MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC KYRGYZ

ECONOMIC UNIVERSITY named after MUSA RYSKULBEKOV

Department of Economics and International Economic Relations

APPROVED
DD/MM/YYYY:______________
____________________________

PROGRAM

Course: Basics of Scientific Research

Author-compiler: Bigali A.A. lecturer of the departments of

"Economics and International Economic Relations", “International Finance and

Fundamentals of Scientific Research”, “Philosophy and Socio-humanitarian

sciences”

Reviewed and approved at the meeting of the department

"__" _________ , protocol No. ____

Bishkek 2023
Introduction

1. Curriculum, goals and objectives (Appendix 1)

1.1. The content of the theoretical section of the discipline

2. Work program of the academic discipline (Appendix 2)

2.1. Requirements for the level of mastering the discipline

3. Volume (Appendix 3)

3.1. Volume per types of educational work

4. Content of the work program (Appendix 4)

4.1. Educational and methodological support of discipline

4.2 Literature

5. Independent work of the student (Appendix 5)

5.1. Tasks for independent work

5.1 Questions to prepare for the exam

Student Education Program (Syllabus) (Appendix 6)

Calendar-thematic plan for the distribution of hours indicating the topic (Appendix 7)

7.1. Competences of the student, formed as a result of mastering the discipline

7.2 Course Evaluation Policy

7.3. Educational materials

7.4 Glossary

APPENDIX 1
The program of the discipline was developed on the basis of the State Educational Standard in
the direction of "Economics" (specialty) " Finance and Credit" approved by _______________
No. of state registration

REVIEWED and APPROVED at the meeting of the graduating department "International

Finance and Fundamentals of Scientific Research" protocol No. _____ dated "_____"
____________ 2023

Head Graduating Department "International Finance and Fundamentals of Scientific Research"

Associate professor _____________ Oruntayeva A.N.

Author-developer: Bigali A.A.

About the course

Basics of scientific research is the profound area related to scientific and educational

responsibilities in order to contribute to scientific, technologic and other relevant progress

functioning in the field as a propelling component to life on earth. Fundamentals of Scientific

Research as a subject, contributes to the deepening and expansion of basic professional training,

and also takes into account educational needs of the students.

This program is prepared on the basis of the current legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic and

is intended to study basics of scientific research within the framework of the state educational

standard of higher professional education for the training of specialists in the direction 580100

"Economics" (bachelor degree) in the form of classroom studies and self-study. It includes the

course program, work program, syllabus for students and educational and methodological

material.This course is a discipline of the professional cycle of disciplines, a discipline of choice

and the teaching of the course is based on the knowledge gained by students in the framework of

the designated department courses, which gives the initial understanding of the role of basics of

scientific research in the global economic system and facilitates mastering the material.
 Course Description:

This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of the basics of

scientific research. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the scientific method,

building a question for a research hypothesis, planning , testing, analyzing, working with data

and reporting. Emphasis will be placed on developing the skills necessary for enhancing the

skills necessary to conduct a qualitative and/or quantitative research. Given that the subject is

designed for students from the departments of social sciences, no scientific experiments

involving reactants will take place in the framework of this course. Students studying the course,

explore the research process, from formulating research questions to communicating findings,

and developing a foundational understanding of research design, data collection, analysis, and

ethical considerations.

Week 1-2: Introduction to Scientific Research

● Definition of scientific research

● Overview of the research process

● Types of research (qualitative vs. quantitative)

● Importance of research in various fields

● Role of basics of scientific research in decision making

Week 3-4: What is the scientific method? Different types of Scientific research

● Learning the differences between the quantitative and qualitative research approaches.

Formulating Research Questions and Hypotheses

● Developing clear and focused research questions

● Formulating testable hypotheses

● Defining variables and concepts

Week 5-6: Research Design

● Experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs

● Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal studies

● Sampling techniques and sample size determination

Week 7-8: Data Collection Methods

● Surveys and questionnaires

● Interviews and focus groups

● Observational methods

● Secondary data analysis

Week 9-10: Data Analysis Techniques

● Descriptive statistics

● Inferential statistics

● Qualitative data analysis

● Statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R)

Week 11-12: Research Ethics

● Informed consent

● Confidentiality and anonymity

● Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval

● Ethical considerations in data collection and reporting

Week 13-14: Communicating Research Findings

● Writing a research report

 ● Creating effective presentations

● Publishing research in academic journals

● Using visuals in research communication

Week 15: Research Project and Review

● Designing a small-scale research project

● Peer review and constructive feedback

● Reflection on the research process

Assessment:

● Class participation and discussions 20%

● Research proposal 20%

● Midterm examination 20%

● Research project and presentation 20%

● Final examination or reflective essay 20%

Textbook:

"Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches" by John W.

Creswell
 Basics of scientific Research Sample Exam Questions:

**Multiple Choice:**

1. What is the primary goal of scientific research?

a) To confirm existing beliefs

b) To generate new hypotheses

c) To prove a personal viewpoint

d) To gather subjective opinions

2. Which type of research design involves manipulating an independent variable and observing

its effect on a dependent variable?

a) Descriptive research

b) Correlational research

c) Experimental research

d) Observational research

3. What is a hypothesis?

a) A proven scientific fact

b) An educated guess

c) A research finding

d) A statistical method
4. In a longitudinal study, data is collected:

a) at a single point in time

b) over an extended period of time

c) through random sampling

d) only through interviews

5. Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?

a) Height in centimeters

b) Temperature in degrees Celsius

c) Color preferences

d) Monthly income

**True/False:**

6. True or False: The purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to ensure that research
participants are compensated for their time.

7. True or False: Cross-sectional studies collect data at multiple points in time to observe
changes in a variable.

8. True or False: Informed consent is not necessary if the research is considered low-risk.

9. True or False: Descriptive statistics are used to draw conclusions and make inferences about a
population.

10. True or False: Random sampling guarantees a representative sample of the population.
**Short Answer:**

11. Define the term "independent variable" in the context of research.

12. Briefly explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative research.

13. What are three ethical considerations researchers should address when conducting a study?

14. Describe the process of random sampling and its importance in research.

15. Provide an example of a research question that can be answered using an experimental
research design.

**Application/Analysis:**

16. Given a scenario, identify the type of research design that would be most appropriate and

explain why.

17. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of using surveys as a data collection method.

18. Develop a research question and corresponding hypothesis for a study on the impact of social

media on academic performance.

19. Critically evaluate the ethical implications of a hypothetical research study.

20. Given a set of data, perform basic descriptive statistical analyses (e.g., calculate mean,

median, and standard deviation).

These questions cover a range of topics and cognitive levels, providing a comprehensive

assessment of students' understanding of the fundamentals of scientific research.

Glossary:

​ Scientific Research: Systematic and organized investigation conducted to discover new

knowledge, validate existing theories, or solve specific problems.

​ Hypothesis: A testable and falsifiable statement that predicts the relationship between

variables in a study.

​ Independent Variable: The variable manipulated by the researcher in an experiment to

observe its effect on the dependent variable.

​ Dependent Variable: The variable that is observed or measured in an experiment and is

expected to change as a result of the manipulation of the independent variable.

​ Research Design: The overall plan or strategy outlining the structure of a research study,

including the type of study (experimental, correlational, etc.) and the methods used.

​ Qualitative Research: Research that focuses on non-numeric data, often involving

in-depth exploration of attitudes, behaviors, and experiences.

​ Quantitative Research: Research that involves the collection and analysis of numerical

data to identify patterns, relationships, or statistical significance.

​ Informed Consent: Ethical principle requiring that participants be fully informed about

the nature, purpose, and potential risks of a study before agreeing to participate.
​ IRB (Institutional Review Board): A committee that reviews and approves research

involving human participants to ensure ethical standards are met.

​ Random Sampling: A method of selecting participants for a study in a way that each

individual in the population has an equal chance of being chosen.

​ Descriptive Statistics: Statistical measures used to describe and summarize the main

features of a dataset, including mean, median, and standard deviation.

​ Inferential Statistics: Statistical methods used to make inferences or predictions about a

population based on a sample of data.

​ Longitudinal Study: Research design that involves collecting data from the same

subjects over an extended period to observe changes over time.

​ Cross-Sectional Study: Research design that collects data from subjects at a single point

in time to compare different groups or variables.

​ Peer Review: Evaluation of research by experts in the same field before it is published to

ensure its quality and validity.

​ Confidentiality: Protecting the identity of research participants by ensuring that their

personal information is not disclosed.

​ Anonymity: Ensuring that the identity of research participants is unknown to the

researcher, protecting their privacy.

​ Correlation: A statistical measure indicating the strength and direction of a relationship

between two variables.

​ Experimental Research: Research design in which an independent variable is

manipulated to observe its effect on a dependent variable.

​ Null Hypothesis (H0): A statement that there is no significant difference or effect, often

used for statistical hypothesis testing.