Question
ASSIGNMENT 3 (2000 words): Methodology – Research approach and ethics
This assignment is intended to provide the justification or rationale for the type of research methodology chosen given the prior assignments’ discussion of the research question and the theoretical framework. For example: are you using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods?
Is the research theoretical or empirical?
Does it develop new theory or find new applications of existing theory?
What research tradition are you going to be working in; and remember, you may be drawing on more than one, such as a particular psychological, social or cultural type of research. You need to consider all the relevant intellectual traditions, theories, and types of analysis for your research.
Solution/Answer
Introduction
This section provides an overview of the adopted research approach study ethics and limitations. The research adopted a case study strategy as it is renowned for its unrivaled ability to investigate the phenomenon of best practice in improvement of security of online activities, identifying the role of human behaviors and attitude to cyber security of an organization and understanding the specific human behaviors that are detrimental to cyber security. In this essence, this research will use secondary data. The study ethics will be characterized by several ethical issues that must be observed strictly by the researcher as a best practice of research data collection. Methodology in any research forms the foundation of understanding all the relevant intellectual traditions, theories, and types of analysis for any research.
Research Approach and Justification
Research Type
This research emphasis on uncovering the deeper denotation and significance of distinct human behaviors, cognitive and experiences of people on cyber insecurity mitigation. This is inclusive of the contradicting beliefs, behaviors, and emotions on cyber security. The most appropriate approach to be adopted in this study was qualitative. As noted by Creswell (2013), qualitative research approach is ordinarily linked with social constructivist paradigm. The paradigm takes cognizance of the socially constructed nature of reality. In context of this study, the researcher’s interest are on gaining an intense and detailed understanding on people’s experiences on human behavior and attitude into the cyber security processes and products that result in more effective and efficient technology.
Rationale of the Approach Used
The trend engaged in qualitative approach tends to be inductive. As noted by Yin (2013), this expedient that the approach helps in the development of a theory or source for a pattern of meaning hedged on the available data and information collected. To achieve this, it is essential to adopt a shift from specific to general and in some instances known as bottom-up approach. The rationale for this choice is that this study will seek to gather already existing research to revise, modify and expand the existing theory. Hence, this is a theoretical research. Through the provision of more information on the best practice to improve the internet users’ security through contemplating on people behaviors and response to distinct events of cyber security needs, the existing theory will be developed. Additionally, Brannen (2005) argued that in a qualitative approach, the researchers do not base their study on existing pre-determined hypotheses. Contrarily, they identify an issue or topic with an immense precision that they are interested in exploring often guided by a theoretical lens. This is a form of overarching theory that offers a strategic framework for individual investigations. In this study, the research topic which is human behaviors and attitudes positive impact on cyber security is clearly identified. The focus is hedged on the extent in which understanding of human behaviors and attitudes in the development and design of cyber security processes and products leads to more effectiveness and efficiency in the realms of the organization operations.
The use of qualitative approach would help in the sourcing of multiple source and case studies types. Using Borrego et al. (2009) conceptualizations, the central goals of adopting the application of various sources in qualitative approach is representation and legitimization. Apart from using a broad range of literature from different authors, the focus has been on Virginia Tech users, Ofsted, European Union, Israel Airport and Microsoft United Access Gateway. All these case studies have been used in the verge of ensuring representation (extracting adequate meaning from existing information) and legitimation (credibility, trustworthiness, dependability, confirmability and transferability).
Other Research Approaches Available and Rationale of the Selected Approach…………………………………………..Please click the paypal icon below to receive this assessment report for only $20