University Of Sulaimani 1

College of Commerce – Information Technology

Research Method
4th Stage

INTRODUCTION TO
RESEARCH AND
RESEARCH METHODS

Lecturer: Didam Ahmed

2020/2021
 RESEARCH
2

 Re ----------- Search
 Re means (once more, afresh, anew)
 Search means (examine to find anything concealed)
 Or Search means (Search for (new) knowledge/facts through objective, and
scientific method of finding solution to a problem).

Two facts about Research:

 Research can help solve practical problems and increase knowledge.
 RESEARCH
3

 Research is a particular kind of academic task. You will usually be asked to

generate a topic for yourself; to plan and execute a project investigating that
topic; and to write-up what you did and what your findings were.

 It gives you an opportunity to confirm, clarify, pursue – or even discover –

new aspects of a subject or topic you are interested in.

 There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic,

economic, social, business, marketing research, etc.
 What is Research
4

 Research can be defined as the search for knowledge, or as any systematic

investigation, or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new
or existing problems, or develop new theories.

 Research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information

(data) in order to increase our understanding of a topic or issue which we are
concerned or interested.
 THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH IS TO
5

 Review or synthesize existing knowledge

 Investigate existing situations or problems
 Provide solutions to problems
 Explore and analyze more general issues
 Construct or create new procedures or systems
 Explain new phenomenon
 Generate new knowledge
 or a combination of any of the above!
 (Collis & Hussey, 2003)
 Types of Research
6

 There are two types of research which can be done to develop a research:

1. Practical Research: The practical approach consists of the experimental

study of the topic. This involves first hand research in the form of
questionnaires, surveys, interviews, observations and discussion groups.

2. Theoretical Research: A non experimental approach to research, this

usually involves perusal of mostly published works like researching
through archives of public libraries, and published academic journals.
 OTHER DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESEARCH:
7
 RESEARCH APPROACHES:
8

Research can be approached in the following ways:

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

Important Note: Many research projects combine a number

of approaches, e.g. may use both quantitative and qualitative
approaches.
 Quantitative/Qualitative
9
 BASIC/APPLIED RESEARCH
10

 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. Students at the school of
Management are expected to engage with an applied research
or problem solving research project.
 Deductive/Inductive
11
 Deductive Approach
12

 It is clear that you would want to have 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. You could then test this definition on a range of people,
using a questionnaire, structured interviews or group discussion. You could
carefully select a sample of people on the basis of age, gender, occupation etc.
The data gathered could then be collated and the results analyzed and presented.

 This approach offers researchers a relatively easy and systematic way of testing
established ideas on a range of people.
 Inductive Approach
13

 If you adopted this approach you might start 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 analyzed 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
14

 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 analyzed it (Collis & Hussey, 2003, p.55).
 A research method refers only to the various specific tools or ways data can
be collected and analyzed, e.g. a questionnaire; interview checklist; data analysis
software etc.
15
STAGES OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
16

 The main stages of research can be summarized, as below. However, in

reality the transition between one stage and another is not always so clear-
cut. For example, during the research it may be necessary to return back and
forth between stages to correct additional data, do additional reading or
adjust a timetable. Nevertheless, students need to carefully work out a
timetable for deadline of completion of each stage. A vital step for
successful research is in working out a workable timetable that connects with
the main stages of research.
 STAGES OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
17
 STAGES OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
18
1. Establish a general field of interest:
19

 It is very important that the research subject will be of real interest

to you. You will spend a lot of time on the research so a strong
interest in the chosen topic is vital. A strong interest will carry you
over the difficulties, delays and irritations that most researchers
will experience. You will need to discuss your choice or research
topic with your supervisor/tutor.
1. Establish a general field of interest:
20

 It consists of four main action:

Topic
Objective Title

Proposed Research
Solution Problem
 Choosing a topic
21

 While some students come to their research project with a clear research question to
address, many others arrive at this point with several ideas, but with no specific
research question. There are several ways forward:

1. Talk to others: What topics are other students considering? Discussing your ideas
with others.

2. Look at other writing: set aside some time to spend in the library, skimming
through the titles of research papers in your field over the past five years, and
reading the abstracts of those you find most interesting.

3. Think about your own interests: which topic have you found most interesting, and
is there an element that could be developed into a research project?
 Title of the Research Project
22

Definition: The title summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study. It is the
opening page including all the relevant information about the research project
and it is often the most difficult to write.

Create a Working Title

Typically, the final title you submit to your Supervisor is created after the
research is complete so that the title accurately captures what was done. The
working title should be developed early in the research process because it can
help anchor the focus of the study in much the same way the research problem
does.
 Title of the Research Project
23

Effective titles in academic research projects have several characteristics.

1. Concise describing the content of the research.

2. Indicate accurately the subject and scope of the study.

3. Distinguish the research from others on a similar topic;

4. Catch the reader’s attention and interest;

5. The length of title should be no more than 15 words.

6. Avoid using abbreviations.

7. Use correct grammar and capitalization with all first words capitalized.
 Research problem and proposed solution
24

 A research problem is a question that researcher wants to answer or a

problem that a researcher wants to solve.
 In other word, a research problem is an area of concern where there is a
gap in the knowledge base needed for professional practices.
 Every researcher should be attempt to gain solution to a problem.
 Proposed solution is somehow similar to the purpose or aim of the
research.
 Objectives in research
25

 To get right solution of a right problem, clearly defined objectives are very
important.
 Research objective are the results sought by the researcher. Or a concrete
statement describing what the research is trying to achieve.
 The objectives of a research project summarize what is to be achieved by
the study.
 Objective should be closely related to the statement of the problem.
 Use proper action verbs (Determine, Find out, identify or so on)
 Example
26

 Title: Student attendance System

 Specific Problem: In our case, there is a problem with tracking the attendance
of students in college of commerce. Now, the only way to keep the attendance
students is a system manually.
 Proposed Solution: The proposed solution to this problem is that designing
and implementing a student attendance system by using several tools such as
(SQL server as a backend to keep all the data and information about students)
and (Visual C# as a frontend of the system).
 Example
27

Objectives:
 To find out Date and the Period of the absence.
 To record Student Number, Student Name and all relevant information .
 To know about the Reasons of absence.
 To identify the Department, Stage and Course name for the students.
 To find out the Rate of the absence of each students.
 3. Gather Information & Data
28
 INTERVIEWS
29

Interviews can be grouped into three main types:

1. Structured Interviews: Structured interviews involve the use of questionnaires based on a

predetermined and identical set of questions. The questions are usually read out by a researcher in
a neutral tone of voice to avoid influencing or prompting a particular response from a participant.
(see also the section on questionnaires)

2. Semi-Structured Interviews: The interviewer will have a list of themes and areas to be covered
and there may be some standardized questions, but the interviewer may omit or add to some of
these questions or areas, depending on the situation and the flow of the conversation.

3. Unstructured Interviews: These are informal discussions where the interviewer wants to explore
in-depth a particular topic with another person in a spontaneous way. However, even in
unstructured interviews it is likely that the researcher would have a pre-decided range of topics to
cover in the discussion.
 QUESTIONNAIRES
30

Questionnaires facilitate the collection of data by asking all, or a sample of people,

to respond to the same questions. They can be in both printed and electronic
forms.

There are five types of questionnaire approaches:

1. On-line (electronic)

2. Interview face to face/group (electronic or printed)

 You need to absolutely clear before you design a questionnaire what it is you
want to learn and what data you need to obtain to enlighten you in this search.
 Questions can be open or closed:
31

 Open questions: a question is posed, but space is left for the respondent’s
own answer (the questions posed to you in this workbook have all been open
questions) e.g. Please tell me which brand you prefer, and why in the space
that follows

 Closed: where a limited number of alternative responses to the set question

are provided. These can be in list, category, ranking, scale/rating, grid or other
quantitative form. They can be pre-coded on a questionnaire to facilitate
analysis.
 The Structure of Research
32

The vast majority of scientific research can be broken down into the following
constituent parts.

1. Title : the opening page including all the relevant information about the
research project.

2. Abstract: A brief project summary including background (problem-solving),

methodology, and findings.

3. Acknowledgement: A page of acknowledgements is usually included at the

beginning the Project, immediately after the Abstract.

4. Table of Contents: A lists of all chapters.

 The Structure of Research
33

5. List of Figures: A Lists of all figures.

6. List of Tables: A Lists of all Tables.

7. List of Abbreviations: A Lists of all abbreviation.

8. Introduction: introduce your project and identify the main objectives of

your research project.

9. Literature review (Background review): The aim of a literature review is

to show your reader (your tutor) that you have read, and have a good grasp of,
the main published work concerning a particular topic or question in your
field.
 The Structure of Research
34

10. Methodology: A description of methodology used in your research.

11. Analyse the Data: A description of the analysing data.

System Requirements: captures the intended behaviour of the system.

12. Discussion: A discussion about the results.

System Design and Implementation: all steps of designing and

implementing the interface of the system will be presented.

13. Conclusion: Main conclusion based on the data analysis or what you had
implemented.
 The Structure of Research
35

14. Recommendation and Future Work: to discuss about the

recommendation and further work on your research project that might
investigate in the future.

15. References: A list of references cited in your research project.

16. Appendices: Additional materials used in your research projects such as

Programming Language Code, Raw data; interview or questionnaires.
36

Title Page System

Requirements Designing & Implementing

Abstract Methodology
Conclusion

Background Review
Acknowledgments
Recommendation
and Future Work

Table of
Introduction
Contents
References

Appendices
 Methodology
37

 Methodology is a system of methods used in a particular area of study or

activity.

 A software development methodology or system development

methodology is used to structure, plan, and control the 
process of developing an information system. Common methodologies
include Waterfall, Incremental, and SDLC (Software Development
Life Cycle).
Systems Development
 The activity of creating or modifying existing
business systems
 Creating business system
 Creating a web application
 Creating a mobile applications

 Modifying existing systems such as

 Taking advantages of cloud computing
 Applying analytics to large amounts of data

38
System Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

 Provides overall framework for managing systems development process

 Stages of SDLC are:

1. Systems Investigation

2. Systems Analysis

3. Systems Design

4. Systems implementation

5. Integration and Testing

6. Systems maintenance and review

Systems Investigation and Analysis

 Systems investigation:
 gain clear understanding of the specifics of the problem to
be solved or the opportunity to be addressed

 Systems analysis

 Study the existing system to uncover its strengths and

weaknesses
 Identify what the new system must do to meet the needs of
the users and the organization

40
System Design
 Determine how the new system must work
 Identify what inputs are required
 Ascertain what outputs must be produced

Input Output

41
Implementation
 Convert the system design into an operational
information system
 Acquire and install hardware and software
 Code and test software programs
 Create and load data into databases
 Perform initial program testing

42
Integration and Testing
 Link together all the components of the system
 Demonstrates that the system as a whole does indeed
meet the user and business requirements
 Preliminary Acceptance Test : list of system specific
tests to be conducted with the customer.

43
Systems Development: Implementation

 Install the new system into the actual production

computer environment in which it is expected to
run
 Resolve any problems uncovered in integration and
testing

44
Maintenance
 Operation and maintenance: identify and make
necessary changes to the system
 Monitor system performance
 Back up policy
 New change implementation
 Bug fixes

45
Two main approaches to SDLC

1. Predictive approach – assumes project can be

planned out in advance
2. Adaptive approach – more flexible, assumes
project cannot be planned out in advance
Waterfall Model
Waterfall Model

 Each life cycle phase is completed in sequence

 No going back once the phase is completed (like a
waterfall)
 The decisions made at each phase are frozen
Waterfall’s Model advantages

The two key advantages of the waterfall model:

 Identifying system requirements long before

programming begins
 It minimizes changes to the requirements as the

project proceeds
Parallel Model
 The Parallel Model is doing the design and
implementation in sequence, it performs a general
design for the whole system

 It divides the project into series of distinct subprojects

that can be designed and implemented in parallel

 Once all subprojects are complete, the final

integration of the separate pieces is delivered
Parallel Model
Parallel Model Advantages

 Can reduce the schedule time required to deliver a

system

 There is less chance of changes in the business

environment causing rework

 Multiple programmers and designers can work at

the same time.
 The Rapid Application Development (RAD)
Model
 Build a rapid prototype

 Give it to user for evaluation & obtain feedback

 Prototype is refined

Requirements User Construction Cut over

Planning Description
Iteration Model
 Iteration: the process of looping through the same
development activities multiple times.

 sometimes at increasing levels of details or

accuracy

 Assumes no one gets the right results the first time

Iteration Model
Spiral Model
 Project cycles through development activities over
and over until project is complete
 Prototype created by end of each cycle
58
59
 Content Requirements for a Research Project
60

  Title page Required

  Abstract Required
Acknowledgements Required
Preliminary pages
Table of Contents Required
List of Figures If Any - Optional
List of Tables If Any - Optional
List of Abbreviations If Any - Optional

  General Introduction Required Organized according to

  Background Review Conventions of scientific disciplines
Methodology  
Body of Text
Results (System Requirement)
Discussion (Design and
Implementation)
Conclusion
Recommendation and Future work Optional
References Required
End Pages