Research Methodology

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Research Methodology
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• Refers to search for knowledge.
• Research is an academic activity.

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Research Never Stops
The wheel of research
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Research Process

• Zikmund (1997)
• Defining the problem
• Planning a research design
• Planning a sample
• Gathering the data
• Processing and analyzing the data
• Formulating conclusions and preparing the report

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The cyclic nature of the research process

• It starts with a problem and ends in a tentative
  empirical generalization.
• The cyclic process continues indefinitely,
  reflecting the progress of a scientific
  discipline

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Defining Research Problem and objectives

• It is important to define research problem
  appropriately because it serves as a guideline to
  the researcher for conducting the rest of
  research project

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Step 2 Developing the Research Plan

• The research plan is a written document that
  outlines the type of problem, objectives, data
  needed, and the usefulness of the results.
• Data sources
• Research approach
• Research instruments
• Sampling plan
• Contact methods

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Data Sources

• Primary
• Secondary

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Primary Vs. Secondary Data

• Primary data are originated by a researcher for
  the specific purpose of addressing the problem at
  hand. The collection of primary data involves
  all six steps of the research process.
• Secondary data are data that have already been
  collected for purposes other than the problem at
  hand. These data can be located quickly and
  inexpensively.

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Comparison of Primary Secondary Data
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Primary Data Sources

• Observation research using people or machines
• Discovers behavior but not motivations.
• Survey research
• Effective for descriptive information.
• Experimental research
• Investigates cause and effect relationships.

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A Classification of Secondary Data
Internal
External
Ready to Use
Requires Further Processing
Published Materials
Computerized Databases
Syndicated Services
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Research Approaches

• Observation
• Focus groups
• Surveys
• Behavioral data
• Experiments

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Research Instruments

• Questionnaires
• Include open-ended and closed- ended questions
• Phrasing and question order are key
• Mechanical instruments
• Scanners
• Eye cameras

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Sampling Plan

• Sampling unit Who is to be surveyed?
• Sample size How many people should be surveyed?
• Sampling procedure How should the respondents be
  chosen?

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Types of Samples

• Non-probability
• Convenience
• Judgment
• Quota

• Probability
• Simple Random
• Stratified Random
• Cluster

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Contact Methods

• Mail questionnaire
• Telephone interview
• Personal interview
• Online interview

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Step 3 Collect the Data

• Some respondents will not be at home and must be
  contacted again and again.
• Other respondents will refuse to cooperate.
• Others will give biased or dishonest answers.
• Some interviewers will be biased or dishonest

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Step 4 Analyze the Data

• Qualitative Analysis
• Quantitative Analysis

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Identifying a Topic

• A research topic focuses and provides structure
  for the steps in the scientific and disciplined
  inquiry approach

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Identifying a Topic

• Three main sources of sources of topics
• Theory an organized body of concepts,
  generalizations and principles that can be
  subjected to investigation
• Provides conceptually rich topics
• Provides confirmation of some aspects of theory
• Personal experience
• Replication

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Selecting A Research Topic

• Three ways for getting a topic
• Someone assigns a topic to you
• Someone gives you some guidelines for choosing a
  topic
• You are given the freedom to select the topic

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Identifying a Topic

• Narrowing and focusing topics
• Three problems with broad topics
• Enlarges the scope of the review beyond reason
• Complicates the organization of the review itself
• Creates studies that are too general, difficult
  to carry out, and difficult to interpret

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Identifying a Topic

• Suggestions for focusing topics
• Talk to experts in the field
• Read sources that provide overviews

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Selecting topic steps

• Select a topic that interests you
• Read through background information
• Start making a list of key words
• Write out your topic as a statement and select
  the main concepts
• Start making a list of words to describe your
  topic

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Variable

• VariableIs a term ascribed to the characteristic
  being investigated, and can take any value in a
  reasonable range. For example, blood group, blood
  pressure, age of patients being studied.

Independent variable The variable which is
assumed to determine the values of the dependent
(response) variable. For example, blood pressure
could be deemed to respond to changes in age.
Dependent variable The variable which is assumed
to respond to the values of the independent
(explanatory) variable. For example, blood
pressure could be deemed to respond to changes in
age.
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Unit of Analysis
Unit of Analysis Units of analysis are the
persons, things, or events under study--the
entities that we want to say something about.
Frequently, the appropriate units of analysis are
easy to select.