research philosophy

Research Philosophy, Design and Methodology

• First Online: 25 May 2023

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• Uche M. Mbanaso 4 ,
• Lucienne Abrahams 5 &
• Kennedy Chinedu Okafor 6  

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This chapter emphasizes that the researcher must be grounded in a clearly stated research philosophy, early in the research process. The chapter discusses ontology, epistemology, axiology, doxology and methodology and the characteristics and distinctiveness of each. Using a series of tables, we show how positivist approaches, interpretivist approaches and pragmatist and realist approaches can be applied in the fields of computer science, information systems and cybersecurity. The chapter offers a diagrammatic view of key elements in research design, with an accompanying explanation. The types of research design covered in this chapter include descriptive, experimental, comparative, causal-comparative, correlational and requirements engineering design, as well as design elements for observational studies, simulation studies and case studies. Quantitative data collection techniques, qualitative data collection techniques and mixed-methods approaches are introduced as the basis for a more detailed discussion in Chapter 7 .

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Centre for Cybersecurity Studies, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria

Uche M. Mbanaso

LINK Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Lucienne Abrahams

Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria

Kennedy Chinedu Okafor

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Mbanaso, U.M., Abrahams, L., Okafor, K.C. (2023). Research Philosophy, Design and Methodology. In: Research Techniques for Computer Science, Information Systems and Cybersecurity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30031-8_6

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30031-8_6

Published : 25 May 2023

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Online ISBN : 978-3-031-30031-8

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