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| Figure 1: Research Design |
What is Research?
Oxford Dictionary (2012) has defined research as "the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusion".
- Primary Research
- Secondary Research
- Academic Research
This includes what you do or the research you do. In primary research can include,
- Interviews that conducted
-Observations
-Brain Storming
-Questionnaire
-Experiments
and other activities that did during the investigation, document, and other evidence
Secondary Research
Which found out from other peoples' research.(From non-scholarly Sources )
-Magazines
-Other published sources
-Written by journalists, professional writers etc.
Academic Research
Which found out from others people's research (From Scholarly Sources)
-Books
-Journal Articles
-White Papers
-Specialized and cited
-Available in colleges/universities' libraries
-written by scholar in subject area, credential given, reviewed by peers
Processes Involved in Research Design
1. Aims and objectives of the research
- Out comes (Tangible outcomes-document / Intangible outcomes)
2. Solutions and deliverable
3. Literature Review- Required domain research
- Gather information about what others have done
- If there any mistakes how to overcome from that
4. Selected Data Collection Methods (Primary Research)
5. Selecting sampling methods
6. Selected data analysis methods
7. Rationale for selected technical aspects
8. Selected Design Approach
9. Timelines
- Gather information about what others have done
- If there any mistakes how to overcome from that
4. Selected Data Collection Methods (Primary Research)
5. Selecting sampling methods
6. Selected data analysis methods
7. Rationale for selected technical aspects
8. Selected Design Approach
9. Timelines
Sampling
systematically selecting representative elements of the population
objectives of sampling are:
containing costs
speeding up
Improving effectiveness
reducing data bias
When sampling need to focus on following factors:
- Sample size- How many items in a particular sample.
- Sampling method
- Probabilistic Sampling
-Systematic Sampling
-Simple Random Sampling
-Cluster Sampling
-Stratified Sampling
Systematic Sampling
Simple Random Sampling
Get the entire list of sampling and choose using random number table. Below has explained how is the random number table works.
Cluster Sampling
Group of sampling units close to each other.
Ex:- Crowding together in the same area or neighborhood.
-Select the entire population
-Divide into clusters
Stratified Sampling
Group of samples divide into strata.
- Convenient Sampling
- Snow-ball Sampling
Convenience Sampling
Snow-ball Sampling
According to Catillo (2009) systematic sampling is "the researcher first randomly picks the first item or subject from the population. Then, the researcher will select each n'th subject from the list.
Simple Random Sampling
Get the entire list of sampling and choose using random number table. Below has explained how is the random number table works.
Randomly select a number from the table. If the selected number is not in the sample as an example if you choose 98 as the number and the sample consists of 50 there is no 98th item. Then you can add 9 and 8 and get 17 and choose 17th item from the sample.
Cluster Sampling
Group of sampling units close to each other.
Ex:- Crowding together in the same area or neighborhood.
-Select the entire population
-Divide into clusters
Stratified Sampling
Group of samples divide into strata.
- Non-Probabilistic Sampling
- Convenient Sampling
- Snow-ball Sampling
Convenience Sampling
As mentioned in convenience sampling (2011) "Convenience sampling refers to the non probability process by which a scientist gathers statistical data from the population. This form of selection is done based on the ease if gaining the statistical data."
Snow-ball Sampling
According to Trochim (2006) "In snowball sampling, you being identifying someone who meets the criteria for inclusion in your study. You then ask them to recommend others who they may know who also meet the criteria".
Research Tools
- Interviews
- Questionnaires
- Observations
Five main types of Research Methods
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| Figure 2: Research Methods (sharpy.dircon, 2012) |
- Survey
- Case-Study
- Action Research
- Experiments
- Ethnography
Take a current snap shot or do longitudinal research.
For surveys can use tools like questionnaires and questionnaires in the best tool, also can use documentary reviews, interviews
In the list of questions can include close ended questions and some open ended questions.
Innumerater is the one who ask questions.
There are two types of questionnaires such as mail-order questionnaires and traditional questionnaires
Interviews
-Come-up with set of questions
-Additional prob questions(ex:- how it happen?, Why did you say like that? etc.)
-Mostly use open-ended questions-From open ended questions can collect more qualitative and rich responds
-Accuracy is high
-Verbal and non-verbal communication includes.
Observations
-Do not engage with audience
-Monitor the audience
-Disadvantage of this is behavioral changes
Hawthorne Effect
Study that identifies how various changes in the environment affect employee productivity.
Documentary Review
-Examining hard data used in the system.
-facts would be recorded on a document
description form:
- list of all items on document
- size of data items and format
- person responsible for entering data
- source and destination of each copy
- purpose of document
- name of document
- additional notes
Write case-studies including findings
Interesting read.
Action Research
Action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully,using the techniques of research. It is based on the following assumptions:
Teachers and principals work best on problems
they have identified for themselves
• Teachers and principals become more effective when encouraged to examine and assess their own work and then consider ways of working differently
• Teachers and principals help each other by working collaboratively
• Working with colleagues helps teachers and principals in their professional development
(Ferrance, 2000)
Experiment Research
Do the research by doing experiments
Ethnography Research
Anthropologists, ethnographers, and other social scientists
may engage in something called ethnography. Ethnography, simply stated, is the
study of people in their own environment through the use of methods such as
participant observation and face-to-face interviewing. (NPS, 2011)
Learning Outcomes:-
Today lecture was about research design. I learnt about different topics related research design like How to do a research , what kind of tools can do a research and different types of researches etc. I found this lectures as interesting and I did some extra readings relate to topics that has discussed under research design. Also this is a very useful and important topic because we have to do a research to final year project.
References:-
Castillo, J.J. (2009). Systematic Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://www.experiment-resources.com/systematic-sampling.html [Accessed 9th August 2012]
Convenience Sampling. (2011). Convenience Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://www.conveniencesampling.net/ [Accessed 9th August 2012]
E, Ferrance. (2000).Action Research. [Online]. Available at : http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf [Accessed 9th August 2012]
NPS. (2011). Ethnography Research. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nps.gov/ethnography/aah/aaheritage/ERCb.htm [Accessed 9th August 2011]
Oxford Dictionaries. (2012). Definition of Research. [Online]. Available at: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/research [Accessed 9th August 2012]
Sharpy.dircon. (2012). Research Methods. [Online]. Available at: http://www.sharpy.dircon.co.uk/index_files/image5064.gif [Accessed 9th August 2012]
Sharpy.dircon. (2012). Research Methods. [Online]. Available at: http://www.sharpy.dircon.co.uk/index_files/image5064.gif [Accessed 9th August 2012]
Trochim, W.M.K. (2006). Non Probabilistic Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampnon.php [Accessed 9th August 2012]
Trochim, W.M.K. (2006). Snowball Sampling. [Online]. Available at: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampnon.php [Accessed 9th August 2012]
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