Research Methods Report: Qualitative Research Epistemology and Ethics

This report delves into the core concepts of research methods, focusing on epistemology, ethical considerations, and qualitative research techniques. The report begins with an introduction to epistemology within business research, outlining its significance and various sources of knowledge. It then discusses the acceptance and rejection of knowledge within qualitative research, emphasizing the importance of intuitive knowledge and the interplay of multiple perspectives. The report proceeds to explain different epistemologies, such as objectivism, constructivism, and subjectivism, arguing for the suitability of constructivism in qualitative studies. It also highlights the limitations of each epistemology. Furthermore, the report addresses ethical codes in research, emphasizing the importance of honesty, integrity, and confidentiality. The report concludes by summarizing key findings and reiterating the significance of ethical conduct in research, reinforcing the value of constructivism as the most appropriate epistemology for qualitative studies.

Research methods

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
2. Discussion regarding what is been accepted and not accepted with reference to knowledge
in the qualitative research............................................................................................................3
3. Explaining different epistemologies and the most suitable one for qualitative study with
appropriate reason .......................................................................................................................4
4. Explaining the issues relating to ethical codes along with example........................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

Topic: To assess an impact of the working capital management on the profitability of an
enterprise:A study on Tesco
INTRODUCTION
Epistemology in the business research is referred as the branch of the philosophy that
deals with sources of the knowledge. Particularly, epistemology is mainly concerned with the
nature, possibilities, limitations and the sources of the knowledge within the study. In the
research philosophy there are various different knowledge sources that are been used in the
research study. It could be branded as study of the criteria in which researcher classifies what
does and do not constitute a knowledge (Brown, 2017). In other words, epistemology emphasize
on what is called as true and it is the method of thinking just opposite to an ontology.
Aims and objectives
Aim
To investigate influence of rough sleeping on young people in the London: Case Study on young
people of London
Objectives
 To understand the concept of rough sleeping
 To evaluate different factors that causes rough sleeping among the young people
 To determine an effect of managing rough sleeping in the young people of London
 To recommend appropriate measures for overcoming the problem of rough sleeping
among the youth in London
2. Discussion regarding what is been accepted and not accepted with reference to knowledge in
the qualitative research
Qualitative research method refers to the study of the emotions, feelings, attitudes and the
qualitative characteristics in relation to the rough sleeping. It does not takes into account the
numerical facts and an elements that are quantifiable in nature (Bowleg, 2017). With regards to
the knowledge in this study intuitive knowledge is been adopted in order to study qualitative
components that are based on beliefs, intuition, faith with respect to assess significance, factors
and effect of the rough sleeping on the health of young people.
Qualitative research depicts an importance of the context and the values, participants and
the setting frames of the reference. Moreover, the way within which a researcher and the
participant communicate and enters a research field that is influential and crucial element of the

research process and its results. A study that is been conducted by using the qualitative
techniques acknowledges an existence and the study of an interplay of the multiple voice and the
views. It also takes into account construction of the knowledge and the reality that needs to be
mapped out. Construction of the knowledge in the qualitative research relates to philosophical
underpinnings which a scholar chooses that whether the data collection method in the particular
research are been used on the site (Thomas and et.al., 2019). In trying for making the sense of the
social reality, no theory or method has the universal and the general claim towards the
authoritative knowledge.
3. Explaining different epistemologies and the most suitable one for qualitative study with
appropriate reason
There are mainly three types of the epistemologies in the research study that are as
follows-
Objectivism- It means meaningful reality is present apart from operation of any of the
consciousness. Under this, values are been considered as objectified in people and by making use
of the appropriate research methods an investigator could discover an objective truth.
Constructivism- This epistemology rejects an objectivist view of the human knowledge
and in this truth and the meaning is been constructed and not discovered. People might construct
the meaning in the different ways even in case of the same phenomena.
Subjectivism- It is been evident in the structuralist, postmodernist, post-structuralist
thinking (Feenberg, 2017). Under this meaning does not emerge from an interaction between
subject and the object and is imposed on an object by subject.
From the above assessment it has been analysed that constructivism is the most suitable
epistemology while conducting the qualitative research as the position in relation to an
understanding of the reality is the social construction and not the objective truth.
Interpretivism is counted as the most suitable research philosophy in preparing for the
qualitative study that involves social phenomena and the subjective meanings which focuses on
the details of the situation, reality behind such details and the subjective meanings or motivating
actions.
The other type of the epistemology is not considered as suitable for making the
qualitative research because it does provides for analysis of the social components and does not

focuses on studying human knowledge. Each of the epistemologies contains limitation that are as
follows-
Objectivism- It does not takes into the social constructivism and the qualitative attributes
of the study so it is not counted as suitable for this research issue.
Constructivism- This epistemology cannot be used in case of studying the quantitative
elements or the objects associated to the study.
Subjectivism- In does provide for an accurate view of the inferences and the findings as
it includes both objectivism and constructivism both.
4. Explaining the issues relating to ethical codes along with example
Ethics are stated as the set of the rules that governs the expectation of the other and the
own behaviour. In research ethical codes reflected as the set of the ethics which governs the
ways in which scientific and the other research is been performed at the research institutions like
the universities (Bowleg, 2017). The major ethical codes includes honesty and integrity,
objectivity, carefulness, confidentiality, respect, legality and responsible publication.
For example- In order to carry out the study, it is important for the researcher to take
utmost care towards the participants and ensuring full privacy of the respondents details.
CONCLUSION
By summing up the above report it has been stated that constructivism is the best and the
most suitable epistemology that an investigator has to adopt while preparing for the research
report. Epistemology comprises of many branches that involves Objectivism, constructivism and
subjectivism which is been used for different types of the research study and the philosophy.
Moreover, it is crucial for the scholar to conduct the study in compliance with all the ethical
codes.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bowleg, L., 2017. Towards a critical health equity research stance: Why epistemology and
methodology matter more than qualitative methods. Health Education & Behavior. 44(5).
pp.677-684.
Brown, P., 2017. Narrative: an ontology, epistemology and methodology for pro-environmental
psychology research. Energy Research & Social Science. 31. pp.215-222.
Feenberg, A., 2017. Replies to critics: Epistemology, ontology, methodology. In Critical Theory
and the Thought of Andrew Feenberg (pp. 285-317). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Thomas, A. and et.al., 2019. Scoping reviews in health professions education: challenges,
considerations and lessons learned about epistemology and methodology. Advances in
Health Sciences Education. pp.1-14.
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