Professional Research and Analysis: Statistical vs Theoretical Generalizability and Parsimony vs Rigor in Research Endeavour

Running head: PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
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1PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
Table of Contents
A. Statistical versus Theoretical Generalizability........................................................................2
1. Definition and Comparison...................................................................................................2
1.1 Definition...........................................................................................................................2
1.2. Comparison...................................................................................................................2
2. Business Examples...............................................................................................................3
3. Applicability.........................................................................................................................4
B. Parsimony versus Rigor in Research Endeavour.....................................................................5
1. Definition and Comparison......................................................................................................5
1.1. Definition.......................................................................................................................5
1.2. Comparison.......................................................................................................................6
2. Business Example.................................................................................................................6
3. Applicability.........................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

2PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
A. Statistical versus Theoretical Generalizability
The question of generalizability deals with the query whether the study results and
conclusions derived from a research study applicable beyond the scope of study, to other people
at different time points in a different place or both (Sekaran and Bougie 2016). It is this trait of
the study to derive results which can be applicable to a different setting than the particular
subjects of the study.
1. Definition and Comparison
1.1 Definition
Statistical generalizability which falls under external validity criteria is the validity of the
results of the analysis over different samples of the same population. These sample may vary
over time and place. This is a key requirement for any statistical study to be valid. The point is to
draw ideas from a sample group which can then be deduced to be applicable to the whole
population in general (Creswelland Creswell2017).
Theoretical generalizability means to verify whether the insights from a study or rather
the theory developed from the study could be used to study or draw relevant conclusions upon a
group which is in a different place, time or situation or could be related to the observations on
another group however there is no real way to measure it but to rely on the expertise of the ones
conducting the research in drawing out the similarities or differences (Khan2014).
1.2. Comparison
Quantitative methods allows for the results to be objectively compared to the actual
condition which allows for the researcher to be able to meaningfully quantify how generalizable
a particular result is to anothersetting or a broadersample or population. This is validated usually