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ANSWER SHEET

ANSWER – Q1 A

Background of the study is a crucial topic of any research or thesis. It is a summary of context
and scope of research, highlighting the reasons why the research is significant and the gaps it
aims to fill. The background section introduces the topic, summarizes the existing literature and
research on the subject, and identifies the research questions or hypotheses that the study
aims to address.

It is the basis on which the entire study is conducted. It helps to establish the research problem,
explains its importance, and justifies the need for research. It provides the reviewer with a clear
understanding of the research problem, its scope, and why it is worth studying. It lays the
groundwork for research, guiding the reviewer through the entire study.

It demonstrates the researcher's knowledge of the subject. By summarizing the existing

literature and research on the topic, the researcher shows that they have done their homework
and have a deep and clear understanding of the subject. It also shows the researcher's
familiarity with the key concepts and ideas that are relevant to the research.

It provides a rationale for the study by explaining why the research is important and how it will
contribute to the field, the researcher makes a case for the study. It is important because it
helps to convince the reviewer that it is worth conducting the research and the results will be
valuable.

It identifies the research gap that the study aims to fill. It explains what is already known about
the topic and what is still not clear. By identifying the research gap, the researcher can justify
their study in comparison to the existing information and explain how it contributes to fill the gap
left by other researchers.

It guides the reviewer by providing a roadmap of the study, highlighting the key research
questions or hypotheses that the study aims to address. By providing this roadmap, the
researcher helps the reviewer to understand the purpose and what can be learned from the
study.

It provides a framework for the study by identifying the key concepts and ideas that are relevant
and provides a context for understanding the study. By providing this framework, the researcher
helps the reviewer to understand the significance of the study and how it fits into the larger
picture.

A well-written background can make a huge difference in the reviewers understanding and
significance of the study.

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ANSWER – Q1 B

A conceptual framework is a structure of concepts and ideas used to guide a research study. It
is a theoretical framework that provides the researcher with a roadmap for the study, helping
them focus their research efforts and ensure that they are addressing the most important
research questions. The conceptual framework is comprised of following key elements:

Research problem: The core issue that the study seeks to address. It serves as the starting
point for the research process and provides the basis for developing the conceptual framework.

Research questions: Specific questions that the research study seeks to address. They are
derived from the research problem and help to guide the research process.

Literature review: It involves reviewing the existing research and identifying the key concepts
and ideas that are relevant to the research problem.

Key concepts: Fundamental ideas and constructs that underlie the research problem. These
ideas form the building blocks of the conceptual framework.

Hypotheses: Hypotheses are tentative statements about the relationship between the key
concepts. Hypotheses is used to guide the research process and provide a basis for testing the
conceptual framework.

Variables: Variables are measurable factors used to test the hypotheses. They are the specific
indicators of the key concepts and provide a basis for testing of the conceptual framework.

Developing a conceptual framework involves the following steps.

Identify the research problem:

The first step in developing a conceptual framework is to identify the research problem. The
research problem is the core issue that the researcher aims to investigate. It is essential to
have a clear understanding of the research problem before developing the framework.

Review the literature:

The next step is to review the literature related to the research problem. The literature review
provides an understanding of the existing theories, concepts, and research. The researcher can
identify the gaps and limitations in the current knowledge and theories. It also helps in
identifying the relevant variables and concepts that need to be included in the framework.

Identify the key concepts:

The framework should identify key concepts related to the research problem. The concepts
should be clearly defined, and their relationship established. The researcher should identify the

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dependent and independent variables along with the relationships and direction of the
relationship between the variables.

Develop hypotheses:
The framework should include the research hypotheses. The hypotheses are the assumptions
or predictions about the relationship between the variables. The hypotheses should be testable
and based on the existing theories and literature.

Identify research methodology:

The research methodology should be clearly mentioned in the framework. It should be based
on the research questions, hypotheses, and the research design. The methodology should be
reasonable for testing the hypotheses and answering the research questions.

Identify the data collection and analysis methods:

The framework should identify the data collection and analysis methods. The data collection
methods should be appropriate for collecting the data required to test the hypotheses and the
data analysis methods should be appropriate for analyzing the data and testing the hypotheses.

Refine the conceptual framework:

After identifying the key concepts, hypotheses, research methodology, and data collection and
analysis methods, the conceptual framework should be refined, and researcher should ensure
that the framework is consistent with the research questions and hypotheses.

Test the conceptual framework:

Test of the conceptual framework should be performed before the actual research. Pilot testing
can be used to identify the weaknesses in the framework and making necessary changes.

A well-developed conceptual framework helps in understanding the issues and complexities of

the research problem and helps in designing a research process that can effectively and
efficiently address the identified problems.

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ANSWER – Q2

A literature review is an essential component of any research project, including academic

papers, dissertations, and theses. It is an in-depth analysis and evaluation of published
literature on a particular research topic or subject. A literature review serves to provide a
complete understanding of existing body of knowledge on a particular topic, identify gaps in
research, and offer insights for further investigation.

Purpose of Literature reviews:

Literature review helps researchers identify gaps in current knowledge, which can form the
basis of their research questions and hypotheses.

Literature review provides the background and context for the research, demonstrating the
importance and relevance of the research question and highlighting its contribution to the
existing knowledge.

Literature review allows researchers to critically evaluate the quality of existing research,
identify strengths and weaknesses, and assess the reliability and validity of the findings.

Literature review helps researchers identify and select appropriate research methods and
approaches, based on the strengths and limitations of existing research.

Process of conducting a literature review:

The first step is to define the research question or problem. This will guide the search for
relevant literature and help to focus the review on the most relevant sources.

The next step is to identify relevant sources of literature, including books, journal articles, and
other primary and secondary sources. This can be done using a variety of search strategies,
including database searches, citation searches, and reference lists.

After identification of relevant sources, the next step is to evaluate them for relevance,
reliability, and quality. This involves reading and critically analyzing each source, noting the key
ideas, arguments, and themes, and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the research.

The final step in conducting a literature review is to synthesize the findings of the review,
drawing out the key ideas, arguments, and themes from the literature and identifying any gaps
or inconsistencies in the research.

Literature reviews can be a valuable tool for researchers, but they should be conducted
carefully and with attention to potential biases and limitations. Following the main advantages
and disadvantages of a literature review.

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Advantages of Literature Reviews:

Literature reviews provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research on a particular

topic. This helps researchers to understand the current state of knowledge in their field and
identify gaps in the research.

Literature reviews can save time for researchers because they can quickly identify relevant
studies and focus on those that are most important for their research.

Literature reviews can identify gaps in the research, highlighting areas where further research is
needed. This can help to guide future research and ensure that research efforts are focused on
areas where they are most needed.

Literature reviews can improve the design of research studies by identifying best practices and
methods used in previous research. This can help to avoid common mistakes and improve the
overall quality of research.

Disadvantages of Literature Reviews:

Literature reviews can be time-consuming to conduct, as researchers need to read and analyze
a large amount of literature to identify relevant studies.

Literature reviews can be influenced by bias of researchers conducting them. Researchers may
only select studies that support their own hypotheses, leading to a biased review of the
literature.

Literature reviews can be difficult to synthesize because studies may have different
methodologies, populations, and outcomes. Researchers must carefully analyze the studies to
determine the overall findings.

Literature reviews do not provide new data or original research findings, which can limit their
usefulness for advancing scientific knowledge.

Summary:

A well-conducted literature review critically evaluates and summarizes the existing literature,
identifies gaps in current knowledge, and provide direction on future research. Literature review
can be used to support a research question or hypothesis, to identify potential research
methodologies, and to provide context and background for a research project. The quality of the
literature review depends on the rigor of search strategy, the relevance and reliability of the
sources, and the ability of the researcher to synthesize and present the information in clear and
concise manner. A summary of a literature review should provide a synthesis of the key
findings, identify any limitations or gaps in literature, and provide directions for future research.

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ANSWER – Q3

The following are the seven data measurement scales in research.

Nominal Scale:

The nominal scale is used to categorize data into distinct clusters without any inherent order or
hierarchy. Nominal data is qualitative in nature and can be represented by labels or names.
Examples of nominal data include gender (male, female, other), ethnicity (African, American,
Asian, European, etc.), or marital status (single, married, divorced, etc.).

In research, the nominal scale is useful to identify and classify data into different categories for
further analysis. It is commonly used in surveys and questionnaires where the data collected is
non-numeric and requires classification. The nominal scale is also used in data coding and data
entry to ensure that the data is accurately recorded and categorized.

Ordinal Scale:

The ordinal scale is used to measure data that can be ordered or ranked, but the distance
between the values is not known. Ordinal data is qualitative in nature and can be represented
by a numerical value or label. Examples of ordinal data include survey questions that ask
respondents to rank their level of satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being very dissatisfied and
5 being very satisfied), or a rating the quality of a product or service on a scale from poor to
excellent.

In research, the ordinal scale is useful for measuring variables that have a natural ordering or
ranking, such as preferences or attitudes. The ordinal scale can also be used to measure
variables that have a limited number of possible values and cannot be measured using a ratio
scale. The ordinal scale is commonly used in market research, social sciences, and psychology
to measure variables such as opinions, attitudes, and preferences.

Interval Scale:

The interval scale is used to measure data where the distance between values is known, but
there is no true zero point. Interval data is quantitative in nature and can be represented by a
numerical value. Examples of interval data include temperature measurement or dates on a
calendar. Examples of interval data include temperature measurement in Celsius or Fahrenheit,
where the distance between 20°C and 30°C is the same as the distance between 30°C and
40°C, but there is no true zero point where there is no temperature.

In research, the interval scale is useful for measuring variables that have a known distance
between values but do not have a true zero point. The interval scale is commonly used in fields

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such as physics, engineering, and economics to measure variables such as temperature, time,
or economic indices.

Ratio scale:

The ratio scale is used to measure data where a true zero point exists, and distance between
values is known. The values on a ratio scale are quantitative in nature and can be represented
by numerical values. Examples of ratio data include height, weight, distance, and time, where
true zero point exists which represents the absence of the attribute being measured.

In research, the ratio scale is useful for measuring variables that have a natural ordering,
known distance between values, and a true zero point, such as physical measurements or time
taken to complete a task. The ratio scale is commonly used in fields such as physics,
engineering, and health sciences to measure physical properties and health indicators such as
blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and body composition.

Dichotomous scale:

The dichotomous scale is a special type of the nominal scale where data can be categorized
into only two mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories. The categories are usually
represented by two labels or values, such as "yes" or "no", "true" or "false", or "male" or
"female".

The dichotomous scale has some advantages in research because it is easy to collect and
analyze data. However, it can be limited in its ability to capture the complexity of a
phenomenon, as it only provides information on two possible outcomes. Therefore, researchers
should carefully consider the type of data they need to collect and choose an appropriate
measurement scale to ensure that the data collected is relevant and useful for their research
question.

Likert scale:

The Likert scale is a rating scale used to measure attitudes or opinions on a range of topics. A
Likert scale usually consists of a series of statements or questions, with a range of responses
that indicate the degree of agreement or disagreement with each statement. The responses are
typically arranged on a five-point scale, with "strongly agree" or "strongly disagree" at the two
endpoints and "neutral" in the middle.

In research, the Likert scale is commonly used to measure attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions
on a range of topics, such as customer satisfaction, employee morale, or political opinions. The
Likert scale provides a simple and efficient way to collect data and can be easily administered

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through surveys or questionnaires. However, it is important to use carefully worded and
balanced statements to avoid response bias and ensure the validity of the data collected.

Semantic differential scale:

The semantic differential scale is a type of rating scale used to measure the attitudes, feelings,
and perceptions of people towards a particular concept, product, or service. The semantic
differential scale consists of a series of bipolar adjectives, such as "good-bad", "happy-sad",
"strong-weak", that are placed at either end of a continuous line. Respondents are asked to rate
the concept or product being evaluated by marking a point on the line between the two
adjectives that best represents their perception of the concept. The distance between the two
adjectives represents the range of attitudes towards the concept.

In research, the semantic differential scale is useful for measuring the attitudes and perceptions
of people towards a particular concept or product, such as the image of a brand, the appeal of a
product, or the effectiveness of a marketing campaign. The semantic differential scale provides
a more nuanced understanding of people's attitudes by capturing the connotative meaning of
words and allows researchers to compare attitudes across different groups. However, it is
important to carefully select and balance the bipolar adjectives to ensure validity and reliability
of the data collected.

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