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Doctor of Science in Computer Science Handbook

Appendix A Acceptable Types of Research for the DSCS Program

Please also refer to the templates in the Doctor of Computer Science Doctoral Lounge.

The choice of whether to use a qualitative or quantitative methodology is based on the nature of the questions being asked, the state of the field, and the feasibility of the approach with the population of interest.

 

  • Qualitative Action Research (AR) is a research methodology that combines elements of qualitative research and action research. It is a systematic approach to understanding and improving specific situations, often within organizational or community settings. Qualitative action research is characterized by its participatory and iterative nature, focusing on generating practical knowledge and solutions to address real-world problems.
     
    Qualitative action research is a flexible and adaptive approach that is well-suited to addressing complex, context-specific problems in various fields, including education, healthcare, social work, and community development. It emphasizes collaboration, learning, and the application of research findings to create tangible improvements in real-world situations.

     

  • Quantitative Research is a systematic and structured research endeavor that employs quantitative research methods and techniques to investigate, analyze, and draw conclusions about a specific research question or hypothesis. These projects aim to generate numerical data and statistical findings to gain insights into the relationships between variables, test hypotheses, and make evidence-based conclusions.

    Quantitative research projects are often used to address research questions that involve measurements, comparisons, and relationships between variables that can be quantified. They are valuable in fields like psychology, economics, sociology, education, healthcare, computer and data science and the natural sciences, where numerical data can provide valuable insights and support evidence-based decision-making. The specific details of a quantitative research project can vary depending on the research objectives and the methodology chosen, but they all share the common goal of systematically collecting and analyzing numerical data to answer research questions.

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