Lecture_1_RM (research methodology).ppt

* * * RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Erqian Zhu Ph.D in Economics The School of International Business Beijing Language and Culture University FROM A STUDENT TO A RESEARCHER Undergraduate student Graduate student Researcher What is research and researcher? Research (D) :diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover or revise facts, theories, applications Research (Webster Dictionary): investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws Research (Oxford): the systematic study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. Researcher: a scientist who devotes himself to doing research INTRODUCTIONABOUT THE RESEARCH METHOD The subject of this course is how we find out about social reality. Looking for Reality Inquiry is a natural human activity. Much of ordinary human inquiry seeks to explain events and predict future events. When we understand through direct experience, we make observations and seek patterns of regularities in what we observe. Much of what we know, we know by agreement rather than by experience. In particular, two important sources of agreed-on knowledge are: Tradition Authority LOOKING FOR REALITY Knowledge from Agreement Reality How do we know what is real? A scientific assertion must have both logical and empirical support. Epistemology – the science of knowing; systems of knowledge. Methodology – the science of finding out; procedures for scientific investigation. Agreement Reality – those things we “know” as part of the culture we share with those around us. LOOKING FOR REALITY Ordinary Human Inquiry Humans want to predict the future. Why? We recognize that the future is caused in part by the present. Cause and effect patterns are probabilistic in nature. Prediction versus Understanding Tradition Authority LOOKING