Academic Disciplines. The Most Basic

¶ … academic disciplines. The most basic different types of research are quantitative and qualitative research, according to Rayas, who describes her research using an online library search engine of a variety of studies. According to Rayas all of the studies, roughly speaking, use either one method or the other: qualitative (inductive, subjective) and quantitative (deductive, objective, data-driven) research. Rayas offers 'textbook' definitions of both methods.

However, one problem with describing a library search and the results is that occasionally it can be difficult to know when the author is speaking and when the author is quoting a study. Because Rayas presents lists of the data she accumulated from research study that are not in quotes, it can be difficult to follow her argument and discern her perceptions of the results. For example, at one point she states that other methods of research include the use of critical theory, literature reviews, or mixed methods analysis, which seemingly contradicts her statement that research can generally be classified under two basic rubrics of analysis: qualitative and quantitative. Clearly Rayas found multiple examples of all of these methods, based upon her results, but this is occasionally contradicted by her focus on the qualitative vs. quantitative typology. She later states that she does not believe these other methods are fully distinct because they were largely missing from her search results and not cited as direct methods. However, given the number of researchers that use these approaches, I remain unconvinced, and Rayas herself concludes with her opinions as to when these methods are best used. I must also respectfully disagree with her opinion that quantitative methods are best relegated to the sciences and qualitative to the social sciences -- it might sometimes be necessary to conduct an objective, numerical analysis of the results of a policy, such as whether high-stakes testing in grade school really improves student's SAT scores later on. Also, it might be necessary to use qualitative analysis, such as observations of animal behavior, in the natural sciences.

"Research Methods for Information Technology"

Bobby Allen's paper "Research Methods for Information Technology" specifically deals with the importance of research for individuals in the field of informational technology. Allen creates a typology of different methods and explains their relevance to his chosen field of research. Quantitative methods deal with empirical research goals and tend to conform to the scientific method of proving or disproving a hypothesis. They are often used in IT to evaluate systems' efficacy. Qualitative research is subjective and interprets individual behaviors, frequently using a case study method. Although it might not be immediately obvious that the case study approach would be useful for IT professionals, Allen makes a convincing case that it is, noting the need to understand how intended users may interact with an interface

Other methods include critical theory, which is more philosophic in nature, and examines the underpinnings of the assumptions for various behaviors (social, political, cultural, gender-based). Literature reviews review a wide variety of studies by previous researchers to draw independent conclusions. While the theoretical nature of critical theory tends to make this method less useful for IT professionals, literature reviews can be very helpful in gathering information about trends within the field. Mixed methods that use a variety of approaches are often required, however, for complex IT projects.