- RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
3.1 PHILOSOPHY
As already mentioned, the aim of the present research is to evaluate whether or not Europe can exploit its shale gas resources by adopting the positive experience and avoiding the negative mistakes the United States has had in its shale gas exploitation journey. In order for this aim to be addressed the dissertation evolves towards a literature-based approach.
More specifically, the present dissertation is entirely theoretical and is based on the existent literature in respect to shale gas exploitation in the United States, and to the potential shale gas extraction in Europe. Consequently, qualitative research is the method used in order for the adequate and explicit secondary data that will provide evidence on this potential European shale gas exploitation.
3.2 DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS METHOD
As already mentioned, qualitative research will be employed to collect the necessary secondary data that will thoroughly depict and analyse the European potential for exploiting shale gas; a range of different sources such as books, magazines, reports, and online literature on the barriers and the abilities Europe is faced with should an effort to imitate only the positives of the United States shale gas experience will be investigated as a means of collecting the appropriate secondary data.
All data will be closely connected to the dissertation’s objectives stated in the first chapter. Consequently, the first step in choosing the relevant data is the investigation of shale gas exploitation in the United States with a focus of the shale gas extraction technology or technologies the country has concluded on using as a result of prior experience, and as a product of learning from past mistakes or accidents. Focus is also placed on the shale gas policies the United States implemented so as for the barriers to shale gas extraction to be overcome. In other words, the data regarding the United States will progress from generally analysing the country’s shale gas approach, and gradually move to more specific issues, such as past accidents, and prior policies that had to be overcome so as for shale gas to constitute in the present times United State’s main natural gas source.
The second major group of data refers to Europe and its potential of exploiting its domestic shale gas resources. The data are collected based on a deductive approach, which according to Wilson is “is concerned with developing a hypothesis (or hypotheses) based on existing theory, and then designing a research strategy to test the hypothesis” (Wilson, 2010, pp.7). The hypothesis made in the present research is that based on existent data Europe has not yet adequately exploited its shale gas resources. In order for this hypothesis to be tested, the first step is comparing Europe’s shale gas extraction with that of other global regions, and most importantly with that in the United States, since the United States is aimed at becoming the positive example for Europe to follow. After this hypothesis is verified, the data collected will be based on investigating the factors beneath this shale gas underdevelopment. Consequently, the data will be gathered so as to answer issues, such as if Europe’s shale gas resources are not enough to support natural gas independence as in the United States, if existent policies, geostrategic and/ or geological limitations deter shale gas extraction development and so on.
All above data will then be organised, synthesized for each of the two regions, and critically placed into logical and meaningful categories so as to enable their analysis (Simon, K. and Goes, 2011). More specifically, the shale gas potential for both countries presents one category to be analysed and contradicted; for this particular category, and if available, existent quantitative data will be employed. The second category refers to contradict the European shale gas policies, geostrategic and/ or geological situation with that in the United States so as to decide whether or not Europe is actually able to imitate the United States case and which are the steps it should avoid in order to avoid mistakes made by the United States. The data here are expected to be qualitative.
When the data are qualitative they will be compared via a critical thinking, while when quantitative they will be compared via graphs, tables and so on (Simon, K. and Goes, 2011).
3.3 ETHICAL ISSUES
The present dissertation is purely theoretical, and thus, does not include any sample of interviewers for which particular ethics, as for example their anonymity, should be considered (The London School of Economics and Political Science, 2014).
Nonetheless, the dissertation is conducted on the ethical manner that ensures that plagiarism is avoided, that all people’s work is properly referenced and used accurately without misinterpretations. These people’s work will serve the basis for extraction of the present dissertation’s conclusions, which will nonetheless constitute the particular researcher’s individual evaluation of the evidence related to the dissertation’s fundamental argument (University of Southampton, 2003).
3.4 RESEARCH LIMITATIONS
The only limitations expected in the present dissertation are associated to finding adequate sources. These limitations though are expected to be solved via visiting both the university library and other on-line academic resource directories.
References
Simon, K., M. and Goes, J. (2011). Dissertation and Scholarly Research: Recipes for Success: 2011 Edition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
The London School of Economics and Political Science, (2014). The Dissertation. [Online] Available at: http://www.lse.ac.uk/socialPolicy/InformationForCurrentStudents/dissertationGuidelines.aspx [Accessed 6 Dec. 2014].
Wilson, J. (2010). Essentials of business research. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
