KVSSNRao's Handbook of Research Methodology

KNOLS on Research Methodology

2009-01-23T01:03:00.000-08:00

CSO 302: Qualitative Research MethodsThird Year (B.A.)
Course Outline for Regular Students

http://knol.google.com/k/mauri-yambo/cso-302-qualitative-research-methods/2krbsj8qu9i8b/10#

Theoretical Research Strategy: Introduction

http://knol.google.com/k/narayana-rao-kvss/theoretical-research-strategy/2utb2lsm2k7a/35

Research National Awards - Government of Madhya Pradesh

2008-12-24T07:01:00.000-08:00

S & T national and State Awards 2007 & 2008

Govt. of M.P. has instituted three Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru National S & T awards each of Rs. 1.0 Lakh each in

1. Science
2. Engineering & Technology and
3. Social science

and three state awards in the same fields fo Rs.0.50 lakh each

More details are available from

http://www.mpcost.nic.in
http://www.mpcost.nic.in/forms.htm

Advertisement published in Hindustan Times dated 23.12.2008, page 7.

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize 2008 and 2007

2008-12-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

2008

Biomedical sciences

Dr. L.S. Shashidhara

Dr. Gajendra Pal Singh Raghava

Engineering Sciences

Dr. Ranjan Kumar Malik
Dept. Electrical Engineering, IIT, New Delhi

Medical Sciences
Dr. Ravinder Goswami

Physical Sciences
Dr. Srikant Sastry

Dr. Raghunathan Srianand

Mathematical Sciences
dr. Jaikumar Radhakrishnan

Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
Dr. P.N.Vinayachandran

Chemical Sciences
Dr. Pradeep Thalappil

Dr. Jarugu Narasimha Moorthy
Department of Chemistry
IIT, Kanpur

Advertisement in Economic Times, 20.12.2008. Page 9

European Journal Of Business Research Methods - Published Articles

2008-09-19T02:17:00.000-07:00

So far 8 issues are published.

Volume 1 issue 1 November 2002

Page No.

http://www.ejbrm.com/vol1/v1-i1/v1-i1-papers.htm

Editorial Comment
Professor Arthur Money

The Dimension of Time: Historiography in Information Systems Research
Frank Bannister, Department of Statistics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

1

Constructing a Theory of "IS Business Value" from the Literature
Marguerite C Cronk, Harding University, USA, and Edmond P Fitzgerald, University of Southern Queensland, Australia

11

E-Business Research Practice: Towards an Agenda
Stephen Drew, University of East Anglia and Henley Management College, UK

18

Constructing a Theory of "IS Business Value" from the Literature
Marguerite C Cronk, Harding University, USA, and Edmond P Fitzgerald, University of Southern Queensland, Australia

11

Co-operative Inquiry: Reflections on Practice
Briony J Oates, School of Computing & Mathematics, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, UK

27

Towards an Informed Evaluation of Information Systems Services' Quality: The Development and Application of the Template Process
Mark NK Saunders, The Business School, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, and Christine S Williams, University of Gloucestershire Business School, University of Gloucestershire, UK

Research Strategies – Beyond the Differences
Dan Remenyi, School of Systems and Data Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

38

Gender Reflexivity: A Missing Element from Action Research in Information Systems
Teresa Waring, School of Management, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Volume 2 Issue 1 July 2003

http://www.ejbrm.com/vol2/v2-i1/v2-i1-papers.htm

Editorial Comment

Frank Bannister

A Critique of using Grounded Theory as a Research Method
George Allan, Department of Information Systems and Computer Applications, Portsmouth University, UK

Supporting information literacy for starting MBAs through action research

Ann Brown, Martin Rich and Clive Holtham, Cass Business School, London UK

Gender disparity in organisation and the resultant human resource mismanagement: A case analysis

Ronald B. Crawford, University of Greenwich Business School, UK

Inductive theory generation: A grounded approach to business inquiry

Dr. David Douglas, Business School, Staffordshire University, UK.

Getting results from online surveys – Reflections on a personal journey

Rachel A. McCalla, Henley Management College, UK

Knowledge management: A critical investigation

Stephen K. Probert, Computing and Information Systems Management Group, Cranfield University, Swindon, U.K.

Discourse analysis and complex adaptive systems: Managing variables with attitude/s

Charl Walters & Roy Williams, w.w associates, Reading, U.K.

Telehealth in the UK: A critical perspective
Ela Klecun-Dabrowska, Department of Information Systems, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton St, London WC2A 2AE, UK.

Volume 2 Issue 2: July 2004

http://www.ejbrm.com/vol2/v2-i2/v2-i2-articles.htm

Editorial Comment
Professor Arthur Money

Conceptualising Participatory Action Research – Three Different Practices
Stefan Cronholm and Göran Goldkuhl, Linköping University, Sweden, (pp 47-58)

47

Grounded Theory and the ‘And’ in Entrepreneurship Research
Dr. David Douglas, Staffordshire University, UK. (pp 59-68)

59

Using a Multimethod Approach to Research Enterprise Systems Implementations
José Esteves, Instituto de Empresa, Madrid, Spain
Joan Pastor, Universidad Internacional de Catalunya, Spain (pp 69-82)

69

Using the Glaserian Approach in Grounded Studies of Emerging Business Practices
Walter D Fernández, The Australian National University, Australia, (pp 83-94)

83

Issues in Online Focus Groups: Lessons Learned from an Empirical Study of Peer-to-Peer Filesharing System Users
Jerald Hughes and Karl R. Lang, City University of New York, USA (pp 95-110)

95

Perspectives on Management Research Design and Orientation: Quandaries and Choices
Dr Beverley Jones, Wolverhampton Business School, UK (pp 111-118)

111

A Researcher’s Dilemma - Philosophical and Methodological Pluralism
Karl Knox, Nottingham Trent University, UK (pp 119-128)

119

From PostGrad to Professional: Useful tips for choosing and executing a doctoral thesis
Dr Sam Lubbe, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa (pp 129-134)

129

Historiography - A Neglected Research Method in Business and Management Studies
John O’Brien, Dan Remenyi, and Aideen Keaney, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland (pp 135-144)

135

The Undergraduate Dissertation: Subject-centred or Student-centred?
Tina Shadforth and Brendon Harvey, Coventry University, UK (pp 145-152)

145

Increasing business students’ Confidence in Questioning the Validity and Reliability of their Research
Teresa Smallbone and Sarah Quinton, Oxford Brookes University, UK, (pp 153-162)

153

Multi-perspective management research: Fusion or confusion?
Les Worrall, Wolverhampton Business School, Telford, UK (pp 163-170)

Volume 3 Issue 1 July 2005

http://www.ejbrm.com/vol3/v3-i1/v3-i1-papers.htm

The Development of an Evaluation Framework for Partnership Working
Maurice Atkinson
Southern Health and Social Services Board, Northern Ireland

Through a Glass Darkly: Fact and Filtration in the Interpretation of Evidence
Frank Bannister
Trinity College, Dublin

Towards a Second Order Research Methodology
Jim Brown1 and Petia Sice2
1Draeger Safety UK Ltd, Blyth, Northumberland, UK
2Northumbria University, School of Informatics, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

The Nexus Between Teaching and Research: A Qualitative Study Using two Focus Group on Academic Information Systems Teachers
Kevin Grant1 and Stuart Fitzgerald2
1Caledonian Business School, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK

Grounded Theory: Its Diversification and Application Through two Examples From Research Studies on Knowledge and Value Management
Kirsty Hunter, Subashini Hari, Charles Egbu and John Kelly
Glasgow Caledonian University, UK

Mixed-mode Surveys Using Mail and Web Questionnaires
Matthias Meckel, David Walters and Philip Baugh
Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire, UK

Grounded in Practice: Using Interpretive Research to Build Theory
Bruce H. Rowlands
Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia

Volume 3 Issue 2 September 2005
http://www.ejbrm.com/vol3/v3-i2/v3-i2-papers.htm

Developing Information Systems Design Knowledge: A Critical Realist Perspective
Sven A. Carlsson
Informatics, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Sweden

A Generic Toolkit for the Successful Management of Delphi Studies
Jacqueline Day and Milena Bobeva
Business School, Institute of Business and Law, Bournemouth University, UK

Learning Logs: Assessment or Research Method?
Tim Friesner1 and Mike Hart2
1Business and Management, University of Chichester, UK
2Business Management Group, University of Winchester, UK

Interpretivism and the Pursuit of Research Legitimisation: An Integrated Approach to Single Case Design
Felicity Kelliher
School of Business, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland.

Tell me a Story – A way to Knowledge
Dan Remenyi
School of Systems and Data Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Applying a Behavioural Simulation for the Collection of Data
Kristina Risom Jespersen
The Aarhus School of Business, Department of Marketing and Statistics, Denmark

Volume 4 Issue 1 November 2006
http://www.ejbrm.com/vol4/v4-i1/v4-i1-papers.htm

Contents

Page

Editorial
Arthur Money
Professor Emeritus Henley Management College

Can Methodological Applications Develop Critical Thinking?
Deborah Blackman 1 and Angela Benson 1
1School of Management, University of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
2 School of Service Management, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, UK
1

Getting the most from NUD*IST/NVivo
Alison Dean and John Sharp
Kent Business School, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
11

Applying Multidimensional Item Response Theory Analysis to a Measure of Meta-Perspective Performance
K. Michele Kacmar 1, William L. Farmer 2, Suzanne Zivnuska 3 and L. A. Witt4
1 Department of Management and Marketing, The University of Alabama, USA
2 FedEx Express, Suzanne Zivnuska, USA
3 College of Business, California State University, USA
4 University of Houston, USA
23

Proposals for Designing and Controlling a Doctoral Research Project in Management Sciences
Jacques Lauriol,
Groupe ESC Rouen, Mont-Saint Aignan Cedex, France
31

Validation of Simulation Based Models: A Theoretical Outlook.
Morvin Savio Martis
Manipal Institute of Technology, India
39

Motivators for Australian Consumers to Search and Shop Online
Ian Michael
College of Business Sciences, Zayed University, Dubai, UAE
47

A Case Study on the Selection and Evaluation of Software for an Internet Organisation
Pieter van Staaden¹ Sam Lubbe²
1 Faculty of Informatics, Cape Peninsula University of Technology Cape Town, South Africa
2 School of Information Systems and Technology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
57

Volume 5 Issue 1 July 2007
http://www.ejbrm.com/vol5/v5-i1/v5-i1-papers.htm

Contents

Page

Editorial
Ann Brown

Is Research that is both Causally Adequate and Adequate on the Level of Meaning Possible or Necessary in Business Research? A Critical Analysis of Some Methodological Alternatives.
D.A.L. Coldwell
School of Management, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
1

Learning from a Doctoral Research Project: Structure and Content of a Research Proposal
Javed Iqbal
Impact College, School of Business and Management, Manchester, UK
11

The Ethical Impact of Business and Organizational Research: the Forgotten Methodological Issue?
Margaret Lindorff
Monash University, Victoria, Australia
21

Strategies for Teaching Research Ethics in Business, Management and Organizational Studies
Linda Naimi
Organizational Leadership, Purdue University, USA
29

Volume 5 Issue 2
Special Issue ECRM Lisbon, July 2007
http://www.ejbrm.com/issue-current.htm

Contents

Page

Editorial
Ann Brown

How Hospitality Industry Managers' Characteristics could Influence Hospitality Management Curricula
Sjoerd A. Gehrels
CHN University, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
37

Research Dilemmas in Management and Business Studies
John Mendy
University of Lincoln, Lincoln Business School, UK
49

Development of Variant Definitions for Stakeholder Groups with regard to the Performance of Public Transit in the United States
K. Jason Keith Phillips1 and Diane M. Phillips2
1Department of Marketing, West Chester University, Pennsylvania, USA
2Department of Marketing, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
61

Applying Grounded Theory to Study the Implementation of an Inter-Organizational Information System
1Joan Rodon and 2Joan A. Pastor
1Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
2Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
71

Managing the Fear Factor (or how a Mini-viva Assessment can Improve the Process of Learning for International Students)
Susan Sayce
Bournemouth University, UK
83

The Catalog Usability Questionnaire – Adoption and Validation of a Usability Scale for Print-Catalogs
Sebastian Schulz Gunnar Mau Günter Silberer
Institute of Marketing and Retailing, University of Göttingen, Germany
93

Wasting Time: The Mission Impossible with Respect to Technology-Oriented Security Approaches
Andreas E Wagner and Carole Brooke
Lincoln Business School, University of Lincoln, UK
117

The Use of Grounded Theory and of Arenas/Social Worlds Theory in Discourse
Studies: a case study on the discursive adaptation of information systems
Ana C. Vasconcelos
University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
125

Hypothesis

2008-08-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

A hypothesis is important if it "explains" much by little.

Milton Friedman: Essays in Positive Economics

Twenty Questions for Perspectivist Epistemologists

2008-06-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

A Chapter in the book Advances in Social & Organizational Psychology: A Tribute to Ralph

by McGuire
Yale University

Contains areas of emphasis required in research

See some of the pages of the chapter from google books

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=yYOKG3PzWeMC&pg=RA1-PA355&lpg=RA1-PA355&dq=%22research+tactics%22&source=web&ots=16l9D7kAup&sig=ylGbL_hQJrau-QVTNPyyKZmfDeE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PRA1-PA329,M1

Research Tactics-1

2008-06-17T21:39:00.003-07:00

The techniques which are used to collect evidence and which influence the way in which the evidence will be analysed are referred to here as research tactics.

Galliers (1992) provides a list of approaches or tactics.

Galliers, R. (1992) Information systems Research: Issues, Methods and Practical Guidelines, Alfred Waller Information Systems Series, Henley-on-Thames

Action Research

2008-06-16T02:46:00.000-07:00

Action research was developed during the 1960s and has proved particularly useful in the area of managing change.

French and Bell (1978) have defined it as:

"The process of systematically collecting research data about an ongoing system relative to some objective, goal or need of that system; feeding these data back into the system; taking action by altering selected variables within the system based both on the data and on hypotheses; and evaluating the results of the actions by collecting more data."

As a process it essentially involves

Taking a static picture of the organisational situation;
Formulating a hypotheses regarding improvement of the system based on the picture;
The manipulation of variables in control of the researcher;
Taking and evaluating a second static picture of the situation.

The action researcher ("for a dissertation") is thus involved in a real manner in an organisational situation where there is not only an expectation that a ‘contribution to knowledge’ should be made, but also to directly produce usable knowledge that ‘can be applied and validated in action’(Gummesson,1991).

The skill here is whether the researcher can successfully combine the role of almost a consultant and that of academic researcher.

A recent example of a dissertation based on action research involved a researcher who implemented a new activity based costing system in an organisation. The focus the research was to understand how this new technique was being used to improve corporate financial performance.

A reserch paper based on action based research
“Second Generation” e-Learning: Characteristics and Design Principles for Supporting Management Soft-Skills Development, septermber 2005, download from
http://www.newmindsets.com/resources/2ndGenELearning.pdf

Case Studies

2008-06-16T02:43:00.000-07:00

The case study allows the investigator to concentrate on specific instances in an attempt to identify detailed interactive processes which may be crucial, but which are transparent to the large-scale survey. Case studies are an important approach for business and management researchers and some masters and much doctoral research work is conducted using this method.(Dan Remenyi)

Example 1

A recent example of dissertation based on a case study approach involved the detailed examination of a large industrial conglomerate over a substantial period of time. The focus of this case study was to understand the inter-relationships between the group corporate strategy and the individual strategies of the separate and somewhat independent subsidiaries in the group.

The main focus of the analytical work was on quantitative issues that employed the extensive use of a statistical packages.
For another dissertation an intensive case study of a medium-sized specialist consulting practice was conducted .

The objective here was to investigate the evolution of power relationships in the orgnisation. Practice which enabled some observation of interaction between consultants during the normal course of the working day. The company also allowed the researcher access to board and weekly planning meeting. In addition, interviews were conducted with at least ten consultants and support staff. The chairperson and managing director were also interviewed as they both consulted with clients. The data collected was then analysed using the grounded theory method. (Dan Remenyi et al.)

Example 2

Integration Management of Western Acquisitions in Japan
Fabian J Froese, Leif E Goeritz.
Asian Business & Management. Houndmills:
Mar 2007. Vol. 6, Iss. 1; pg. 95, 20 pgs

Considering these concerns, and the exploratory nature of our research objectives, we chose a case study research design. Case studies are especially appropriate when one is answering the questions why or how (Yin, 1994). To address Geddes' (1990) critique that selecting only cases with a positive outcome might lead to false inferences, we deliberately chose two companies with similar preconditions, but divergent outcomes. This research design is based on J.S. Mill's theory of difference and allows the formulation of theories for success and failures (Eisenhardt, 1989). As suggested by Yin, we advanced our research question and identified potentially important constructs in the literature before collecting data. Based on previous research (Birkinshaw et al. , 2000), we separated the integration process into human and organizational integration. For human integration, we identified communication, participation and leadership as potentially important factors; for organizational integration, we identified the factors of speed and level of integration. During interviews, observations and data analysis, we paid special attention to these factors, eg we prepared several questions regarding these factors for our interview guideline, but were also open to any emerging findings (Eisenhardt, 1989; Yin, 1994).

Example 3.IIM Ahmedabad Fellowship Dissertation

ECIL: A Case Study of Environmental Change and Organizational Response in the Public Sector

S. Manikutty (1987)

A compendium of Dissertation Abstracts of the Fellow Programme in Management, IIM Ahmedabad, Macmilllan India Limited, Delhi, 1998

http://management-pros.blogspot.com/2008/07/response-of-public-sector-enterprises.html

Ethnography

2008-06-16T02:42:00.000-07:00

A recent dissertation that used elements of ethnography was produced for a PhD where the student spent three years studying how the corporate culture changed as an organisation went on the acquisition trail.

This dissertation was not exclusively ethnographic and it would be quite unusual for a business and management research degree only to employ a pure ethnographic approach.

Field Experiments

2008-06-16T02:40:00.000-07:00

A recent example of dissertation based on a field experiment was a study as to how a group of sales people responded to a new incentive payment in one particular part of an organisation. The researcher was able to to examine the sales group performance before the introduction of the new incentive scheme and was then able to observe the differences in performance after the change.

Using primarily quantitative techniques, this research confirmed that the new arrangements did in fact work and that they were suitable to be employed throughout the whole orgnisation. This approach to research is usually straightforward, with the main problem for the researcher being the acquisition of access to organisations undertaking changes in the field.(Dan Remenyi et al.)

Focus Groups

2008-06-16T02:38:00.000-07:00

The evidence collected during a focus group is usually analysed using qualitative techniques. Focus groups are a useful way of obtaining evidence from experts in an intense or concentrated way.

Forecasting

2008-06-16T02:37:00.000-07:00

A recent example of a dissertation based on forecasting research was work conducted to establish the viability of multiple regression analysis in supporting decisions to invest in plant and equipment in a large-scale processing industry.

This was a highly quantitative and mathematical piece of work which relied on a high degree of numerical sophistication as well as the ability to interpret the results in a way which was of value to management . The result of this work showed that the forecasting approach being studied did in fact contribute to the organisation’s ability to forecast their need for more investment.

Futures Research

2008-06-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

A recent example of a masters dissertation that involved futures research was a study to establish what leading firms of charted accountants thought were the main technological developments that would affect their practices or business over the next five years.(Dan Remenyui et al.)

Game or Role Playing

2008-06-16T02:34:00.000-07:00

This research tactic or approach involves asking individuals to participate in a business or management game by playing out a specific role.

A recent example of a dissertation based on game or role playing considered how managers made different decisions when they were put in different competitive situations. (Dan Remenyi et al.)

In-depth Surveys

2008-06-16T02:33:00.000-07:00

The use of in-depth surveys is well illustrated by research conducted into how innovative companies manage to maintain an environment that supports new product development.

Twelve companies were identified and asked to identified and asked to identify three innovative products. The data was analysed through the use of quantitative methods where researchers compared quantifiable data across companies. However, the primary focus of analysis was on the qualitative data in the form of stories. (Danremenyi et al.)

Laboratory Experiments

2008-06-16T02:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes students are used as surrogates for managers and executives in laboratory settings, but this is not often considered convincing. Laboratory experiments are used far more frequently in the USA than in other parts of the world (Tung and Heminger,1993).

A recent example of a dissertation based on this approach was one in which the researcher used a group decision support system to examine how decision making differed depending upon a variety of different variables, including the number of decision makers participating in the meeting.

This experiment provided an insight into how different types of questions are best handled under different circumstances. Laboratory experiments use quantitative techniques of evidence analysis to deliver answers to highly structures research questions. (Dan Remenyi et al.)

Large –scale Surveys

2008-06-16T02:27:00.000-07:00

The logic of a traditional survey is strictly positivistic.

The evidence is frequently treated as though it were the result of measurements of a machine used in an entirely physical or life science environment.

Standard statistical techniques used for ordinal numbers are increasingly applied with no recognition of the problems of the subjectivity of the opinions.

Although surveys are still extensively used in business and management research there is an increasing feeling that they are not suitable for the collection of evidence about management issues. (Dan Remenyi et al.)

A recent example of a dissertation based on a large-scale survey was an exploration into the acceptance of an organisation’s computer strategy by its staff, by examining the level of user satisfaction with a management information systems based on end-user computing.

Some 1,500 computer users within the organisation were asked to complete a questionnaire, and approximately 300 completed forms were returned. These were analysed using a number of statistical approaches. As a result of the evidence collected it was possible to suggest ways in which the organisation could improve the implementation of its strategy.(Dan Remenyi et al.)

Participant Observer Approach

2008-06-16T02:21:00.000-07:00

A recent example of the participant-observer approach involved research conducted into the management of design and manufacturing processes in small textile companies in central England. The student conducted research in two companies and spent some time working as an employee in these organisations.

Access was negotiated with the owner –manager of the organisations and the researcher participated as a complete participant, or a normal member of the organisation, gathering information on how the design and the production process was managed by working alongside the mainly female workforce.(Dan Remenyi et al)

Scenario Research

2008-06-16T02:17:00.000-07:00

A recent example of a dissertation using scenario discussions as part of an evidence collection strategy involved the presentation of a number of viewsa a to how the market for a product might change over the next five years. Each scenario was fully debated by a group of informants and the researcher collected their evidence. Thise was then analysed in the same way as it would be in the case of in-depth interviews or focus groups.

Simulation or Stochastic Modelling

2008-06-16T02:13:00.000-07:00

A recent example of a dissertation based on simulation involved in the building of a mathematical model which was used to describe how to optimise the logistics function of a large manufacturing firm.

Dan remenyi, Brina Williams, Arther Money, and Ethne Swartz, Doing Research in Business and Management: An Introduction to Process and Method,

IISc announces admission to Ph d programmes

2008-01-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore offers admission to Research Programs (Ph.D/M.Sc.), and Integrated Ph.D Programs

Metaphysics - Meaning

2008-01-01T02:58:00.000-08:00

ACADEMIC METAPHYSICS

The term metaphysics originally referred to the writings of Aristotle that came after his writings on physics, in the arrangement made by Andronicus of Rhodes about three centuries after Aristotle's death.

Traditionally, metaphysics refers to the branch of philosophy that attempts to understand the fundamental nature of all reality, whether visible or invisible. It seeks a description so basic, so essentially simple, so all-inclusive that it applies to everything, whether divine or human or anything else. It attempts to tell what anything must be like in order to be at all.

To call one a metaphysician in this traditional, philosophical sense indicates nothing more than his or her interest in attempting to discover what underlies everything. Old materialists, who said that there is nothing but matter in motion, and current naturalists, who say that everything is made of lifeless, non-experiencing energy, are just as much to be classified as metaphysicians as are idealists, who maintain that there is nothing but ideas, or mind, or spirit.

Perhaps the best definition of materialism is that of Charles Hartshorne (Insights and Oversights of Great Thinkers, p. 17): "the denial that the most pervasive processes of nature involve any such psychical functions as sensing, feeling, remembering, desiring, or thinking." Idealists assert what materialists here deny.

Dualists say that mind and matter are equally real, while neutral monists claim that there is a neutral reality that can appear as either mind or matter.

Philosophers generally are content to divide reality into two halves, mind and matter (extended and unextended reality) and do not emphasize such distinctions within the mind half as spirit and soul.

POPULAR METAPHYSICS

A commonly employed, secondary, popular, usage of metaphysics includes a wide range of controversial phenomena believed by many people to exist beyond the physical.

Popular metaphysics relates to two traditionally contrasted, if not completely separable, areas,

(1) mysticism, referring to experiences of unity with the ultimate, commonly interpreted as the God who is love, and

(2) occultism, referring to the extension of knowing (extrasensory perception, including telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, retrocognition, and mediumship) and doing (psychokinesis) beyond the usually recognized fields of human activity. The academic study of the occult (literally hidden) has been known as psychical research and, more recently, parapsychology. Both New Age and New Thought emphasize mysticism and its practical, pragmatic application in daily living, but New Thought discourages involvement in occultism.

The terms metaphysics and metaphysical in a popular sense have been used in connection with New Thought, Christian Science, Theosophy, and Spiritualism, as in J. Stillson Judah, The History and Philosophy of the Metaphysical Movements in America (The Westminster Press, 1967), as well the New Age movement, and in the name of the Society for the Study of Metaphysical Religion (see below). Some of the varying understandings of metaphysics held by some founders of New Thought and Christian Science are given in the opening pages of Contrasting Strains of Metaphysical Idealism Contributing to New Thought.

PURE AND APPLIED METAPHYSICS

Cutting across the division of the academic and the popular, there is another way of dividing metaphysics: theoretical and applied. This distinction is like the division between science and technology; one describes; the other applies the description to practical problems, putting knowledge to work. Gathering knowledge (or alleged knowledge, critics of metaphysics would say) in metaphysics traditionally is by rational thought; in a more popular understanding, knowledge gathering may be either mystical or occult; in either case the pure knowledge is to be distinguished from the practical application of it.

http://websyte.com/alan/metamul.htm

The site has number of references also.

Creativity - Importance of Domain Knowledge

2007-10-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Domain knowledge features are a key prerequisite of creative productivity in the schemas offered by both Lubart and Sternberg (1995) and Cropley (1997) . There is strong evidence in the research literature indicating that a fund of domain knowledge is imperative for creative accomplishment (e.g., Simonton, 1988; Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). Cropley (1997) contended that providing such knowledge is one important way in which schools can foster the development of creativity. Lubart and Sternberg (1995) write that knowledge of the state of knowledge in a domain prevents attempts to reinvent the wheel. Nickerson (1999) offered the view that the importance of domain-specific knowledge in the forging of creativity is underestimated. He argued that across a wide front of domains, including the arts, mathematics, and science, acquisition of a solid knowledge base is a precursor of exemplary creativity. He wrote:
One cannot expect to make an impact in science as a consequence of new insights unless one has a thorough understanding of what is already known, or believed to be true, in a given field. The great innovators of science have invariably been thoroughly familiar with the science of their day. Serendipity is widely acknowledged to have played a significant role in many scientific discoveries; but it is also acknowledged that good fortune will be useful only to one who knows to recognize it for what it is. (p.409)

It is necessary to offer a caveat with respect to the importance of domain knowledge and it is the contention that prior knowledge could sometimes impede creative behavior. As Lubart and Sternberg (1995) pointed out, high levels of knowledge can actually stymie creativity. Dunker (1945) referred to this possibility of the problem of “functional fixedness” where one is unable to break away from normative usage of an item. Weisberg (1999) spoke of the tension between knowledge and creativity, suggesting a U-relationship between the two that acknowledges both positive and negative transfer of knowledge. Still, the fact that prior experience or knowledge could conceivably depress creativity is more a caution than an argument against domain-knowledge acquisition as a basis of expertise and creativity. Schools must provide children with the foundational knowledge supportive of creative insight.

Ideas are the Source of Science's Power

2007-09-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

says Prof Steven L. Goldman, Professor of Humanities at Lehigh University.

Advertisement of the Teaching Company in The Economist, June 30th - July 6th 2007, Page 81

Ideas precede discoveries.

Idea - Logical evaluation - Small sample evidence - Adequate sample evidence

About the Handbook/Blog

2007-06-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

I personally feel the creative thinking effort in a research project is not getting adequate treatment, emphasis and description in research methodology texts. In this handbook, my intention is to fill that gap. Also by providing this format of handbook, I shall be able to provide to my students and others up-to-date articles and study materials.

I invite research scholars, faculty and professionals to contribute articles to this handbook