Research Methodology

Ceng 7101

Introduction Conducting
Research

Temesgen Enku (PhD)

What is research?

Why we do research?
 Research:
• Research is the systematic
collection, analysis and
interpretation of data to answer a
certain question or solve a problem

• It is crucial to follow cascading

scientific steps when conducting
one’s research
Steps of Scientific Research:
no need for study
Selection of area

Selection of topic answers found

Crude research question Literature review

no answer

Refined research question

Research hypothesis, goals and objectives

Study design Ethical issues

Population & sampling

Variables confounding bias

Research tools

Pilot study

Work plan

Collection of data

Data management

Interpretation

Reporting
 Selection of Research Area
• Selection of this broad entity of
research is based on the
following:
– researcher’s:
• Specialty
• Interest
• Scientific background
• Experience
– Actual need for research in this
area
– Available resources (interest of
funding body)
 Selection of Research Topics
The priority of a topic for research
depends on:
– The characteristics of the problem (topic):
• Impact on health:
– Magnitude
– Seriousness
– Preventability
– Curability
• Available interventions
• Proposed solutions
– The characteristics of the proposed study:
• Feasibility
• Cost-effectiveness
• Applicability of the results
 Research question
The investigator must make sure that:

• He has a research question

• The question is clear and specific
• It reflects the objectives of the study
• It has no answer by common sense
• It has no answer in the LITERATURE
• Finding an answer to the question
will solve or at least help in solving
the problem to be studied.
Goals and Objectives

Goals = Objectives
A few things that worked for me…

• Learn / use effective search

strategies
• Keep a credible research journal
• Write about everything you read
• Don’t write a lit review (yet)
• Write a summary (today)
• Read others’ lit reviews
• Ask questions!
 Research Goal & Objectives
• The goal (aim) and objectives must be
stated at the very beginning of the
study, since they will guide the
investigator during the process of
formulating research questions and
hypothesis.

• They will also help in the prioritization

process.

• They will enable the reader or consumer

of the work to judge whether the
investigator had achieved these
objectives or not.
Goals
• It describes the aim of the
work in broad terms
 Objectives
• These are more specific and
relate directly to research
question.
They may be divided into two
types:

– Primary objectives  (bound

to be achieved)
– Secondary objectives  (by
the way)
 Research Objectives
• The research objectives should be:
– Closely related to the research
question
– Covering all aspects of the problem
– Very specific
– Ordered in a logical sequence
– Stated in action verbs that could be
evaluated e.g. to describe, to
identify, to measure, to compare, etc.
– Achievable, taking into consideration
the available resources and time
– Mutually exclusive, with no repetitions
or overlaps
SMART Objectives

•S Specific
•M Measurable
•A Achievable
•R Relevant
•T Time-bound
 Research objectives
• Properly formulated, specific
objectives will facilitate the
development of your
research methodology and
will help to orient the
collection, analysis,
interpretation and utilization
of data.
Research Hypothesis

― Research hypothesis is a
statement of the research
question in a measurable
form‖
Research Hypothesis (cont.)
• A hypothesis can be defined as a
prediction or explanation of the
relationship between one or more
independent variables
(PREDISPOSING/RISK FACTORS) and one
dependent variable
(OUTCOME/CONDITION/DISEASE)).

• A hypothesis, in other words, translates the

problem statement into a precise, clear
prediction of expected outcomes.

• It must be emphasized that hypotheses

are not meant to be haphazard guesses,
but should reflect the depth of knowledge,
imagination and experience of the
investigator.
Research Hypothesis (cont.)
• Null hypothesis
• Alternative hypothesis
Doing a Literature Review
 What is a ―Literature Review‖?
• ―…a literature review surveys
scientific articles, books,
journals, dissertations and other
sources […] relevant to a
particular issue, area of
research, or theory, providing a
description, summary, and
critical evaluation of each
work.‖
 Purpose of Literature Review

A literature review may constitute an essential

chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a
self-contained review of writings on a subject.
In either case, its purpose is to:
• Place each work in the context of its
contribution to the understanding of the
subject under review
• Describe the relationship of each work to
the others under consideration
• Identify new ways to interpret, and shed
light on any gaps in, previous research
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly
contradictory previous studies
• Identify areas of prior research to prevent
duplication of effort
• Place one's original work (in the case of
theses or dissertations) in the context of
existing literature
Literature Review as a Process
 Components of Lit. Review
• Development of the literature review requires
four stages:

– Problem formulation—which topic or field

is being examined and what are its
component issues?

– Literature search—finding materials

relevant to the subject being explored

– Data evaluation—determining which

literature makes a significant contribution
to the understanding of the topic

– Analysis and interpretation—discussing

the findings and conclusions of pertinent
literature
 Working with Literature
Working with
Literature

Find it! Manage it! Use it! Review it!

Knowing the Reading Understanding the

Choosing your research topic
literature types efficiently lit review’s purpose

Keeping track Ensuring adequate

Using available resources Developing your question
of references coverage

Honing your Arguing your Writing

Writing relevant annotations
search skills rationale purposefully

Informing your work with Working on

theory style and tone

Designing
method
Sources of Literature
Journal articles:
• these are good sources,
especially for up-to-date
information. They are frequently
used in literature reviews
because they offer a relatively
concise, up-to-date format for
research.

• Depending on the publication,

these materials may be
refereed materials.
 What about Non-refereed Journals?
• Non-refereed materials such as
Trade Journals, or magazines use
less rigorous standards of screening
prior to publication.

• Non-refereed materials may not be

checked as intensely as refereed
materials, but many can still be
considered useful, although not for
scientific literature and research.
Sources of Literature (cont.)
Books: remember that books
tend to be less up-to-date, as it
takes longer for a book to be
published than for a journal
article.

• They are still likely to be useful

for including in your literature
review as they offer a good
starting point from which to find
more detailed and up-to-date
sources of information.
• Googlescholar.com
Sources of Literature (cont.)
Conference proceedings: these
can be useful in providing the
latest research, or research that
has not been published.

• They are also helpful in

providing information about
people in different research
areas, and so can be helpful in
tracking down other work by
the same researchers.
Sources of Literature (cont.)
Government/corporate reports:
• Many government departments
and corporations commission
carry out research.

• Their published findings can

provide a useful source of
information, depending on your
field of study.
Sources of Literature (cont.)
Theses and dissertations: these can be
useful sources of information. However
there are disadvantages:

• they can be difficult to obtain since

they are not published, but are
generally only available from the
library or interlibrary systems

• the student who carried out the

research may not be an experienced
researcher and therefore you might
have to treat their findings with more
caution than published research.
Sources of Literature (cont.)
Internet: the fastest-growing source of
information is on the Internet.

• bear in mind that anyone can post

information on the Internet so the
quality may not be reliable

• the information you find may be

intended for a general audience and
so not be suitable for inclusion in your
literature review (information for a
general audience is usually less
detailed)
 In assessing each piece, consideration should
be given to:
• Provenance—What are the author's
credentials? Are the author's arguments
supported by evidence (e.g. primary historical
material, case studies, narratives, statistics,
recent scientific findings)?

• Objectivity—Is the author's perspective even-

handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data
considered or is certain pertinent information
ignored to prove the author's point?

• Persuasiveness— is the author's thesis

convincing?

• Value—Does the work ultimately contribute in

any significant way to an understanding of the
subject of my research?
Writing Literature
• Three components:

– The introduction
– The body
– The conclusion
Writing the Introduction
In the introduction, you should:

• Define or identify the general topic, issue,

or area of concern, thus providing an
appropriate context for reviewing the
literature.

• Point out overall trends in what has been

published about the topic; or conflicts in
theory, methodology, evidence, and
conclusions; or gaps in research

• Establish the writer's reason (point of view)

for reviewing the literature; explain the
criteria to be used in analyzing and
comparing literature
 Writing the Body
In the body, you should:

• Group research studies and other types of

literature (reviews, theoretical articles,
case studies, etc.) according to common
denominators such as qualitative versus
quantitative approaches, conclusions of
authors, specific purpose or objective,
etc.
• Summarize individual studies
• Make comparisons and analysis.
 Writing the Conclusion
In the conclusion, you should:

• Summarize major contributions of significant

studies and articles to the body of knowledge
under review, maintaining the focus established
in the introduction.

• Evaluate the current "state of the art" pointing

out major methodological flaws or gaps in
research, inconsistencies in theory and findings,
and areas or issues pertinent to future study.

• Conclude by providing some insight into the

relationship between the central topic of the
literature review and a larger area of study
(rationale)
Rationale
• An explanation of the
fundamental reasons for
your research

• Justification of your work

Thank You