Overview of Research Methodology 1.

Research is defined as organized, systematic, data-based, critical, objective, scientific inquiry or investigation into a specific problem, undertaken with the purpose of finding answers or solutions to it. 2. Objectives of Research a. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it e!ploratory or formulative. b. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual situation or a group descriptive. c. To determine the frequency " association etc. i.e. diagnostics d. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables hypothesistesting research. 3. Types of Research a. b. c. d. e. f. #eporting $tudy %escriptive vs. &nalytical &pplied 's. (undamental )*asic" +ure , -uantitative 's. -ualitative .onceptual 's. /mpirical $ome other Types of #esearch-.ase $tudies-&ction #esearch-+redictive

4. Approaches to Research Q antitative - 0nferential - /!perimental - $imulation !. "all#ar$s of %cientific Research a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. +urposive ness #igor Testability #eplicability +recision and .onfidence 1bjectivity 2eneralizability +arsimony Q alitative

&. ' ilding 'loc$s of %cience and Research a. %eductive process b. 0nductive process

(. ' ilding bloc$s of scientific research

). *iterat re % rvey a. A good literat re s rvey th s ens res that+ 1. 0mportant variables that are likely to influence the problem situation are i left out of the study. 3. & clearer idea emerges as to what variables would be most important to 4 sider )parsimony,, why they would be considered important, and how 1 should be investigated to solve the problem. Thus, the literature surveys he the development of the theoretical framework and hypotheses for testing. 5. The problem statement can be made with precision and clarity. 6. Testability and replicability of the findings of the current research are enhanced. 7. 1ne does not run the risk of 8reinventing the wheel8 that is, wasting efforts on trying to rediscover something that is already known. 9. The problem investigated is perceived by the scientific community as relevant and significant.
b. ,ond cting the *iterat re % rvey 0dentifying the #elevant $ources i. The bibliographic databases ii. The abstract databases iii. The full-te!t databases
c. -.tracting the Relevant /nfor#ation d. 0riting p the *iterat re Review

1. Types of 2ariables (our main types of variables are discussed in this chapter. 1. The dependent variable )also known as the criterion variable,. 3. The independent variable )also known as the predictor variable,. 5. The moderating variable. 6. The intervening variable. 34. %cales i. 5ata type a. :ominal $cale b. 1rdinal $cale c. 0nterval $cale d. #atio $cale ii. Rating %cales
a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. %ichotomous scale .ategory scale ;ikert scale :umerical scales $emantic differential scale 0temized rating scale (i!ed or constant sum rating scale $tapel scale 2raphic rating scale .onsensus scale

iii. ,onsens s %cale iv. Ran$ing %cale e. +aired comparison f. (orced .hoice g. .omparative $cale

11. Testing 2oodness of <easures= (orms of #eliability and 'alidity

2alidity

5escription

.ontent validity (ace validity .riterion-related validity .oncurrent validity to

%oes the measure adequately measure the concept> %o 8e!perts8 validate that the instrument measures what 0t name suggests it measures> %oes the measure differentiate in a manner that helps to predict a criterion variable> %oes the measure differentiate in a manner that helps predict a criterion variable currently>

+redictive validity .onstruct validity .onvergent validity %iscriminant validity

%oes the measure differentiate individuals in a manner as help predict a future criterion> %oes the instrument tap the concept as theorized> %o two instruments measuring the concept correlate %oes the measure have a low con-elation with a 'ariable that is supposed to be unrelated to this variable>

32. 6rinciples of Q estionnaire 5esign

33. The Research 6rocess

Type 1. ;ibrary #esearch

3. (ield #esearch

34. Methods of Research Methods Techni7 es i, &nalysis of historical #ecording of notes, .ontent #ecords analysis, Tape and (ilm listening ii, &nalysis of documents and analysis. $tatistical compilations and manipulations, reference and abstract guides, content analysis. i, :on +articipant %irect 1bservational behavioral scales, observation use of score cards, etc. ii, +articipant observation 0nteractional recording, possible use of tape recorders, photo graphic techniques#ecording mass behavior, interview using independent observers in public places. 0dentification of social economic background respondents. and of

iii, <ass observation

iv, <ail -uestionnaire

v, 1pinionnaire

?se of attitude scales, projective techniques, use of sociometric scales. 0nterviewer uses a detailed schedule with open and closed questions. 0nterviewer focuses attention upon a given e!perience and its effects, $mall groups of respondents are interviewed simultaneously. ?sed as a survey technique for information and for discerning opinion@ may also be used as a follow up of questionnaire. .ross sectional collection of data for intensive analysis, longitudinal collection of data of intensive character. ?se of audio-visual recording devices, use of observers, etc.

vi, +ersonal interview

vii, (ocused interview

viii, 2roup interview

i!, Telephone survey

!, .ase study and life history 5. ;aboratory #esearch $mall group study of random behavior, play and role analysis

3!. ,hoice

6oints in %a#pling 5esign

3&. 8low diagra# of data analysis process.

1A. $ummary chart concerning analysis of data

&:&;B$0$ 1( %&T& )in a broad general way can be categorised into, +rocessing of %ata )+reparing data for analysis /diting .oding Tabulation ?sing +ercentages %escriptive and .ausal &nalysis *i-variate analysis ?ni-dimensional" )&nalysis of two va variables or attributes in a two-way, &nalysis of %ata )&nalysis proper, 0nferential analysis"$tatistical &nalysis Testing hypotheses

<ulti-variate /stimation of analysis parameter values )simulation analysis of more than two 0nterval variables"attribute +oint estimate estimate s in a multiway classification

+arametric tests

).alculation of several measures mostly concerning one variable, i. <easures of .entral Tendency@ ii. <easures of dispersion@ iii. <easures of skewness@ iv. 1ne-way &:1'&, inde! numbers, Time series analysis@ and v. 1thers )including simple correlation and regression in simple classification of paired data

:on-parametric tests or %istribution free tests

$imple regression and simple correlation )in respect of variables, &ssociation of attributes )through coefficient of association and coefficient of contingency, Two-way &:1'&

<ultiple regressions and multiple correlation"partial correlation in respect of variables. <ultiple discriminate analysis )in respect of attributes. <ulti-&:1'& )in respect of variables, .anonical analysis )in respect of both variables and attributes, 1ther types of analyses )such as factor analysis, cluster analysis,

3). M ltivariate Analys is Techni7 es

31. Table of contents #esearch +orposal ;etter of &uthorization 0ntroduction

problem studied background information research goals

preliminary details unstructured and structured interviews literature survey theoretical framework hypotheses formulated

#esearch %esign type and nature of the study sampling design data collection methods data analytic techniques used

#esults of %ata &nalysis Cypothesis substantiated " unsubstatintiated

.onclusions #ecommendations ;imitations of study &cknowledgments #eferences Tables 2raphs appendices

Details of softwares: Open source Bayesian Filtering Library DAP - A free replacement for SAS gretl - Gnu Regression, Econometrics and ime-series Library !"ul i #penB$GS #penEpi - A %eb-based, open source, operating-independent series of programs for use in epidemiology and statistics Ploticus - soft%are for generating a &ariety of grap's from ra% data PSPP R programming language for statistics R (ommander - G$) interface for t'e R programming language S'ogun, an open source Large Scale "ac'ine Learning toolbo* t'at pro&ides se&eral S+" ,Support +ector "ac'ine- implementations ,li.e libS+", S+"lig't- under a common frame%or. and interfaces to #cta&e, "atlab, Pyt'on, R S#(R Statistical Lab - R-based and focusing on educational purposes /e.a is also a suite of mac'ine learning soft%are %ritten at t'e $ni&ersity of /ai.ato0 /inB$GS 1lisp-stat *icences ,opy SPSS 23 Systat 24