TOPIC 1

INTRODUCTION TO
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
ECC 563
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

DR ZADARIANA JAMIL
zadariana@uitm.edu.my
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this class, student should understand general knowledge of
research and research methodology
 WHAT IS RESEARCH?
CASE 1 Mr Wilson participated in a workshop on curriculum development and
prepared what he calls, a research report on the curriculum for building
technicians. He did this through a literature survey on the subject and by
discussing with the participants of the workshop.

OR A general manager of a car producing company was concerned with the

complaints received from the car users that the car they produce have some
problems with ratling sound at the dash board and the rear passenger seat
after a few thousand kilometers of driving.
CASE 2
He obtained information from the company workers to identify the various
factors influencing the problem. He then formulated the problem and
generated guesses (hypotheses). He constructed checklist and obtained
requisite information from a representative sample of cars. He analyzed the
data thus collected, interpreted the results in the light of his hypotheses and
reached conclusions
CASE 2 is an example of research because:

The researcher went through a sequence of steps

which were in order and thus systematic.
The researcher did not just jump at the
conclusions, but used a scientific method of inquiry
in reaching at conclusions.
 DEFINITION OF RESEARCH
RESEARCH is defined as the creation of new
knowledge and/or the use of existing
knowledge in a new and creative way so as
to generate new concepts, methodologies
and understandings. This could include
synthesis and analysis of previous research
to the extent that it leads to new and
creative outcomes.
 The purpose of RESEARCH is to …
❑ Review or synthesize existing knowledge
❑ Investigate existing situations or problems
❑ Provide solutions to problems
❑ Explore and analyse more general issues
❑ Construct or create new procedures or systems
❑ Explain new phenomenon
❑ Generate new knowledge
❑ or a combination of any of the above!
DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESEARCH:
 RESEARCH APPROACHES:
Research can be approached in the following ways:

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

Many research projects combine a number of approaches, e.g.

may use both quantitative and qualitative approaches
(I) QUANTITATIVE/ QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
 (II) BASIC/ APPLIED RESEARCH

➢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 - an
applied research or problem solving research
project.
(III) DEDUCTIVE/ INDUCTIVE RESEARCH

Example: Imagine you wanted to learn what the word

‘professional’ meant to a range of people.
 APPROACHES:
Deductive Approach
• 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.
• Then test this definition on a range of
people, using a questionnaire, structured
interviews or group discussion.
• Carefully select a sample of people on
the basis of age, gender, occupation etc.
The data gathered could then be collated
and the results analysed and presented.
• This approach offers researchers a
relatively easy and systematic way of
testing established ideas on a range of
people.
Inductive Approach
• This approach starts 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 analysed 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
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 analysed it ?
(Collis & Hussey, 2003, p.55).

A research method refers only to the various specific tools or ways data can be
collected and analysed, e.g. a questionnaire; interview checklist; data analysis
software etc.).
 RESEARCH PHILOSOPHIES &
METHODOLOGIES
TWO MAIN
RESEARCH
PHILOSOPHIES

RESEARCH
METHODOLOGIES
 MAJOR STAGE OF WORK
A researcher/ investigator goes through 4 major
stages of work:
1. Preparing research proposal
2. Organising and conducting research
3. Writing a research report
4. Evaluating research
SOFTWARE FOR DATA ANALYSIS
The programs and other operating information used by a computer (based on
quantitative and qualitative analysis)
Example: SPSS, Rasch Model, SMART PLS, AMOS, MatLab
THANK YOU