RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PDF

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Summary

2014 HCOB 2403:RESEARCH METHODS MOSES OCHIENG GWEYI THE CO-OPERATIVE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF KENYA ANTE RESEARCH METHODS Contact Hours Lectures Seminar/Practical Totals Credits Credits Exam Hours Course Rationale: Description Research may be defined as a disciplined inquiry or systematic investigation...

Description

2014 HCOB 2403:RESEARCH METHODS

MOSESOCHIENG GWEYI THE CO-OPERATIVE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF KENYA

ANTE Contact Hours

RESEARCH METHODS Lectures Credits

Credits Course Description

General Objective

Seminar/Practical

Totals Exam Hours

Rationale: Research may be defined as a disciplined inquiry or systematic investigation aimed at providing solutions to problems. The main purpose of research is to advance or discover new knowledge and improve practice through scientific process. To ensure quality and timely completion of a research project, clear guidelines and procedures are necessary. The purpose of this module is to help the student acquire knowledge and skills of research methods and their applications to the solutions in both academics research and in management decision- making process. This course is intended to help the student to be able to prepare a research proposal, conduct and submit a comprehensive research project report on a topic in microfinance using knowledge gained in the course.

Specific Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:  Demonstrate knowledge on the process of conducting research and how to use findings to inform managerial decision making  Identify the problem definition and understand the research process  Have basic understanding of data collection and data analysis.  Interpret research findings to inform managerial decision making.  Identify a research problem in a business field and write a research proposal and research project

Course Content

1: Introduction to Research 2: The Research Process (Steps in the research process)  Selecting A Research Topic  Formulating The Research Problem  Defining Concepts And Developing Conceptual Framework  Literature Review  Selecting The Research Design  Selecting The Data Collection Method  Selecting The Survey Method  Preparing Data Collection Instruments  Selecting Data Analysis Tools  Report Writing And Dissemination Of Results Research Methods

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3: Chapter One: Introduction 4: Chapter Two: Literature Review 5: Chapter Three: Research Methodology 6: Chapter Four: Data Analysis and Presentation of Results 7: Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations 8:Miscellenous Key Learning Points

Training Methods

Student Activity

Recommended Reading

   

Introduction to research The research process Preparing the research proposal Preparing the final research project report

 Short Lectures  Small group discussions followed by presentations and panel discussions  Individual and group home works /assignments. The major part of this section is to be covered as an independent study. The contact time will be used for consultations between students and supervisors. Each student will be required to produce a system and related documentation, and participate in oral presentation and defense of the research proposal. Author (and year of Title Publisher and place of publication) publication O.M Mugenda and A.G Mugenda(2003)

Research Methods : Quantitative and Qualitative approaches

Acts Press

M. Saunders, P. Lewis and A. Thornhill (2005)

Research Methods for business students 3rd Edition

Dorling Kindersley Pvt. Ltd

Kate L. Turabian

A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

The University Chicago Press

Orodho, J.A(2000)

Techniques of Writing Research Proposals and Reports in Education and Social Sciences

Masola Nairobi

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of

Publishers,

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Other Support Materials and Resources

Borg, R.W. and M.D. Gall. 1989. Educational Research: An Introduction. New York: Longman, Inc. Chandran, Emil. 2004. Research Methods: A Quantitative Approach. Nairobi: Daystar University. Dornan, Edward A. and Charles W. Dawe. 1984. The Brief English Module. Little: Brown and Company. Higham, Nicholas J.1993. Module of Writing for the Mathematical Sciences, SIAM Press. Orodho, J.A. 2004. Techniques of Writing Research Proposals and Reports in Education and Social Sciences. Nairobi: Masola Publishers. Peil, Margaret. 1995. Social Science Research Methods: A Module for Africa. Nairobi: EAEP. Strunk, William Jr. and E. B. White. 1972. The Elements of Style. New York: Macmillan

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RESEARCH METHODS COURSE OUTLINE

ASSESSMENT: A. COURSEWORK AND PROJECT PROPOSAL (1) Assignments and/or CAT………………

20%

(2) Research Proposal

a) Proposal document

30%

b) Presentation & defense

20%. 50%

(3)Final Exam …………………………………………

30%

TOTAL

100%

B. FIELDWORK AND FINAL PROJECT (1)Fieldwork and Final Research Project Report..………………………100%

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LESSON ONE: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH 1.1 What is research? 

There are many ways of defining “research”



To research is to carry out a diligent inquiry or a critical examination of a given phenomena.

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Research also involves a critical analysis of existing conclusions or theories with regard to newly discovered facts

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Research is a systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical investigation of hypothetical prepositions about the presumed relations among natural phenomena

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Research is the process of arriving at dependable solutions through a systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data

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Research is the careful and systematic inquiry into or examination of a field of knowledge in order to establish facts and principles.

All definitions emphasize that research is a process, not an event. It must therefore be carefully planned, implemented, disseminated, and consumed. 1.1 Purposes of research 

The main purpose of research is to discover new knowledge. This involves the discovery of new facts, their correct interpretation and practical application.

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Secondly, is to describe a phenomenon. Accurate identification of any event involves thorough description.

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Thirdly, is to enable prediction. This is the ability to estimate phenomenon. We sometimes use a set of variables to predict a given variable.

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The fourth purpose of research is to enable control. In scientific research control is concerned with the ability to regulate the phenomenon under study. Many scientific experiments are designed to achieve this objective.

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

The fifth purpose of research is to enable explanation of phenomenon. Explanation involves accurate observation and measurement of a given phenomenon.

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The sixth purpose of research is to enable theory development. Theory development involves formulating concepts, laws and generalization about a given phenomenon

1.3 Distinguishing characteristics of research 

Research is systematic

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Research is controlled

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Research is empirical. It deals with data, which is tested scientifically.

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Research is self-correcting. The results of research are open to public scrutiny.

1.4 Research and Knowledge Suppose you want to know why many clients use loans outside the business. There are four sources of knowledge, namely: 

Experience



Reasoning



Authority



Research

Research is the most important tool for advancing knowledge. It is also the most important tool for promoting progress, relating to our own environment, enhancing the accomplished of our purposes and for resolving conflicts within any sector such as microfinance. Social research studies the problems of man in a social set up. Being a very human process, it is prone to error and bias. To minimize the influence of error and bias on their findings, researchers have developed various procedures. As such the approach to inquiry in microfinance that involves the conduct of research is different from other approaches to learning about microfinance and improving it. For that reason, a research ranks higher above other approaches like; -

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

Folklore and mysticism (including magic)

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Dogma and tradition

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Casual observation

1.5 Areas of research in microfinance 

Opinions and attitudes

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Needs of the people

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Feasibility of proposed microfinance products and/or activities

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Identifying relevant approaches and models

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Evaluation of ongoing programs, current products, policies, procedures, approaches, etc.

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How certain events occur and the relationship between events. This has got to do with human behavior and how certain events affect human behavior.

1.6 Quality Requirements of Research Projects Whether a student is seeking to complete a diploma, degree at an undergraduate level or Master’s level, one key factor that must be borne in mind is quality. Quality is generally defined as conformance to requirements or fitness for purpose. Degree/Diploma project demonstrates the student’s readiness to join scholars and practitioners in advancing the knowledge and practice in the real world of business. Consequently, students are expected to produce quality research projects that: 

Make contribution to the knowledge in the discipline,

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Address current problems of interest to the practitioners,

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Demonstrate a mastery of a specialization area within the degree/diploma program,

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Reflect the integration of practice and scholarship, and

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Are of publishable quality.

1.7 Research Project Prerequisite

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The major prerequisite for the research project is Business Statistics and Research Methods. All students are required to complete Business Statistics and Research Methods before registering for the research project course. Each student taking Business research methods must develop a detailed research proposal for the intended research project .The research proposal should focus on the student’s area of concentration within their diploma program, in this case, Microfinance. 1.8 Role of the Supervisor in Research Project The supervisor should be an expert or experienced in the intended area of study. The major role of the project supervisor is to supervise the design and development of the research proposal, the conduct of the research, and the preparation of the final research project document. The supervisor should ensure that the research project is academically sound, is clearly and correctly written, and provides an original contribution to the field. 1.9 The Research Proposal The research proposal is a blue print or a plan for an intended study. Research proposal preparation is essential in the development and pursuit of a research endeavor. The quality of the final research project often depends on the quality of the research proposal. Consequently, each student must develop a comprehensive research proposal before registering for the research project The research proposal for the project should consist of three major chapters or sections including introduction, literature review and methodology. In addition to the three major chapters, the research proposal should also provide an abstract, reference or bibliography, implementation schedule and, implementation budget. The three major chapters or sections (introduction, literature review, and methodology) of the research proposal should correspond to the first three sections of the research project report in terms quality and comprehensiveness. The only difference being that, the introduction and methodology sections are written in present or future tense in the research proposal and past tense in the research project report.

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1.9.1 Introduction The introduction section of the proposal should include: • Background of the problem • Statement of the problem • Purpose of the study or general objective • Research questions or specific objectives or hypothesis. The hypothesis should be stated if the study involves experimental designs or statistical tests. • Importance or justification or significance of the study • Scope of the study • Chapter Summary 1.9.2 Literature Review The literature review section of the proposal should present a review of the literature related to the problem and purpose. The literature review section should therefore be organized or categorized according to the research questions or specific objectives in order to ensure relevance to the research problem. It should be written using appropriate writing style such as the American Psychological Association (APA) style. 1.9.3 Research Methodology The research methodology section of the proposal should provide explanation and description of the methods and procedures used in conducting the study. This section should include: • Introduction • Research design • Population and sample • Data collections methods (instrumentation) • Research procedures • Data analysis methods

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• Chapter Summary 1.10 Submission of the Final Research Project The supervisor must approve the final document before submission. The supervisor should ensure that the final document is of high quality and complies with the appropriate writing style such as the American Psychological Association (APA) style. 1.11 Research Project Format Research project reports consist of two main sections, the preliminary section or front matter and the text or body. 1.11.1 The Sequence of Front Matter The front matter or preliminary pages in a research project should be presented in the following sequence: i. First title page ii. Second title page iii. Student’s declaration iv. Copy right page v. Abstract vi. Acknowledgement (optional) vii. Dedication (optional) viii. Table of content ix. List of tables (if more than four tables are in the text) x. List of figures (if more than four figures are in the text) xi. Definition of terms

1.11.2 Front Matter Pagination

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The front matter or preliminary pages of a research project should be paginated appropriately with small Roman numbers at the bottom center of the page. The pagination should be as follows: i. Second title page is counted as i, but not paginated ii. Student’s declaration is paginated as ii iii. Copyright page is paginated as iii iv. Abstract is paginated as iv - v v. Acknowledgement is paginated depending on the abstract vi. Dedication is paginated depending on the acknowledgement vii. Table of content is paginated depending on the dedication viii. List of tables is paginated depending on the table of content ix. List of figures is paginated depending on the list of tables 1.11.3 The Abstract The abstract is required with all research projects. The purpose of the abstract is to provide a clear and concise summary of the: • Purpose or problem • Methodology used • Major findings and conclusions • Major recommendations or suggestions for improvement The abstract should be approximately 300 - 400 words. It should be prepared after the five chapters or major sections of the project report have been written but presented as front matter material in terms of sequence 1.11.4 The Body or Text The majority of research projects in business, economics and social sciences follow a five-model chapter. The major sections in the five-model chapter include:

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• Chapter 1: Introduction • Chapter 2: Literature Review • Chapter 3: Methodology • Chapter 4: Data Findings and Presentation of Results • Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations. In addition to the five major sections, a research project should include an abstract, reference or bibliography, and appendix for data collection instruments and other relevant materials used in the study.

1.12 REVIEW ASSIGNMENTS 1. State the meaning of research and purposes of research? 2. What are the Distinguishing characteristics of research? 3. What are the most probable areas of research in microfinance?

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LESSON TWO: THE RESEARCH PROCESS Steps in the Research Process Scientific research is a systematic inquiry. It must therefore be carefully planned and conducted. This entails going through a clear step-by-step process. This process consists of ten steps as outlined in the diagram below 1. Selecting a research topic

2. Formulating the research problem

3. Defining concepts and developing conceptual framework

4. Literature Review

5. Selecting the research design

6. Selecting the data collection method

7. Selecting the survey method

8. Preparing the data collection instrument(s)

9. Selecting data analysis tools

10. Report writing

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Step 1: Selecting a Research Topic It is important to choose a topic, which can be studied within various constraints facing the researcher. These include, time, finances, and ability of the researcher. Whereas topics for research may be selected for the researcher e.g. by those in authority, it is better for one to come up with his/her own topic. Academic research is usually left to the individual scholars, whether students or members of staff. Each then chooses a topic from an area that s/he is interested in and comfortable with. The process is as follows: 1. Identify the Broad Area The criteria for choosing a research area comprises of the following three considerations. (i) Need - ask yourself whether there is need for a study in the area. Who needs it and why? The selection of a topic is governed by the need to address some problems or questions or understand some given situations. (iii) Interest or concern - What is the interest of the concerned college department, industry, sector or institution? For instance the micro-finance sector may be interested in determining the causes of the low level of reach by MFIs to enterprises that need financial services. (iii) Feasibility - The research chosen must be feasible. Is it possible and practical to achieve the research easily and conveniently? The scope, time, financial and other resources available affect the feasibility of a research. 2. Word the Topic Once the researcher is satisfied with the broad area of study, he words the topic appropriately. The topic is stated in words that indicate the focus, problem. or issue of the research. Chandran suggests the following guidelines for wording of the research topic:  

The topic should capture fully the focus or the issue of the research. It should have clear reference to the specific population or group of people or the objects targeted for the research  It should include the key or main variables of the research  It should reveal the nature of the research (i.e. whether qualitative or quantitative)  It may include references to the time period of the issue or the research (e.g. in the case of historical research the date of the case study is ...