Context of Research and Epistemology

Definitions: 

• Ontology: What is there to study?
• Epistemology: How can we know about it?

What is research:

• The progress of finding facts
• Collecting information, experiments, talking to people
• Analysing 
• Asking questions you don't know the answer to
• It's a process not a product and it doesn't go from A to B

Types of Research:

• Primary: Carrying out experiments, etc
• Secondary: Collecting data which already exists

Different Approaches to Research:

• stimulated approach - influenced by thinking, watching, seeing, reading
• systematic approach - practical, finding out physically 
• intuitive approach - gathered from experience

Types of Data

• Quantitate- numbers, stats, data
• Qualitative- concepts, feelings

Reflection:

• I think I relay too much on intuitive research sometimes, I should probably broaden my ideas more by thinking more about the different approaches to research.
• Paradigm Position- I am at the centre of my own research.
• Start with any approach to research, then go onto another, etc
• Keep things relevant to you
• Play with purpose