Kwame Nkrumah University of

Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

LE 361: Research Methods I

Introduction to Research

Anthony Adjei-Twum, PhD

Department of Land Economy
Faculty of Built Environment, CABE
 COURSE OUTLINE

Introduction to Research - The meaning

and significance of research

The Research Process - formulating research

topic, identifying research problem, conducting
literature review, specifying purpose of research,
research questions, and hypothesis

Research Design (quantitative designs focusing on

survey design, qualitative designs, and combined
designs focusing on mixed methods design)
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 Reading Materials
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research Methods for Business
Students (8 ed.). Pearson Education Limited, Prentice Hall
Patten, M. L. and Newhart M. (2018) Understanding research methods: An
overview of the essentials. 10th Edition. New York, NY : Routledge,
Creswell, J. W. (2017). Educational research: planning, conducting, and evaluating
quantitative and qualitative research. 6th Edition.
Leavy, P (2017) Research Design: Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods, Arts-
Based, and Community-Based Participatory Research Approaches. The
Guilford Press
Yin, R. K. (2016) Qualitative Research: from Start to Finish. 2nd Edition. The Guilford
Press
Creswell, J.W. (2014) Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches, 4th ed.
Flick, U. (2014). (The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis. Los Angeles,
London: Sage.
Myers M.D. (2013) Qualitative Research in Business and Management
Kumar, R. (2011) Research Methodology: A Step-By-Step Guide for Beginners. 3rd
edition. SAGE Publications Ltd
Gaur, A.S. and Gaur, S. S. (2009) Statistical Methods for Practice and Research: A guide
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to data analysis using SPSS. 2nd Edition. SAGE Publications Inc.
Babbie, E. (2007). Survey Research Methods. 11th Edition, Wadsworth,
 Learning Outcome

By the end of course, you should be able to:

❖ Define and describe the importance of research.
❖ Describe the six steps in the process of research.
❖ Identify the characteristics of quantitative and
qualitative research within these steps.
❖ Identify the type of research designs associated with
quantitative and qualitative research.

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 Definition of Research
What is
Research?

Research is a process of steps used to collect

and analyze information to increase our
understanding of a topic or issue (Creswell 2012)

It is a process that is undertaken in a systematic

way with a clear purpose, to find things out.
(Saunders et al. 2019)
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 Research Adds
Importance to
of Research Our Knowledge

Research
Improves
Practice

Research
Informs
Policy Debates
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 Adding to Knowledge
Areas of knowledge additions:

❖Study in areas that has not been studied

❖Research provides additional results that confirms
or disconfirms previous research results
❖Research assists in adding to the literature about
workable practices
❖Research provides information about people and
places that have not been previously studied

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 Research Improves Practice –What kind of
improvement?

❑ Research contributes to practice in the form of

suggestions that seek to improve the practice.
❑ It enables professionals, businesses and institutions
become more effective in their operations
❑ Research offers practitioners new ideas to consider
as they go about their jobs
❑ Research enables practitioners assess methods and
strategies that they hope will work with individuals in
various settings

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 Research Informs Policy Debates

❖Policy makers are informed by research findings in

various spheres of life regarding policies concerning
businesses, employees citizens, etc. when they
research and debate on various topics

❖Research results must be clear, be summarized in a

concise fashion, and provide evidence from data for
it to be useful

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 Purpose
The
Depth of
Sources of
Scope
Information

Classification
Type of
Time of Research Data
Required
Used

Degree of
Type of
Manipulation
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Inference
of Variables
This constitute pure or
basic research, with the
aim of generating
knowledge, regardless of
its practical application.
Aims at finding strategies
able to address a specific
research problem; draws on
theory to generate practical
scientific knowledge.

Theoretical Applied
Research Research

Purpose
of Study www.knust.edu.gh
 Depth of Scope

This is mostly employed for the preliminary

Exploratory investigation of a subject that is least studied or
Research least understood.

Descriptive This aims at defining the characteristics of a

particular phenomenon without necessarily
Research investigating the causes that produce it.

This is the most common type of research method,

Explanatory underlying the establishing cause-and-effect
Research relationships towards extension of generalisations.
This type of research aims at identifying the
Correlational relationship between two or more variables, i.e.,
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Research determining when a variable changes, how much
the other elements respond.
 Qualitative Research

Type of Data Used

Quantitative
Research

Longitudinal Study

Time Required
Cross-Sectional
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Study
It involves manipulation of variables
under strictly controlled conditions
to identify their effect on another
variable or object; employs study
and control groups through random
selection.
Only some variables of the
phenomenon being studied
are controlled. Study groups
are chosen from existing
groups or populations but
not randomly.

Quasi-
Experimental
Experimental
Research
Research
Non-
Experimental
Research An observational study concerned
primarily with the analysis of a
phenomenon in its natural context
without directly intervening in the
measurement of variables.
Degree of Manipulation www.knust.edu.gh

of Variables
 General laws are
Deductive used to explain
A type pf research where Research reality that point to
reality is observed to certain conclusions;
make a hypothesis, then aims testing a theory
deduction is used to
secure a conclusion Knowledge is generated
which is then verified or from an observation to
rejected through achieve a generalisation;
experience aims at developing a
Type of theory
Inference
Hypothetical
-Deductive Inductive
Investigation Research
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 Primary Secondary
Research research

A type of research Based on secondary

where the data is sources, generally,
Sources of scientific literature and
collected directly Information
from the source, i.e., other documents other
it is made up of researchers compile.
primary, first-hand
information.
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Collection of data at
the location of the Documentary Involves systematically
observation of Research reviewing existing
occurrence of
sources of information
phenomenon
on a particular subject

Field How the Data is Laboratory

Research Obtained Research

It is undertaken in a
controlled environment
so as to isolate a
Documentary,
A combination of all dependent variable and
Field and/or
the other three establishwww.knust.edu.gh
its
Laboratory relationship with others
approaches
 Research Process Overview
Research Process at General Level

1. Pose a question

2.
Research Process at
Collect data to answer the question
General Level
3. Present an answer to the question

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 Research Process Cycle
Identifying a Research Problem
Reporting and Evaluating Research
• Specifying a problem
• Deciding the audiences
• Justifying it
• Structuring the report
• Suggesting the need to study it
• Writing the report sensitively
to audiences

Analyzing & Interpreting Data Reviewing Literature

• Locating resources
• Breaking down data • Selecting resources
• Representing the data • Summarizing/synthesizing
• Explaining the data resources

Specifying a Purpose for Research

Collecting Data
• Identifying the purpose
statement
• Selecting individuals to study
• Narrowing the purpose
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• Obtaining permissions
statement to research
• Gathering information
questions.
Flow of the research Research Problem
process through
Qualitative and
Quantitative research Literature Review
Adapted from Creswell (2012)

Research Questions

Qualitative Quantitative
Research Research

Research Design

Qualitative Designs Combined Designs

Quantitative Designs
Grounded theory Experimental
Ethnography Mixed Method
Correlational
Narrative Action research
Survey

Sampling Instruments/Protocol Data Analysis Interpretation

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Discussion, Conclusions, Limitations, Future Research

 Characteristics of Quantitative Research
❖Describes a research problem through a description of trends or a
need for an explanation of the relationship among variables
❖Literature plays a major role: suggests the research questions to
be asked; justifies the research problem and creates a need for
the direction (purpose statement and research questions or
hypotheses) of the study.
❖Researcher creates purpose statements, research questions,
and/or hypotheses that are specific, narrow, measurable, and
observable.
❖Researcher collects numeric data from a large number of people
using instruments with preset questions and responses
❖Researcher analyzes trends, compares groups, or relating
variables using statistical analysis, and interprets results by
comparing them with prior predictions and past research.
❖The research report is written in standard form with fixed
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structures and evaluation criteria, and takes an objective,
unbiased approach.
 Characteristics of Qualitative Research

❖ Explores a problem and develops a detailed understanding of

a central phenomenon
❖ Literature review play a minor role but justify the problem.
❖ Creates purpose and research questions in a general and
broad way so as to learn the participants’ experiences.
❖ Collecting data based on words from a small number of
individuals so that the participants ’ views are obtained.
❖ Analyses the data for description and themes using text
analysis and interpreting the larger meaning of the findings.
❖ Writes the report using flexible, emerging structures and
evaluative criteria, and including the researchers’ subjective
reflexivity and bias.

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 Similarities between Quantitative Research and
Qualitative Research

Steps of • Both approaches follow the six steps of research

process.
Research • The research problem in the introduction
Process establishes the importance of the problem.

Data • Both approaches use similar data collection tools.

E.g. interviews, observations, questionnaires.
Collection

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 Differences between Quantitative Research and
Qualitative Research
Steps of • Research problem is used to direct the type of research question
or hypothesis for a study in quantitative study.
research • Research problem is used to establish the importance of the
process central phenomenon in qualitative study.

• Quantitative research employs closed ended questions with

Data identified set of responses
Collection • Qualitative research adopts open ended questions where
participants shape the response possibilities

• Quantitative research employs statistical analysis of data,

typically in numeric form;
Data
• Qualitative research entails analyses of texts (e.g., interviews
Analysis transcripts), images (e.g., photographs), or videos, etc. grouping
words to form codes, categories or themes
• Quantitative research follows a structured format : introduction ,
Reporting literature review, methods, results, and conclusion
Format • Qualitative research follows a more flexible formatwww.knust.edu.gh
with an
unfolding story, and involving the use of extensive quote from
participants
 Match your Ensure that your
approach to your approach fits the
research problem audience(s) for the
research report

Relate your approach to

your personal
Knowledgeable and
experience and training Experienced in field studies,
skilful in measurement, skilful in information
statistics, and gathering, observing or
quantitative data interviewing individuals,
collection (Quantitative and analysing text data
Approach) (Qualitative Approach)

Criteria for choosing either Quantitative or Qualitative

Approach
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Thank You
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