General
Topic outline
INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome to the module
We are Dr Ibiwani Hussain, Dr Lim Chia Sien and Dr Jason Turner, your virtual lecturers for this module.Collectively we have over 25 years of experience in academia, teaching and practicing research methodology. This Research Methodology Module is fundamental to your understanding of research and the writing of your thesis chapters. At the end of this module you will have produced a more rounded and complete Research Proposal, ready for your Proposal Defence.
Let’s find out more about the Module
Topic 1: Introduction to the Research Basics 1
Welcome to Topic 1 which introduces the topic of research methodology. In this topic, we will define research and introduce the nature and types of research which you consider as you shape your PhD thesis. There are 3 main learning outcomes you will achieve through this topic, as shown below. It is estimated that you will spend approximately 3 hours on this topic
Define research and review its importance
Explain the types of research
Explain the research process
- Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on definitions & types of research approaches, problem statement, research questions, and research hypothesis.
Topic 2: Introduction to the Research Basics 2
Welcome to Topic 2 which introduces the concepts of the fundamentals of research. In this topic, we will explain the concepts of problem statement, research objectives, research questions, scope and significance of research which you consider as you shape your PhD thesis. There are 3 main learning outcomes you will achieve through this topic, as shown below. It is estimated that you will spend approximately 3 hours on this topic
Compose a problem statement
Develop Research Objectives and Research Questions
Develop the scope and significance of research
- Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic and are now able to describe ontology, epistemology, and axiology assumptions and the philosophies - Positivism, Interpretivism, Realism, and Pragmatism. See you on Topic 3!
Topic 3: Introduction to the Literature Review
Welcome to Topic 3 which introduces the topic of literature review. In this topic, we will understand the purpose and structure of such a review, searching for literature and where a literature fits into other sections of PhD research. There are 3 main learning outcomes you will achieve through this topic, as shown below. It is estimated that you will spend approximately 3 hours on this topic
Explain the purpose and structure of a literature review
Review the key tools for searching the literature
Using the expectations of a good literature review, construct your own literature review
Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on Quantitative Research Design.
In this chapter you have learnt about:
i. Describe the quantitative research approaches
ii. Describe and compose quantitative research design
Topic 3: Research Process and Types of Research
The Learning Outcomes are: 1. Describe the Research Process
2. Explain Basic and Applied Research
3. Explain Exploratory, Descriptive and Explanatory Research types
4. Discuss the differences between Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Research
5. Explain Research EthicsAs a Researcher, you must be aware of Ethics in business research refers to a code of conduct or expected societal norms of behavior while conducting research
Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on Quantitative research design and sampling!
In this chapter you have learnt about:
- What is sampling, population, element, sampling unit, subject and sampling process
- The probability and non-probability sampling techniques
- How Calculate the sample size for a given research project
Part 4 Research theories, concepts, propositions and variables. The Research Framework
Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on survey and scales.
In this chapter you have learnt about:
i. Describe the quantitative Survey Design
ii. Describe the types of Scales - Nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio
iii. Describe the ranking and rating scales
Part 5 Define problem statement, develop research objectives, research questions, hypothesis and conceptual frameworks.
This part will cover the following Learning Outcomes:
1. Compose your Problem StatementWatch the Video and the PPT slides to get more information
2. Develop Research Purpose/Objective and Research Questions
3. Develop hypotheses for a study
4. Design the Research FrameworkView the Video to get more information on how to write a good problem statement.
The PPT slides will provide you more details on problem statement, research questions and objectives
Main considerations in research validity, pilot studies, and data collection
Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on research validity and data collection
In this chapter you have learnt about:
1. Describe reliability and how to assess the reliability of a scale
2. Describe validity and how to assess the validity of a scale
3. Explain the data collection methods
4. Design Pilot studies
Part 6 Quantitative and Qualitative Research Designs
In this part you need to understand the Research Design of your study and able to Construct the Research Design of your study
The Learning Outcomes are:
1. Describe the components or parts of a Quantitative Research Design and Develop a Quantitative Research Design
2. Describe the components of a Qualitative Research Design and Develop a Qualitative Research DesignA research design is a blueprint or plan for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data, created to answer your research questions.You need to have a knowledge on what is quantitative research and the quantitative Research Design
Quantitative methods emphasize objective measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing statistical data using computational techniques. Quantitative research focuses on gathering numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people or to explain a particular phenomenon.Babbie, Earl R. The Practice of Social Research. 12th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage, 2010; Muijs, Daniel. Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS. 2nd edition. London: SAGE Publications, 2010.
In this Video, I have explained all the stages or steps for a Quantitative Research Design
- To compose your qualitative Research Design, you need to have a full understanding of what is Qualitative Research
Watch the Video and see the PPT slides to get a better understanding.What is Qualitative Research
The word qualitative implies an emphasis on the qualities of entities and on processes and meanings that are not experimentally examined or measured [if measured at all] in terms of quantity, amount, intensity, or frequency. Qualitative researchers stress the socially constructed nature of reality, the intimate relationship between the researcher and what is studied, and the situational constraints that shape inquiry. Such researchers emphasize the value-laden nature of inquiry. They seek answers to questions that stress how social experience is created and given meaning. In contrast, quantitative studies emphasize the measurement and analysis of causal relationships between variables, not processes. Qualitative forms of inquiry are considered by many social and behavioral scientists to be as much a perspective on how to approach investigating a research problem as it is a method.Denzin, Norman. K. and Yvonna S. Lincoln. “Introduction: The Discipline and Practice of Qualitative Research.” In The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. Norman. K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, eds. 3rd edition. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005), p. 10.
Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on quantitative data analysis.
Well done! See you in the next chapter.
Part 7 Scales of measurement, develop questionnaire, data collection and data analysis
In this part I will examine the types of scales that can be applied to assign numbers to characteristics of objects and subsequently see how we actually apply them. I will first discuss four different types of scales (nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales) and point out that the statistical analysis we can perform later on in the research process is directly related to the type of scales we use. I will also discuss two main categories of attitudinal scales. There are the rating and ranking scales. Rating scales have several response categories and are used to elicit responses with regard to the object, event, or person studied. Ranking scales, on the other hand, make comparisons between or among objects, events, or persons and elicit the preferred choices and ranking among them.- Explain the Different Scales of Measurement
Develop a Questionnaire
Explain sampling methods and sample size calculation
Develop data collection techniques
Describe the data analysis techniques for Quantitative research
Describe the data analysis techniques for Qualitative research - I will explain the different scales of measurement.
Includes the Norminal, Interval, Ordinal and Ratio scales
Ranking and Rating scalesGo through the PPT slides - This LO is intended to enable you to design your Questionnaire
- In this LO, I will explain the following:
1. What are the sampling Techniques
2. How to calculate a sample size - LO4 In this LO you will learn about the various data collection techniques
- LO5 Describe the data analysis techniques for Quantitative research
Activity 1: Go through the PPT slides
Activity 2: Explain descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. How will you test your hypothesis- LO6: In this LO you will learn about qualitative data analysis using the thematic approach
Activity 1: Go through the PPT slides
Activity 2 Describe the steps for Thematic Data AnalysisSummary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on qualitative research design and strategies.
In this chapter you have learnt about:
i. Explain Qualitative Research Design (including philosophy)
ii. Describe the different qualitative research strategies
Summative Assessments
Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on sampling techniques and sample size calculation.
In this chapter you have learnt about:
i. Explain the research population and sampling techniques for qualitative research
ii. Calculate the sample size for qualitative research
TOPIC 10 RESEARCH VALIDITY AND DATA COLLECTION
Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on Qualitative data collection methods and establishment of the trustworthiness of qualitative data.
In this chapter you have learnt about:
i. Explain the qualitative data collection methods
ii. Describe reliability and validity in qualitative research
TOPIC 11 QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
Summary
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the topic on Qualitative data analysis.
In this chapter you have learnt about:
i. Explain the types/methods of qualitative data analysis including compliance to ethics
ii. Describe the qualitative data coding process
iii. Practice data analysis using the preferred tool