CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter as part of the research explains the various methods, procedures and techniques that
the researcher relied upon on coming out with the entire study output. This chapter further
describes and explain the type of research design adopted, the population of the study, the
methods used in sampling and its techniques, instruments and method used in gathering the data,
data analysis and presentation, reliability and validity of the research instrument as well as the
ethical consideration.
Research Design
Research design can be explained as a deep thorough procedures which assist in gathering data
relevant to the study. The research design tells you what to do and how to do it. Research design
is the general plan of how you will go about answering your research question(s). The
researcher, in considering the research strategy selected, adopted the descriptive research design.
Descriptive survey according to Fellows, & Liu, (2021) is a design where the output of the
findings produce will give a true reflection of the persons, events or situation at hand. Is carried
out when a study is set out to principally describe some phenomena or a particular subjects in
terms of its function, attributes, characteristics and frequencies in its current state. Descriptive
design also allows the researcher to gather information which a good or better confidence of
getting information that can be used for generalization.
Population and Sampling
Population refers to the entire group of individuals, items, or events that share common
characteristics, from which findings obtained from a selected portion can be generalized to the
whole group. The population for this study includes all hotels and restaurants in Sunyani. A
sample of these establishments will be selected using a simple random sampling technique to
ensure that every hotel and restaurant has an equal chance of being included in the study. This
method helps to generalize the findings to the entire population of interest.
Data Collection
Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on variable of interest, in
an established systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated research questions, test
hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, which
will be distributed to the selected hotels and restaurants. The questionnaire will contain both
closed-ended and open-ended questions to capture quantitative and qualitative data regarding the
willingness to adopt renewable energy, perceived benefits, challenges, and any external factors
influencing their decision-making.
Source of Data
Data sources refer to the origins or points from which data can be obtained. There are two main
types of data sources: primary and secondary. Secondary data consists of information that has
already been collected, analyzed, and used by previous researchers, which the current researcher
may use for their analysis. This type of data is often found in annual reports, progress reports,
audit documents, and other records related to the researcher's objectives. On the other hand,
primary data is collected firsthand by the researcher directly from the field or respondents. For
this study, the researcher will primarily rely on primary data because it provides firsthand,
unaltered information that accurately represents the situation concerning the population.
Types of Data
Primary Data
Primary data will be collected directly from the hotels and restaurants in Sunyani through the use
of structured questionnaires. These questionnaires will be designed to capture the respondents'
willingness to adopt renewable energy, their perceptions of its benefits, the challenges they face,
and the external factors influencing their decision. The use of primary data is crucial as it
provides firsthand information directly related to the specific context of Sunyani, ensuring that
the findings are relevant and accurate for the population under study.
Secondary Data
Secondary data will be obtained from existing literature, including books, journal articles,
reports, and government publications related to renewable energy adoption in the hospitality
sector. These sources will provide background information, support the interpretation of primary
data, and help to compare the findings of this study with previous research conducted in similar
contexts. Utilizing secondary data helps to contextualize the study within the broader field of
renewable energy adoption, offering insights into trends, challenges, and best practices identified
in other regions or industries.
Data collections instruments
Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, which will be distributed to the selected
hotels and restaurants. The questionnaire will contain both closed-ended and open-ended
questions to capture quantitative and qualitative data regarding the willingness to adopt
renewable energy, perceived benefits, challenges, and any external factors influencing their
decision-making.
Data Analysis
Data analysis simply refers to the act of reducing or breaking down the collected data to making
meaning out of it. The collected data will be analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, such
as frequencies, percentages, and mean scores. This will help in identifying trends and patterns in
the responses, providing a clear understanding of the level of willingness among hotels and
restaurants to adopt renewable energy in Sunyani.
The collected Data being quantitative was analyzed using frequencies and tables. Quantitative
data analysis is the use of simple charts, tables and diagrams to depict the level of occurrence of
a particular situation. To analyze the data, data screaming was done to make editing to ensure
consistency in the response. The data was the coded and inputted into the statistical package for
social sciences (SPSS), a software used by social sciences to help generate an outcome or results
of the entered data. The results from the data are then presented in the form of descriptive
(tables, frequencies, percentages, mean median, mode, standard deviation among others).