Building a Scientific Foundation through Strong Paradigms, Axioms, and Research Concepts

By Raidah Huwaida (1232010134)
5th Semester Student/D Department of Islamic Education Management, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training, Bachelor's Degree Program, Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University, Bandung

In research, particularly in the field of management, researchers are often faced with a choice between two main approaches that have different perspectives. Many argue that there is no single superior method; the choice between quantitative (number-based) and qualitative (narrative-based) approaches depends heavily on the research objectives themselves. This is often a problem, especially for novice researchers, who are confused about which approach is most suitable and how to apply the basic concepts correctly so that their research results are reliable and useful. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a basic understanding of the perspectives, concepts, and measurements in both approaches so that researchers are able to design good studies.

First, these two research approaches stem from different perspectives. Quantitative research is based on objectivity, where the main focus is on collecting numerical data and generalizing the results to test a hypothesis or find a cause-and-effect relationship. To ensure quality, this approach relies heavily on valid (targeted) and reliable (consistent) measurement tools. In contrast, qualitative research aims to understand the meaning, context, and subjective perspectives of a phenomenon through social interaction. To ensure that its findings are reliable, this approach typically uses cross-checking techniques from various data sources (triangulation).

Second, every study, regardless of its approach, always begins with problem identification. A good research problem must be specific, relevant, and feasible to study. Once the problem has been formulated, the next step is to determine the key concepts to be used. These concepts need to be explained in two ways: conceptually, i.e., a theoretical explanation based on existing literature, and operationally, i.e., a practical explanation of how the concept will be measured or observed in the field. A clear relationship between the problem and the definition of the concept will give the research a strong foundation.

Third, in research, we often encounter abstract concepts that cannot be measured directly, such as "learning motivation" or "leadership." These abstract concepts are referred to as constructs. In order to measure them, researchers need indicators, which are measurable variables that indicate the presence or absence of these constructs. For example, indicators for "learning motivation" could be how often someone reads books or how active they are in class. The process of converting these abstract constructs into measurable indicators using tools such as questionnaires or interview guidelines is called operationalization.

Fourth, the phenomenon being studied is a real-world event or social phenomenon. In order to be analyzed, this phenomenon must be converted into data, either in the form of numbers (quantitative) or narratives or text (qualitative). When collecting numerical data, it is important to use the appropriate measurement scale. There are four main types of scales: nominal scales for grouping data without order (e.g., gender), ordinal scales for ordering data based on levels (e.g., championship rankings), interval scales that have equal distances but no absolute zero value (e.g., temperature in Celsius), and ratio scales, which are the most complete because they have an absolute zero value (e.g., body weight).

In conclusion, quantitative and qualitative research offer two different but equally valuable approaches to understanding a subject. Quantitative research focuses more on testing theories through numbers and generalizations, while qualitative research explores meaning and context in greater depth through interpretation. A good understanding of basic concepts, from identifying problems and defining concepts to selecting measurement scales, is an important foundation for researchers to produce findings that are reliable, relevant, and useful for the development of science.

This article is a review of Part 5 (Paradigms, Axioms, and Specific Research Concepts) from the teaching materials for the Management Research Methods course, taught by Prof. Dr. H. A Rusdiana, M.M. (https://digilib.uinsgd.ac.id/id/eprint/121673)

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