Abductive research design is a method used in social science research that involves the formulation and testing of hypotheses through a combination of deductive and inductive reasoning. In an abductive research design, researchers begin by identifying a problem or a set of phenomena that require explanation. They then use creative and critical thinking to develop plausible explanations, or hypotheses, for these phenomena, based on their background knowledge, prior research, and observations.
Once hypotheses have been developed, the researcher moves on to testing them in the field, using data collection techniques such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, and observations. As data are collected, the researcher analyzes them in order to revise and refine the hypotheses, using a mix of deductive and inductive reasoning.
Ultimately, the goal of abductive research design is to generate new knowledge and understanding of a phenomenon, by using a systematic and rigorous approach to data collection and analysis.
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