Unit 19: Research Project

Week 1 (Session 1): Meaning of Research and the

Research Process
 Classroom Rules

No use of Mobile No eating in class No noise making

Phones

Ask only relevant Do not interrupt the

Dress
questions during lecturer or session
appropriately
teaching time when you arrive late
Unit Learning
Outcomes

By the end of this unit students

should be able to:
• LO1 Examine appropriate research
methodologies and methods to identify those
appropriate to the research process
• LO2 Develop a research proposal, including a
supporting literature review
• LO3. Analyse data using appropriate
techniques to communicate research findings
• LO4. Reflect on the application of research
methodologies and process.
Session
Overview Defining Research

Overview of the
Research Process
4
Research

A careful investigation for new facts in any branch of

knowledge
 Research is a systematic effort to gain new knowledge
 Research is systematic, critical and self-critical enquiry which
aims to contribute towards the advancement of knowledge
and wisdom
Why do Research
 Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential
benefits
 Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems
 Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work
Six’ Phases of
Research
• Research Question/Problem
definition

• Literature review

• Selection of research design, subjects,

and data collection techniques

• Data gathering

• Data processing and analysis

• Implications, Conclusions, and

Recommendations
Statement of Research Problem
it is a claim (in one, two or three sentences) that outlines the
problem to be addressed by the study.
 A good statement of problem should specify variables which
can be compared, correlated or observed, and delimit the scope
of the investigation.
 The statement of the problem should answer the question:
what is the problem that the research is to address?
 Research Aims and Objectives

The aim of a study is a broad statement of the general

intentions of the research or what the investigator intends to
study – it should be clearly and concisely defined.
The objective of a study is the specific steps that the
investigator is going to take to answer his/her research
questions needed to accomplish the goals of the research
project.
Research Questions
These are answerable inquiries into a specific research
topic.
 They are questions that must be raised to which the
research or investigation should be geared towards
solving.
 Research questions arise from the statement of the
problem, and the general purpose of the study/work
will be to find answers to these research questions
Steps in Writing Good Research Question
Steps in writing a good research question:
i. Specify the research topic.
ii. Decide what you want to know about the topic.
iii. Turn what you want to know and the specific topic into a
question.
iv. Ensure that the question is answerable.
v. Check to make sure that the question is not too broad or too
narrow.
Significance of the Research
This usually explains the significance of the research project, its potential
benefits and its possible overall impacts.
 The significance of a study explains why the research project was worth
being done; that is why it is also known as the rationale.
 The significance of the study should also examine what impact the study
might have, not just on the academic or scientific community, but also on
the general public.
 It should present practical benefits, such as how the work might inform
policy, improve some aspects of people's lives, make for greater efficiency or
help the environment
Literature Review
 Gives theoretical rationale of problem being studied, what research has
been done and how it relates to the problem
 Helpful to divide the literature into sub-topics for ease of reading
 Quality of literature should be assessed
 Be sure to include well respected ‘individuals’ in the research area (if they
exist)
Selection of Research Design
 The research design indicates the steps that will need to be take and
the sequence they will occur
 Each design can rely on one ore more data collection technique
 Assess reliability and validity
 Critical consideration in determining methodology is the selection of
subjects
Data Gathering

Design the Questionnaires

Must pretest
sampling scheme must be coded
Data Processing and Analysis

Describe Choose appropriate

Compare behavior
demographics of statistical technique
(if applicable)
the data (if applicable)

Look for patterns in

data (if applicable)
Interpreting Results

Make sure to consider the audience Discuss implications for the population
of interest and future research
Afternoon Session: Individual Class work

• 1: Select one of PEARSON listed topics

• 2: Briefly Write your main research question
• 3. Write your research aim
• 4. Identify the variables in your research aim
• 5. Use Google Scholar and read the variables you identified in
your aim.
• 6. Write three research questions
• 7. Write the rationale or significance of your research
 References
Journals
• Norris, N. (1997). Error, bias and validity in qualitative research. Educational
Action Research, 5(1), pp. 172-176.
• Robinson, O.C. (2014) Sampling in Interview-Based Qualitative Research: A Theoretical
and Practical Guide. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11(1), pp. 25- 41
Online resources
• SkillsYouNeed(2020) Writing a Research Proposal. [Online]. Available at: https://ww
w.skillsyouneed.com/learn/research-proposal.html [Accessed 22 December 2020].