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Research Methods and Evaluation
Research is a scientific process of gathering and managing data whose results are intended to
solve an identified problem. The format of research report depends on the consuming
institution or sponsor. In academic institutions like ours especially in the social sciences the
report is made up of five (05) chapters with APA (American Psychological Association)
referencing style being the most common. The chapters in a typical report are presented in
this paper
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction (announce what will be seen in the chapter)
1.1 Background of the Study (Historical and contextual) – at least 2 pages for Long Essays
and 7 pages for Post Graduate
Historical evolution of all variables in the study; How have those variables in your
topic evolved from a certain distance past to period of research.
Contextual background (what is (the state of affairs) happening with your variables in
your area of study at the time of your study). Let the reader have a picture of what is
happening with your variables in your area of study. Consider your supervisor to be
some in China who is not conversant with your area.
1.2 Statement of the Problem (how is your dependent variable suffering in your area of study-
2 pages). How are the indicators of your dependent variable manifesting in your area of
study. Express it in sentimental terms in such a way that it can attract sympathy for a sponsor
to fund the research and look for a long lasting solution. Do not accuse any forces to be
responsible for the suffering of your dependent variable. Otherwise you are already at the end
of your study.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.3.1 Main question
Your main objective is usually your topic translated to an objective without distortions.
It is here that you are trying to conjecture (attempt to identify) the forces that could be
responsible for the suffering of your dependent variable. It is now that the independent
variable can be suspected to be the cause.
1.3.2 Specific Objectives
Specific objectives now expand on what the indicators of your independent variable are.
What aspects of the independent variable are you taking for the study?
1. Specific Objective 1
2. Specific Objective 2
3. Specific Objective 3
1.4 Research Questions
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Convert main and specific objectives to main and specific research questions. Be careful not
to present the questions in such a way that can elicit a yes or no answer!! These are crucial
points for any research. Their poor formulation will distort the rest of your work. Specific
objectives are subdivisions of main objective, same for questions.
Your main question is usually your topic translated to an interrogative statement without
distortions. It is here that you are trying to conjecture (attempt to identify) the forces that
could be responsible for the suffering of your dependent variable. It is now that the
independent variable can be suspected to be the cause.
1.3.2 Specific Questions
They are subdivisions of the main questions.
1. Specific question 1
2. Specific question 2
3. Specific question 3
1.4 Hypothesis (where necessary) Convert the main and specific research questions to main
and specific hypotheses (Provide the negative aspect or statement). Remember that the
concept of significance must be portrayed in any hypothesis to show that you recognize that
there should a chance for errors in your results. Here the word ‘significance’ must appear in
the hypothesis whether null or alternative.
1.5 Justification of the Study
Why are you carrying out this study? Of what importance is the study?
1.6 Significance of the Study
Who are the beneficiaries of your study and how? For whom are you carrying out the study
and how shall they exploit the results?
1.7 Scope of the Study
Why are you limiting yourself to the independent variable/area you are using?
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
There could be words that you use in your study that do not have the same meaning as they
are used in textbooks/dictionary or are not found there at all. Tell the reader your own
meaning of these words. This is not space for you to do a selection of words and describe
them as they are in textbooks/dictionary.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction
Announce what you are expected to write in this chapter
2.1 Conceptual Review (teach the reader what your variables are all about). Develop the
concepts here as the textbooks or internet say. Do this variable by variable. You start by
announcing the major concepts of your topic.
2.1.1 Concept 1 (Followed by its development)
2.1.2 Concept 2 (Followed by its development)
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2.2 Theoretical Review: review at least four theories. Identify the theory to be reviewed.
2.2.1 Theory 1
Who propounded the theory? What are the wordings of the theory? (Do not paraphrase it).
What circumstance took the author to the theory? Explain what the theory is all about. Justify
how this theory is related to your study. Of what importance is the theory to your study?
2.2.2 Theory 2
Who propounded the theory? What are the wordings of the theory? (Do not paraphrase it).
What circumstance took the author to the theory? Explain what the theory is all about. Justify
how this theory is related to your study. Of what importance is the theory to your study?
2.2.3 Theory 3
Who propounded the theory? What are the wordings of the theory? (Do not paraphrase it).
What circumstance took the author to the theory? Explain what the theory is all about. Justify
how this theory is related to your study. Of what importance is the theory to your study?
2.3 Empirical Review: Report the efforts made by earlier scholars to answer your research
questions. Do the report for every research question. Do at least four reviews for each
research question.
Identify the scholar
where and when was the study carried out?
Report the methodology that was used
What are the results?
Summary of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
This introduces the content of the chapter.
3.1 Research Design
Define research design from at least three different sources with exact quotations. Explain your own
view of research design. Select an appropriate research design that can be used in your study.
Explain the design selected and justify why it is the most appropriate for the study and how to use it.
This section tells the reader whether you are going for quantitative, qualitative or mix research
approach, whether the research is of exploratory, descriptive or causal types. It also gives room to tell
if your research is inductive, deductive or adductive. In this section, operationalize your variables
(What are the independent and dependent variables?)
3.2 Epistemology
In many research institutions nowadays, the epistemology has become an essential part of the
methodology. The epistemology is the constellation of knowledge. The major ones are positivism,
interpretativism and constructivism.
3.3 Area of the Study
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Let the area reflect psychological, sociological and cultural representation of the people in such a way
that government can explore the results and make policy for the nation. Describe the area of the study
in such a way that even a foreigner who has never been to Cameroon can read the work and build a
mental image of the area. Describe the topography, vegetation, and social amenities, major institutions
(universities, industries), the agricultural activities, major produce or products, ethnic groups etc. that
can connect the reader to imagine the existence of your population in such an area and how that area
can possibly affect your variables.
3.4 Population and Sampling method
3.4.1 Population of the Study
Define population as used in research. Identify the population of your study. Avoid using different
populations in the same study for example using teachers and students. Identify one and use for
homogeneity. Describe the population in a way that a reader elsewhere can get a mental image of the
population. That is their history, occupation, activities, religion, politics etc that can guide their
connection to variables of study. Before validating your research topic, you must make sure that
you have identified the right population of study that you can easily reach and in desired
numbers.
3.4.2 Sampling Procedure
Define sampling. Identify the sampling technique that suits your work. Describe how you are going to
use it and justify its use. Describe the techniques how you selected the regions, how you selected the
divisions, how you selected the subdivisions and how you selected the schools and finally the students
or teachers. Justify why that sampling technique was the most appropriate. You have two major sampling
procedures:
3.4.3 Sample
Sampling Procedures
Many students find difficulties in defining the population of the study. Let the sample be a group that
has the characteristics of the parent population to whom policy can be made. Present tables of
distribution of population and sample. Create a sample frame. If you suspected that your study has
some extraneous variables and you included them in your demographic data. It is here that you are
required to explain how you intend to control them through randomization in your sampling frame.
These variables should not appear in the presentation of your results in chapter four because you have
declared them undesirable.
Cluster sampling
Non-Probability Sampling
Judgmental sampling
Snowball sampling
3.5 Types of Data and Method of data collection
3.5.1 Types of Data Collection
Primary data and/or secondary data.
3.5.2 Instrumentation of Data Collection
Describe the instrument and justify its use. Quantitative data generally use questionnaire.
3.5.3 Administration of the instrument
Describe how you live your home and finally arrived at the person who responded to your questions.
What ethical considerations you put in place to ensure your acceptability at each stage of your data
collection process.
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3.6 Validity and Reliability of the research
3.6.1 Validity of the instrument
Define validity and explain what it is. Describe the process that you used to ensure the validity of the
instrument. To ensure validity you must consult a psychologist, share the items you raised with
colleagues and the supervisor must go through it. Show proof that you did all these to ensure validity.
We have internal and external validity.
3.6.2 Reliability of instrument
Define reliability. A trial-test of your instrument is inevitable. Select the most appropriate reliability
tool that you will use and justify why you are using it. Trial -test the instrument and do analysis. The
analysis results will guide you in the correction of the instrument before administering the instrument
to the population concerned. Note that for a questionnaire the reliability falls between 0.75 – 0.9.
Many reasons why research may not yield good results can be traced to problems with how data is gathered.
In particular, many research mistakes occur due to problems associated with data validity and data
reliability.
Validity refers to how well data measures what it is purported to measure. Content validity is important in
this case. (Other types include Face Validity, construct validity, Criterion-Related Validity, Formative
Validity, etc).
Reliability is the degree to which data produces stable and consistent results and particularly Internal
reliability (Other types include test-retest reliability, Parallel forms reliability, etc).
The source of data and the method used in collecting the data affect both validity and the reliability of the
data and the eventual usefulness of the research results.
3.7 Method of Data Analysis
3.7.1 Model specification
3.7.2 Procedure for data Analysis
Produce a data coding schedule in the form of a table. This acts as a marking guide to explain how the
data sheet was extracted. Describe the data analysis tool used and justify why you used it. In this part
you could be guided by your data analyst. Make sure analysis is done hypothesis by hypothesis. If the
data was collected through interviews, focus group discussions or observation guides, it should be
reported thematically. This should be described here to prepare the readers mind on what to expect in
chapter four.
3.7.2 Instrument of Data Analysis
3.8 Ethical Considerations
A researcher respect people and institutions. These are veritable partners the exercise. The researcher
is therefore expected to approach information sources with dignity and loyalty. The researcher
therefore writes down what was done in order to have maximum collaboration during the research
process. Obtaining permission where necessary, guiding respondents for clarification purposes and
collecting responses in their best forms.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
4.0 Introduction
Announce what will be seen in this chapter
4.1 General Description of Data/Variables
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Here the variables that have been measured are introduced. Announce whether the data collected was
qualitative or quantitative. For quantitative data bring out a table for their descriptive statistical values
that will be used to do the inferential statistics
4.2 Data Analysis and Interpretation
4.2.1 Demographic data presentation and interpretation
4.2.2 Presentation of data related to specific research question 1
4.2.3 Presentation of data related to specific research question 2
4.2.4 Presentation of data related to specific research question 3
4.2.5 Hypothesis testing
4.2.6 Summary of results
Summarise the results found the this section for each hypothesis
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER
RESEACH
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Discussion of Findings
This is done research by research question. The results obtained in your study are here compared to
the results of other scholars as reported in the empirical review (Chapter two). You can compare the
results only with those already reviewed
5.2 Conclusion
Short briefs of each chapter is expected to be reported here including the findings
5.3 Recommendations
From this study what do you advise the sponsor or partners institution to do with your results? Be
careful not to make unrealistic recommendations especially when you do not know their resources
(human and financial)
5.4 Suggestions for Further Research
During the study you should have come across some other variables and or problems that could need
solutions that will improve on your recommendations. You can advise the sponsor or partner
institution to do a study in that direction
6. Bibliography
Do not quote search engines like www.google.com, www.yahoo.com, etc in your bibliography.
Use the APA quotation system
Tanguy, 2019, Succession Management in Family Businesses, Thesis, Faculty of Social and
Management sciences, Department of Management, University of Buea
