Inductive and Deductive Research Approach

The Inductive way of research method moves from a broader observation approach to a specific observation approach. This method is also unofficially known as the bottom-up approach as here we reach to the particular details of any research or observation at the end of it and first, we go through the wider details around the subject. Inductive reasoning is a process where we start with specific observations and measurements, look for patterns and regularities, construct some speculative hypotheses we can test, and ultimately come up with some broad conclusions or theories.

Deductive reasoning on the other hand moves from a general to a specific conclusion. This is sometimes referred to as a "top-down" strategy. We might start by formulating a theory on our area of interest. Then, we distill that into more focused hypotheses that we can test. When we gather observations to test the theories, we focus even more. This ultimately enables us to evaluate the hypotheses using specific facts and determine whether or not our initial theories were confirmed.

The Difference Between Inductive and Deductive Approach   

When you're doing research, the "feel" of these two ways of thinking is significantly different. By its very nature, inductive reasoning is more exploratory and open-ended, especially in the beginning. Deductive reasoning is focused on testing or verifying hypotheses and is more restricted in scope. While a specific study could appear to be entirely deductive (such as an experiment created to examine the effects of a therapy on a particular outcome), most social research projects require both inductive and deductive thinking processes at some point. In fact, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that we could combine the two graphs shown above into a single circular one that repeatedly cycles between hypotheses and observations before cycling back to theories.

Theory of Research Using Inductive and Deductive Approach:

Research in social work is structured and informed by theory. On the other hand, the theory is structured and informed by social work research. When students think about the connections between the two in inductive and deductive techniques, they become aware of the reciprocal relationship between theory and research. Although the theory is important in both situations, the way that theory and research interact varies depending on the strategy.

Although the inductive and deductive research methods are very dissimilar, they can also work well together. Let's begin by examining each and their differences from one another.

Inductive Approach Method: 

When a researcher takes an inductive technique, they start by gathering information that is pertinent to their study topic. The researcher will stop collecting data once a significant volume has been gathered in order to step back and gain a bird's eye view of the data. In order to create a theory that could account for these trends, the researcher is now looking for patterns in the data. In order to proceed from a specific set of experiences to a more general set of propositions about those experiences, researchers using an inductive approach start with a set of observations. To put it another way, they progress from facts to theories, or from the particular to the general. 

Deductive Approach Method: 

A convincing social theory will serve as the starting point for deductive researchers, who will then use evidence to examine its implications. In other words, they employ the same procedures as inductive research but will carry out the processes backward, going from broad to more precise levels. Scientific study is most frequently connected with the deductive research approach. The researcher analyses existing theories of the phenomena they are examining, investigates what others have done, and then tests hypotheses that result from those theories.

What distinguishes inductive research from deductive research?

It is necessary to think of inductive and deductive research methods as reversals.

Approach: 

• A bottom-up strategy is used in inductive research.

• Deductive research follows a top-down methodology.

• The goal of inductive research is to generate new information or new theories.

• The objective of deductive research is to validate theories.

• When conducting inductive research, the researcher is primarily concerned with determining the answers to the research questions as opposed to the hypothesis.

• Deductive research involves testing hypotheses.

Utilization: 

• The inductive method is frequently employed in qualitative research projects that seek out rich descriptive material.

• Quantitative research that primarily uses numbers and employs the deductive method is its main application.

Utilizing observations:

• The goal of inductive research is to identify patterns through observation.

• The researcher employs observation in deductive research with the goal of validating the pattern.

Research Method Using Inductive Reasoning 

Inductive reasoning is a logical thought process that combines observations with personal experience to arrive at a conclusion. Every time you examine a collection of data and draw general inferences based on knowledge from previous experiences, you are using inductive reasoning.

Inductive research is frequently employed when there is little published material on a subject. This is due to the fact that the concept cannot be tested using any existing theories. The three stages of the inductive training approach are as follows:

- Observation of a Pattern

- Identification of a Pattern 

- Construction of a Theory

Advantages of Inductive Reasoning

- The ability to deal with a variety of possibilities while growing your vision and knowledge base despite the dearth of available literature is one of the most notable benefits of inductive reasoning.

- Inductive training starts with an observation before moving on to an investigation to verify the conclusion reached.

Limitation of Inductive Reasoning's Applicability

The fact that inferences are drawn from particular instances that might not have relevance in everyday life is a disadvantage of inductive reasoning.

Research Methods Using Deductive Reasoning

You start with a theory when using deductive reasoning in research. Then, more focused, testable hypothese based on this theory are developed. These are then further distilled into observations that let us test the hypothesis to see if the information supports or rejects it.

Therefore, the deductive training method can be divided into the following four stages:

- Start with an established theory

- Create a hypothesis based on the theory that already exists.

- Gather Information to Test the Hypothesis

- Determine if the data supports or refutes the hypothesis by analysing the findings.

Advantages and Drawbacks of Deductive Reasoning

Let's assess deductive reasoning by examining its advantages and disadvantages:

Strengths of Deductive Reasoning Supports judgments 

- Effective decision-making, including decisions about one's place of employment, can be supported by deductive reasoning. Additionally, even if the choice doesn't lead to the outcomes you were hoping for, you may still defend your choice by offering rational and factual justifications.

- Another benefit of deductive reasoning is that, if all the original premises are true in all circumstances and the logic used is sound, your conclusion is nearly certainly true.

Drawback with Deductive Reasoning 

The validity of the original premises is primarily reliant on deductive reasoning. If any one of the premises is proven to be false, the entire argument is invalidated.

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