OVERVIEW OF THE

RESEARCH PROCESS
IE 441 / 441 D
Methods of Research

Prepared by:
Hazel A. Caparas, CIE, AAE
 THE RESEARCH PROCESS

1. Selection of topic

2. Reviewing the literature

3. Development of theoretical and conceptual frameworks

4. Clarification of research question/hypothesis

5. Research design

6. Data collection

7. Data analysis

8. Drawing conclusions
Research Topic

A topic is a general subject or area that

you may want to investigate. A topic is
phrased as a word or as a sentence
fragment.
Research Topic

Write at least one page of questions.

Read over your questions. Separate into
groups of who, what, where questions
and groups of how and why questions.
Reviewing the Literature

A literature review essentially consists of

critically reading, evaluating and
organising existing literature on the topic
to assess the state of knowledge in the
area.
Gives theoretical rationale of problem
being studied, what research has been
done and how it relates to the problem
Development of Theoretical and
Conceptual Framework
Theoretical framework refers to the
underlying theoretical approach that you
adopt to support your study.
Conceptual framework defines and
organises the concepts important within
your study.
Development of Theoretical and
Conceptual Framework

A theory is an explanation of the

relationship between two or more
observable attributes of individuals or
groups.
Formulating the Hypotheses

Hypotheses
- Tentative answers to research questions
- A statement of a relationship between
characteristics that vary (variables)

Variable
- A property of people or objects that takes on
two or more values
Clarification of Research
Questions
Initial research questions are chosen,
investigated and often rejected for a number of
reasons, for example:
The question lacks sufficient focus.
The conceptual framework has identified
problems in either defining and/or measuring
the appropriate concepts.
Clarification of Research
Questions
Initial research questions are chosen,
investigated and often rejected for a number of
reasons, for example:
There are too many moderating or
intervening variables.
The project is unfeasible in terms of
complexity, access, facilities or resources.
Research Design

Research design is the overall plan for

connecting the conceptual research
problems to the pertinent (and achievable)
empirical research.
Research Design

The research design also reflects the

purpose of the inquiry:
Exploration
Description
Explanation
Prediction
Evaluation
History
 Research Design

Question type Question

Exploratory questions What is the case?
What are the key factors?
Descriptive questions How many?
What is the incidence of x?
Are x and y related?
Causal questions What are the causes of y?
Evaluative questions What was the outcome of
x?
Has P been successful?
 Research Design

Question type Question

Predictive questions What will the effect of x be
on y?
Historical questions What led to y happening?
What were the events that
led up to y?
What caused y?
Research Design

What data do I need to collect to answer this

question?
What is the best way to collect this data?
What overall research design should I use?
Will I need to collect primary or secondary
data?
What methods, for example interviews,
questionnaire surveys and so on, will be best
to collect the primary data?
Research Design

Who should participate in the research?

How will I gain access to them?
What are the exact procedures that I should
adopt in my data collection to ensure
reliability and validity?
Are there any ethical issues associated with
the research?
The Types of Survey Designs

Time of Data Collection

Study Over Time Study at One Point in Time

Longitudinal Cross-sectional

Attitudes
Community Program
and
Needs Evaluation
Practices

Group National
Comparisons Assessment
Data Collection

Researchers must decide three things:

How to measure the variables of interest

How to select the cases for the research
What kind of data collection techniques to
use
Data Analysis and Discussion of the
Findings

How do the findings add to this literature?

Do they support the literature?
If not, what are the possible reasons why?
Data Analysis and Discussion of the
Findings

Describe demographics of the data

Compare behavior
Choose appropriate statistical technique
Look for patterns in data
Drawing Conclusions

Conclusions should relate back to the

focused research question.
You can evaluate how successful you have
been in achieving your research objectives,
and highlight the strengths and weaknesses
of the research.
You may also want to make
recommendations for further research.
END