Research method and ethics
Theory
Lecture 1
Introduction
Research method
Research methods are specific procedures for collecting and
analyzing data. Developing your research methods is an
integral part of your research design. When planning your
methods, there are two key decisions you will make.
First, decide how you will collect
data. Your methods depend on
what type of data you need to
answer your research question.
Second, decide how you will
analyze the data.
Scientific research
in our daily life we frequently meet problems to overcome
and questions to be answered. our mind automatically thinks,
formulate, develop, test and examine hypothesis to solve
these problems and questions. when we are working
scientifically and systematically to solve our problem and
questions, we are conducting scientific research. scientific
research is systematic work that involves the collection,
analysis, and interpretation of data to answer a question,
solve a problem, test a hypothesis and gain a new
knowledge.
systematic means conducted
objectively according to
specific principles and
procedures
Purpose of Scientific Research
Scientific research is important because 1- it helps us
understand how things work. 2- In addition, it further
develops various areas of study, such as biology,
chemistry, psychology, medicine, and other fields.
Moreover, 3- scientific research helps solve pre-existing
problems and new ones that might occur in the future.
Types of research methods
1-Non-experiment research
is a type of research design that is based on observation and
measuring instead of experimentation with randomly
assigned participants. Observing behaviors as it occurs
naturally.
A- Case study when you
observe one or few special
cases of individuals in order to
learn something about people
in general.
B- Survey is a list of questions
aimed for extracting specific data
from a particular group of people.
Surveys may be conducted by
phone, mail, via the internet, and
also at street corners or in malls
2- Experiment research
is a study conducted with a scientific approach using two
sets of variables. Observing behaviors in controlled
laboratory environment. Often done in laboratory settings
and the only types of studies that can actually provide
evidence for causation or causal links between variables.
Qualitative and quantitative research
While both share the primary aim of knowledge acquisition,
quantitative research involves collecting and analyzing
numerical data using statistical techniques such us
experiments, correlation studies, and survey. On the other
hand, qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing
non-numerical data such as interviews, observations, and
case study.
What is thesis?
A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original
research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a
master’s program or a capstone to a bachelor’s degree.
Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a
dissertation, it is one of the longest pieces of writing students
typically complete. It relies on your ability to conduct
research from start to finish
Typical Structure of a Bachelor's or Master's
Thesis
Most thesis are structured as shown below. Each part may be
split into several chapter. For example, the part introduction
may have two separate chapters for the general introduction
to the topic and the research question. But the parts
commonly appear in the following order:
1- Page title
2- Acknowledgements or preface
3- Table of content
4- List of figures and tables
5- List of abbreviations
6- Abstract
7- Introduction
8- Literature review
9- Methodology
10- Results
11- Discussion
12- Conclusion
13- Reference list
14- Appendices
1-Title page
The very first page of your thesis contains all necessary identifying information,
including:
• Your full title
• Your full name
• Your department
• Your institution and degree program
• Your submission dates.
Sometimes the title page also includes your student ID, the name of your
supervisor, or the university’s logo. Check out your university’s guidelines if you’re
not sure.
Example
2- Acknowledgements or preface
The acknowledgements section is usually optional. Its main
point is to allow you to thank everyone who helped you in
your thesis journey, such as supervisors, friends, or family.
You can also choose to write a preface, but it’s typically one
or the other, not both.
Example
3- Table of content
A table of contents lists all of your sections, plus their
corresponding page numbers and subheadings if you have
them. This helps your reader seamlessly navigate your
document.
Your table of contents should include all the major parts of
your thesis. In particular, don’t forget the appendices. If you
used heading styles, it’s easy to generate an automatic table
Microsoft Word.
Example
Purpose of Table of contents
The table of contents serves two purposes:
1- It gives users an overview of the document's contents and
organization.
2- 2- It allows readers to go directly to a specific section of an on-
line document.
4- list of figures
list of figures compiles all of the figures that you used in
your thesis or dissertation, along with their
corresponding page numbers. These lists give your reader
an overview of how you have used figures in your document.
While these lists are often not required, you may want to
include one as a way to stay organized if your dissertation
topic leads you to use several figures and tables over the
course of your paper. Your educational institution may
require one, so be sure to check their guidelines. Ultimately,
if you do choose to add one, it should go directly after your
table of contents.
Example