

mistakes could be happened.

Uncertainty is the reason to do the scientific research to find the real

fact and compact it become inference. Further research can be

developed and material can be found in every phase of life, time and

phenomena in the world.

Which method will be used for research?

Combining qualitative and quantitative might be the almost ideal style to do research.

Topic of research: “Australia intervention toward East Timor independence; an endeavor to gain control toward oil and gas in Timor Sea”.

Short chronology: East Timor was under control of Indonesia government for 25 years and a lot of human security violence happened. The issue had a peak time in international society in the end of 1998 when Australian Prime Minister gave proposal that suggested Indonesia’s President to make plebiscite or vote from East Timor people either stayed under Indonesia or become independent state. Thus attitude insulted pro-Indonesia (Military side) because it interpreted as Indonesia “colonialized” East Timor despite East Timor as one of province in Indonesia. It also provoked riot action. On behalf of humanitarian concern, Australia further action was advocated United Nations (UN) support East Timor against Indonesia’s cruelty. In 2002, East Timor became independence. UN support East Timor rebuilt the state through The UN Mission of Support in East Timor. Australia military did intervention also in the development of East Timor. In 2013, different issue raised by East Timor to the court related Oil and Gas treaty with Australia included spying issue from Australian Secret Intelligence Service in East Timor cabinet room.

Which method will be used for research?

Abstractly, first hypothesis; Australia was supporting an independence of East Timor because Indonesia did not cooperative humanitarian concern in East Timor. Second hypothesis is Australia did intervention in East Timor conflict with Indonesia with attempts to gain more benefit from cultivation of Timor Sea regarding oil and gas treaty between two countries.

In brief, question that might be being posed are; (why Aussie supported the independence of East Timor? Why were Australia spied East Timor cabinet room? Why economic relations cause to security and intelligence conflict between two states? What is Australia support towards East Timor? How is condition of East Timor is compared other poor states? Is United Nation have responsibility with East Timor current fate? What is UN supposed to do for East Timor and Australia conflict? Will it be better if East Timor keep staying as part of Indonesia?).

Data collection: report of Australia and East Timor profit from oil and gas production in Timor Sea. Closed Interview with related parties from each state. Historical timeline of East Timor relations with Australia since prior independence of East Timor. Treaty document between Australia and East Timor and also document from United Nations related activity in East Timor.

authors (KKV) gave two criteria to be considered to choose research topic;

Research is real-world case.

Research is expected to be contributed for social science knowledge and minimize duplicating the method for proceed the project.

References

 King, Gary, Keohane, Robbert, and Verba, Sidney Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research. pdf. Uniteed Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 1994.

 

Milanovic, Branco. “Global Income Inequality by the Numbers: In History and Now.” http://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/pdf/10.1596/1813-9450-6259. (Search date: 4 March 2015)

Geertz, Clifford. “Thick Description/Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight.” Geertz, Clifford. (ed.). The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books, 1973, Chapt. 1(pp. 3-32) and Chapt. 15(pp.412-453).

BBC News Asia “East Timor Profile: East Timor's road to independence - achieved on 20 May 2002 - was long and traumatic.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-14919009 (search date: 6 March 2015)

Lachica, Alan A. “Humanitarian intervention in East Timor: An analysis of Australia’s leadership role” http://www.review.upeace.org/index.cfm?opcion=0&ejemplar=22&entrada=113. Vol5. Issue 2. 2011. (Search date: 6 March 2015)

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