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BGD435 – Research Methodology (Lecture Series & Study Guide)
This course teaches you the systematic and scholarly approach required to execute your final
academic project and contribute meaningfully to knowledge.
I. Lecture Series & Weekly Study Plan
Week Topic (Lecture Core Concepts Self-Project Focus
Focus)
1-2 Introduction to Definition, Purpose, Characteristics of Good Read and critique the
Research Research, Types (Basic vs. Applied, Qualitative methodology section of 3
vs. Quantitative). journal articles.
3-4 Formulating the Title Selection, Problem Statement, Research Draft 3 potential project
Research Problem Objectives, Research Questions, Scope and titles and refine their
Delimitations. problem statements.
5-6 Review of Purpose of Lit Review, Sources (Primary, Write a synthesized review
Literature Secondary), Synthesis vs. Summary, Identifying of 5 articles related to one
(Chapter 2) Gaps in Existing Knowledge. of your project titles.
7-8 Research Design Experimental vs. Non-Experimental Design, Define the target
and Sampling Population and Sample Size, Probability population and sampling
(Random) vs. Non-Probability Sampling method for your proposed
(Convenience, Purposive). study.
9-10 Data Collection Survey Design (Questionnaire structure), Draft a 15-item
Instruments Interview Protocols, Observation Techniques, questionnaire for data
Reliability and Validity of Instruments. collection.
11-12 Data Analysis and Descriptive Statistics (Mean, Mode, SD), Practice simple data entry
Interpretation Inferential Statistics (T-Test, Chi-Square - and calculation of
conceptual), Thematic Analysis (Qualitative). descriptive statistics in
Excel.
13 Academic Writing Structure of a Final Project (Chapters 1-5), Finalize the proposal draft
and Referencing APA/MLA/Chicago Styles, Plagiarism and Ethics. (Chapters 1-3).
II. Explanations, Theories, and Processes
Simple Detail (Core Definitions)
Qualitative Research: Research exploring deep understanding, reasons, opinions, and
motivations (often using interviews or focus groups).
Quantitative Research: Research focused on measuring and testing objective theories using
numbers and statistical analysis (often using surveys).
Research Gap: A question or problem that has not been answered or fully explored by existing
studies. Your project must fill a gap.
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Advanced Academic Detail (Core Theories)
Construct Validity: The degree to which a test measures what it claims to be measuring. In
design research, this means ensuring your metrics (e.g., a Likert scale for "User Satisfaction")
truly reflect the underlying construct (satisfaction).
The Scientific Method (Inductive vs. Deductive):
Deductive: Starts with a general theory, forms a hypothesis, collects data to test it, and
confirms or rejects the theory (typical of Quantitative).
Inductive: Starts with specific observations, looks for patterns, and develops a theory from
the ground up (typical of Qualitative).
III. Practical Process: Proposal Structure
The Strong Proposal Structure (Chapters 1–3): 1. Chapter 1: Introduction * Background of the
Study (Broad context) * Problem Statement (The gap your study fills - Crucial) * Research Objectives
(What you aim to achieve) * Research Questions (The specific questions your study will answer) *
Scope and Significance (Boundaries and contribution) 2. Chapter 2: Literature Review * Conceptual
Framework (Defining key terms) * Theoretical Framework (Theories underpinning the study) * Empirical
Review (Review of related studies, highlighting the gap) 3. Chapter 3: Methodology * Research Design
(e.g., Survey, Case Study) * Study Area, Population, and Sample * Sampling Procedure * Data Collection
Instrument (Questionnaire/Interview) * Data Analysis Techniques
IV. Tools, Projects, and Resources
Sample Research Topics (Graphic Design Focus)
1. The Impact of Culturally-Relevant Imagery on E-Commerce Sales in the Ghanaian Market.
2. An Examination of Haptic Design and Materiality in Luxury Packaging: A Consumer Preference
Study in Accra.
3. Assessing the Usability and Accessibility of Government Ministry Websites in Ghana (A Heuristic
Evaluation).
4. The Role of Typographic Hierarchy in Enhancing Readability of University Textbooks.
Tools/Software
Google Forms / SurveyMonkey: For creating and administering online questionnaires.
Microsoft Excel / SPSS (Conceptual): For data organization and running basic descriptive
statistics.
Mendeley / Zotero: For managing citations and references (APA 7th Edition recommended).
Exam-Focused Notes (Cheat Sheet)
Term Meaning Application
Reliability The consistency of a measure (getting the Test-retest reliability check for instruments.
same result repeatedly).
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Validity The accuracy of a measure (measuring Face validity (does it look right?) and Construct
what you claim to measure). validity.
APA 7th American Psychological Association 7th Standard social sciences referencing style. Learn
Edition. book, journal, and website formats.
Triangulation Using multiple methods or sources of data Combining survey data (Quant) with interview
to strengthen the findings. data (Qual).
Recommended Resources
Books: Research Methods for Business Students by Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill; Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Ed.).
Free Online Courses: Coursera's "Foundations of Data Science" (focus on basic statistics).
Practical Exercise: Practice converting in-text citations to the full reference list format using APA
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