Scribd
Upload
94 views

Graphs, Charts, Paradigm

The document discusses various types of graphs, charts, and research paradigms used in research studies. It provides examples of line graphs, bar graphs, combo charts, scatterplots, waterfall charts, pie charts, histograms, and defines research paradigms including ontology, epistemology and methodology. Common research paradigms discussed are positivism, constructivism, and pragmatism which differ in their views of reality and knowledge and the type of research methods used.

Uploaded by

Stephanie Chu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
94 views

Graphs, Charts, Paradigm

The document discusses various types of graphs, charts, and research paradigms used in research studies. It provides examples of line graphs, bar graphs, combo charts, scatterplots, waterfall charts, pie charts, histograms, and defines research paradigms including ontology, epistemology and methodology. Common research paradigms discussed are positivism, constructivism, and pragmatism which differ in their views of reality and knowledge and the type of research methods used.

Uploaded by

Stephanie Chu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 11

Samples of Graphs, Charts,

Paradigms as Theoretical
Models used in a Research
Study.

Submitted by:
Stephanie P. Chu
SAMPLES OF CHARTS GRAPHS USED IN RESEARCH STUDY
Line Graphs
Line graphs are usually used to show dependent data, and particularly trends over time.
Line graphs depict a point value for each category, which are joined in a line. We can use the data from the
pie chart as a line graph too.
•Bars (or columns) are the
best types of graphs for
presenting a single data
series. Bar charts have a
much heavier weight than
line graphs do, so they really
emphasize a point and stand
out on the page.
        
•Combo Chart
•The above two types of graphs can
be combined to create a combo
chart with bars and lines. This is
very useful when presenting two
data series with a very different
scale and might be expressed in
different units. The most common
example is dollars on one axis and
percentage on the other axis.
•         
•Scatterplot
•The scatterplot is excellent for
showing the relationship between
two data series and determining
their correlation. The scatterplot is
great for showing what a
distribution of data points looks like
and drawing a line of best fit for
regression analysis.
•        
•Waterfall Chart
•In Excel 2016, Microsoft finally introduced a
waterfall chart feature. In all older versions of
Excel, analysts had to create a custom
workaround using stacked column charts. If you
are in a version of Excel before 2016, then
please see our 
free guide and waterfall chart template. The
waterfall chart is excellent for variance analysis
and explaining how an “actual” result was
different than a “budget” or how something has
changed relative to an original data point.
          
•Pie Graph
•Pie charts have a bad
reputation and are known
for being messy and hard to
read. However, if you’re
trying to illustrate the
percentage breakdown of a
small number of data points,
they can be very effective.
For example, the percentage
of people who prefer
bananas, pineapples, and
grapes.
•Histogram
•Histograms are a type of graph that shows the distribution of a dataset. They graph
the percentage or the number of instances of different categories. For example, to
show the distribution of age categories (0-10, 11-20, 21-30, etc.), we can clearly
see which categories are the biggest and how many people fall into each.
•       
Research Paradigms: Explanation and Examples

A research paradigm is a philosophical framework that your research is based on. It offers a
pattern of beliefs and understandings from which the theories and practices of your research
project operate.
A research paradigm consists of ontology, epistemology, and research methodology.
●  Ontology answers the question: “What is reality?” That is, does a single reality exist within your
research? An example of an ontological question would be: “Does God exist?” There are two possible
realities (or ontologies) in response to this question: “Yes, God exists,” or “No, God does not exist.”

●  Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It answers the question: “How is it possible to know
reality?” Epistemology incorporates the validity, parameters, and methods of acquiring knowledge. An
example of an epistemological question would be: “How is it possible to know whether God exists or
not?”

●  Research Methodology answers the question: “How do we go about discovering the answer or


reality?” This includes the process of data collection and analysis. Research methodology should outline
how you conduct your research and demonstrate that the findings are valid.

Together, ontology and epistemology comprise research philosophy.


Research philosophy combined with research methodology comprises a research paradigm.
Common Examples of Research Paradigms
1. Positivism
Positivists believe that there’s a single reality that’s possible to measure and understand. Because of this, they’re
most likely to use quantitative methods in their research. Typically, positivists propose a hypothesis that can be
proved or disproved using statistical data analysis. Positivism tends to investigate the existence of a relationship
between two variables rather than the reason behind it.

2. Constructivism
Constructivists believe that there’s no single reality or truth, but rather multiple realities. They devote themselves to
understanding and interpreting the meaning attached to an action. For this reason, constructivists tend to use 
qualitative research methods, such as interviews or case studies, which focus on providing different perspectives.
Constructivism aims to provide the answer to “why.” For example, asking “Why do 25% of the employees of an
organization regularly arrive late to work?” rather than merely establishing the relationship between two variables
(e.g., time of arrival at work and availability of nearby parking).

3. Pragmatists
Pragmatists believe that reality is continually interpreted and renegotiated against the backdrop of new and
unpredictable situations. Because of this, the philosophy they apply in research depends on the research question
itself. Pragmatists often combine positivist and constructivist principles in the same research project, using both
qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate different components of a research problem. They believe that
the optimal research methods are those that most successfully answer the research question.

You might also like