•Research Methods

• Microlink
• Information Technology & Business
• Graduate School

• December 2016
• Mekele
1
 Objective of the Course
• To ensure that you acquire practical research
skills for business and academic research;
• To help you understand principles of research;
• To write an assignment of appropriate
standard- academic role
• To carryout research to answer vital questions
for the business you are in-management role
• To enable you to link the research process
with theories of their specialist areas.
2
 Course Structure
• Chapter 1 Introduction to Research
Method
• Chapter 2 Research Problem Formulation
• Chapter 3 Review of Existing Knowledge
• Chapter 4 Research Design
• Chapter 5 Methods of Data Collection
&Analysis
• Chapter 6 Report Writing
3
 Assessment Strategy
• Test 20%
• Individual Project 25%
• Attendance 5%
• Final Exam 50%

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 Chapter 1
Introduction to Research Methodology

5
 Points of Focus
• Introduction
• Why Do We Research
• Types of research
• Structure of a research
• Research Process
• Summary

6
 Question for Reflection

• What do you understand by research?

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 Introduction
• “All progress is born of inquiry. Doubt is often
better than overconfidence, for it leads to inquiry,
and inquiry leads to invention” is a famous
Hudson Maxim in context of which the
significance of research can well be understood.
Increased amounts of research make progress
possible. Research inculcates
• scientific and inductive thinking and it promotes
the development of logical habits of thinking
• and organisation.
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 Introduction…Cont’d
• Meaning of Research
• A systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical
investigation of phenomena guided by theory
and hypotheses about the presumed relations
among such phenomena.
• It is the systematic process of collecting and
analyzing information (data) in order to
increase our understanding of the
phenomenon about which we are concerned
or interested.
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 Introduction…Cont’d
Comprehensive Defn by (Kaoul1984:10):
• A systematic attempt to obtain answers to
meaningful questions about phenomena or
events through the application of scientific
procedures.
• It is an objective, impartial, empirical and
logical analysis and recording of controlled
observations that may lead to the
development of new principles or theories.

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 Introduction…Cont’d
 Meaning of a research....
 Systematic: Implies the respect of research rules,
ethics and procedures in data/information collection
and analyse information. the application of the
scientific method in the study of problems

 Controlled: the degree to which the observations

are controlled from other factors that influence the
research, or to what extent we have eliminated the
problem of attribution, the scope of the research.
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 Introduction…Cont’d
 Meaning of a research...
 Empirical: the ability to distinguish reality
from beliefs, the extent of the objectivity
of the research.

• Critical: it is the way of deciding or

questioning whether a claim is true, false
or partly true or partly false.
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 Introduction…Cont’d
• Research Methods vs Research Methodology
• Research methods (techniques) refer to the
methods the researchers use in performing
research operations.
• Research methods can be put into the following
three groups:
– Those methods related to collection of data;
– Those statistical techniques which are used for
establishing relationships between the data and
unknowns;
– Those methods used to evaluate the accuracy of the
results obtained.
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 Introduction…Cont’d
• Research Methodology: a science of studying
how research is done scientifically
– Is concerned with assessing whether a
specific method is relevant to the problem
at hand.
– It deals with the whole process and all
stages of the research

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•Types of Research

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 TYPES OF RESEARCH

• Basic/Pure research
–The scientific community
–Focus is on the rigour of the process
• Applied research
– Policy or Practice
– Focus is on the outcome/implications of results
– Evaluation research
• Assess the effectiveness
– Social Impact Assessment 16
 TYPES OF RESEARCH …Cont’d
• Basic Research
• It aims to solve problem of a theoretical nature
that have little direct impact on action,
performance, or policy decisions.
 it mainly concerned with generalizations and with
the formulation of the theory.
• is directed towards finding information that has a
broad base of application and thus, add to the
already existing organized body of scientific
knowledge.

• To generate a body of knowledge

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 TYPES OF RESEARCH …Cont’d
• Applied Research
• It is fundamentally based on a need for
specific facts and findings with policy
implications
• It has a practical problem-solving
emphasis
• It is conducted to reveal answers to
specific questions related to action,
performance, or policy needs.
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 TYPES OF RESEARCH …Cont’d
• Applied Research….
• The central aim of applied research is
to discover a solution for some
pressing practical problem

•Research done with the intention of

applying the results of the findings to
solve specific problems currently
experienced in organizational setting.
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 Types of research, Cont’d
•Qualitative vs Quantitative research
Qualitative research: is research dealing with
phenomena that are difficult or impossible to
quantify mathematically, such as beliefs, meanings,
attributes, and symbols
• Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth
understanding of human behaviour and the
reasons that govern such behaviour.
• The qualitative method investigates the why and
how of decision making, not just what, where,
when.
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 Types of research, Cont’d
Advantages
• It enables more complex aspects of a persons
experience to be studied
• Fewer restriction or assumptions are placed on the
data to be collected.
• Not everything can be quantified, or quantified
easily, Individuals can be studied in more depth
• Good for exploratory research and hypothesis
generation
• The participants are able to provide data in their
own words and in their own way
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 Types of research, Cont’d
Disadvantages
• It is more difficult to determine the validity
and reliability of linguistic data
• there is more subjectivity involved in
analysing the data.
• “Data overload” – open-ended questions can
sometimes create lots of data, which can take
along time to analyse!
• Time consuming
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 Types of research, Cont’d
Quantitative research refers to the
systematic empirical investigation of any
phenomena via statistical, mathematical or
computational techniques.
The objective of quantitative research is to
develop and employ mathematical
models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to
phenomena

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 Types of research.... Cont’d
Quantitative research is generally made
using scientific methods, which can include:
• The generation of models, theories and
hypotheses
• The development of instruments and methods
for measurement
• Experimental control and manipulation
of variables
• Collection of empirical data
• Modelling and analysis of data
• Attempts to expand the limits of knowledge
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 Types of research.... Cont’d
• Descriptive vs. Analytical:
• Descriptive research includes surveys and
fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The
major purpose of descriptive research is
description of the state of affairs as it exists at
present
• Analytical research the researcher has to
use facts or information already available, and
analyze these to make a critical evaluation of
the material.
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 Types of research.... Cont’d
• Conceptual vs. Empirical:
• Conceptual research is that related to
some abstract idea(s) or theory.
• It is generally used by philosophers and
thinkers to develop new concepts or to
reinterpret existing ones.
• Empirical research relies on experience or
observation alone
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Why Do We Do Research?

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 Why Do We Do Research? (1)
• Solve problems
• Decision making tool
• Competition
• Risk
• Investment
• Hire researchers and consultants more
effectively

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 Why Do We Do Research? …Cont’d
• Create/develop something new (Eg.
new product)
• Cause something particular to
happen (Eg. To increase sales volume)
• Make-sense-of what is happening
(Reason for sales decline)
• Explain what is happening/verify
Predict what will happen` (Sales foecasting)
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Why Do We Do Research? …Cont’d
• Discover/Explore
• Describe/Understand
• Explain/Predict or Create

Social Phenomena Research is partly a

process of discovery and partly a process
of knowledge creation.

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Why Do We Do Research? …Cont’d
What makes people motivate to
undertake research?
•Desire to get a research degree along with its
consequential benefits;
• Desire to face the challenge in solving the
unsolved problems, i.e., concern over
practical problems initiates research;
• Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some
creative work;
WM 31
 Why Do We Do Research? …Cont’d
• Desire to be of service to society;
• Desire to get respectability.
• Many more such factors as directives of
government, employment conditions,
curiosity about new things, desire to
understand causal relationships, and the like
may as well motivate (or at times compel)
people to perform research operations.

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• Research Components

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 Research Components (1)
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Background
• Problem Statement
• Key Research Questions/hypothesis
• Objectives
• Significance of the study:
– Expected contribution to knowledge
– Relevance to present day socio-economic needs
• Other expected results.
• Scope of the study
• Limitations of the study
• Summary
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 Research Components (2)
• Chapter Two: Literature Review,
Conceptualization and operationalization of
variables
– Introduction
– Definition of key words/terms,
– Theoretical and conceptual framework
– Related research and gaps
– Summary

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 Research Components (3)
• Chapter Three: Research Design/Methodology
• Type of research
• Define the research variables
• Type of data and data sources
• Sampling frame/target population
• Sampling Techniques
• Sample size
• Method of data collection
• Validity and Reliability
• Method of data analysis
• Summary 36
 Research Components (4)
• Chapter Four: Data Analysis and Findings
– Data analysis and findings as per your
research questions or hypothesis
– Presentation of data
– Discussion and analysis of Data
– Identifying the findings
– Support your finding with the existing
knowledge
– All research questions should be answered
– Summary of findings
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 Research Components (5)
• Chapter five: Conclusion and
Recommendation
–Conclusion
• Conclusion should be made in line to
your major findings
–Recommendation
• In light of conclusion recommendation
should be provided
–Further research
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• Stages of the Scientific Method

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Stages of the Scientific Method
Question Identified

Steps within the

Research Question formed
research process

Research Plan

Data Collected

Results Analyzed

Conclusions

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 Steps in Conducting Research

• Specific steps guide the research process

• Number of steps is indeterminate
• Various steps may be combined
• Order of steps may vary somewhat
• Importance of specific steps is variable
• “12 Steps of Research”

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 “12 Steps of Research”

1. Identify the research question

2. Initial review of literature
3. Distilling the question to a researchable problem
4. Continued review of literature
5. Formulation of hypothesis
6. Determining the basic research approach
7. Identifying the population and sample
8. Designing the data collection plan
9. Selecting or developing data collection instruments
10. Choosing the method of data analysis
11. Implementing the research plan
12. Interpreting the results

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 The Research Question
• The foundation of the research process
• It all begins with a question

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 Finding a Research Question
• From where ???????
– Curiosity
– Information Gaps
– Controversy
– Replication
– Literature Review
– Other People
– ...???

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 Types of Research Questions
• Conceptualize that a research study can ask
three types of questions:
– Descriptive question
– Relationship question
– Difference question
• This general classification scheme helps not
only with the design of the study, but also in
choosing the type of data analysis procedure

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 Descriptive Question
• Seeks to describe phenomena or
characteristics of a particular group of
subjects being studied
– Answers the question “what is”
• Asking questions of the research participants
• Testing or measuring their performance
– Survey research
• Example
– What are the attitudes of rural parents toward the
inclusion of sexuality education in the school
curriculum? (Welshimer & Harris, 1994)
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 Relationship Question
• Investigates the degree to which two or more
variables are associated with each other
– Does not establish “cause-and-effect”
– Only identifies extent of relationship between
variables

• Example
– Is there an association between self-esteem and
eating behaviors among collegiate female swimmers?
(Fey, 1998)

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 Difference Question
• Seeks to make comparisons between or within
groups of interest
– Often associated with experimental research
• Is there a difference between the control group and the
experimental group?
– Comparison of one group to another on the basis of
existing characteristics

• Example
– Does participation in Special Olympics affect the self-
esteem of adults? (Major, 1998)

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 Criteria for Selecting a Problem
• Interest
– Most important
• Significance
– Theoretical value
– Practical value
– Timeliness
– External review
• Manageability
– Expertise, time, resources
– Free from personal bias
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 Problem Distillation
• The process of refining the question or idea
into a problem and making it sufficiently
specific so that it is amenable to investigation
• This process should lead to the development
of a “statement of the problem” that is clear,
concise, and definitive

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 Statement of the Problem
• A very specific statement which clearly identifies
the problem being studied; will usually identify
the key variables as well as give some information
about the scope of the study
• May be in either question or declarative form
• May include inherent sub-problems, if
appropriate
• Formulation of problem statement takes place
after an initial review of related literature and the
distillation process
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 Problem Statements
• “The problem of this study was to …”
• “This study was concerned with …”
• “This study is designed to …”
• “The purpose of this investigation is to …”

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 Sample Problem Statements
1.The problem was to investigate the effects of
exercise on blood lipids among college-age females.
2.This study was designed to determine the
relationship between stability performance and
physical growth characteristics of preschool children.
3.The present study was designed to identify those
characteristics which differentiate between students
who binge drink and those that do not.

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 Delimitations
• Delimitations define the scope of the study. That
is, they set the boundaries of the study
• Normally under control of the researcher
• Examples include
– number and kinds of subjects
– treatment conditions
– tests, measures, instruments used
– type of equipment
– location, environmental setting
– type of training (time and duration)

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 Limitations
• Limitations are very similar to delimitations, but
they tend to focus on potential weaknesses of the
study
• Examples include
– sampling problems (representativeness of subjects)
– uncontrolled factors and extraneous variables
– faulty research design and techniques
– reliability and validity of measuring instruments
– compromises to internal/external validity

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 Limitations continued
• Possible shortcomings of the study . . . usually
cannot be controlled by the researcher
– the researcher will, of course, try to eliminate
extremely serious weaknesses before the study is
commenced
• May be a result of assumptions not being met
• No study is perfect; the researcher recognizes
the weaknesses

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 Assumptions
• Assumptions are basic, fundamental
conditions that must exist in order for the
research to proceed
• Basic premises required in the study... the
researcher does everything possible to
increase the credibility of the assumptions,
but does not have absolute control

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 Assumptions…..
• Assumptions could be made about
1. The motivation of the participant
2. Whether subjects responded truthfully,
3. The validity of the measuring
instrument, and
4. Whether respondents followed
directions correctly

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 Concept of Variables
• A variable is a characteristic, trait, or attribute of
a person or thing that can be classified or
measured
– Attitude
– Gender
– Heart rate
– Hair color
• Variable - the condition or characteristic which in
a given study may have more than one value

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 Independent Variable
• A variable that is presumed to influence
another variable; the variable under
study or the one that the researcher
manipulates
• Two types
– Active – variable is actually manipulated
– Attribute – cannot be manipulated because
it is preexisting trait; sometimes called a
“categorical” variable (e.g., race, gender)
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 Dependent Variable
• The variable that is expected to change as a
result of the manipulation of the independent
variable; that which is measured in a study

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 Extraneous Variable
• A variable that could contribute some type of
error in a research study
• Also referred to as . . .
• Confounding variable
• Intervening variable
• Modifying variable
• Error-producing variable that the researcher
should attempt to eliminate or control
• May affect the relationship between the
independent variable and the dependent
variable if not adequately controlled
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 Controlling Extraneous Variables

• Excluding the variable

• Random selection of research participants
• Matching cases according to some criterion

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 Summary
• All progress is born of inquiry.
• Research leads to inquiry, and inquiry leads to
invention
• Research is scientific way of acquiring
knowledge, solving a given problem or
generating of new knowledge for social
advancement
• Systematic approach will lead to valid
conclusion
• Understanding the system of research will
enhance the advancement of a society
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“The End of Chapter One”

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