University Of Sulaimani 1

College of Commerce – Information Technology

Research Method
4th Stage

INTRODUCTION TO
RESEARCH AND
RESEARCH METHODS

Lecturer: Didam Ahmed

2020/2021
Copyright © Bilal [Link]
 RESEARCH
2

 Re ----------- Search
 Re means (once more, afresh, anew)
 Search means (examine to find anything concealed)
 Or Search means (Search for (new) knowledge/facts through objective, and
scientific method of finding solution to a problem).

Two facts about Research:

 Research can help solve practical problems and increase knowledge.
 RESEARCH
3

 Research is a particular kind of academic task. You will usually be asked to

generate a topic for yourself; to plan and execute a project investigating that
topic; and to write-up what you did and what your findings were.

 It gives you an opportunity to confirm, clarify, pursue – or even discover –

new aspects of a subject or topic you are interested in.

 There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic,

economic, social, business, marketing research, etc.
 What is Research
4

 Research can be defined as the search for knowledge, or as any systematic

investigation, or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new
or existing problems, or develop new theories.

 Research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information

(data) in order to increase our understanding of a topic or issue which we are
concerned or interested.
 THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH IS TO
5

 Review or synthesize existing knowledge

 Investigate existing situations or problems
 Provide solutions to problems
 Explore and analyze more general issues
 Construct or create new procedures or systems
 Explain new phenomenon
 Generate new knowledge
 or a combination of any of the above!
 (Collis & Hussey, 2003)
 Types of Research
6

 There are two types of research which can be done to develop a research:

1. Practical Research: The practical approach consists of the experimental

study of the topic. This involves first hand research in the form of
questionnaires, surveys, interviews, observations and discussion groups.

2. Theoretical Research: A non experimental approach to research, this

usually involves perusal of mostly published works like researching
through archives of public libraries, and published academic journals.
 OTHER DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESEARCH:
7
 RESEARCH APPROACHES:
8

Research can be approached in the following ways:

1. Quantitative/Qualitative
2. Applied/Basic
3. Deductive/Inductive

Important Note: Many research projects combine a number

of approaches, e.g. may use both quantitative and qualitative
approaches.
 Quantitative/Qualitative
9
 BASIC/APPLIED RESEARCH
10

 The primary aim of Basic Research is to improve knowledge

generally, without any particular applied purpose in mind at the
outset. Applied Research is designed from the start to apply its
findings to a particular situation. Students at the school of
Management are expected to engage with an applied research
or problem solving research project.
 Deductive/Inductive
11
 Deductive Approach
12

 It is clear that you would want to have a clear theoretical position prior to
collection of data. You might therefore research the subject and discover a
number of definitions of ‘professional’ from, for example, a number of
professional associations. You could then test this definition on a range of people,
using a questionnaire, structured interviews or group discussion. You could
carefully select a sample of people on the basis of age, gender, occupation etc.
The data gathered could then be collated and the results analyzed and presented.

 This approach offers researchers a relatively easy and systematic way of testing
established ideas on a range of people.
 Inductive Approach
13

 If you adopted this approach you might start by talking to a range of people
asking for their ideas and definitions of ‘professional’. From these
discussions you could start to assemble the common elements and then start
to compare these with definitions gained from professional associations. The
data gathered could then be collated and the results analyzed and presented.
This approach might lead you to arrive at a new definition of the word – or it
might not! This approach can be very time-consuming, but the reward might
be in terms of arriving at a fresh way of looking at the subject.
 Methodology
14

 The term methodology refers to the overall approaches & perspectives to the
research process as a whole and is concerned with the following main issues:
 Why you collected certain data
 What data you collected
 Where you collected it
 How you collected it
 How you analyzed it (Collis & Hussey, 2003, p.55).
 A research method refers only to the various specific tools or ways data can
be collected and analyzed, e.g. a questionnaire; interview checklist; data analysis
software etc.
15
STAGES OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
16

 The main stages of research can be summarized, as below. However, in

reality the transition between one stage and another is not always so clear-
cut. For example, during the research it may be necessary to return back and
forth between stages to correct additional data, do additional reading or
adjust a timetable. Nevertheless, students need to carefully work out a
timetable for deadline of completion of each stage. A vital step for
successful research is in working out a workable timetable that connects with
the main stages of research.
 STAGES OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
17
 STAGES OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
18
1. Establish a general field of interest:
19

 It is very important that the research subject will be of real interest

to you. You will spend a lot of time on the research so a strong
interest in the chosen topic is vital. A strong interest will carry you
over the difficulties, delays and irritations that most researchers
will experience. You will need to discuss your choice or research
topic with your supervisor/tutor.
1. Establish a general field of interest:
20

 It consists of four main action:

Topic
Objective Title

Proposed Research
Solution Problem
 Choosing a topic
21

 While some students come to their research project with a clear research question to
address, many others arrive at this point with several ideas, but with no specific
research question. There are several ways forward:

1. Talk to others: What topics are other students considering? Discussing your ideas
with others.

2. Look at other writing: set aside some time to spend in the library, skimming
through the titles of research papers in your field over the past five years, and
reading the abstracts of those you find most interesting.

3. Think about your own interests: which topic have you found most interesting, and
is there an element that could be developed into a research project?
 Title of the Research Project
22

Definition: The title summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study. It is the
opening page including all the relevant information about the research project
and it is often the most difficult to write.

Create a Working Title

Typically, the final title you submit to your Supervisor is created after the
research is complete so that the title accurately captures what was done. The
working title should be developed early in the research process because it can
help anchor the focus of the study in much the same way the research problem
does.
 Title of the Research Project
23

Effective titles in academic research projects have several characteristics.

1. Concise describing the content of the research.

2. Indicate accurately the subject and scope of the study.

3. Distinguish the research from others on a similar topic;

4. Catch the reader’s attention and interest;

5. The length of title should be no more than 15 words.

6. Avoid using abbreviations.

7. Use correct grammar and capitalization with all first words capitalized.
 Research problem and proposed solution
24

 A research problem is a question that researcher wants to answer or a

problem that a researcher wants to solve.
 In other word, a research problem is an area of concern where there is a
gap in the knowledge base needed for professional practices.
 Every researcher should be attempt to gain solution to a problem.
 Proposed solution is somehow similar to the purpose or aim of the
research.
 Objectives in research
25

 To get right solution of a right problem, clearly defined objectives are very
important.
 Research objective are the results sought by the researcher. Or a concrete
statement describing what the research is trying to achieve.
 The objectives of a research project summarize what is to be achieved by
the study.
 Objective should be closely related to the statement of the problem.
 Use proper action verbs (Determine, Find out, identify or so on)
 Example
26

 Title: Student attendance System

 Specific Problem: In our case, there is a problem with tracking the attendance
of students in college of commerce. Now, the only way to keep the attendance
students is a system manually.
 Proposed Solution: The proposed solution to this problem is that designing
and implementing a student attendance system by using several tools such as
(SQL server as a backend to keep all the data and information about students)
and (Visual C# as a frontend of the system).
 Example
27

Objectives:
 To find out Date and the Period of the absence.
 To record Student Number, Student Name and all relevant information .
 To know about the Reasons of absence.
 To identify the Department, Stage and Course name for the students.
 To find out the Rate of the absence of each students.
 2. Background & Preparatory Reading
28

 This is an essential stage of the research process, for the following reasons:

1. It is essential to know what work has been done previously in the topic area. There
is no point in you spending hours, weeks and months to produce a research
outcome that someone else has already achieved!

2. It will help you therefore identify research possibilities and to tailor or slant your
particular research project to gain new insights or perspectives on the chosen topic

3. This in turn will help you develop a research methodology appropriate to the
chosen project

4. It will help you to justify your choice of research topic at the project proposal stage
to your supervisor/tutor.
29
 3. Gather Information & Data
30
 INTERVIEWS
31

Interviews can be grouped into three main types:

1. Structured Interviews: Structured interviews involve the use of questionnaires based on a

predetermined and identical set of questions. The questions are usually read out by a researcher in
a neutral tone of voice to avoid influencing or prompting a particular response from a participant.
(see also the section on questionnaires)

2. Semi-Structured Interviews: The interviewer will have a list of themes and areas to be covered
and there may be some standardized questions, but the interviewer may omit or add to some of
these questions or areas, depending on the situation and the flow of the conversation.

3. Unstructured Interviews: These are informal discussions where the interviewer wants to explore
in-depth a particular topic with another person in a spontaneous way. However, even in
unstructured interviews it is likely that the researcher would have a pre-decided range of topics to
cover in the discussion.
 QUESTIONNAIRES
32

Questionnaires facilitate the collection of data by asking all, or a sample of people,

to respond to the same questions. They can be in both printed and electronic
forms.

There are five types of questionnaire approaches:

1. On-line (electronic)

2. Interview face to face/group (electronic or printed)

 You need to absolutely clear before you design a questionnaire what it is you
want to learn and what data you need to obtain to enlighten you in this search.
 Questions can be open or closed:
33

 Open questions: a question is posed, but space is left for the respondent’s
own answer (the questions posed to you in this workbook have all been open
questions) e.g. Please tell me which brand you prefer, and why in the space
that follows

 Closed: where a limited number of alternative responses to the set question

are provided. These can be in list, category, ranking, scale/rating, grid or other
quantitative form. They can be pre-coded on a questionnaire to facilitate
analysis.
EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF SURVEY QUESTIONS
34
 The Structure of Research
35

The vast majority of scientific research can be broken down into the following
constituent parts.

1. Title : the opening page including all the relevant information about the
research project.

2. Abstract: A brief project summary including background (problem-solving),

methodology, and findings.

3. Acknowledgement: A page of acknowledgements is usually included at the

beginning the Project, immediately after the Abstract.

4. Table of Contents: A lists of all chapters.

 The Structure of Research
36
5. List of Figures: A Lists of all figures.

6. List of Tables: A Lists of all Tables.

7. List of Abbreviations: A Lists of all abbreviation.

8. Introduction: introduce your project and identify the main objectives of

your research project.

9. Literature review (Background review): The aim of a literature review is

to show your reader (your tutor) that you have read, and have a good grasp of,
the main published work concerning a particular topic or question in your
field.
 The Structure of Research
37

10. Methodology: A description of methodology used in your research.

11. Analyse the Data: A description of the analysing data.

System Requirements: captures the intended behaviour of the system.

12. Discussion: A discussion about the results.

System Design and Implementation: all steps of designing and

implementing the interface of the system will be presented.

13. Conclusion: Main conclusion based on the data analysis or what you had
implemented.
 The Structure of Research
38

14. Recommendation and Future Work: to discuss about the

recommendation and further work on your research project that might
investigate in the future.

15. References: A list of references cited in your research project.

16. Appendices: Additional materials used in your research projects such as

Programming Language Code, Raw data; interview or questionnaires.
 Acknowledgment
Title Page Abstract
s

39
Table of
Introduction
Contents

Background System
Methodology
Review Requirements

Designing &
Conclusion
Implementing

Recommendation
References Appendices
and Future Work
 Acknowle
Title Page Abstract dgments

40 List of List of Table of

Tables Figures Contents

Abbreviati Introducti Backgroun

ons on d Review

System Design Methodolo

System
and
Implementation Requirements gy

Conclusio Recommendatio
n and Future References
n Work

Appendice
s
 Abstract
41
 An abstract is essentially a brief summary of the whole research. It gives an

overview of the research study.

 The main purpose of an abstract is to give your reader a general idea of the content

of the research. The abstract will help a reader decide whether to read the whole

text in detail.

The main characteristics of Abstract include:

1. An abstract is found at the beginning of research immediately after the title page.

Center the word Abstract on the page, then begin typing on the very next double-

spaced line.

2. An abstract is typically only 200 words, and it should be include:

 Abstract
42

1. Re-establish the Title of the research project.

2. Define your main research problem and give the purpose (aim) of the

research clearly.

3. Indicate the methodology used.

4. Present the main findings.

 Guide to Write Abstract

1. Re-establish the topic (title) of the research project.

The title of my project is called (-----) which has been developed for (-----)
In this research project a (-----) has been developed for (-----)
 
2. Define your main purpose (aim) and give the research problem of the research.
The purpose of this project was to build a -----
The aim of this project was to build a ------
The proposed solution was ----------------
 
3. Indicate the methodology used
In this project, the (name of your project) was introduced and the (type of methodology) was
discussed and evaluated ------
As the stage of the implementation, Back end of the system was designed by using (----------),
also front end was designed by using (---------).
 
4. Present the main findings
43
We noticed that by using this project, ------
Example
The title of this project is called “Student Attendance System” which has been developed for
College of Commerce. Today students’ (class) attendance is become more important part for any
organizations/institutions. Recording and monitoring of class attendance is an area of
administration that can require significant amounts of time and effort in a school/university
environment, largely due to the amount of time required in lectures to get the necessary
information.

The (proposed solution) purpose of this project was to build a student attendance system as a
replace to a manual system that is currently used in college of commerce. In this project, an
attendance system was introduced and the Waterfall methodology was discussed and evaluated.
As the stage of the implementation, Back end of the system was designed by using Microsoft
SQL Server 2005, and front end was designed by using Microsoft Visual C#. Furthermore, the
system was tested and installed properly. Finally, in this project a student attendance as software
has been developed to be used in University of Sulaimani – College of Commerce and this might
in turn support people in this area.
44
 End of Week One and Two

45
Copyright © Bilal [Link]
 Methodology
46

 Methodology is a system of methods used in a particular area of study or

activity.

 A software development methodology or system development

methodology is used to structure, plan, and control the 
process of developing an information system. Common methodologies
include Waterfall, Incremental, and SDLC (Software Development
Life Cycle).
 Waterfall model
47
The waterfall model is a sequential design process, often used in 
software development processes.

The following phases are followed in order:

1. Requirement: In this Phase, the requirements for the software are established
through discussion with stakeholders and are then documented.

2. Designing: In this phase, the requirements are converted into design to be used
in the next phase. The design includes various elements such as database
structures, software architecture and procedures.

3. Implementation: In this phase the actual coding of the software is done. The
design of the previous phase is converted into the code.
 Waterfall model
48

4. Verification: In this phase, the output generated is checked to ensure that

it matches the requirements. The programs developed in the previous
phase are checked for the logical and syntax errors.

5. Maintenance: The software developed needs to maintenance and

support. This refers to the changes as well as new requirements in the
software after delivery.

Waterfall model maintains that one should move to a phase only when it’s
proceeding phase is completed and perfected.
 Waterfall model
49
Based on the Collecting data
(Interview is best technique)

1. Design Database

2. Design Software (GUI)

Coding/Wizard

Testing/Debugging

Installation
 Incremental Methodology
50

 The incremental model is a method of software development where the

model is designed, implemented and tested incrementally (a little more is
added each time) until the product is finished.
Delivery of requirement 1

Delivery of requirement 2

Delivery of requirement 3
 SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle)
51

 SDLC is a framework that describes the activities performed at each stage

of a software development project. The SDLC phases are:
 How to adapt the Waterfall method to our project
52

1. Identify Stakeholders: A stakeholder is a person or a group of people

who can affect or be affected by a given project. Stakeholders can be
individuals working on a project, groups of people or organizations, or
even segments of a population.
 How to adapt the Waterfall method to our project
53

2. Requirements: It consists of Functional requirements, Non-functional

requirements.

2.1 Functional requirements: a description of the facility or feature required.

Functional requirements deal with what the system should do or provide for users. 
 Keys: P=Private, PU=Public, O=Optional, N=Necessary, and D=Desirable
54
55
 56
University Of Sulaimani
College of Commerce
Statistics & Computer
Forth Stage

RESEARCH
METHOD
WEEK FOUR
Lecturer: Bilal [Link]

2013/2014

Copyright © Bilal [Link]

 Recall…...
57

Statistics is a tool for converting data into information

statistics

Data information

 But
 Where does data come from?
 How is it gathered?
 How to we ensure its accurate?
 Methodology
58

 The process is used to collect information and data

 for the purpose of making decisions. The 
methodology may include Questionnaires, interviews
, surveys and other research techniques.
 Methodology
59

In the methodology section, two main issues are

addressed
 The methods used to analysis the data.
 Define and explain
 Why did you choose the particular method?
 The methods used to gather data.
 Source for Collecting Data
60

 Direct Source
 Indirect Source
 Interview
 Documentary
 Questionnaire
 Questionnaire
61

 How to write a good questionnaire for your project?

 How to do coding for your questionnaire?

 How to check data?

 How to show your data?

 How to analysis data?

 Research Objectives
62

 Primary Objective

 Secondary objective
 Abstract
63

 background
 purpose and focus
 methods
 results
64
Example
 65
University Of Sulaimani
College of Commerce
Statistics & Computer
Forth Stage

RESEARCH METHOD
WEEK
Lecturer: BilalFIVE
[Link]

2013/2014

Copyright © Bilal [Link]

 Literature review (Background review)
66

 A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject

area. The aim of a literature review is to show your reader (your tutor) that
you have read, and have a good understanding of the main published work
concerning a particular topic. This work may be in any format, including
online sources, books and etc.

STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

 There are a variety of ways you can structure a literature review, however
most students use a single chapter format.
 STEP 1: PLANNING AND READING
 STEP 2: SUMMARISE
 STRUCTURE AND CONTENT
67

 STEP 3: ARRANGE THE STRUCTURE

 This may be as simple as writing down a list of themes you wish to cover
and arranging them into the most logical order.
 Introduction
 Define and discuss the main components
 The advantages and disadvantages of each components.
 The Strengths and weaknesses of any tool you have used .
 Plagiarism
68

 Means “to commit literary theft”

 Plagiarism is using another person’s words or idea without giving credit to

that person.
 You must give credit to the “owner” of the information that you use in
your paper, otherwise you are STEALING.

 In order to prevent plagiarism, we must cite our source.

 Citation
69

 What is Citation: The text that describes a source you used in research.

 Use an idea from a book, website, journal article, etc., you must
acknowledge this in your text. This is referred to as ‘citing'.

 Citations tell the reader that the material or information in a work comes
from another source and allows the reader to find the original source of that
information again.
 Example of Creating Citation
70

 A DBMS can be thought of as a file manager that manages data in

databases rather than files in file systems. In IBM's mainframe 
operating systems, the non-relational data managers were (and are,
because these legacy application systems are still used) known as access
methods (Rouse, 2005)

 Creating Citation in Microsoft Word….>>>

 Referencing list
71
 This is your list of all the sources that have been cited in the text of your work. The
list is inclusive showing books, journals, etc., listed in one list, not in separate lists
according to source type.

Why you should use a referencing system?

 As a part of an academic environment, it is important that you show the reader

where you have used someone else’s ideas or words.  A reference gives the readers
details about the source so that they have a good understanding of what kind of
source it is and could find the source themselves if necessary. The references are
typically listed at the end of the research project.

 Creating a Reference list..>>>>

 An example of Referencing List
72

 Connolly Begg, 2012. Database management System.

 Rouse, M., 2005. [Online]

 Rouse, M., 2005. Database management system (DBMS). [Online]

Available at: [Link]
management-system
[Accessed 19 11 2012].
 Taei, P., 2013. [Online]
Available at: [Link]
other-languages/
[Accessed 20 11 2013].
 Table of Contents
73

 This table of contents is an essential part of writing a long academic research

project,  and it should be a lists of all chapters.

 A well laid out table of contents allows readers to easily navigate your paper and
find the information that they need.

 The table of contents should appear after the title page and after the abstract.

 Creating Table of content..>>>>

74
 75
University Of Sulaimani
College of Commerce
Statistics & Computer
Forth Stage

RESEARCH METHOD
WEEK
Lecturer: Bilal SIX
[Link]

2013/2014

Copyright © Bilal [Link]

 Appendices
76

 Additional materials used in your research projects such as Programming

Language Code, Raw data, interview, questionnaires or any extra material.

 The appendices should be numbered A, B, C, etc. In conformity with the

organization of tables and figures in the main body, A1, A2, A3, etc.
 Analysing Data and Discussion
77

Analyse the Data: A description of the analysing data. In this section, you
will need to state the results of your research. There may be graphs, tables,
figures, etc., all of which you need to describe. This section varies depending
on the discipline and department.

Discussion: A discussion about the results. In this section, you will need to
discuss the previously mentioned results. You should address your research
questions and explain how your research.
 System Requirements and Design
78

System Requirements: captures the intended behaviour of the system. There

may be graphs, tables, figures, etc., all of which you need to describe. This
section varies depending on the discipline and department. In this section the
requirements of your project should be defined and documented, it is better to use
ER diagram, Chart, Flow Chart or any other technique to draw your requirements

System Design and Implementation: all steps of designing and implementing

the interface of the system will be presented. In this section all the interfaces of
the project should be captured…
 Conclusion, Recommendation and Future Work
79

Conclusion: in this section. Highlight the important points of your work and
their application. Help the reader understand what your research means or
implies. Summarize the main points you made in your introduction or
abstract and review of the literature, Review (very briefly) the research
methods and/or design you used. Repeat (in abbreviated form) your findings.
Offer suggestions for future research related to yours.

Recommendation and Future Work: to discuss about the recommendation

and further work on your research project that might investigate in the future.
 Guidelines for writing acknowledgements
80
 A page of acknowledgements is usually included at the beginning the
Project, immediately after the Table of Contents. The following list
includes those people who are often acknowledged: 
Main supervisor, other academic staff in your department, other
organizations or companies, Family and Friends.
 Formatting Research Project Writing
81

 The paper should be of white, good quality. Follow the following format
through the main body of your research project:
 Use (Time New Roman) and (12 pt.) font.
 Use Line Spacing of (1.5)
 Use (2.5 cm) top, bottom, and right margins as well as (2.5 cm) left
hand margin.
 Place the page numbers at the bottom-centre of the page in (12 pt.)
font.
 The text of a research project must appear in a single column on each
page and make text right justification.
 Formatting Research Project Writing
82

 Begin each chapter after two blank lines, with “CHAPTER #”

writing in (16 pt.) font (Bold) centred and the title of the chapter
written below followed by two blank lines.
 All the Heading lines with their section number are writing in (14 pt.)
font (Bold) with the left margin.
 The chapters are divided into sections and each section has a title. A
section may be divided into subsections. Thus, the number “1, 2, 3”.
 Separate all heading lines by a blank line.
 The first line of the paragraphs in the text should be introduced by (0.5
cm) from the left.
 Content Requirements for a Research Project
83   Title page Required
  Abstract Required
Acknowledgements Required
Preliminary pages
Table of Contents Required
List of Figures If Any - Optional
List of Tables If Any - Optional
List of Abbreviations If Any - Optional

  General Introduction Required Organized according to

  Background Review Conventions of scientific disciplines
Methodology  
Body of Text
Results (System Requirement)
Discussion (Design and
Implementation)
Conclusion
Recommendation and Future work Optional
References Required
End Pages
Appendix If Any