Scribd
Upload
19 views20 pages

Research Development

Uploaded by

rfg sa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
19 views20 pages

Research Development

Uploaded by

rfg sa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 20

Unit 7

Process in Conducting
Research
Lesson 1. The research process

• Stages in the research process:


 Conceptualization – idea on the research process

 Contextualization – putting your research in the


context of others –
 Data collection and analysis – (this unit addresses)

 Reporting – writing up of your research


Research methods – Data collection and Analysis

• Choose the most suitable research method for your


study according to the approaches used.
 Quantitative research – involving numerical and
statistical data. Emphasis on quantitative
observations.
 Qualitative research – gathering non-numerical data.
Emphasis on qualitative results.
Research methods – Common Types

• Observation studies
• Questionnaires
• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Document analysis
• Mathematical modeling
• The experimental method
Research methods – Common Types

• Observation studies- the process of observing and recording


events.
 Especially useful for studying human or animal behavior
 Two types – participant (observer as participant) and non-
participant

E.g. Study on weight gain of selected sheep breeds which


are exposed to the same environment.
Data collection:
no perfect example; varies with the type of problem
 often through writing up of notes
 may also involve taping or filming
Research methods – Common Types

• Questionnaires – a tool where respondents answers to


questions.
• It could be open or closed/fixed.
• It is flexible and can be applied on almost any topic of
research.

Data collection:
Questionnaire forms (hard copies), web based
questionnaires.

E.g. Why do you apply for graduate program? – closed


1 – to expand my knowledge
2 - to earn a better salary after graduation
3 – to get promotion
4 – no specific reason
Research methods – Common Types

• Interviews – tools where questions are delivered in a face to


face encounter.
 It is limited to cases where the subjects of study are
human.
 It can be approached in pure quantitative (structured) and
pure qualitative (not structured) angle as of questionnaire.
 Mainly interviews are semi-structured

Data collection:
Structured one – ticking/writing on a form
Less structured data – taping and taking notes
Research methods – Common Types

• Focus groups – a type of interview but targeting only


carefully selected individuals usually who do not know each
other.

 It is useful in providing qualitative data.

E.g. Study on identification of corrupted politicians.


Research methods – Common Types

• Document analysis/content analysis – the process of using any


kind of document, films, photographs, books, etc, for analysis
for a particular research interest.

 It is an indirect form of research where in original data is


not generated.

 It is a non-reactive method.

 Reliability and validity are the central concerns


Research methods – Common Types

• Mathematical modeling – used to analyze relationships between


different variables and to predict possible outcomes, or causal
effects.

E.g. Universal Soil Loss Equation(USLE)


USLE = RKLSCP
Where,
R = rainfall factor
K = soil factor
L = slope length factor
S = degree of slope factor
C =crop factor
P = conservation factor
Research methods – Common Types

• The experimental method – involves setting up an experiment


in order to test a particular theory or hypothesis.

 laboratory experiments – small scale study and subjects are


studied in a controlled environment.

E.g. Nano-technology, chemistry, etc

 field experiments – research conducted outside the


laboratory and researcher control of the env’t is reduced.

E.g. soil related studies


Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative
Data

Steps in quantitative analysis and interpretation:

How do you prepare the data for analysis?


How do you analyze the data?
How do you report the results?
How do you discuss the results?
Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative
Data

Preparing the data for analysis?


 Score data by assigning numeric codes to responses

 Create codebook

Create data file in data grid

Create variable, value labels


Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative
Data

Identify types of Scores to


analyze:

Single item
Summed scores
Difference scores
Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative
Data

Select a statistical program for quantitative studies:

Statistical Package for Social Sciences- SPSS is most


popular

Other programs: Mini-tab, Statview, SAS, StatPac

Use mainframe, PC or Mac platforms


Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative
Data

How do you analyze the data?


Conduct descriptive analysis:
Measures of central tendency
Measures of relative standing

Descriptive Statistics

Central Tendency Variability Relative standing

Mean Variance
Z-Score
Median Standard Deviation
Percentile Ranks
Mode Range
Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative
Data

Conduct inferential analysis:

Hypothesis testing
Confidence interval

Identify a null and alternative hypothesis

Set the level of significance (alpha level) for rejecting


the null hypothesis

Compute the sample statistic

Make a decision about rejecting/failing to reject


Analyzing and Interpreting Quantitative
Data

Parametric inferential analysis:

Correlation coefficient and regression coefficient

T-test, analysis of variance, analysis of covariance

Chi-square analysis, etc.


Sampling Terms and Procedures

•Population - inclusive group defined by researcher

•Sample - representative subset of population


•should contain essential elements of population

•Random Sampling-process of sampling which assures that any


subject in the population has an equal probability of being in the
sample

•Systematic counting-uses list to choose every nth person from


the population

•Stratified Random-used when researcher believes the population


has distinct subgroups.
E.g.: if population has 45% men, then we make sure sample is
45% men
Thank you

You might also like