Research Methodology

The congnitive turn describes he development of a new way of looking at language in the history of linguistics. It is a theory described by Noam Chomsky 1950 focusing on language and the mind based on the belief that human beings have a linguistic competence (an unconscious knowledge about how language can be interpreted and produced) in the cognitive strand language is therefore looked at as a cognitive process

the Pragmatic turn is another way of looking at language developed in history in the 1950. This strand of study of linguistics focuses on the philosophy of the ordinary language looking at its context and action (e.g. the theme of politeness or speech)

the social turn is the last important development in history of how to look at language. Its main idea is to focus on language and society meaning to see language in its social context such as conversation or interaction between different people in different societies.

The aim of qualitative research is to get an interpretation of a specific situation/ a single case. Its features therefore are naturalistic and observational, subjective, descriptive, process- oriented, valid, holistic (studying the whole process) and consisting of ungenerizable single case analysis

the aim of quantitative research is to find a general pattern (without analysing it). Its features are: controlled and experimental (for example the share of woman and men in an experiment is deliberately chosen), inferential (a conclusion is made) and therefore outcome- oriented, particularistic (meaning it is restricted to for example one alanysed phenomenon) and consisting of a generizable aggregate analysis

The purpose of a research question is to define ypur interests ad the aim of what you are going to look at. The research question quides you in terms of what data is needen, what methods to choose and how to analyse the data. Further it helps restricting the research interest to a specific focus. It is the key to the beginning of a project

The research question always needs to be operationalizable. Based on what you find during your process of research the question can slightly change (by adding or refining). Out of the research questions there can be developed further new detailed questions that lead you in a different direction or limit the topic of interest and therefore refine it

Top- down theory: this process is theory- driven and therefore suggests to begin by defining a project and then start finding literature in this field. It is helpful to find key concepts, know what already has been done or needs further exploring.
Bottom- up data: This process is data- driven and therefore works opposite way. You start by finding a field and collecting data about it only then you start to develop a project based on things that triggered you. It is useful as it helps to develop questions and goes beyond imagination
For a successful research both strategies are often combined (Dude)