importance of research methodology ppt

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• Research Methods
• Vgr-social-work-research

Education Standards

Radford university.

Learning Domain: Social Work

Standard: Basic Research Methodology

PowerPoint Slides: SOWK 621.01: Research I: Basic Research Methodology

The twelve lessons for SOWK 621.01: Research I: Basic Research Methodology as previously taught by Dr. Matthew DeCarlo at Radford University. Dr. DeCarlo and his team developed a complete package of materials that includes a textbook, ancillary materials, and a student workbook as part of a VIVA Open Course Grant.

The PowerPoint slides associated with the twelve lessons of the course, SOWK 621.01: Research I: Basic Research Methodology, as previously taught by Dr. Matthew DeCarlo at Radford University. 

Guide to Research Methods

About the guide

This guide will

• Introduce you to a range of research methods
• Help you think about the value and limitations of different research methods
• Identify when to use alternative research methods

You should use the guide

• After or while you establish your research questions (See the Guide to Research Questions )
• When you are completing your Research Design Framework
• When you are thinking about who you want to talk to and why (See the Guide to Sampling )

You should print or read this guide

These slides are set up so that they can be printed back to back (two/four sided) to give:

• A short hand overview about when to use each method
• A summary of the method, what it’s good for and limitations (linking to other slides in this pack)

Choosing research methods

When you need to think about which method is best in theory and in practice

Choosing Research Methods

Providing a rationale for the methods you choose to use and how you employ them.

• What are your research goals? If you are looking to influence experts or policy makers, quantitative approaches will add weight to your findings. If you are looking to understand problems, inform innovation or develop a prototype, look at qualitative methods or user research
• What are your research questions? If they begin with ‘explore’ or ‘what’ look at qualitative methods (talking). If they begin with ‘identify’ or ‘why’ look at quantitative (see guide to research questions )
• What research traditions exist? You may choose to follow or challenge them. Think about whether you want your research to be noted for its quality and robustness or creative approach and unique insights
• What are your/your teams skills? You may not be an expert in the most appropriate method so consider asking for other team members or commissioning out research
• Who are you research participants? Think about your relationship to participants (especially if you are doing qualitative research) and how they will respond to you and the method. Consider if they are often consulted or surveyed and whether if could be helpful or unhelpful to stick with their comfort zone or not.

Using online tools

When you need to decide which tools to use for research

What to think about when choosing a tool to conduct research

• What’s the cost to the research quality ? Most tools are ‘freemium’, use a basic version for free. BUT these are designed to annoy you to pay to do good research. Consider privacy settings, data access, storage and value for money. Survey tools will have no option to filter participants (if yes/no answer this q), a 10Q limit, no branding. Mapping/visualisations are published online and open source tools aren’t always user friendly
• Start with user needs, understand the context and think about everyone. Consider what technology they have, how they will access the tool and what they need to do this. Do they have internet, data, time?
• Be creative: Online tools may not be designed for research, but Google Forms, Trello, Workflowy and Slack are all valuable collaboration tools. Twitter and Facebook polls may increase participation in research. However, think about what they are missing, what they can’t do and pilot your analysis approach first
• See what’s out there: This online sheet of Applied Social Research Guides and Resources includes a list of online tools for research and evaluation to test. Those widely used for your research method or sector are likely to be the best starting point. Some tools allow you to do research (see Tags for Twitter data capture), analyse it or present it in new ways (see Raw Graph s for data visualisation)

Contents: Methods summary

• Structured Interviews : When you want to gain a broad range of perspectives about specific questions
• Semi-Structured Interviews : When you want to gain in-depth insights about broad questions
• Unstructured Interviews : When you want to gain in-depth insights about a complex research topics
• Telephone Interviews : A tool for when you want to interview people quickly and easily
• Guerilla Interviews : When you want to carry out user research or explore general perspectives quickly
• Contextual Interviews : When you want to understand actions and particular experiences indepth and in context
• Focus Groups : When you want to understand shared experiences and different perspectives
• Participant Observation : When you want to ‘learn by doing’ or observe social interactions and behaviour
• Ethnography : When you want to experience social practices, interactions and behaviour with minimal influence
• Surveys: When you want to generate numerical data about the scale of people’s opinions and feelings
• Mixed Methods: When one method cannot fully answer your main research question
• User Research : When you want to learn about the behaviours and motivations of your target audience
• Service Design Research : When you want to design a service to meet people’s needs.
• Content Analysis : When you want to understand public discourse through secondary or online data
• Workshops : When you want to engage stakeholders in research, generate ideas or codesign solutions
• Usability tests : When you want to test prototypes or learn about problems with an existing service

Find out more

How to do good…

• Applied social research: A curated online sheet of Applied Social Research Guides and Resources
• Surveys : Guide to creating questions here and here , build on existing data/questions , analysis guide
• Interviews : A nice overview here which includes how to structure an interview
• User research : The GDS for intro guides and DisAmbiguity blog
• Service design: This is Service Design Doing has great tools and formats for workshops

Inspiration for emerging research methods and creative formats for research

• Ethnography and mixed methods presented well: Ikea At Home Report
• User mapping techniques as a social research method NPC Report
• User Research to understand domestic abuse experiences and the potential for technology Tech Vs Abuse
• Using Twitter data for social research Demos
• Data visualisation as a tool for research communication - Nesta data visualisation and Women’s Aid Map
• Data journalism and data storytelling - Guardian reading the riots
• An online games to shift perspective on a social problem - Financial Times Uber Story
• Content analysis to map trends - Nesta analysed creative skills in job adverts
• Issue mapping online - networks of websites and people on Twitter - Warwick University Issue Mapping

Structured Interviews

When you want to gain a broad range of perspectives about specific questions

Also consider

Semi-structured interviews

A conversation with a set structure (a script of fixed questions) and specific purpose. Can be a method to undertake a survey or called a ‘directed’ interview.

• Asking standardised questions across many participants makes data easier to analyse and compare
• Giving participants a clear guide about what you want to learn from them
• Topics that would be too complex to capture in a questionnaire tick box/short response
• Respondents with limited time, who want to consider responses in advance or do not want to write
• The quality of the interview is less dependent on the interviewer and their rapport with the interviewee

Limitations (and how to avoid or what to consider instead)

• The structure prevents participants from bringing in other ideas (consider semi-structured interviews )
• Whilst quicker to conduct and analyse than semi-structured interviews, they are still resource intensive and only possible to do with limited numbers of people (consider questionnaires online - see surveys )

Semi-Structured Interviews

When you want to gain in-depth insights about broad questions

Participant Observation

User research

Focus groups

Semi-Structured interviews

Conversation with a structure (set of open questions) and clear purpose. Also called directed interviews.

• Exploring a range of perspectives on research questions, engaging experts and getting buy-in to research
• Gaining in-depth insights about how people feel or interpret complex issues
• Topics which are sensitive, difficult to express in writing or to articulate views about in a survey
• Allowing participants to respond in their words, framing what they see as important

Limitations

• Quality can depend on interviewer skills and put people on the spot (consider setting topics in advance)
• The set-up affects the quality of engagement and discussion (consider location, relationship with the interviewee and whether you should do a face to face or Telephone/Online interview )
• Time consuming to do, analyse and compare (consider Structured Interviews or Focus groups )
• Can lack validity as evidence (consider Surveys )
• Explore what people say, think and remember, not what they actually do (consider Participant Observation contextual interviews or User Research ) or shared perspectives (consider Focus groups )
• Easy to provide too much structure and prevent open exploration of a topic (see unstructured interviews )

Unstructured Interviews

When you want to gain in-depth insights about a complex research topics

Contextual interviews

Unstructured interviews

A loosely structured open conversation guided by research topics (also called non-directed interviews)

• Very exploratory research and broad research questions
• Letting the participant guide the interview according to their priorities and views
• In-depth and broad discussion about a person's expertise, experiences and opinions
• Participant can feel like the they are not saying the ‘right’ thing (explain technique and rationale well)
• Whilst useful for expert interviews, an unstructured approach can give the impression that the interviewer is unprepared, lacks knowledge or the research purpose is unclear (consider semi-structured interviews )
• Interviews are longer, resource intensive and only smaller numbers are possible (consider focus groups )
• Generates in-depth insights that are difficult to analyse and compare
• A lack of structure can encourage participants to focus in-depth on one thing they are positive about or know very well in-depth (consider using desk research to inform the interview topics)

Guerilla Interviews

When you want to carry out user research or explore general perspectives quickly and easily

An ‘impromptu’ approach to interviewing, often talking to real people on the street or at a key site

• Gaining immediate responses to a tool or design and insights into a problem
• Informal method means participants can be more relaxed and open
• Speaking to a lot of people, simply, quickly and cheaply about one key question
• User research and user experience of interacting with digital products
• Speaking to people for convenience (users are available in a single place and time) introduces sample bias (but you can add more targeting and profiling of participants, see the Guide to Sampling )
• The lack of formal structure can mean that you miss important questions or insights
• Findings are often unreliable and not generalisable because they rely on a single type of user
• Difficult to understand complexity or gain contextual insights

Telephone / online interviews

A tool for when you want to interview people quickly and easily

Telephone or Online interviews

A tool to conduct an interview (it is not a method in itself) which is not in person/ face to face

• Conducting interviews without the costs of travel and meeting time (often shorter)
• Expert and stakeholder interviews, when you already know the participant well or they are short of time
• Taking notes and looking up information whilst interviewing is less disruptive than in person, easy to record
• Sending informed consent information and interview questions in advance
• Can be difficult to undertake an engaging interview (hard to build rapport on the phone)
• Often need to be shorter and put alongside other meetings

What method are you using?

• Structured interviews : When you want to gain a broad range of perspectives about specific questions
• Semi-structured interviews : When you want to gain in-depth insights about broad questions
• Unstructured interviews : When you want to gain in-depth insights about a complex research topics

Further guides to Interviews : A nice overview here , including how to structure an interview

Contextual Interview

When you want to understand actions and particular experiences in-depth and in context

Ethnography

Interviews conducted with people in a situational context relevant to the research question; also known as contextual inquiry.

• Understanding what happens, experiences and emotions whilst interacting with a tool, service or event.
• Easier for research participants to show rather than explain, participants are active and engaged
• Uncover what happens, what people do, how they behave in the moment, rather than how they remember this and give meaning to these responses later.
• Open and flexible method giving depth of insights about a tool or specific interaction
• Time and resource intensive for the researcher
• Each context is unique - making it difficult to generalise from or to answer broader research questions about experiences (consider semi-structured interviews )
• The researcher influences the interactions and events (consider ethnography or participant observation )

When you want to understand shared experiences and different perspectives

Focus Groups

An organised discussion with a group of participants, led by a facilitator around a few key topics

• Gaining several perspectives about the same topic quickly
• Research contexts and topics where familiarity between participants can generate discussion about similar experiences (or different ones) which may not arise in a one to one interview
• When attitudes, feelings and beliefs are more likely to be revealed in social gathering and interactions
• Including tasks and creative methods to elicit views (e.g. shared ranking of importance of statements)
• Difficult to identify the individual view from the group view (consider semi-structured interviews )
• Group dynamics will affect the conversation focus and participation levels of different members
• The role of the moderator is very significant. Good levels of group leadership and interpersonal skill are required to moderate a group successfully.
• The group set-up is an ‘artificial’ social setting and discussion (consider Participant Observation )

Participant observation

When you want to ‘learn by doing’ and observe social interactions and behaviour

Participant observation/ shadowing

The researcher immerses themselves in lives of participants as an ‘observer’ of their behaviours, practices and interactions. A type of ethnography. The people being observed know about the research.

• Understanding everyday behaviours, interactions and practice in the context that they occur
• Gaining an intuitive understanding of what happens in practice and what this means for those involved
• Allowing research participants to show you what they do, when they can’t describe and remember this well
• Establishing topics for further investigation through more structured or focused research methods
• If explicit (shadowing for example) the research situation is still ‘artificial’
• Your audience may not respect it and can be difficult to generalise from (consider mixed methods)
• The quality of the data is dependent on the researchers’ skills and relationships with participants

When you want to experience social practices, interactions and behaviour with minimal influence on what happens

The systematic study of a group of people or cultures to understand behaviours and interactions. The researcher becomes an ‘insider’. It is a way of presenting research findings, as well as a method, which can include participant observation, document analysis and visual methods.

• When you need to be an ‘insider’ to fully access the research context (such as organisational cultures)
• Presenting how everyday behaviours, interactions and practice occur in context
• Gaining an in-depth knowledge of your research context, participants and social relationships
• When little is known about a research context or topic
• If covert (at a conference or workplace for example) it has implications for informed consent
• If explicit (shadowing for example) the researcher’s presence can affect the interactions and findings

Example use case : Ikea At Home research study to understand how people feel about their home

When you want to generate numerical data about the scale of people’s opinions and feelings

Mixed Methods

A process of systematically collecting information from a large number of different people. Responses are summarised as statistics (online surveys automate this analysis for you).

• Targeting specific types of research participant and providing data about their views
• If designed well, they can be quick, simple and non intrusive for research participants
• Findings can have more credibility than other methods because of their breadth
• Describing, measuring and understanding (a basic questionnaire)
• Statistical analysis, modelling cause and effect (large scale survey designed to represent the population)
• Can raise more questions about what happens and why, lack depth of insight (consider mixed methods )
• Hard to design well and require a lot of time upfront and data skills to analyse the results
• Low completion rates and people feel ‘over surveyed’ (consider incentives )
• Assumes people will be honest and sufficiently aware of the research context to provide credible answers.

Further information: A great guide to creating questions here and here , build on existing data/questions here

When one research method cannot fully answer your main research question

Mixed methods

Combining different methods to answer your research questions, can be a mix of quantitative or qualitative methods or both. It may mean working with different types of data, research designs or being part of a research team (covering different research disciplines)

• Overcoming the limitation of relying on a single research method or approach
• Triangulating findings (i.e. using an additional method) can give them more validity
• Accessing different types of research participants
• A more holistic understanding about how, why and the extent to which something happens
• Answering different types of research questions about frequency and perceptions
• Giving findings more validity and influence because of the range of data and insights
• Requires a broader range of skills and more time to deliver, analyse and report on
• Research design must have strong sequencing (when each method is used and analysed , why) to make the most of a mixed methods approach - not always possible in a tight timescale or short research project

User Research

When you want to learn about people’s needs, behaviours and motivations for using a service

Service Design

S emi-Structured Interviews

Usability testing

A research approach employed to understand users and their needs, motivations and behaviours, primarily to inform service design.

• User-centered design processes which look to ensure services meet the needs of their audience
• Gaining specific insights into how a person interacts with a digital tool or service
• Exploring general needs, behaviours and motivations for a specific target group using a range of services
• Focus on a tool or service can prevent wider analysis, relevance and applicability
• Research can lack credibility due to small numbers, set up, documentation (often highly specific focus)
• Can overlook those who do not use a service for a whole range of reasons

What method?

• User research involves any method which looks at who users are, the problems they face, what they are trying to do and how they use existing services. This can create user personas, user journeys and user experience maps. It largely includes qualitative research methods.

When you want to design a service to meet people’s needs, including planning, organising, infrastructure, communication and components)

A research approach employed in the activity of planning and organising of people, infrastructure, communication and material components of a service, in order to improve quality and interaction.

• Gaining a holistic picture of all components (infrastructure, people, organisations, culture) affecting how a person interacts with a service
• Service design often begins with user research but participants in research include all those involved in delivering (not just using) a service, such as employees and stakeholders in an organisation as well as looking at the context and system which affect how a service works and its effectiveness

Content analysis

When you want to understand public discourse through secondary or online data

A systematic process of classifying and interpreting documents, text or images to analyse key discourses (their meaning) or to quantify patterns (such as word frequencies). This can be done manually or it can be automated.

• Exploring the focus of messages, text or imagery and change over time
• Secondary data sources, such as archives, online social media data (such as Tweets) and news articles
• Gaining a qualitative or quantitative insights about key messages
• Focuses on public and documented interpretations of events and experiences
• Documents are not exhaustive and not all are accessible (or available online/freely)
• Qualitative coding is time intensive to manually classify, reliant on researcher interpretation
• Automated coding for key words can miss nuances and difficult to produce meaningful findings

When you want to engage stakeholders in research, generate ideas or codesign solutions

Also consider:

A tool to undertake research. It is an interactive session, often taking a full day, in which research participants sor stakeholders work intensively on an issue or question. The process can combine elements of qualitative research, brainstorming or problem solving.

• Engaging stakeholders - building empathy with and understanding of research findings
• Understanding problems or prototyping solutions, linked to user research and service design approaches
• Participatory research, allowing participants to shape agendas and outcomes
• Creative, collaborative and engaging activities to build rapport and understanding with participants
• Participatory design, enabling participants to co-design solutions which work for them
• Highly dependent on the right people attending and the facilitation skills
• Can be a lot of time and effort to coordinate a workshop effectively and analyse findings
• The immersive and collaborative environment makes it difficult to document effectively
• Collaborative solutions may duplicate existing problems or solutions

When you want to test prototypes or learn about problems with an existing service

A user research method where you watch participants try to complete specific tasks using your service. Moderated testing involve interaction with the research participant, asking them to explain what they are doing, thinking and feeling. Unmoderated testing is completed alone by the participant.

• Identify any usability issues with a digital service - for example, problems with the language or layout
• Seeing if users understand what they need to do in order to complete designated tasks
• Generating ideas to improve a prototype of existing digital service
• Assessing user experience
• Focus is not on ‘natural’ use (consider contextual interviews , participant observation , ethnography )
• Data is about a specific design and interaction with a tool at that moment
• Findings cannot be generalised or applicable more broadly to understand users and behaviours

Research Methodology PPT | Presentation | PDF

Research Methodology PPT |Presentation | PDF: Generally, research is a search for apprehension and research is also explained as a systematic search and a scientific search for data on a particular topic. In other words, research is also called as a skill of scientific investigation. It is a technical term and an academic activity which collects information, organize information and evaluate information. Well, research is a genuine contribution to the present apprehension for its development.

Objectives of Research:

Research discover solutions to problems by applying the procedures of science, the important objective of the research is to discover the hidden truth. Distinct studies of research have distinct objectives and few common objectives are as follows:

• The foremost objective is to achieve thorough knowledge and also understanding with an observed circumstance.
• The second one is to define the frequency of distinct things.
• The next is to test a statement which is assumed to be genuine and that statement is about the casual relationship between variables.
• The last one is to accurately describe the characteristics of a specific individual or a group or a situation.

Research Proposal PPT: Definition and Components

Types of Research:

There are five important types of research and those are as follows:

• Descriptive vs. Analytical
• Applied vs. Fundamental
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative
• Conceptual vs. Empirical
• Few other types of research
• Descriptive vs. Analytical: the surveys and fact-finding investigations of distinct types come under descriptive research. In analytical research, a researcher has to avail data which already exists and has to make an accurate evaluation.
• Applied vs. Fundamental: the objectives of the applied research are to search an answer for the difficulty which is facing by a firm or a society. Theory’s formulation and interference of general principles with particulars are related to fundamental research. The feature of collecting knowledge for the sake of knowledge is best suited to fundamental research.
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative: quantitative measurement of few characteristics which are explained in quantities is nothing but the quantitative research. Well, qualitative research is related to the parameter of quality.

Fig1: Qualitative Information Collections Tools

Fig2: Quantitative Information Collection Tools

 4. Conceptual vs. Empirical: the conceptual research is concerned with ideas and theories. Empirical research is perfect when we have the proof which explains that few variables generate a change on other variables in some way or the other.

Marketing Strategy PPT and PDF Free

 5. Few other types of research: Other research type includes few changes when compared with the types of research explained above and those changes occur by depending on the current conditions. So, in this category we can think of the following research:

• Longitudinal research
• Laboratory research
• Simulation research
• Diagnostic research
• Historical research

The Significance of Research:

Few vital avenues of research are as follows:

• The foremost importance of research is that the research on present concepts and theories aid to recognize the applications and range of them.
• It furnishes guidelines for solving difficulties.
• It plays a vital role in business and in industries to increase gain and productivity and also to enhance the quality of goods.
• It leads to the recognizing of modern materials, modern living things and much more.
• The social research aids in searching solutions to social difficulties.
• Research leads to the modern lifestyle and fills it with glory and happiness.

Marketing Research Seminar pdf Report and ppt

Research Methodology:

Research methodology is nothing but a systematic way of solving a difficulty. It is the science which studies about carried out procedures of research like describing the research work, explaining the research work and also predicting. All these parameters together are called as a research methodology. It is also explained as a method of study through which we can gain knowledge. Its main objective is to give a work plan about research.

The Importance of Research Methodology:

Designing a methodology is necessary for the difficulty which is going to be solved and the researcher has to do this thing. Research methodology is important because researcher should not only know about the problem but also about the method of solving it. The below points explain us the role of methodology in solving the difficulty, they are:

• It aids in selecting the best method to solve the problem.
• It tells about the output of selected method and its accuracy.
• It aids in knowing the efficiency of the method.

Also See: 14 Principles of Management PPT and PDF

Various Stages of Research:

The various stages involved in research are as below:

• Selecting the topic of research
• Explaining the research problem
• Survey of literature
• Reference collection
• Assessment of present status of selected topic
• Hypotheses and its formulation
• Design of research
• Real investigation
• Analysis of information
• Result’s interpretation
• Report of research

Sociology PPT: Definition, Types, Advantages and Disadvantages

  Content of PDF for Research Methodology PPT Presentation

• Introduction
• What is Research Methodology
• Research Methods
• Data Analysis Methods 
• Why do research?
• Nature of Research
• What is ‘not’ Research?
• Stages of the research process
• Disadvantages

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• Dissertation
• What Is a Research Methodology? | Steps & Tips

What Is a Research Methodology? | Steps & Tips

Published on August 25, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 20, 2023.

Your research methodology discusses and explains the data collection and analysis methods you used in your research. A key part of your thesis, dissertation , or research paper , the methodology chapter explains what you did and how you did it, allowing readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of your research and your dissertation topic .

It should include:

• The type of research you conducted
• How you collected and analyzed your data
• Any tools or materials you used in the research
• How you mitigated or avoided research biases
• Why you chose these methods
• Your methodology section should generally be written in the past tense .
• Academic style guides in your field may provide detailed guidelines on what to include for different types of studies.
• Your citation style might provide guidelines for your methodology section (e.g., an APA Style methods section ).

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Table of contents

How to write a research methodology, why is a methods section important, step 1: explain your methodological approach, step 2: describe your data collection methods, step 3: describe your analysis method, step 4: evaluate and justify the methodological choices you made, tips for writing a strong methodology chapter, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about methodology.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Your methods section is your opportunity to share how you conducted your research and why you chose the methods you chose. It’s also the place to show that your research was rigorously conducted and can be replicated .

It gives your research legitimacy and situates it within your field, and also gives your readers a place to refer to if they have any questions or critiques in other sections.

You can start by introducing your overall approach to your research. You have two options here.

Option 1: Start with your “what”

What research problem or question did you investigate?

• Aim to describe the characteristics of something?
• Explore an under-researched topic?
• Establish a causal relationship?

And what type of data did you need to achieve this aim?

• Quantitative data , qualitative data , or a mix of both?
• Primary data collected yourself, or secondary data collected by someone else?
• Experimental data gathered by controlling and manipulating variables, or descriptive data gathered via observations?

Option 2: Start with your “why”

Depending on your discipline, you can also start with a discussion of the rationale and assumptions underpinning your methodology. In other words, why did you choose these methods for your study?

• Why is this the best way to answer your research question?
• Is this a standard methodology in your field, or does it require justification?
• Were there any ethical considerations involved in your choices?
• What are the criteria for validity and reliability in this type of research ? How did you prevent bias from affecting your data?

Once you have introduced your reader to your methodological approach, you should share full details about your data collection methods .

Quantitative methods

In order to be considered generalizable, you should describe quantitative research methods in enough detail for another researcher to replicate your study.

Here, explain how you operationalized your concepts and measured your variables. Discuss your sampling method or inclusion and exclusion criteria , as well as any tools, procedures, and materials you used to gather your data.

Surveys Describe where, when, and how the survey was conducted.

• How did you design the questionnaire?
• What form did your questions take (e.g., multiple choice, Likert scale )?
• Were your surveys conducted in-person or virtually?
• What sampling method did you use to select participants?
• What was your sample size and response rate?

Experiments Share full details of the tools, techniques, and procedures you used to conduct your experiment.

• How did you design the experiment ?
• How did you recruit participants?
• How did you manipulate and measure the variables ?
• What tools did you use?

Existing data Explain how you gathered and selected the material (such as datasets or archival data) that you used in your analysis.

• Where did you source the material?
• How was the data originally produced?
• What criteria did you use to select material (e.g., date range)?

The survey consisted of 5 multiple-choice questions and 10 questions measured on a 7-point Likert scale.

The goal was to collect survey responses from 350 customers visiting the fitness apparel company’s brick-and-mortar location in Boston on July 4–8, 2022, between 11:00 and 15:00.

Here, a customer was defined as a person who had purchased a product from the company on the day they took the survey. Participants were given 5 minutes to fill in the survey anonymously. In total, 408 customers responded, but not all surveys were fully completed. Due to this, 371 survey results were included in the analysis.

• Information bias
• Omitted variable bias
• Regression to the mean
• Survivorship bias
• Undercoverage bias
• Sampling bias

Qualitative methods

In qualitative research , methods are often more flexible and subjective. For this reason, it’s crucial to robustly explain the methodology choices you made.

Be sure to discuss the criteria you used to select your data, the context in which your research was conducted, and the role you played in collecting your data (e.g., were you an active participant, or a passive observer?)

Interviews or focus groups Describe where, when, and how the interviews were conducted.

• How did you find and select participants?
• How many participants took part?
• What form did the interviews take ( structured , semi-structured , or unstructured )?
• How long were the interviews?
• How were they recorded?

Participant observation Describe where, when, and how you conducted the observation or ethnography .

• What group or community did you observe? How long did you spend there?
• How did you gain access to this group? What role did you play in the community?
• How long did you spend conducting the research? Where was it located?
• How did you record your data (e.g., audiovisual recordings, note-taking)?

Existing data Explain how you selected case study materials for your analysis.

• What type of materials did you analyze?
• How did you select them?

In order to gain better insight into possibilities for future improvement of the fitness store’s product range, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 returning customers.

Here, a returning customer was defined as someone who usually bought products at least twice a week from the store.

Surveys were used to select participants. Interviews were conducted in a small office next to the cash register and lasted approximately 20 minutes each. Answers were recorded by note-taking, and seven interviews were also filmed with consent. One interviewee preferred not to be filmed.

• The Hawthorne effect
• Observer bias
• The placebo effect
• Response bias and Nonresponse bias
• The Pygmalion effect
• Recall bias
• Social desirability bias
• Self-selection bias

Mixed methods

Mixed methods research combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. If a standalone quantitative or qualitative study is insufficient to answer your research question, mixed methods may be a good fit for you.

Mixed methods are less common than standalone analyses, largely because they require a great deal of effort to pull off successfully. If you choose to pursue mixed methods, it’s especially important to robustly justify your methods.

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Next, you should indicate how you processed and analyzed your data. Avoid going into too much detail: you should not start introducing or discussing any of your results at this stage.

In quantitative research , your analysis will be based on numbers. In your methods section, you can include:

• How you prepared the data before analyzing it (e.g., checking for missing data , removing outliers , transforming variables)
• Which software you used (e.g., SPSS, Stata or R)
• Which statistical tests you used (e.g., two-tailed t test , simple linear regression )

In qualitative research, your analysis will be based on language, images, and observations (often involving some form of textual analysis ).

Specific methods might include:

• Content analysis : Categorizing and discussing the meaning of words, phrases and sentences
• Thematic analysis : Coding and closely examining the data to identify broad themes and patterns
• Discourse analysis : Studying communication and meaning in relation to their social context

Mixed methods combine the above two research methods, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches into one coherent analytical process.

Above all, your methodology section should clearly make the case for why you chose the methods you did. This is especially true if you did not take the most standard approach to your topic. In this case, discuss why other methods were not suitable for your objectives, and show how this approach contributes new knowledge or understanding.

In any case, it should be overwhelmingly clear to your reader that you set yourself up for success in terms of your methodology’s design. Show how your methods should lead to results that are valid and reliable, while leaving the analysis of the meaning, importance, and relevance of your results for your discussion section .

• Quantitative: Lab-based experiments cannot always accurately simulate real-life situations and behaviors, but they are effective for testing causal relationships between variables .
• Qualitative: Unstructured interviews usually produce results that cannot be generalized beyond the sample group , but they provide a more in-depth understanding of participants’ perceptions, motivations, and emotions.
• Mixed methods: Despite issues systematically comparing differing types of data, a solely quantitative study would not sufficiently incorporate the lived experience of each participant, while a solely qualitative study would be insufficiently generalizable.

Remember that your aim is not just to describe your methods, but to show how and why you applied them. Again, it’s critical to demonstrate that your research was rigorously conducted and can be replicated.

1. Focus on your objectives and research questions

The methodology section should clearly show why your methods suit your objectives and convince the reader that you chose the best possible approach to answering your problem statement and research questions .

2. Cite relevant sources

Your methodology can be strengthened by referencing existing research in your field. This can help you to:

• Show that you followed established practice for your type of research
• Discuss how you decided on your approach by evaluating existing research
• Present a novel methodological approach to address a gap in the literature

3. Write for your audience

Consider how much information you need to give, and avoid getting too lengthy. If you are using methods that are standard for your discipline, you probably don’t need to give a lot of background or justification.

Regardless, your methodology should be a clear, well-structured text that makes an argument for your approach, not just a list of technical details and procedures.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Measures of central tendency
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles

Methodology

• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Thematic analysis
• Cohort study
• Peer review
• Ethnography

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Conformity bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Availability heuristic
• Attrition bias

Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of your research project . It involves studying the methods used in your field and the theories or principles behind them, in order to develop an approach that matches your objectives.

Methods are the specific tools and procedures you use to collect and analyze data (for example, experiments, surveys , and statistical tests ).

In shorter scientific papers, where the aim is to report the findings of a specific study, you might simply describe what you did in a methods section .

In a longer or more complex research project, such as a thesis or dissertation , you will probably include a methodology section , where you explain your approach to answering the research questions and cite relevant sources to support your choice of methods.

In a scientific paper, the methodology always comes after the introduction and before the results , discussion and conclusion . The same basic structure also applies to a thesis, dissertation , or research proposal .

Depending on the length and type of document, you might also include a literature review or theoretical framework before the methodology.

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.

Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses . Qualitative methods allow you to explore concepts and experiences in more detail.

Reliability and validity are both about how well a method measures something:

• Reliability refers to the  consistency of a measure (whether the results can be reproduced under the same conditions).
• Validity   refers to the  accuracy of a measure (whether the results really do represent what they are supposed to measure).

If you are doing experimental research, you also have to consider the internal and external validity of your experiment.

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population . Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research. For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

In statistics, sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population.

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What Is Research Methodology? A Plain-Language Explanation & Definition (With Examples)

By Derek Jansen (MBA)  and Kerryn Warren (PhD) | June 2020 (Last updated April 2023)

If you’re new to formal academic research, it’s quite likely that you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the technical lingo that gets thrown around. And who could blame you – “research methodology”, “research methods”, “sampling strategies”… it all seems never-ending!

In this post, we’ll demystify the landscape with plain-language explanations and loads of examples (including easy-to-follow videos), so that you can approach your dissertation, thesis or research project with confidence. Let’s get started.

Research Methodology 101

• What exactly research methodology means
• What qualitative , quantitative and mixed methods are
• What sampling strategy is
• What data collection methods are
• What data analysis methods are
• How to choose your research methodology
• Example of a research methodology

What is research methodology?

Research methodology simply refers to the practical “how” of a research study. More specifically, it’s about how  a researcher  systematically designs a study  to ensure valid and reliable results that address the research aims, objectives and research questions . Specifically, how the researcher went about deciding:

• What type of data to collect (e.g., qualitative or quantitative data )
• Who  to collect it from (i.e., the sampling strategy )
• How to  collect  it (i.e., the data collection method )
• How to  analyse  it (i.e., the data analysis methods )

Within any formal piece of academic research (be it a dissertation, thesis or journal article), you’ll find a research methodology chapter or section which covers the aspects mentioned above. Importantly, a good methodology chapter explains not just   what methodological choices were made, but also explains  why they were made. In other words, the methodology chapter should justify  the design choices, by showing that the chosen methods and techniques are the best fit for the research aims, objectives and research questions. 

So, it’s the same as research design?

Not quite. As we mentioned, research methodology refers to the collection of practical decisions regarding what data you’ll collect, from who, how you’ll collect it and how you’ll analyse it. Research design, on the other hand, is more about the overall strategy you’ll adopt in your study. For example, whether you’ll use an experimental design in which you manipulate one variable while controlling others. You can learn more about research design and the various design types here .

Need a helping hand?

What are qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods?

Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods are different types of methodological approaches, distinguished by their focus on words , numbers or both . This is a bit of an oversimplification, but its a good starting point for understanding.

Let’s take a closer look.

Qualitative research refers to research which focuses on collecting and analysing words (written or spoken) and textual or visual data, whereas quantitative research focuses on measurement and testing using numerical data . Qualitative analysis can also focus on other “softer” data points, such as body language or visual elements.

It’s quite common for a qualitative methodology to be used when the research aims and research questions are exploratory  in nature. For example, a qualitative methodology might be used to understand peoples’ perceptions about an event that took place, or a political candidate running for president. 

Contrasted to this, a quantitative methodology is typically used when the research aims and research questions are confirmatory  in nature. For example, a quantitative methodology might be used to measure the relationship between two variables (e.g. personality type and likelihood to commit a crime) or to test a set of hypotheses .

As you’ve probably guessed, the mixed-method methodology attempts to combine the best of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to integrate perspectives and create a rich picture. If you’d like to learn more about these three methodological approaches, be sure to watch our explainer video below.

What is sampling strategy?

Simply put, sampling is about deciding who (or where) you’re going to collect your data from . Why does this matter? Well, generally it’s not possible to collect data from every single person in your group of interest (this is called the “population”), so you’ll need to engage a smaller portion of that group that’s accessible and manageable (this is called the “sample”).

How you go about selecting the sample (i.e., your sampling strategy) will have a major impact on your study.  There are many different sampling methods  you can choose from, but the two overarching categories are probability   sampling and  non-probability   sampling .

Probability sampling  involves using a completely random sample from the group of people you’re interested in. This is comparable to throwing the names all potential participants into a hat, shaking it up, and picking out the “winners”. By using a completely random sample, you’ll minimise the risk of selection bias and the results of your study will be more generalisable  to the entire population. 

Non-probability sampling , on the other hand,  doesn’t use a random sample . For example, it might involve using a convenience sample, which means you’d only interview or survey people that you have access to (perhaps your friends, family or work colleagues), rather than a truly random sample. With non-probability sampling, the results are typically not generalisable .

To learn more about sampling methods, be sure to check out the video below.

What are data collection methods?

As the name suggests, data collection methods simply refers to the way in which you go about collecting the data for your study. Some of the most common data collection methods include:

• Interviews (which can be unstructured, semi-structured or structured)
• Focus groups and group interviews
• Surveys (online or physical surveys)
• Observations (watching and recording activities)
• Biophysical measurements (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, etc.)
• Documents and records (e.g., financial reports, court records, etc.)

The choice of which data collection method to use depends on your overall research aims and research questions , as well as practicalities and resource constraints. For example, if your research is exploratory in nature, qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups would likely be a good fit. Conversely, if your research aims to measure specific variables or test hypotheses, large-scale surveys that produce large volumes of numerical data would likely be a better fit.

What are data analysis methods?

Data analysis methods refer to the methods and techniques that you’ll use to make sense of your data. These can be grouped according to whether the research is qualitative  (words-based) or quantitative (numbers-based).

Popular data analysis methods in qualitative research include:

• Qualitative content analysis
• Thematic analysis
• Discourse analysis
• Narrative analysis
• Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)
• Visual analysis (of photographs, videos, art, etc.)

Qualitative data analysis all begins with data coding , after which an analysis method is applied. In some cases, more than one analysis method is used, depending on the research aims and research questions . In the video below, we explore some  common qualitative analysis methods, along with practical examples.  

Moving on to the quantitative side of things, popular data analysis methods in this type of research include:

• Descriptive statistics (e.g. means, medians, modes )
• Inferential statistics (e.g. correlation, regression, structural equation modelling)

Again, the choice of which data collection method to use depends on your overall research aims and objectives , as well as practicalities and resource constraints. In the video below, we explain some core concepts central to quantitative analysis.

How do I choose a research methodology?

As you’ve probably picked up by now, your research aims and objectives have a major influence on the research methodology . So, the starting point for developing your research methodology is to take a step back and look at the big picture of your research, before you make methodology decisions. The first question you need to ask yourself is whether your research is exploratory or confirmatory in nature.

If your research aims and objectives are primarily exploratory in nature, your research will likely be qualitative and therefore you might consider qualitative data collection methods (e.g. interviews) and analysis methods (e.g. qualitative content analysis). 

Conversely, if your research aims and objective are looking to measure or test something (i.e. they’re confirmatory), then your research will quite likely be quantitative in nature, and you might consider quantitative data collection methods (e.g. surveys) and analyses (e.g. statistical analysis).

Designing your research and working out your methodology is a large topic, which we cover extensively on the blog . For now, however, the key takeaway is that you should always start with your research aims, objectives and research questions (the golden thread). Every methodological choice you make needs align with those three components. 

Example of a research methodology chapter

In the video below, we provide a detailed walkthrough of a research methodology from an actual dissertation, as well as an overview of our free methodology template .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

199 Comments

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Thanks for your comment.

We can’t write your methodology for you. If you’re looking for samples, you should be able to find some sample methodologies on Google. Alternatively, you can download some previous dissertations from a dissertation directory and have a look at the methodology chapters therein.

All the best with your research.

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MLA Jansen, Derek, and Kerryn Warren. “What (Exactly) Is Research Methodology?” Grad Coach, June 2021, gradcoach.com/what-is-research-methodology/.

APA Jansen, D., & Warren, K. (2021, June). What (Exactly) Is Research Methodology? Grad Coach. https://gradcoach.com/what-is-research-methodology/

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Quantitative Research Methodology

Nov 18, 2014

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Quantitative Research Methodology. Session 2 Variables, Population, and Sampling. Variable. A characteristic that varies Independent Variable

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Quantitative Research Methodology Session 2 Variables, Population, and Sampling

Variable A characteristic that varies • Independent Variable “the factor that is measured, manipulated, or selected by the experimenter to determine its relationship with an observed phenomenon” (Tuckman, 1999, p.93)

Variable (2) 2. Dependent Variable “a response variable or output” (Tuckman, 1999, p. 93)

Variable (3) 3. Moderator Variable “a special type of independent variable, a secondary independent variable selected to determine if it affects the relationship between the study’s primary independent variable and it dependent variable” (Tuckman, 1999, p. 97).

Variable (4) 4. Control Variables “Factors controlled by the experimenter to cancel out or neutralized any effect they might have on observed phenomena”(Tuckman, 1999, p. 100)

Variable (5) 5. Intervening Variable “a factor that theoretically affects observed phenomena but cannot be seen, measured, or manipulated; its effect must be inferred from the effects of the independent and moderator variable on the observed phenomenon” (Tuckman, 1999, p. 101)

Hypotheses “a prediction of the possible outcomes of a study”(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2007, p. 46). “a statement about what we expect to happen in a study” (Mackey and Gass, 2005, p. 100).

Null and Alternative Hypotheses • Null Hypothesis (H0) “a neutral statement used as a basis for testing” (Mackey and Gass, 2005, p. 101). The null hypothesis states that there are no relationships among variables of interests or no differences among groups in a certain outcome.

Null and Alternative Hypotheses • Alternative Hypothesis (H1 or Ha) The opposite of what is stated the null hypothesis. • The research hypothesis should be expressed as the alternative hypothesis.

Directional and NonDirectional Hypotheses • “A directional hypothesis indicates the specific direction (such as higher, lower, more, or less) that a researcher expect to emerge in a relationship” (Fraenkel and Wallen, 2005, p.48). • “A nondirectional hypothesis does not make a specific prediction about what direction of the outcome of a study will take” (Fraenkel and Wallen, 2005, p.48).

Examples 1. Research Question: Do high-proficiency learners use more language learning strategies than low-proficiency learners? (Wharton, 2000 in Larson-Hall, 2010, p.39) Ho: High-proficiency learners do not use more language learning strategies than low-proficiency learners. Ha: High-proficiency learners use more language learning strategies than low-proficiency learners. Dependent Variable: Independent Variable:

Examples 2. Hypothesis: Anxiety affects test performance, but the correlation is markedly lower for students with test-taking experience. (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2005, p.44) Dependent variable: Independent variable: Moderator variable:

Examples 3. Hypothesis: High school students taught primarily by the inquiry method will perform better on tests of critical thinking than will high school students taught primarily by demonstration method, although the reverse will be true for elementary school students. (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2005, p.44)

Examples 4. Hypothesis: Among lower class-children, tangible reinforcement conditions will produce significantly more learning than intangible reinforcement conditions

Examples 5. Hypothesis: Teachers given many positive feedback experiences will have more positive attitudes toward children than teachers given fewer positive feedback experiences.

Population and Sample The entire elements of interest in a particular study Target Population “The actual population to which a researcher really to generalize…” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2005, p.93) Accessible Population “The population to which a researcher is able to generalize…” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2005, p.93) Target Population A subset of the population Parameter Numerical measures of a population Statistic Numerical measures of a sample

Sampling • Probability Sampling (Random Sampling) • Nonprobability Sampling (Nonrandom Sampling

Random Sampling Methods • Simple Random Sampling “Every member of the population has an equal and independent chance of being selected” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2007, p. 95) • Stratified Random Sampling “A process in which certain subgroups, or strata, are selected for the sample in the same proportion as they exist in the population “(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2007, p. 96)

Random Sampling • Cluster Random Sampling Every groups in the population has the same probability of being selected • Two-Stage Random Sampling A combination of cluster random sampling and individual random sampling.

Nonrandom Sampling Method • Systematic Sampling “Every nth individual in the population list is selected for inclusion in the sample” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2007, p. 98) • Convenience Sampling “A group of individuals who (conveniently) are available for study” (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2007, p. 100) • Purposive Sampling Selection of sample based on judgment of researchers

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.

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Presentation on theme: "RESEARCH METHODOLOGY."— Presentation transcript:

Meaning of Research 1) Research refers to a search for knowledge.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF SCIENCE?

Introduction to Research Methodology

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Developing Ideas for Research and Evaluating Theories of Behavior

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Sabine Mendes Lima Moura Issues in Research Methodology PUC – November 2014.

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Research Methods in MIS Dr. Deepak Khazanchi. Objectives for the Course Identify Problem Areas Conduct Interview Do Library Research Develop Theoretical.

Research problem, Purpose, question

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Research Methodology Lecture 1.

Accounting Theory: Roles and Approaches

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(Business Research Methods)

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McGraw-Hill © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Nature of Research Chapter One.

About project

© 2024 SlidePlayer.com Inc. All rights reserved.

Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research

How to Make a Successful Research Presentation

Turning a research paper into a visual presentation is difficult; there are pitfalls, and navigating the path to a brief, informative presentation takes time and practice. As a TA for  GEO/WRI 201: Methods in Data Analysis & Scientific Writing this past fall, I saw how this process works from an instructor’s standpoint. I’ve presented my own research before, but helping others present theirs taught me a bit more about the process. Here are some tips I learned that may help you with your next research presentation:

More is more

In general, your presentation will always benefit from more practice, more feedback, and more revision. By practicing in front of friends, you can get comfortable with presenting your work while receiving feedback. It is hard to know how to revise your presentation if you never practice. If you are presenting to a general audience, getting feedback from someone outside of your discipline is crucial. Terms and ideas that seem intuitive to you may be completely foreign to someone else, and your well-crafted presentation could fall flat.

Less is more

Limit the scope of your presentation, the number of slides, and the text on each slide. In my experience, text works well for organizing slides, orienting the audience to key terms, and annotating important figures–not for explaining complex ideas. Having fewer slides is usually better as well. In general, about one slide per minute of presentation is an appropriate budget. Too many slides is usually a sign that your topic is too broad.

Limit the scope of your presentation

Don’t present your paper. Presentations are usually around 10 min long. You will not have time to explain all of the research you did in a semester (or a year!) in such a short span of time. Instead, focus on the highlight(s). Identify a single compelling research question which your work addressed, and craft a succinct but complete narrative around it.

You will not have time to explain all of the research you did. Instead, focus on the highlights. Identify a single compelling research question which your work addressed, and craft a succinct but complete narrative around it.

Craft a compelling research narrative

After identifying the focused research question, walk your audience through your research as if it were a story. Presentations with strong narrative arcs are clear, captivating, and compelling.

• Introduction (exposition — rising action)

Orient the audience and draw them in by demonstrating the relevance and importance of your research story with strong global motive. Provide them with the necessary vocabulary and background knowledge to understand the plot of your story. Introduce the key studies (characters) relevant in your story and build tension and conflict with scholarly and data motive. By the end of your introduction, your audience should clearly understand your research question and be dying to know how you resolve the tension built through motive.

• Methods (rising action)

The methods section should transition smoothly and logically from the introduction. Beware of presenting your methods in a boring, arc-killing, ‘this is what I did.’ Focus on the details that set your story apart from the stories other people have already told. Keep the audience interested by clearly motivating your decisions based on your original research question or the tension built in your introduction.

• Results (climax)

Less is usually more here. Only present results which are clearly related to the focused research question you are presenting. Make sure you explain the results clearly so that your audience understands what your research found. This is the peak of tension in your narrative arc, so don’t undercut it by quickly clicking through to your discussion.

• Discussion (falling action)

By now your audience should be dying for a satisfying resolution. Here is where you contextualize your results and begin resolving the tension between past research. Be thorough. If you have too many conflicts left unresolved, or you don’t have enough time to present all of the resolutions, you probably need to further narrow the scope of your presentation.

• Conclusion (denouement)

Return back to your initial research question and motive, resolving any final conflicts and tying up loose ends. Leave the audience with a clear resolution of your focus research question, and use unresolved tension to set up potential sequels (i.e. further research).

Use your medium to enhance the narrative

Visual presentations should be dominated by clear, intentional graphics. Subtle animation in key moments (usually during the results or discussion) can add drama to the narrative arc and make conflict resolutions more satisfying. You are narrating a story written in images, videos, cartoons, and graphs. While your paper is mostly text, with graphics to highlight crucial points, your slides should be the opposite. Adapting to the new medium may require you to create or acquire far more graphics than you included in your paper, but it is necessary to create an engaging presentation.

The most important thing you can do for your presentation is to practice and revise. Bother your friends, your roommates, TAs–anybody who will sit down and listen to your work. Beyond that, think about presentations you have found compelling and try to incorporate some of those elements into your own. Remember you want your work to be comprehensible; you aren’t creating experts in 10 minutes. Above all, try to stay passionate about what you did and why. You put the time in, so show your audience that it’s worth it.

For more insight into research presentations, check out these past PCUR posts written by Emma and Ellie .

— Alec Getraer, Natural Sciences Correspondent

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Related Papers

Bakhtawer Zain

Fatjon Muca

The term “research” is semantically overloaded given its use in everyday language. In an academic context, research is used to refer to the activity of a diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation in an area, with the objective of discovering or revising facts, theories, applications etc.

Research is any original and systematic investigation undertaken to increase knowledge and understanding and to establish facts and principles. It comprises the creation of ideas and generation of new knowledge that lead to new and improved insights and the development of new material, devices, products and processes. The word " research " perhaps originates from the old French word recerchier that meant to 'search again'. It implicitly assumes that the earlier search was not exhaustive and complete and hence a repeated search is called for.

Egesa Romans

According to Mugenda & Mugenda (2010), research is process of carrying out a diligent inquiry or a critical examination of a given phenomenonexhaustive study that follows some logical sequence. Mouly defines research as a process of arriving at effective solutions to problems through systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data. Research also involves a critical analysis of existing conclusions or theories with regard to newly discovered facts Research is the continued search for knowledge and understanding of the world around us. Clifford Woody argues that research is the process of designing and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data, making deductions and reaching conclusions and carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulated hypothesis.

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In the simplest of terms, the research definition is a process of seeking out knowledge. This knowledge can be new, or it can support an already known fact. The purpose of research is to inform and is based on collected and analyzed data. This exploration occurs systematically, where it is either tested or investigated to add to a body of knowledge. Research is a systematic and scientific approach to understanding the world around us. It is a process of inquiry that involves the collection and analysis of data to answer questions or solve problems.

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