Metode Penelitian

1. Pengertian Metode Penelitian

Penelitian adalah sebuah proses kegiatan mencari kebenaran terhadap suatu fenomena ataupun fakta yang terjadi dengan cara yang terstruktur dan sistematis.

Proses ini biasanya dilakukan oleh ilmuan atau pakar yang berhubungan dengan hal yang akan dicari kebenarannya.

Misal ada sebuah penelitian yang akan menemukan fakta tentang unsur budaya yang hilang di Indonesia. Maka yang melakukan penelitian adalah pakar budaya atau orang yang benar-benar paham tentang kebudayaan.

Jadi, secara sederhana, arti dari penelitian adalah upaya untuk mengetahui sebuah fenomena dengan rangkaian yang sistematis.

2. Macam Macam Penelitian

Ada macam macam metode penelitian yang biasa digunakan dalam sebuah penelitian, mulai dari:

• Metode penelitian kualitatif
• Metode penelitian kuantitatif
• Metode penelitian survei
• Metode penelitian deskriptif
• Metode penelitian Ekspos Facto

Namun, dari beberapa macam metode penelitian di atas, ada dua yang sering digunakan, yaitu metode penelitian kualitatif dan kuantitatif.

3. Pengertian Metode Penelitian Kualitatif dan Kuantitatif

Metode Penelitian Kualitatif:

Penelitian kualitatif adalah metode penelitian yang berfokus pada pemahaman terhadap fenomena sosial yang terjadi di masyarakat. Pada metode penelitian ini, peneliti menggunakan perspektif dari partisipan sebagai gambaran yang diutamakan dalam memperoleh hasil penelitian.

Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif:

Penelitian kuantitatif adalah metode penelitian yang bersifat sistematis dan menggunakan model-model yang bersifat matematis. Teori-teori yang digunakan serta hipotesa yang diajukan juga biasanya berkaitan dengan fenomena alam. Berikut ini adalah beberapa perbedaan penelitian kualitatif dan kuantitatif.

4. Perbedaan Metode Penelitian Kualitatif dan Kuantitatif

• Metode penelitian kualitatif menggunakan desain secara umum, sedangkan metode penelitian kuantitatif menggunakan desain yang lebih jelas dan spesifik.
• Metode penelitian kualitatif, menggunakan teknik penelitian berupa observasi, eksperimen atau juga dengan wawancara terbuka. Sedangkan metode penelitian kuantitatif dilakukan dengan tes, pengujian dan juga wawancara terstruktur.
• Metode penelitian kualitatif mendapatkan data berupa deskripsi pendapat dari responden ataupun hasil catatan lapangan. Sedangkan Metode kuantitatif mendapatkan data yang berupa angka, skala maupun grafik yang bisa dihitung.

5. Contoh Penelitian Kualitatif dan Kuantitatif

Contoh Penelitian Kualitatif:

• Judul: Metode Belajar Bahasa Indonesia untuk Siswa Sekolah Dasar.
• Sumber data: Lingkungan Sekolah Dasar sebagai sumber data utama.
• Teknik pengamatan: Berupa observasi terhadap metode pengajaran yang digunakan guna menentukan metode belajar Bahasa Indonesia untuk diterapkan pada siswa Sekolah Dasar.

Contoh Penelitian Kuantitatif

• Judul: Pengaruh Metode Pembelajaran dalam Menentukan Hasil Belajar Siswa.
• Sumber data: Menghubungkan antara pengaruh metode belajar yang digunakan dengan hasil belajar yang diraih. Jika hasilnya belajar tidak baik, maka ada metode belajar yang perlu dievaluasi. Begitu juga sebaliknya, jika hasil belajar baik, maka metode belajar perlu ditingkatkan agar hasil lebih baik.

Sumber: Sastrawacana.id

Steps in conducting research

Research is often conducted using the hourglass model structure of research.^[30] The hourglass model starts with a broad spectrum for research, focusing in on the required information through the method of the project (like the neck of the hourglass), then expands the research in the form of discussion and results. The major steps in conducting research are:^[31]

• Identification of research problem
• Literature review
• Specifying the purpose of research
• Determining specific research questions
• Specification of a conceptual framework, sometimes including a set of hypotheses^[32]
• Choice of a methodology (for data collection)
• Data collection
• Verifying data
• Analyzing and interpreting the data
• Reporting and evaluating research
• Communicating the research findings and, possibly, recommendations

Research methods

The research room at the New York Public Library, an example of secondary research in progress

Maurice Hilleman, the preeminent vaccinologist of the 20th century, is credited with saving more lives than any other scientist in that time.^[37]

The goal of the research process is to produce new knowledge or deepen understanding of a topic or issue. This process takes three main forms (although, as previously discussed, the boundaries between them may be obscure):

• Exploratory research, which helps to identify and define a problem or question.
• Constructive research, which tests theories and proposes solutions to a problem or question.
• Empirical research, which tests the feasibility of a solution using empirical evidence.

There are two major types of empirical research design: qualitative research and quantitative research. Researchers choose qualitative or quantitative methods according to the nature of the research topic they want to investigate and the research questions they aim to answer:

Qualitative research

This involves understanding human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior, by asking a broad question, collecting data in the form of words, images, video etc. that is analyzed, and searching for themes. This type of research aims to investigate a question without attempting to quantifiably measure variables or look to potential relationships between variables. It is viewed as more restrictive in testing hypotheses because it can be expensive and time-consuming and typically limited to a single set of research subjects.^{[citation needed]} Qualitative research is often used as a method of exploratory research as a basis for later quantitative research hypotheses.^{[citation needed]} Qualitative research is linked with the philosophical and theoretical stance of social constructionism.

Social media posts are used for qualitative research.^[38]

Quantitative research

This involves systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships, by asking a narrow question and collecting numerical data to analyze it utilizing statistical methods. The quantitative research designs are experimental, correlational, and survey (or descriptive).^[39] Statistics derived from quantitative research can be used to establish the existence of associative or causal relationships between variables. Quantitative research is linked with the philosophical and theoretical stance of positivism.

The quantitative data collection methods rely on random sampling and structured data collection instruments that fit diverse experiences into predetermined response categories.^{[citation needed]} These methods produce results that are easy to summarize, compare, and generalize.^{[citation needed]} Quantitative research is concerned with testing hypotheses derived from theory or being able to estimate the size of a phenomenon of interest.

If the research question is about people, participants may be randomly assigned to different treatments (this is the only way that a quantitative study can be considered a true experiment).^{[citation needed]} If this is not feasible, the researcher may collect data on participant and situational characteristics to statistically control for their influence on the dependent, or outcome, variable. If the intent is to generalize from the research participants to a larger population, the researcher will employ probability sampling to select participants.^[40]

In either qualitative or quantitative research, the researcher(s) may collect primary or secondary data. Primary data is data collected specifically for the research, such as through interviews or questionnaires. Secondary data is data that already exists, such as census data, which can be re-used for the research. It is good ethical research practice to use secondary data wherever possible.^[41]

Mixed-method research, i.e. research that includes qualitative and quantitative elements, using both primary and secondary data, is becoming more common.^[42] This method has benefits that using one method alone cannot offer. For example, a researcher may choose to conduct a qualitative study and follow it up with a quantitative study to gain additional insights.^[43]

Big data has brought big impacts on research methods so that now many researchers do not put much effort into data collection; furthermore, methods to analyze easily available huge amounts of data have also been developed.^[44]

Non-empirical research

Non-empirical (theoretical) research is an approach that involves the development of theory as opposed to using observation and experimentation. As such, non-empirical research seeks solutions to problems using existing knowledge as its source. This, however, does not mean that new ideas and innovations cannot be found within the pool of existing and established knowledge. Non-empirical research is not an absolute alternative to empirical research because they may be used together to strengthen a research approach. Neither one is less effective than the other since they have their particular purpose in science. Typically empirical research produces observations that need to be explained; then theoretical research tries to explain them, and in so doing generates empirically testable hypotheses; these hypotheses are then tested empirically, giving more observations that may need further explanation; and so on. See Scientific method.

A simple example of a non-empirical task is the prototyping of a new drug using a differentiated application of existing knowledge; another is the development of a business process in the form of a flow chart and texts where all the ingredients are from established knowledge. Much of cosmological research is theoretical in nature. Mathematics research does not rely on externally available data; rather, it seeks to prove theorems about mathematical objects.

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