Dr.Ajay G. Namdeo Mr. Jeetendra P. Kushwaha Associate Professor M.Pharmacy sem-I,Pharmaceutics Dept. of Pharmacognosy, Poona college of Pharmacy,Pune. 1 OUTLINE DEFINATION
POSSIBLE METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS
POSSIBLE LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCHER
LIMITATION OF USING QUALITATIVE METHODS
LIMITATION Of USING QUANTITATIVE METHODS
2 Definition: The limitations of the study are those characteristics of design or methodology that impacted or influenced the application or interpretation of the results of your study.
All studies have limitations.
It is important that you restrict your discussion
to limitations related to the research problem under investigation. 3 POSSIBLE METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS Sample size : The number of the units of analysis you use in your study is dictated by the type of research problem you are investigating. Note that, if your sample size is too small, it will be difficult to find significant relationships from the data, as statistical tests normally require a larger sample size.
o Lack of available and/or reliable data :
A lack of data or of reliable data will likely require you to limit the scope of your analysis.
oLack of prior research studies on the topic ;
citing prior research studies forms the basis of your literature review and helps lay a foundation for understanding the research problem you are investigating. 4 POSSIBLE METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS Measure used to collect the data: After completing interpretation of the findings, you discover that the way in which you gathered data inhibited ability to conduct a thorough analysis of the results. For example, you regret not including a specific question in a survey that, in retrospect, could have helped address a particular issue that emerged later in the study. Self-reported data : whether you are relying on pre-existing self-reported data or you are conducting a qualitative research study and gathering the data yourself, self- reported data is limited by the fact that it rarely can be independently verified. 5 POSSIBLE LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCHER 1. Access 2. Longitudinal effects 3. Cultural and other type of bias
When discussing the limitations of your research,
be sure to: Describe each limitation in detailed but concise terms; Explain why each limitation exists; Provide the reasons why each limitation could not be overcome using the method(s) chosen to gather the data [cite to other studies that had similar problems when possible]; Assess the impact of each limitation in relation to the overall findings and conclusions of your study; and, 6 LIMITATIONS OF USING QUALITATIVE METHODS Drifting away from the original objectives of the study in response to the changing nature of the context under which the research is conducted; Arriving at different conclusions based on the same information depending on the personal characteristics of the researcher; Difficulty in explaining differences in the quality and quantity of information obtained from different respondents and arriving at different, non- consistent conclusions; Data gathering and analysis is often time consuming and/or expensive; 7 LIMITATIONS OF USING QUANTIATIVE METHODS Quantitative data is more efficient and able to test hypothesis, but may miss contextual detail; Uses a static and rigid approach and so employs an inflexible process of discovery; Researcher may collect a much narrower and sometimes superficial dataset; The researcher might miss out on phenomena occurring because of the focus on theory or hypothesis testing rather than on theory or hypothesis generation (called the confirmation bias) Knowledge produced might be too abstract and general for direct application to specific local situations, contexts, and individuals 8 References: Research methodology methods and techniques , by C.R. KOTHARI