About methods, techniques, and research tools

The next step in the work of a researcher: The choice of a research method

Let’s consider a research project as a journey: its purpose is to find answers to the (research) questions compelling to the researcher. The path to this goal is marked by the research method. Your role as a social researcher is to consciously choose the most appropriate path and follow its principles and guidelines; this oath is about choosing a research question. You also have to consider the reliability of your measurements. Remember that in the scientific community only the reliable data is considered worth analyzing, drawing conclusions and arguing about. Thus, the objectives of the research together with the research questions set the direction of your research, while the research method indicates how you will collect data. In addition, research methods imply the research tools that should be used to gather data and draw conclusions.

Note: The aim of this module is to provide practical tips and necessary knowledge for choosing the appropriate research method. During this module, you will see examples of research methods used in social sciences, but at this stage we will not discuss them in detail. You will learn more about the application of selected methods in the next section of the Toolbox: Conducting Research.

About methods, techniques, and research tools

A research method is defined as a way of scientifically studying a phenomenon. It consists of specific activities within the research procedure, supplemented by a set of tools used to collect and analyze data.

The intentional, planned, and conscious choice of a research method is a guarantee of the success of the entire research project. The choice of the research method should therefore precede the research itself and lead to the consistent application of the principles of the method during its course (small lapses are possible in qualitative research, which you will learn about soon). The research method is characterized by its replicability. By this we mean that the results of the study should be verifiable and help another researcher replicate the study in another context. The diagram below presents the characteristics of research method that you should keep in mind when implementing your research project.

The concept of the research method is related to another concept that is important to us: the research technique. For each method, we can indicate many techniques that in some way detail the sequence of research activities within the selected method, while also indicating the optimal research tools. In other words, while the research method quite generally dictates the way of scientific study, the technique tells what the process should look like and with what tools it should be carried out. Usually, we are talking about a data collection technique, but its choice also determines the method of data analysis and verification of research hypotheses.

Various classifications of research methods and techniques were proposed in academic literature. Sometimes one author qualifies a procedure as a method, and another defines it as a technique. This problem is highlighted by Bäcker et al. (2016: 66-67):

in practice, the distinction between research method and research technique is vague. It is said that a method is more general than a research technique, but the line between general and specific is not set at one precise point. This distinction is somewhat intuitive (...) Ultimately, it is less important whether the set of methodological rules used in the study is called a method or a technique. It is more important that it is applied correctly and complies with the requirements.