Visually Hypothesising in Scientific Paper Writing: Confirming and Refuting Qualitative Research Hypotheses Using Diagrams
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Overview of Visual Communication and Post-Positivist Research
Visual Communication in Post-Positivist Qualitative Research
3. Understanding Qualitative Research (and Hypotheses): Types, Notions, Contestations and Epistemological Underpinnings
3.1. What is Qualitative Research?
3.2. Types of Qualitative Research and Their Epistemological Underpinnings
3.3. What Is a Research Hypothesis? Can It Be Used in Qualitative Research?
3.4. Analogical Arguments in Support of Using Hypotheses in Qualitative Research
3.5. Can a Hypothesis Be “Tested” in Qualitative Research?
4. The Process of Developing and Using Hypotheses in Qualitative Research
“Begin a research study without having to test a hypothesis. Instead, it allows them to develop hypotheses by listening to what the research participants say. Because the method involves developing hypotheses after the data are collected, it is called hypothesis-generating research rather than hypothesis-testing research. The grounded theory method uses two basic principles: (1) questioning rather than measuring, and (2) generating hypotheses using theoretical coding.”
4.1. Formulating the Qualitative Research Hypothesis
- The qualitative hypothesis should be based on a research problem derived from the research questions.
- It should be supported by literature evidence (on the relationship or association between variables).
- It should be informed by past research and observations.
- It must be falsifiable or disprovable (see Popper [77]).
- It should be analysable using data collected from the field or literature.
- It has to be testable or verifiable, provable, nullifiable, refutable, confirmable or disprovable based on the results of analysing data collected from the field or literature.
4.2. Refuting or Verifying a Qualitative Research Hypothesis Diagrammatically (with Illustration)
“A core development concern in Nigeria is the magnitude of challenges rural people face. Inefficient infrastructures, lack of employment opportunities and poor social amenities are some of these challenges. These challenges persist mainly due to ineffective approaches used in tackling them. This research argues that an approach based on territorial development would produce better outcomes. The reason is that territorial development adopts integrated policies and actions with a focus on places as opposed to sectoral approaches. The research objectives were to evaluate rural development approaches and identify a specific approach capable of activating poverty reduction. It addressed questions bordering on past rural development approaches and how to improve urban-rural linkages in rural areas. It also addressed questions relating to ways that rural areas can reduce poverty through territorial development…”[16], p. 1
“Nigeria has legal and institutional opportunities for comprehensive improvement of rural areas through territorial development. However, due to the absence of a concrete rural development plan and area-based rural development strategies, this has not been materialized”.
- Proposition 1:Legal and institutional opportunities that can lead to comprehensive improvement of rural areas through territorial development exist in Nigeria.
- Proposition 2:However, due to the absence of a concrete rural development plan and area-based rural development strategies, this has not been materialized.
- Independent variables: legal and institutional opportunities; incessant structural changes in its political history; and policy negligence.
- Dependent variable: comprehensive rural improvements through territorial development.
5. Discussion and Conclusion
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Types | Approach to Research or Enquiries | Data Collection Methods | Data Analysis Methods | Forms in Scientific Writing | Epistemological Foundations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Narrative | Explores situations, scenarios and processes | Interviews and documents | Storytelling, content review and theme (meaning development | In-depth narration of events or situations | Objectivism, postmodernism, social constructionism, feminism and constructivism (including interpretive and reflexive) in positivist and post-positivist perspectives |
Case study | Examination of episodic events with focus on answering “how” questions | Interviews, observations, document contents and physical inspections | Detailed identification of themes and development of narratives | In-depth study of possible lessons learned from a case or cases | |
Grounded theory | Investigates procedures | Interviews and questionnaire | Data coding, categorisation of themes and description of implications | Theory and theoretical models | |
Historical | Description of past events | Interviews, surveys and documents | Description of events development | Historical reports | |
Phenomenological | Understand or explain experiences | Interviews, surveys and observations | Description of experiences, examination of meanings and theme development | Contextualisation and reporting of experience | |
Ethnographic | Describes and interprets social grouping or cultural situation | Interviews, observations and active participation | Description and interpretation of data and theme development | Detailed reporting of interpreted data |
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Chigbu, U.E. Visually Hypothesising in Scientific Paper Writing: Confirming and Refuting Qualitative Research Hypotheses Using Diagrams. Publications 2019, 7, 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications7010022
Chigbu UE. Visually Hypothesising in Scientific Paper Writing: Confirming and Refuting Qualitative Research Hypotheses Using Diagrams. Publications. 2019; 7(1):22. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications7010022
Chicago/Turabian StyleChigbu, Uchendu Eugene. 2019. "Visually Hypothesising in Scientific Paper Writing: Confirming and Refuting Qualitative Research Hypotheses Using Diagrams" Publications 7, no. 1: 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications7010022