Finding the right empirical research methods for your academic project can be challenging, whether it’s a term paper, thesis, or dissertation.
On my channel, you’ll find extensive information and tutorials about specific methods and techniques, such as grounded theory, experimental design, or survey research.
But before you dive headfirst into applying a particular method, it’s essential to take a step back.
First, it’s crucial to understand which empirical research methods are out there, and which ones are suitable for your current situation.
Based on a 5-step process, this article will guide you on how to select the best method for your research design.
What are empirical methods in research?
The starting point for questions like this article is always the field of philosophy of science. I will attempt to simplify the basic assumptions here, but still provide helpful insights for your practical application.
Philosophy of science deals with the question of how we, as researchers, can gain knowledge or understanding. Despite centuries of philosophical deliberations and different schools of thought, it has become clear that science operates quite well with the dichotomy of theory and empiricism.
Theory preserves knowledge at an abstract level and provides frameworks for specific phenomena. It waits to be challenged, strengthened, refuted, or refined by new insights.
Empirical investigations are situated one level below theory, closer to the real-world subject. Methods are the tools and practices used to acquire new knowledge based on real-world phenomena. This process can inform theory and vice versa.
#1 Position Yourself in a Discipline
Then there’s the administrative side of science. A few centuries ago, it was much looser, and scientists like Isaac Newton, for example, were simultaneously physicists, philosophers, and theologians.
Today, science is sharply divided into distinct disciplines and communities. Each discipline has its own theories and methods, but fortunately, the dogmatism of these individual disciplines is being slowly dismantled, and researchers often draw from the knowledge of so-called “reference disciplines” and engage in interdisciplinary research from time to time.
This trend is also reflected in the study programs that are offered by universities. For example, today, there are fields like Business Informatics or Social Work, where students work at the intersection of two or more disciplines.
No matter what you’re studying, you should first understand which scientific discipline(s) your field of study is related to. If you’re studying in a highly specialized field like mathematics, philosophy, or psychology, the situation is very clear.
If you’re studying at an intersection, be aware of which disciplines are relevant to you. This may also change over the course of your studies or from one project to another. For example, a Business Informatics student may be methodologically and theoretically focused on computer science in one assignment but may rely on insights from business literature in another.
#2 Identify the Methodological Toolbox of Your Discipline
To decide which methods you should use in your next project, you need to find out which methods are common in the disciplines that inform your studies. It makes little sense to develop new methods or question the entire discipline as a student.
You just need to discover what is already in the toolbox.
The quickest way to do this is actually through textbooks. I’m not typically a big fan of books because the publication process is slow, and the knowledge can become outdated shortly after publication.
However, methods books and other textbooks can be useful for gaining an overview as a newbie. Often, they are authored by selfless professors who compile the basics of a particular field in a single book!
In such textbooks, you’ll usually find an overview of common methods. Additionally, you can search databases for journal and conference articles to see which methods are used in current research in your field.
Ideally, your study program offers methods courses to choose from. However, this is not always the case. If they are available, attend them, even if they are not mandatory.
#3 Distinguish Between Empirical and Non-Empirical
In most disciplines, there is some sort of split between empirical and non-empirical work. Sometimes, the empirical part is more dominant, for example in Psychology. Other disciplines are more inclined to non-empirical research but sometimes use empirical methods, for example Media studies.
Non-Empirical
When a discipline mostly follows a non-empirical approach, it doesn’t mean it is less valuable or less scientific. It simply means that the nature of the discipline leans toward understanding socially constructed or abstract phenomena and relies on (inter-)subjective argumentation.
Examples of disciplines primarily using non-empirical methods include philosophy, theology, other humanities, and the unique discipline of mathematics.
Empirical
Empirical research seeks to gain knowledge through “experience,” which is achieved by systematically collecting and analyzing data from the “real world.”
Originally, the role model for empirical research were the “hard” sciences, meaning the natural sciences such as physics, or chemistry.
However, many social sciences adopted the same approach and since then try to objectively measure all things related to social phenomena.
But since the last 50 years or so, many social sciences are also influenced by the humanities, which bring in non-empirical or subjective ways of collecting data.
#4 Consider the Research Paradigm (Qualitative vs. Quantitative)
Especially within empirical social research, there has been an ongoing battle between qualitative and quantitative researchers.
An explanation and differences between these two paradigms are summarized in my article “Qualitative vs. Quantitative.”
For these basics, please refer to that article, and I will now introduce you to the most common methods in both areas.
Quantitative:
Surveys, experiments, simulations, trace data analyses, etc.
Quantitative methods emphasize standardization. Collected data must have a format in which it can be easily translated into numerical values and statistically analyzed.
This allows you to examine large samples.
The foundation for quantitative research often includes a research question and specific hypotheses that you define upfront.
This is also referred to as a hypothetico-deductive approach, and simply means that your goal is to test the relationships between a number of theoretical constructs.
Qualitative:
For qualitative methods, it makes sense to distinguish between data collection methods and data analysis methods.
In terms of data collection, interviews (e.g., with experts, focus groups, individuals) and observations are the most prominent ones. But you could also collect data from online sources such as social media or a City archive, for example.
To analyze qualitative data, you can use grounded theory techniques, content analyses, or more computational methods such as topic modelling.
For most qualitative methods, interpretation and depth of the investigation play a significant role. Hence, you tend to examine smaller samples.
This often follows an inductive approach, which means that you develop new theory rather than testing existing theory in new combinations.
#5 Make your choice in line with your research question
The research question plays a crucial role in selecting the right method for you.
You must first know what you want to investigate before making a decision about the method.
This means that a method must be suitable to help you answer your research question.
I provide detailed guidance on how to formulate a research question in another article.
Here are five questions that can help you make a choice:
- What foundational skills have you already acquired? (e.g., statistics, qualitative coding)
- Does your department or supervisor lean more towards qualitative or quantitative research?
- How extensive is the existing theoretical basis of the phenomenon you are studying?
- Which method aligns with your personal strengths? (e.g., are you good with numbers or a creative writer?)
- Which method would be the most enjoyable for you?
Summary
In academia, theories and methods aid in the acquisition of knowledge. Academia is organized into disciplines, each with its own methods and theories.
Your research can be empirical or non-empirical. Empirical research distinguishes between natural science and social science methodologies.
In empirical social research, two paradigms, quantitative and qualitative, are prevalent.
Your choice of method depends on your research question, your existing skills, and your preferences.