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Methodological choices. Research proposals
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Methodological choices
There are a number of concerns and issues often encountered during the research process which a scrupulous, ethical and effective researcher should grapple with. In terms of data collection, many key issues will arise from the way in which you operationalize your research. Operationalization refers to the laying down of rules which stipulate when instances of a concept have occurred. Operational rules link abstract concepts to observations. Such observations are sometimes also known as indicators. The extent to which you, the research designer and investi- gator, can devise a means of observing and measuring the concepts that lie at the heart of a research problem is the extent to which there is measurement validity. General and abstract non-directly measurable concepts are the building blocks of theories. The researcher needs to operationalize these concepts after careful clarification of them. Whilst there are various checks that can be used to assess validity, including criterion validity, content validity and construct validity, we would draw attention to your ability as a researcher to engage in creative deci- sion making. Many of you will be doing criminological research yourself, whilst others will be managing a research project. In both instances, you will face sig- nificant moments when you must make important methodological choices. When such decision-making moments are upon you, we suggest you foreground power and give due consideration to unequal relationships between the researcher and the researched.
So, you should be continuously checking and ensuring that you are studying what
you want to study, that you are measuring what you should be measuring and what you intended to measure.
Research proposals
Ultimately, the aim of research is to bring forward evidence to make an argument in relation to the research problem(s). The means by which this is to be accom- plished is stipulated in a research proposal, which is a statement of preliminary decisions about the ways in which such evidence will be collected, analysed and
presented. A research proposal can have varying degrees of formality, as Peter Francis describes in Chapter 2. In the Appendix to his classic book, The Sociological Imagination, C. Wright Mills (Wright Mills, 1959) describes the early stages of research as involving the collecting of notes, cuttings, extracts and personal thoughts. These are organized and categorized to formulate research ideas and plans, but in a manner which is constantly under review and reformation. For Mills, the writing of research proposals is a continuous process of reflection and of stimulating the ‘sociological imagination’. However, at the more formal end of the spectrum, grant-awarding bodies and other sponsors of research require precise written statements which address specific headings and must be submitted by a stipulated deadline. There are variations in the context of a proposal but typically it will address the following:
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1. There will be a statement about the mechanisms by which cases will be selected. Such cases may be individuals selected to be interviewed as part of a survey but they may also be documents be analysed or interactions to be observed.
2. The means by which data will be collected should be outlined. This may be, for example, by interviewing, using observational methods or by the use of secondary sources such as documents to be analysed or official government statistics.
3. It is necessary to detail the ways in which data will be analysed, for example by using one or more of the computer packages which are available for this purpose.
When research is stimulated through a tendering process or is commissioned, there are likely to be research criteria already set out. The research aims, objectives and questions may already be determined by the funder. An example of how the National Rural Crime Network (NCRN) invited tenders and instructed potential bidders to develop their proposal is reproduced in Box 1. 6. Other issues also need to be addressed, for instance timescale and budget; anticipated problems, such as gaining access to data; ethical dilemmas; confidentiality issues; and policy implications. A research proposal is a statement of intent about the ways in which it is anticipated the research will progress, although, as most researchers will attest to, the reality of how the project is actually accomplished is often somewhat different.
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improve reporting and improve services to victims to help them to cope and recover.
Evidence suggests there is under-reporting of domestic abuse in rural areas. Analysis of police data shows that the number of reported domestic abuse inci- dents from rural areas is about half that of urban areas, despite there being no evidence that the occurrence of domestic abuse is any different in rural areas than urban.
Instruction for proposals – Your proposal should include the following information:
· your understanding of the NRCN and how this would shape your approach to the brief
· three case studies of similar work for public sector clients
· your proposed process, stages of work, methodologies and a project schedule/ timings, working to the deadlines set out above
· any potential barriers and issues you anticipate and how they might be overcome
· a breakdown of your financial quote – how you will allocate the fees and any expenses within the total you are quoting as your standard day rates for the peo- ple who will deliver this project and the number of days each person will spend on the job
· your proposed project team and their biographies demonstrating why they have the skills and experience to fulfil the brief
· details of your approach to quality assurance and how you will guarantee quality research tools, analysis and deliverables
· any discounts/added value you are prepared to offer, bearing in mind that value for money will be important during the evaluation process.
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