Chapter 4 Qualitative Research Methodology …

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Chapter 4 Qualitative Research Methodology introduction This Chapter is concerned with the methodological problem of how to integrate Qualitative and quantitative insights in developing an agent-based model of the e- commerce case study. Much agent-based modelling is carried out with very sparse data collection procedures, often focussing only on quantitative data collection. However, Qualitative techniques could be a very productive approach in this field of Research , since they produce primary data much richer in meaning and potentially insight. Combining methods in this way produces philosophical problems relating to the paradigm incommensurability' debate, which require some reflection in order to guard against pitfalls hindering the methodological approach. In section these philosophical issues are discussed, and it is defined what is meant by Qualitative modelling' and by quantitative modelling' and how these can be distinguished.

75 Chapter 4 Qualitative Research Methodology Introduction This chapter is concerned with the methodological problem of how to integrate qualitative and quantitative insights in developing an agent-based model of the e-

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