Addressing gender disparity and fostering equity in University Education

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND GENDER TRANSFORMATIVE SCIENCES

COURSE OUTLINE

COURSE TITLE: RESEARCH METHODS

COURSE CODE: DEMC 211

NAME OF LECTURER: DR T GOTO Mobile +263773782060

Course Description

The course will provide an opportunity for students to undertake a research study based on a
problem identified in the field of emergency medical care and produce a research report. The
course and project will provide students with opportunities to develop research skills for future
research and career progression. The course is an introduction to basic research concepts.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To introduce students to basic research methods and basic statistics.
2. To assist students to understand the nature of scientific health research.
3. To guide students in identifying a research problem and develop a research proposal
4. To explore the various research methods and approaches to research

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES
In this course students will be assessed on their ability to:
1. Identify and define a researchable problem from the health context in their area.
2. Carry out a literature review for a health problem.
3. Present a Research proposal for a health research problem.
4.

TEACHING METHODS
 Lectures
 Seminar Presentations
 Self- Directed Study
 Participatory Learning
 Discussions

COURSE CONTENT
1. Introduction

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(i) Defining research starting from as from a layman’s perspective.
(ii) Definition of Health Research
(iii) Purpose of Health Research (Evidence Based Practice).
(iv) Research Process Model
(v) Research Problem and Statement
(vi) Selection of a researchable topic
(vii) Research Approaches
(viii) Research proposal definition, characteristics and elements.

2. Literature Review
(i) Meaning of Review of Literature
(ii) Need of Review of Literature
(iii) Objectives of Review of Literature
(iv) Sources of Literature

3. Methodology

(i) Research Approach and Design

Qualitative Research designs
Quantitative Research designs

(ii) Qualitative Research Design

Types of Qualitative Designs:

(iii) Quantitative Research Design

Types of quantitative Designs

(iv) Sampling and Sampling Techniques

Non- probability sampling.
Probability sampling
Determining study population
Determining sample size

(v) Qualitative Data Collection Methods

In-depth Interviews
Focus Group Discussions
Key informant interviews
Observations

(vi) Designing Data Collection Tools/Instruments

Interview Guide
Focus Group Guide
Structured and Unstructured Questionnaire Design

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 Checklists
Principles of constructing the questionnaire
Principles of constructing guides

(vii) Methods of Administering a Questionnaire.

Self- administered/Interviewer administered
Telephone interviews
Posting
Computerized methods

(viii) Methods of administering guides.

Interviewer Administered
Focus Group discussions
Key Informant Interview

(ix)Measurement
Reliability
Validity
Depended variable
Independent variable

(x) Descriptive statistics

Frequency Distributions
Measures of central tendency (mean, mode, median)
Measures of dispersion using grouped and ungrouped data (range, standard deviation,
variance).

(xi) Data Management and Analysis

(xii) Graphical Presentation using statistical software.

Frequency tables
Histograms
Bar charts
Pie charts
Pictograms

4. Ethical issues in Research.

5. Research Proposal Development (Contents)

(i) Introduction
(ii) Background to the Study,
(iii) Problem statement/hypothesis,
(iv) Research Questions and Objectives of the Study.
(v) Study Significance
(vi) Delimitations

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 (vii) Limitations
(viii) Literature Review
(ix) Theoretical Framework (may be left out)
(x) Methodology
(xi) Research Design
(xii) Sampling
(xiii) Data Collection
(xiv) Data Analysis
(xv) Data Presentation, Discussion.
(xvi) Summary, Conclusions, Recommendation.
(xvii) Layout and Presentation.

Students will be required to write a brief literature review in groups.

Due Date for the brief literature review: To be Advised.
Students will also develop individual research proposals that will lead to a research
project.

ASSIGNMENTS
Assignment 1
Assessment Objectives
1. Research for content from (journals, internet, textbooks) documents.
2. Cite sources correctly
3. Use attributive verbs such as: assert, speculates,
4. Presenting a correct reference list.

Carry out a brief literature review whose title is:

The COVID 19 world pandemic: Implications for health sector survival.

Your Literature Review excluding references, must not be more than 8 pages using Times New
Romans, Font 12, spacing 1.5.

Due date to be advised

Assignment 2

Assessment Objectives
1. Ability to identify a research topic
2. Ability to formulate a problem statement, research objectives and research questions
3. Design a proper research methodology.
4. Referencing correctly

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Assignment Task

Write a research proposal

DUE DATE: is to be advised

STUDENT EVALUATION

a) Coursework
Constitutes 30% of the final grade as with all modules.

b) Final Examination
A 2 hour written paper 70%

Total 100%

Submission of Assignments

It is expected that all assessments will be submitted on or by the specified due date. However,
students may apply for an extension of time to submit an assessment, if they are experiencing
difficulty. The grounds for granting an extension include health problems, compassionate
reasons and other extenuating circumstances. Extensions will usually only be granted for a
maximum of one week but can be longer at the discretion of the course coordinator. All
assessments should be submitted by the specified due date.

Late Submission

Late submission without an approved extension will be penalized at the rate of 10% of available
marks for each day after the due date. Work submitted more than ten days after the due date may
be returned unmarked.

You are advised to comply with word limits/lengths of the presentation. You are, of course, not
expected to achieve the exact required length and a 10% leeway on either side is acceptable.
However, a penalty of 5% of available marks will apply for word limit in excess of the 10%
leeway.

Plagiarism

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Students are reminded that plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty constitute a
serious offence and can result in disciplinary procedures. Students are advised to read the
plagiarism policy.

Referencing: providing a full bibliographic reference to the source of the citation (in a style as
determined by the University-Harvard Style).

Quotation: placing an excerpt from an original source into a paper using either quotation marks
or indentation, with the source cited, using an approved referencing system in order to give credit
to the original author.

Paraphrasing: repeating a section of text using different words which retain the original
meaning. Please Note: changing just a few words does not constitute paraphrasing

Marking Guide for Exams

Essays

Structure and Writing Style 25%

 Introduces/ outlines/situates the topic of the essay

 Clearly describes the way in which the essay will proceed
 The essay is structured in a logical sequence so that the content flows (headings may be
used to develop the structure of the paper)
 The essays end with a cogent, defendable conclusion that summarizes the discussion
within the body of the paper.
Writing Style (15%)

 The essay is written with clear sentence structure; clarity of argument and precision of
expression and the spelling and grammar are correct.

Content (30%)

 The essay question has been answered or the topic/issue has been discussed
 The essay content has clear links to contemporary community development practice

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  The student's paper demonstrates a depth of understanding of the topic and significant
issues.
Critical Analysis (15%)

The essay demonstrates a high degree of critical thought and insight by:

 Providing a justification/rationale for the argument/discussion

 Demonstrating they have reflected on the complex issues surrounding the topic/question
 Discussing the topic from differing perspectives, thereby providing a balanced
argument/discussion.
Referencing 15%

 The referencing style used throughout the paper is congruent with the University guide
 The reference list is accurate (i.e. no missing page numbers, volumes, correct title etc),
complete (i.e. no references in the body of the paper are missing from the reference list)
and consistent with then University Policy and style guide
 The references cited are contemporary (i.e. less than 10 years old unless seminal papers)
 Primary references are used predominantly (i.e. the original reference has been cited
rather than a secondary source)
 There is evidence in the paper that the student has searched widely for information
related to the topic/issue
 The student has acknowledged all sources of information
 Direct quotations are only used to make crucial points or to support the
discussion/argument.

End of Semester 3 Hour Examination paper-70% of the final examination mark.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adams, J., Khan, H.T.A. and Raeside, R. (2014). Research Methods for Business and Social
science Studies (2nd Ed). New Delhi: Sage.

Bazeley, P. (2018). Integrating Analyses in Mixed Methods Research. London: Sage.

Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2007). Business Research Methods 3e.[o]

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utwente.nl/en/bms/research/forms-and-downloads/bryman-bell-2007-ethics-in-business-
research.pdf. Accessed 12/06/2020.

Chinamasa, E. (2014). Experiences of day scholars in boarding schools in Zimbabwe:

Implications for educational management. IISTE- Journal of Education and practice.
5(4): 31 – 38.[o]www.iiste.org. Accessed. 12/06/2021.

Coldwell, D. and Herbst, F. (2004). Business Research. Cape Town: Juta.

Cresswell, J.W. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research design: Choosing among five
approaches. New Delhi: Sage.

Cryer, P. (2006). The Research student’s Guide to Success. Berkshire: McGrow –Hill.

Fox, W. (2007). A guide to managing research. Cape Town: Juta.

Ghauri, P.N., Gronhaug, K. and Kristianslund, I. (2001). Research Methods in Business

Studies. New York: Prentice Hall.
Jenn, N.C. (2006). Common Ethical Issues in Research and Publication. Malaysian
Family Physician.[o].ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4453117/ Accessed 06/02/2020

Jibrin,M. A., Musa,M.N. and Shittu, T. (2018). Role of Computer in Scientific Research
Process. International Journal of Information Systems and Engineering.[o]
ftms.edu.my/journals/pdf/IJISE/Apr2018/27-33pdf. Accessed 12/09/2020

Lee, P.N. (2009). Achieving your professional doctorate. Berkshire: McGraw Hill.

Omkar, P. (2016). The Key Role of Computers in Research You Just Can't Ignore. Retrieved
August 3, 2017, Available at http://www.buzzle.com/articles/roleof-computers-
inresearch.html. Accessed 14/03/2019.

Punch, K.F. (2006). Developing research proposals. London: Routledge.

Walliman, N. (2005). Your research project (2nd ed). London: Sage.

White, C.J. (2005). Research: A practical guide. Pretoria: Intutuko.