Scientific Methods in Research

Scientific Methods in Research

Part 1

I recently read “Analyzing the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility for Sustainable Environmental Performance: Mediating roles of Environmental Strategy and Environmental Outcomes” by Xiaodong Wang and Weijun Bian. The scientific method employed in this research is a case study. Through this process, data was sourced from 415 small and medium-sized enterprises and analyzed to answer the research question (Wang & Bian, 2022). A case study is a scientific research approach used to generate a multifaceted and in-depth complex problem in a real-world scenario. Rashid et al. (2019) stated that the approach is an established research design applied in most disciplines but more extensively in social sciences. Although case studies are defined in various ways, the most important aspect is to examine a phenomenon or event in-depth and in the natural setting (Crowe et al., 2011). Therefore, many companies in China are sampled to generate huge amounts of data to ensure that the phenomenon is understood well. The method is referred to, at times, as naturalistic research and is the opposite of experimental design.

One major missing aspect in this research is the lack of randomization. The reason is that the design seeks to understand the phenomenon in totality. Therefore, the selection of 415 companies was purposefully done and is based on a single sector, small and medium-sized companies. However, it is characterized by a research question: “What is the impact of corporate social responsibility on sustainable environmental performance?” Farrugia et al. (2010) stated that when a study has a well-stated research question, it is likely to inform the researcher on structuring and approaching the study. Therefore, the research question can be explored and has a clear purpose. The research states that the aim is to get the policymakers and general managers in SMEs to make strong their internal processes to improve the sustainability of the environment.

Part 2

The research I would like to conduct is titled “The role of social determinants in changing the attitudes and behaviours of mental health patients.” Everyone is aware that mentally ill people have a problem changing attitudes and behaviours. For instance, they tend to distance themselves from their peers and family members. Therefore, learning about the social determinants’ role in efforts to achieve better outcomes with such patients gives medical practitioners a better idea of how to approach their cases. Besides, families will also learn the need for comfort in ensuring that the patient gets well faster. Research conducted by Colizz et al. (2019) suggested that families and other important social determinants play a crucial role in assisting patients with mental illnesses to have better well-being. For example, children should be made to play with their peers more often to enable them to decrease the impacts of mental illnesses.

The study will follow an experimental strategy in which randomized trials will be utilized to address the study’s question. The idea will be to manipulate one variable and examine whether the manipulation can cause a change in the other. The approach will also rely heavily on random assignments and controlled research methods in testing the hypothesis. Patients with mental illnesses will be subjected to these two processes to determine how social determinants can change their attitudes and behaviours. Experimentation is supported by the scientific methodology, which is used to determine the correlation relating to two variables (Chiang et al., 2015). The most important task in performing experiments is not the recruitment of the participants but their selection.

References

Chiang, I. C. A., Jhangiani, R. S., & Price, P. C. (2015). Conducting Experiments. Research Methods in Psychology-2nd Canadian Edition.

Colizzi, M., Lasalvia, A., & Ruggeri, M. (2020). Prevention and early intervention in youth mental health: is it time for a multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic model for care?. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 14(1), 1-14.

Crowe, S., Cresswell, K., Robertson, A., Huby, G., Avery, A., & Sheikh, A. (2011). The case study approach. BMC medical research methodology, 11(1), 1-9.

Farrugia, P., Petrisor, B. A., Farrokhyar, F., & Bhandari, M. (2010). Research questions, hypotheses and objectives. Canadian journal of surgery, 53(4), 278.

Rashid, Y., Rashid, A., Warraich, M. A., Sabir, S. S., & Waseem, A. (2019). Case study method: A step-by-step guide for business researchers. International journal of qualitative methods, 18, 609406919862424.

Wang, X. & Bian, W. (2022). Analyzing the role of Corporate Social Responsibility for Sustainable Environmental Performance: Mediating roles of Environmental Strategy and Environmental Outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology.