ORGANIZED BY ELITE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
ON 04-NOVEMBER-2022
Lecturer: Shafie D. Mohamed
BSc / MSc in Finance / PGD-Research and Statistics
Introduction Session
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
Introduction to Research
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Learning Objectives
1.1 Introduction to research
1.2 Definitions of Research
1.3 Nature and purpose of the research
1.4 Objectives of Research
1.5 Types of Research
1.6 Research Approaches
1.7 Qualitative Research Vs. Quantitative Research
1.8 Comparison of Research Design/Methods
1.9 Research process
1.10 structure of a dissertation or thesis
Introduction Session
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© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
Introduction to Research
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Research project is an opportunity to select an issue and
investigate it independently and the research report is called a
dissertation or thesis.
Research is an investigation into a particular topic or
social/business phenomena.
Research Is Not:
• Just collecting facts or information with no clear purpose
• Reassembling and reordering facts or information without
interpretation.
.
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Research methodology provides the principles for organizing,
planning, designing and conducting research.
Introduction Session
Introduction to Research
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Research should have the following characteristics
• Data are collected systematically.
• Data are interpreted systematically.
• There is a clear purpose: to find things out.
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
Research is a systematic and methodical process of
enquiry and investigation with a view to increasing
knowledge’ (Collis and Hussey, 2014, p. 2)
Research is an activity related to obtain & analyze
information to identify & solve problems. The output of
research is new knowledge.
Introduction Session
What is research?
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• Although research is central to both business and academic
activities, there is no consensus in the literature on how it
should be defined.
• However, from the many definitions offered, there is general
agreement that research is:
Introduction Session
Nature and purpose of the research
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• The typical objectives of research can be summarized as
follows:
Introduction Session
Nature and purpose of the research
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(Collis and Hussey, 2014, p. 2)
1.
The ability to frame a good research question when given
an issue or problem
2.
The ability to identify and apply an appropriate model to a
given research problem. (Conceptual Vs Theoretical)
3.
The ability to develop an appropriate data set.
4.
The ability to select appropriate ways to test hypothesis.
5.
The ability to use the results to create a scholarly argument.
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
To conduct research, students/researchers required to develop
creative skills that includes:
Introduction Session
What is research?
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•
•
•
•
Purpose of the research
Process of the research
Outcome of the research
Logic of the research
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• Four main typologies based on
Introduction Session
TYPES OF RESEARCH
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• Research can be classified into four main types according to
the purpose of the research.
1- Exploratory research
2- Descriptive research
3- Explanatory research
4- Predictive research (Analytical research)
Introduction Session
1. Classifying research according to the purpose
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 Addressing all questions except “why”
• Descriptive research – used to describe phenomena as they
exist identify and obtain information on characteristics of the
problem/issue - cross sectional data
 Addressing the questions such “How , what , where & when ”
• Explanatory research - goes beyond description to identify
the reason something occurs. Time series data
 Addressing the questions such “ how & why”
• Predictive research - goes even further than explanatory
research. Predictive research provides ‘how’, ‘why’ and
‘where’ answers to current events and also to similar events in
the future.
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
• Exploratory research – used to gain an initial understanding
where there is little or no existing knowledge.
Introduction Session
Classifying research according to the purpose
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2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the impact of the global financial crisis of 2007 – 2009 on
Bank industry in the UK? Descriptive
Foreign Direct Investment Promote Economic Growth. Why?
Explanatory research
Research class 20% of the students are failed in the exam. what is
the reason behind this failure. Explanatory research
Analysis of the COVID-19 Vaccine Development Process:
Exploratory research
Will a change in packaging improve our sales in Market? Predictive
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
1.
Introduction Session
Exercise 1. Exploratory, descriptive, explanatory
and predictive studies?
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- For instance / What are the feelings of employees faced with redundancy?
• Quantitative research is research concerned with the
measurement and analysing data using statistical
methods to gain understanding.
- For instance / What is the absentee rate among a particular group of employees?
It involves the collection of numerical data in order to
explain, predict and control phenomena of interest, data
analysis being mainly statistical.
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
• Qualitative research is research undertaken to gain
insights concerning attitudes, beliefs, motivations and
behaviors of individuals.
Introduction Session
2. Classifying research according to the process
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Qualitative
Approach
Research
Approaches
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Quantitative
Approach
Introduction Session
Research Approaches
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Introduction Session
Qualitative Research Vs. Quantitative Research
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• Eg How can energy be saved in a particular workplace?
• Basic research is designed to make a contribution to general
knowledge and theoretical understanding, rather than solve a
specific problem
• Eg How can business travellers be encouraged to reduce their
carbon footprints?
(Collis and Hussey, 2014)
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
• Applied research - designed to apply its findings to solving a
specific, existing problem
Introduction Session
3. Classifying research according to the outcome
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- When there is little to no existing literature on a topic, it is common
to perform inductive research because there is no theory to test.
• Deductive research
- When conducting deductive research, you always start with a theory
(the result of inductive research).
- Reasoning deductively means testing these theories.
- If there is no theory yet, you cannot conduct deductive research.
 The main difference between inductive and deductive reasoning is that
inductive reasoning aims at developing a theory while deductive
reasoning aims at testing an existing theory.
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
• Inductive research
Introduction Session
4. Classifying research according to the logic
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1- Exploratory
2- Descriptive
3- Explanatory
4- Correlation (Association between two variables) – IV & DV
5- Mixed methods
To describe problem (Descriptive research)
To investigate factors promote (cause) the problem
(Explanatory research)
Mixed methods
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
• The way and direction you raised your research
objectives/questions would result your study to be in either:
Introduction Session
RESEARCH METHODS
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RESEARCH METHODS
of variables or characteristics.
• To describe the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group (Descriptive study)
• Descriptive research cannot describe what caused a situation.
Exploratory research – used to gain an initial understanding where there is little
or no existing knowledge.
• To gain familiarity with a fact or to achieve new insights into it (Exploratory study)
Explanatory research - goes beyond description to establish relationships that explain
how and why.
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
Descriptive research: investigator attempts to describe a group of individuals on a set
Introduction Session
(Objectives of The research)
• To test a causal relationship between variable (Hypothesis testing study)
Correlation research - The researcher explores or tests relations between variables.
•
To determine the association between DV and IV (Correlation study)
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Descriptive
Explanatory
(Causal)
Objectives
To discover the insights
and new ideas about the
problem at hand.
To confirm the Problem
To describe the
Problem at hand
and relate to the
characteristics of
the Population
under study
To determine the
cause and effect
relationship between
the independent and
dependent variables
Data Collection
Methods
• Disk review
• Key informant interview
• Focus group discussion
• Case studies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Observations
Survey
Questionnaire
Experiment
Experiments.
Questionnaires
FGD
Interview
Secondary data
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Exploration
Introduction Session
Comparison of Research Design/Methods
Time horizon data
1) Cross sectional data (Data collected one time )
2) Time series data (Different time collection as annually or weekly such GDP 1960 – 2021)
3) Panel data (Cross sectional data and Time series data)
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© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
• Quantitative data are data that are measured on a
naturally occurring numerical scale.
• Qualitative (or categorical) data are measurements that
cannot be measured on a natural numerical scale.
• Primary data is the kind of data that is collected directly
from the data source without going through any existing
sources.
• Secondary data is the data that has been collected in the
past by someone else but made available for others to use.
• Time series data
Introduction Session
TYPES OF DATA
 Ordered data values observed over time.
• Cross sectional data
 Data values observed at a single point in time.
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 Researchable – can be investigated through the
collection and analysis of data
 Significant – contributes to the improvement and
understanding of educational theory and practice
 Manageable – fits the level of researcher’s skills, needed
resources, and time restrictions
(Dr. Ali Yassein, 2016)
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 Interesting – keeps the researcher interested in it
throughout the research process
Introduction Session
Characteristics of Good Research
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1. Formulating Research Topic
2. Find and Develop Problem statement
3. Critically review the literature
4. Develop Conceptual model (Theoretical framework)
5. Formulate your research design
6. Plan your data collection
7. Analyse your data using statistical packages (SPSS and STATA)
8. Write your report draft
9. Submit your project report to the Research Department
© - Shafie D. Mohamed (2021)
• Whatever type of research or approach is adopted, there
are several fundamental stages in the research process that
are common to all scientifically based investigations.
Introduction Session
Research Process
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Introduction Session
Overview of the research process
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Introduction Session
Indicative structure of a dissertation or thesis
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• Planning and good project management are essential to
the success of a research project
• You will need
• Knowledge, skills and other personal qualities
• A clear idea of what you are going to investigate and
the funding implications
• Access to the relevant data
• Awareness of ethical issues
• A realistic timetable
• An efficient system for managing the research
Introduction Session
Knowledge, skills and personal qualities In
researchers
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Introduction Session
Skills and personal qualities
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Introduction Session
Skills and personal qualities
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Motivation in Research
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• Desire to get a research degree along with its
consequential benefits
• Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved
problem
• Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative
work.
• Desire to be of service to society.
• Desire to get respectability.
• Employment conditions and requirements.
Introduction Session
What makes people to undertake research?
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• Do’s
• Very careful when you decide which type of
research to choose
• Read more about the research types
• Don’t
• Developing a topic without considering problem
statement
• Not following the right research process
Introduction Session
Conclusion
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END
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Introduction Session