Research design and data analysis in realism research

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to apply principles of the realism paradigm within qualitative research projects. Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts by establishing the usefulness of realism research for investigating marketing management phenomena, and then considers the implications of the realism paradigm for research design. Findings – Issues such as the level of prior theory required, the use of replication logic and triangulation are discussed. In addition, guidelines for realism data analysis and reporting are developed. Originality/value – This paper provides an explicit set of principles for realism research design and data analysis that is different from those in other types of research.