Points to remember
The following are the major points introduced in this chapter. Ensure that you are very confident with their meaning, content, context and significance.
1
Research initiation entails the selection of methodology, the selection and
definition of the research topic, the decision to conduct an exploratory study,
operationalisation and formulation of hypotheses.
2
The research topic is usually chosen by the researcher but it can also be
determined by social circumstances or the sponsor.
3
Most issues are researchable.
4
The choice of methodology varies with a number of factors, of which the personal
choice of the researcher and the nature of the topic are two.
5
Defining the research topic before the research has begun is a common practice
and also imperative for quantitative social researchers but not for qualitative
researchers.
6
Exploratory studies involve the review of literature, expert surveys, and the
analysis of case studies.
7
The goals of exploratory studies are to establish feasibility of the study, to
familiarise the researcher with the research topic and the respondents, to bring
new ideas to the research, and to facilitate operationalisation and the
formulation of hypotheses.
8
Operationalisation is the process of quantifying variables for the purpose of
measuring their occurrence, strength and frequency.
9
The process of operationalisation entails selection and quantification of
indicators, and quantification of the variable.
10 The
rules of operationalisation are the rule of empirical relevance, the rule of
correspondence, the rule of empirical adequacy and the rule of quantification.
11
Qualitative researchers do not use operationalisation; instead they use
'sensitising concepts'.
12 A
hypothesis is an assumption about the status of events or about relations
between variables.
13
Hypotheses should adhere to certain rules, for example, be clear, specific,
precise and empirically testable; they must describe one issue at a time; and
they must not contain statements that are contradictory.
14 There
are many types of hypotheses, for example, working hypotheses, statistical
hypotheses, research hypotheses, null hypotheses, alternative hypotheses and
scientific hypotheses.