Some parts of this post based on Nadeesha's Blog Research Design Entry
Today the lecture was revolved around Research Design Topic. The main aim is to identify the importance of the Research Design when its align with academic projects.
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| Figure 1: Research Design |
Figure 1 Illustrates How Research Design revolves around in a particular project and lecturer discussed the Processes Involved in Research Design as follow,
1. Aims and objectives of the research
- Out comes (Tangible outcomes-document / Intangible outcomes)
2. Solutions and deliverable
3. Literature Review- Required domain research
- Gather information about what others have done
- If there any mistakes how to overcome from that
4. Selected Data Collection Methods (Primary Research)
5. Selecting Sampling Methods
6. Selected Data Analysis Methods
7. Rationale for selected technical aspects
8. Selected Design Approach
9. Timelines
Lecturer stated that entire final year project based on the research problem, in students point of view they need to identify the objectives in order to complete the project successfully as well as to identify objectives students needs considerable amount of rich sources and artifacts.
What is Research?
Oxford Dictionary (2012) has defined
research as "the systematic investigation into and study of materials
and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusion".
After identifying objectives students need to come with Research Design which consist of three parts,
- Primary Research
- Secondary Research
- Academic Research
Primary Research
This includes what you do or the research you do. In primary research can include,
-Interviews that conducted
-Observations
-Brainstorming - Brainstorming is a technique which place points of a particular topic in an order which in a way to understand easily. Metaphorical analysis, lotus blossom and mind maps are some of the methods use in brainstorming.
-Questionnaire
-Experiments
-Focus Groups - In focus groups set of people gather and conduct a group interview in order to gather different ideas and opinions. The discussion will be guided by the mediator. The mediator make sure each and everyone stick into into the topic that talk and also make sure that not go beyond the scope.
-Focus Groups - In focus groups set of people gather and conduct a group interview in order to gather different ideas and opinions. The discussion will be guided by the mediator. The mediator make sure each and everyone stick into into the topic that talk and also make sure that not go beyond the scope.
and other activities that did during the investigation, document, and other evidence
Secondary Research
Which found out from other peoples' research.(From non-scholarly Sources)
-Magazines
-Other published sources
-Written by journalists, professional writers etc.
Academic Research
Which found out from others people's research (From Scholarly Sources)
-Books
-Journal Articles
-White Papers (not reviewed)
-Specialized and cited
-Available in colleges/universities' libraries
-Written by scholar in subject area, credential given, reviewed by peers
Sampling
After stating above research types lecturer discussed about sampling and the different sampling methods. Basic definition of Sampling is to systematically selecting representative elements of the population. And Objectives of Sampling are:
- Containing Costs
- Speeding Up
- Improving Effectiveness
- Reducing Data Bias
Lecturer also stated that sampling need to focus on following factors:
- Sample size- How many items in a particular sample
- Sampling method
Mainly there are two types of sampling methods:
1. Probabilistic Sampling - Believes that everyone in the population has equal chance to getting selected. It consist of four types:
- Systematic Sampling - According to Catillo (2009) systematic sampling is "the researcher first randomly picks the first item or subject from the population. Then, the researcher will select each n'th subject from the list. For example, selecting the eighth element first, then adding 20 for the next set of elements.
- Simple Random Sampling - Get the entire list of sampling and choose using random number table. Randomly select a number from the table, then If the selected number is not in the sample as an example if you choose 98 as the number and the sample consists of 50 there is no 98th item. Then you can add 9 and 8 and get 17 and choose 17th item from the sample.
- Cluster Sampling - A group of sampling units close to each other. As an example Crowding together in the same area or neighborhood. From the clusters a sub-cluster is then selected.
- Stratified Sampling - The population is broken down into different stratas/groups after which one strata is selected and from the selected strata a sample is selected.
- Convenience Sampling - As mentioned in convenience sampling (2011) "Convenience sampling refers to the non probability process by which a scientist gathers statistical data from the population. This form of selection is done based on the ease if gaining the statistical data." Simply its a sampling method where the researcher goes with whatever population is there.
- Snowball Sampling - According to Trochim (2006) "In snowball sampling, you being identifying someone who meets the criteria for inclusion in your study. You then ask them to recommend others who they may know who also meet the criteria". In simply its a sampling method, the sample gets bigger and bigger like a snowball as more and more samples are added.
Furthermore lecturer explained about the different types of Research Methods and Research Tools.
Research Methods
The are five Research Methods following:
- Survey - This can be done in either a longitudinal way or a snapshot way and is done using questionnaires. Take a current snap shot or do longitudinal research. For surveys can use tools like questionnaires and questionnaires in the best tool, also can use documentary reviews, interviews. In the list of questions can include close ended questions and some open ended questions. Innumerater is the one who ask questions. There are two types of questionnaires such as mail-order questionnaires and traditional questionnaires
- Case Study - This is where you observe an organization and write a case study like an interesting story.
- Action Research - This is a participated research where the researcher observes problems.
- Experiments - This is mostly conducted by people in the science field when trying to prove a fact or testing new products.
- Ethenography - This is also a participatory research.
Research Tools
The Research Tools are as follows:
- Interviews-
-Come up with set of questions
-Additional prob questions(ex:- how it happen?, Why did you say like that? etc.)
-Mostly use open-ended questions-From open ended questions can collect more qualitative and rich responds
-Accuracy is high
-Verbal and non-verbal communication includes.
- Questionnaires- a mix of close ended questions and one or two open ended questions.
- Document Review- In document review a form is used to capture data and there are two types namely interviewer lead questionnaire where an enumerator asks questions and jots the answers, and Mail order questionnaires where the questionnaire is sent via mail and answered.
-Examining hard data used in the system.
-facts would be recorded on a document description form:
list of all items on document
size of data items and format
person responsible for entering data
source and destination of each copy
purpose of document
name of document
additional notes
- Observation- this is where you observe how people do their work and so you get to see first hand what's happening unlike in interviews which is second hand data. Though the problem in this is that when being observed, a person's behaviour changes giving rise to the Hawthorne Effect.
-Do not engage with audience
-Monitor the audience
-Disadvantage of this is behavioral changes
- Hawthorne Effect - Study that identifies how various changes in the environment affect employee productivity.
- Case-Studies
Write case-studies including findings
Interesting read.
- Action Research
Action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully,using the techniques of research. It is based on the following assumptions:
Teachers and principals work best on problems
they have identified for themselves
• Teachers and principals become more effective when encouraged to examine and assess their own work and then consider ways of working differently
• Teachers and principals help each other by working collaboratively
• Working with colleagues helps teachers and principals in their professional development
(Ferrance, 2000)
- Experiment Research
Do the research by doing experiments
- Ethnography Research
Anthropologists, ethnographers, and other social scientists may engage in something called ethnography. Ethnography, simply stated, is the study of people in their own environment through the use of methods such as participant observation and face-to-face interviewing. (NPS, 2011)
Reality of the lecture:
From this lecture I learnt the importance roles that the Research and Design Methods and Tools enables to shape and scope our project aspects as well as I gathered in depth idea of how to do a research and what kind of research methods and tools to be used depending on the selected scenario. I was able to fetch some more sources form internet relating to the topic since I wanted to get a pure understanding about the in and out of the Research and Design Subject that would be help me to successfully start, continue and finish my Final Year Project as I expected without any unexpected interference.
References:-
Castillo, J.J. (2009). Systematic Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://www.experiment-resources.com/systematic-sampling.html [Accessed 9th August 2012]
Convenience Sampling. (2011). Convenience Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://www.conveniencesampling.net/ [Accessed 9th August 2012]
E, Ferrance. (2000).Action Research. [Online]. Available at : http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf [Accessed 9th August 2012]
NPS. (2011). Ethnography Research. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nps.gov/ethnography/aah/aaheritage/ERCb.htm [Accessed 9th August 2011]
Oxford Dictionaries. (2012). Definition of Research. [Online]. Available at: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/research [Accessed 9th August 2012]
Trochim, W.M.K. (2006). Non Probabilistic Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampnon.php [Accessed 9th August 2012]
Trochim, W.M.K. (2006). Snowball Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampnon.php [Accessed 9th August 2012]
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