3.

1 Description of Research Approach / Design

This chapter will explain the current study’s research philosophy and the approach used.

3.1.1 Introduction

Research approaches are the processes in a research process that range from general ideas to

specific methods of data gathering, analysis, and interpretation. The overall decision includes

which approach should be used for the study and the philosophical assumptions that the

researcher brings to the study.

3.1.2 Research Philosophy

This section's research philosophy, which is founded on ideas about reality and the nature of

knowledge, will serve as a foundation for directing how the study should be conducted

(Collis and Hussey, 2014, p.43). There are two main research philosophy branches namely

positivism and interpretivism. Simply said, positivism refers to the reality that exists

independently of us and can be viewed objectively, whereas interpretivism refers to the

reality that is formed by perceptions, making it very subjective. The current research that is

being conducted follows the interpretivism philosophy. Interpretivism is concerned with

exploring the complexities of social phenomena through achieving an empathic

understanding of how the research subject views the world. The findings are based from a

relatively small sample size as compared to positivism.

3.1.3 Research Approach

The research methodology used for this study is qualitative, in line with the interpretive

research philosophy. This actually means that this study is exploratory and this study aims to

achieve rich subjective findings in depth rather than breadth. Since the data is being gathered
to find patterns and relationships, a quantitative approach enables meaning to emerge from

the data. And finally, the result of such an analysis is what contributes to the formulation of a

theory.

The aim of this study is to identify the influence of perceived value of domestic tourists to

revisit Penang Island. Thus, interpretivism and the qualitative approach make the most

appropriate approach to achieve the research objective.

Reference

Ramsberg, N. (2018, April 3). 3.0 research methodology. Medium. Retrieved January 2,
2023, from https://medium.com/ma-leading-design/research-methodology-
45871a6e4cc7