I have signed up for a part time PhD course in Oil and Gas Management. I am looking for a research topic related to Refinery and Petrochemical section. I have been a Mechanical engineer and have 10 years of experience in Refinery and Petrochemical plants in Maintenance and Reliability departments. Still I find it difficult […]
Continue reading Need a PhD Topic for Oil and Gas Industry, Please Help!
Hey all These titles in the research methodology are blurry for me. I cannot understand when to use what. It would be really helpful if someone could guide me for the same. Thank you
Continue reading Thematic analysis, Grounded theory and Observational theory
1. (Canada, Quebec, Montreal) Danielle25: I think you need a book on qualitative research. There are lots of them but my personal favourite is:
http://www.amazon.com/Qualitative-Inquiry-Research-Design-Traditions/dp/0761901442/ref
For thematic analysis, I find this book really good:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Transforming-Qualitative-Information-Thematic-Development/dp/0761909613
For others, ever tried searching at Google Scholar? It I’ll give you all the essential information.
I found these books, referred by my friend, regarding research methodology. You can check them out, they might be available online or libraries.
1. Cresswell, J. W. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions
2. Richard E. Boyatzis. Transforming Qualitative Information: Thematic Analysis and Code Development
You can also check these online resources:
http://www.resourcesvalley.com/the-basics-of-research-methodology/
Thematic Analysis is the most common form of analysis in qualitative research. It emphasizes on pinpointing, examining, and recording patterns (or “themes”) within data.
Grounded Theory is an inductive methodology. Although many call Grounded Theory a qualitative method, it is not. It is a general method. It is the systematic generation of theory from systematic research.
Observational Theory on the other hand, is based on observational learning which occurs through observing the behaviour of others. It is a form of social learning which takes various forms, based on various processes.
So, decide on the basis of your research questions, that which methodology will suit best in getting the answers. Take help from your friends or professor, don’t beat yourself much over this. Good Luck!
Thank you everyone I am finally able to differentiate between all the three theories and I am grateful to each one of you. But I have confusion, whether I can use both grounded and observational theory in my research. My topic is based on Ethnography. Kindly give me some suggestions.
Hi Andrew, I think you are still confused about choosing the preferred theory for your research. It’s better if you can first differentiate between Grounded and observational theory.
You will find some authors, such as Creswell, who treat case studies and grounded theory as two separate things, but I personally think of case studies as a way to frame your research questions and grounded theory as a general strategy for conducting qualitative research. So, in my view they are indeed compatible. In particular, you could use grounded theory as the basis for how you collect and analyze the data from your case study.
As for triangulation, that generally involves comparing two different sources of data, with the analogy that if they agree then this is like two separate lines meeting at the point of a triangle. For example, you could triangulate the results from one case study with another, or the results from a qualitative study with those from a quantitative study. So, unless you plan to compare different sets of results, it does not make sense in your case.
That still doesn’t clear my doubt. The difference between grounded and observational theory is okay, I get it. But can I use them both in my study?
Yea, I guess you can. Not an expert but what harm can it do? There are a lot of studies that use more than one approach. It might even authenticate your study.
But why would you want to use two methods of qualitative approach? I am sorry, but it makes little sense to me. Both the methods might generate the same results. If you want to choose more than one method, then I’d like to suggest that you conduct a mixed-method study with both qualitative and quantitative approach. That will give more value as per me.
Hi, I have just started my Ph.D. and the topic of my research is on “Multi-generational techniques for encouraging the consumption of green products among consumers of all generations”. My advisor has asked me to build a research design for my topic. She explained all the concepts that are incorporated in the design, but what […]
Continue reading Formulating a research design
One of the interesting aspects about history projects is the vast amount of literature that has already been written on the topic. Obviously, it is difficult for the researcher to go back in time and personally examine what happened at a specific time and on a specific date. The researcher will have to rely on […]
Continue reading History Projects and Literature Review
My opinion actually goes the other way. What I think is that Literature Review in history is quite easy since you have so much written about our past and we can easily locate what we need.
Right Richard! While going through previous researches we are able to decide well that what topic should we take.
Preparing LR is like collecting all the information about our research’s past.
Collecting LR is a great help in getting a thorough understanding of our tolpic
I found this step really interesting as I got to know many unknown facts.
Laura Urner 7:30 am on April 28, 2016 Permalink | Log in to Reply
A topic has to be generated from the research gap. For that you need to study a lot of literature that is available pertaining to maintenance issues in oil refineries and what has been done in it. A research gap could be anything, lack of research or poor techniques. When you find that gap, you need to propose how you will fill it. Your topic should be related to that. That’s what I think.
Diana Freeh 10:12 am on May 6, 2016 Permalink | Log in to Reply
It’s good that you have already narrowed down your research area. What you can do is search the websites of the companies in this domain. See their content, and look for what they are currently working on, their divisions and the work they are doing in it. That will tell you the current progression of your industry. You can get topic ideas from there.
Preeti Nirman 5:59 am on May 13, 2016 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Congratulations for your first step 🙂
There are a lot of things that are to be considered before settling for a topic.
First, you got to narrow down your research area first and then you have to find what nobody has found up till now.
Get on some data and then work on refining your topic.
A topic has to be doable, which can be completed within the time allotted. Don’t take on something that you won’t be able to do.
Write a problem statement, get it checked with your supervisor.
That’ll do.
Pankaj Gupta 4:38 am on May 25, 2016 Permalink | Log in to Reply
There are so many papers, it’s impossible to read down every research. I am somewhere around the line: “evaluating challenges and recommending strategies for oil refinery industries”. Now, there are so many research papers that relate to this, so I can write literature review on it, but how do I get something new?
Diana Freeh 12:30 pm on June 1, 2016 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Select the region where you want to conduct your research. Don’t be too keen on finding the gap first. The topic can be tentative. I read these tips for selecting a topic, have a look:
http://www.thesishelpcenter.com/quick-tips/the-criterion-of-choosing-a-topic.htm
Leonardo Carvalho Pereira 11:46 am on June 3, 2016 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Pankaj! I can suggest you few areas/departments where you can work on maintenance and reliability:
• Oil & Gas and Corporate Social Responsibility
• Oil & Gas Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Oil & Gas Strategic Operations Management
• General Issues in Oil & Gas Operations
You can work in these areas as they don’t really require any lab work. You can easily go for interviews or surveys. Also, as per your convenience, you can merge two of these areas.
Pankaj Gupta 11:49 am on June 22, 2016 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I think that settling with a topic that has limited scope will be the most smart option. So I’ll go with “evaluating challenges and recommending strategies for Indian oil refineries: an empirical study”.
Alex Kruger 4:46 am on July 5, 2016 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Sounds good enough, do prepare your problem statement though. Because that is what will back you topic.