PROJECT RESEARCH METHODS

TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION TO
RESEARCH METHODS
Facilitator
Ismael Kato
Dept. of Applied Computing & IT
Makerere University Business School
ikato@[Link]

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 Definition
Research is an active, diligent and systematic process
of inquiry in order to discover , interpret or revise
facts, events, behaviors, or theories, or to make
practical applications with the help of such facts, laws
or theories.

It can also be defined as a structured enquiry that

utilizes acceptable scientific methodology to solve
problems and create new knowledge that is generally
applicable.
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 Factors influencing Research

 Personality and training of the researcher.

 The nature of the problem being investigated.
 Previous knowledge about the problem.
 General environment surrounding the problem.

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 Why do we conduct research?

The two main reasons for research are;

 To attempt to expand the limits of knowledge (pure
research)
 To attempt to find the solution to a specific problem
(applied research)

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 Summary of reasons as to why
research is conducted;
Descriptive reasons:
To describe a situation (how?).
Try to get the true picture of the things and
circumstances.
Try to answer questions that are involved in these
activities.

Explanatory reasons:
Try to explain social phenomena (why?).
Try to answer why a social problem is there.
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 Importance of research
1. Helps describe a problem.
2. Provides information about the problem.
3. Helps society & government to address social
problems & provide solutions.
4. Leads to action.

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 Aims of Research
 To understand the existing problem.
 To test and develop new theories.
 To explain social life by providing reliable and
world documented information.
 To explore the social reality in order to understand
or develop critique.
 To evaluate the status of social issues and their
effects in the society
 To find ways of solving societal problems.
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 Qualities of a good researcher
 Create new knowledge or solutions
 Be objective and free from bias
 Be courteous with the respondents
 Report all the findings without alterations
 Maintain confidentiality of respondents
 Ensure information privacy
 Desist from plagiarism.

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 Characteristics of good research
Based on open system of thought –continually
testing, reviewing and criticizing each other’s work.
Involves critical examination of data –in order to
establish evidence and not to just agree or disagree.
Specifies the limitation of generalization – it’s aim is
to obtain valid generalization because this is the most
efficient way of applying understanding in a wide
variety of appropriate situations. Where it applies and
where it doe not apply must be continuously tested.

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 Limitations of research
Limited financial resources
Limited time to carry out the research
Difficulties in data collection
Limited literature in some areas
Poor research skills of the researcher
Ethical problems by the researcher
Ethical problems by the respondents
Researcher bias

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 Research Terminologies
Paradigm – approach/model. A way of thinking about
the world. A way of doing research
Methods – refers to techniques and procedures used
in the process of data gathering (e.g., participant
observation, interviews, questionnaires, etc).
Methodology – Sum of methods or problem-solving
approach
Sample - a small representation of a population
selected for a study.

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 Terminologies
Research Variables – a characteristic attribute of a
study specimen that can be measured or observed
and contrasts among the specimen e.g. gender, age,
income, education level, attitudes etc.
Construct/ Anchors – building blocks of a variable,
e.g. anchors of Gender are; Male, Female.
Hypothesis - an assumption about the relation
between variables. A tentative explanation of the
research problem or a guess about the research
outcome.
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 Research Terminologies
 Research design – Action plan of getting from the
initial questions of the study research questions/
purpose to be answered, to the conclusion about the
questions.
Theory – a set of inter-related constructs, definitions,
and propositions that present systematic view of
phenomena by specifying relations among variables,
with the purpose of explaining and predicting
phenomena.

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 TYPOLOGY OF RESEARCH/
RESEARCH MODELS
Classified under;
By application of research study; what the outcome
of the study will be.
By nature of the problem
By objective in obtaining the research
By Inquiry mode applied
 By Application of research study
1. Pure Research: developing and testing theories,
hypothesis that is intellectually challenging to the
researcher to get knowledge about the social world.
2. Applied Research: Action/ useful, Policy research.
Done on social and policy matters for the purpose of
solving specific problems or to establish policy
program.
3. Evaluation Research: assessment/ appraisal
research/ social accounting in project management.
For the appraisal of people or projects.
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 By nature of the problem:
 Quantitative research: Quantitative research is based
on positivism and postpositivism. It uses positivistic
methodology (maths proof) and principles. It is a
numerical/statistical method and is set by the researcher
at the beginning of the research work.
 Qualitative research: Applies to non-quantitative
methods and techniques in collecting and analyzing
data. It is non-numerical. The purpose is to get the
picture, meaning, feeling. It tries to get and describe the
situation which is experienced by the respondents. It
uses theories and methods of school such as
phenomenology (consciousness) or intellectualism.
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 Types of Quantitative research
Survey research
Experimental research
 Types of qualitative research
Narrative research
Grounded theory
Phenomenological research
Case study
Ethnographic research
 By objective in obtaining the
research
 Correlation research: tends to discover or establish
the existence of a relationship or independence of two
or more aspects or situations.
 Explanatory Research: Explain events and relation
in the social structure (How/why is there a relationship).
 Exploratory Research: This is done to get more
information about the subject/hypothesis.
 Theory Building and Theory Testing Research:
Theory building tries to formulate/establish theory. It
provides data and evidence to support theory. Theory
testing tries to test validity of a theory.
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 By objective …
 Comparative Research: Comparative research is
aimed at drawing some similarities and differences
between units e.g. tribes, people, units etc.
 Descriptive Research: tends to describe a systematic
situation or provide information e.g. about a living
condition.
 Design Science Research: involves the design of
novel or innovative artifacts and the analysis of the
use and/or performance of such artifacts to improve
and understand the behavior of aspects of Information
Systems.
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 By Inquiry mode applied
1. Structured Approach: it is usually classified as
quantitative research. Everything that forms a
research process e.g. objectives, designs, samples
and questions asked are predetermined. The
variations are quantified
2. Unstructured Approach: it is usually classified
as qualitative research. It allows flexibility in all
aspects of research as it is more appropriate to
exploit the nature of the problem without
quantifying it. It describes variations in
phenomenon.
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 RESEARCH VARIABLES
Defined as any thing that can take on different or
varying values. E.g. ages of people, level of education,
level of motivation.

An attribute is a specific value on a variable. For

example the variable gender has two attributes, namely:
male and female.

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 Basic X-tics of Variables
Each variable should be exhaustive. E.g., if the
variable is religious affiliation; the options are
Catholics, Protestants, Muslim, Orthodox, Pentecostal,
Baptist and others (specify).
The attributes of a variable should be mutually
exclusive; no respondent should be able to have two
attributes simultaneously e.g. age, gender etc.
Some variables are bivariate or multivariate e.g.
having dual citizenship, speaking multiple languages
etc.
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 Types of Research variables
Dependent/ Criterion variable
It is the variable of primary interest to the researcher.
The researcher’s goal is to understand and describe the
dependent variable, explain its variability or predict it.

Independent /Predictor / Antecedent/ Treatment/

Manipulated/ Explanatory variable
It is the one that influences the dependent variable and it
is the presumed cause of the variation in the dependent
variable(s). It explains or accounts for variation(s) in the
dependent variable.
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 Types…
The dependent variable depends on or is a consequence
of the independent variable.

Example
The effects of banking technologies (the independent
variable) on customers’ satisfaction (dependent
variable).

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 Types..
Mediating /Extraneous /Intervening variable
According to Baron and Kenny (1986, p.1176),
mediator variables account for the relationship between
the IV and DV. They detail how or why such effects
occur (p.1176).

Example
In the previous example, adoption of technology can be
a mediator variable.

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 Conceptual Framework
A chart
showing
research Independent
constructs or Dependent
Variables
Variable
variables that
an individual Mediator
intends to Lecture Methods
study. Also Class Student Exam
shows the Attendance Performance
Students Academic
relationship Backgrounds
between the
variables.
Examination
Policies
Marital Status

Moderator
 Types…
The Moderating variable
According to Baron and Kenny (1986, p.1174),
moderator variables affect the direction or the strength
of the relationship between the predictor and criterion
variables. They explain when certain effects will hold.

Example
In the previous example, a customer’s computer literacy
can affect the strength or direction of the effect of
banking technologies on customer satisfaction.
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 Types of Variables
Dependent
Independent
Mediator
Moderator
 Mediator Vs Moderator Variables
Mediator variable is one that explains the
relationship between two other variables.

Moderator variable is one that influences the

strength of a relationship between two other variables
 Types…
Categorical /Qualitative Variables
A categorical variable has two or more discrete
categories that are distinguished from each other. For
example, class (lower, middle, upper), sex/gender
(male, female), religion (Catholic, Protestant, Moslem),
colour are all qualitative variables. A categorical
variable may be ordinal (Likert) or nominal (1 & 2).

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 Types…
Numerical /Quantitative /Continuous variables
It is one whose values or categories consist of numbers
and differences between its categories can be expressed
numerically. A numerical variable may be discrete
(counted e.g. age, price, size etc) or continuous
(measured e.g. height, temperature, pressure, etc).

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 Recap
 Meaning of research: active, diligent, systematic process of
inquiry. Follows acceptable scientific methods
 Aim is to solve societal problems
 Qualities of a good researcher: courtesy, skills,
objectiveness, openness, ethics and morality, desisting from
plagiarism, respect, e.t.c.
 Reasons for Research: Extending Knowledge, Solving
problems, Explanatory, Exploratory, Descriptive, etc
 Types: Pure, Applied/ Action,. Evaluative, Quant, Qual,
Explanatory, Exploratory, Descriptive
 Methods: Quantitative Vs. Qualitative
 Variables
Meaning, types, examples, constructs of variables