‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

Research Methodology
Data collection
 Methods of data collection:

 The task of data collection begins after a research

problem has been defined and research design/plan
chalked out.
 Data can be classified to primary data and secondary
data.
 Primary data collected by the researcher and
secondary data collected by somebody else or in the
past.
Methods of collecting primary data:

 There are several methods of collecting primary data,

particularly in surveys and descriptive researches.
 Important ones are: (i) observation method, (ii) interview
method, (iii) through questionnaires, (iv) through schedules,
and (v) other methods which include (a) warranty cards; (b)
distributor audits; (c) pantry audits; (d) consumer panels; (e)
using mechanical devices; (f) through projective techniques; (g)
depth interviews, and (h) content analysis.
 Methods of data collection:

 When designing the research you need to decide on

data collection method, size of sample, how sample is
to taken and the process of analysis.
 There are many statistical methods and computer
programs which can help you on your decisions.
Data Analysis
 Methods of data analysis:

 The methods you use to analyze your data will

depend on whether you have chosen to conduct
qualitative or quantitative research.
 Statistical methods and computers have a high help
on data analysis.
 You may need to group and classify data before
analysis.
 Raw data may need some primary analysis.
 Data analysis dependent on type of research ans
data.
 Methods of data analysis:

 You need to think about the data from the moment you
start to collect the information.
 You need to judge the value of your data, especially that
which may come from dubious sources.
 As your research progresses you need to interpret the
data so that you, and others, can gain an understanding
of what is going on.
 Finally, you need to undertake the mechanical process of
analyzing the data.
Research Proposal
What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is a an outline of your

proposed project that is designed to:
Define a clear question and approach to answering it
Highlight its originality (Doctoral level only) and/or
significance
Explain how it adds to, develops (or challenges)
existing literature in the field
Persuade potential supervisors and/or funders of the
importance of the work, and why you are the right
person to undertake it
Research proposals may vary in length, but generally
speaking, a proposal should be no more than 2,500
words, or 5 pages in length; 2-3 pages is normally
sufficient.

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The following elements must be included in
any proposal:
1. Introduction or background to the research problem or issue,
including an identification of the gap in the current research
2. Research question and, if possible, a thesis statement answering
the question
3. Justification for the proposal research, i.e., why the research is
needed
4. Preliminary literature review covering what others have already
done in the area
5. Theoretical framework to be used in the proposed research
6. Statement of the contribution of the research to the general area
7. Proposed research methodology
8. Research plan and outline
9. Timetable of proposed research
10. List of references used in preparing the proposal

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The following elements may also be included in the
proposal:

• Limitations of the research (what the research

is not intended to do, i.e., the scope of the
research)
• Resources to be used in the research, e.g.,
equipment
• Statement of the means by which the
research will be evaluated or tested
• Statement of where and how results of the
research will be disseminated
• Background of the researcher and their
suitability for the task
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Introduction:
A research proposal is about what you want to study; it
immediately reflects your initial understanding of, and
commitment to, PhD study. A research proposal can and
should make a positive and powerful first impression
about your potential to become a good researcher.
The main purpose of the research proposal is to enable
the university to assess whether you are a good ‘match’
for our supervisors and our areas of research expertise.
Therefore, in a good research proposal you will need to
demonstrate two main things:
1. That you are capable of independent critical thinking
and analysis
2. That you are capable of communicating your ideas
clearly

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You are not expected to be the expert:

Your proposal should be indicative and it should

outline your areas of interest and your general
insight into the research topic. You are not
expected to be an expert and to be familiar with
all the specific details of your subject. However,
you are expected to have a good level of
knowledge about the subject and where you
might make a valuable contribution to research.

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Six steps:
a clear working title for your research project.
a clear statement about what you want to work on
and why it is important, interesting, relevant and
realistic.
some background knowledge and context of the area
in which you wish to work, including key literature, key
people, key research findings.
some consideration of the methods/approach you
might use.
some indication of the strategy and timetable for your
research project and any research challenges you may
face.
a list of the key references which support your
research proposal.

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Research project title:
what will you call your project?
what key words would describe your proposal?

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 what you want to work on , why it is important,
interesting, relevant and realistic:
what are your main research objectives? – these
could be articulated as hypotheses, propositions,
research questions, or problems to solve.
what difference do you think your research will
make?
why does this research excite you?
what research ‘gaps’ will you be filling by
undertaking your project?
how might your research ‘add value’ to the
subject?
is your research achievable in the time allocated?
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Literature review:
how does your work link to the work of others in
the same or related fields?
would your work support or contest the work of
others?
how does your work relate to the expertise within
the department you are applying to?

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Methodology and approaches:
how will you conduct your research?
will you use existing theories, new
methods/approaches or develop new methods/
approaches?
how might you design your project to get the best
results/findings?

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 The strategy and timetable and any challenges
may be faced:
what would be the main stages of your project?
what would you be expecting to do in each year of
your PhD?
what challenges might you encounter and how
might you overcome these?

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List of references:
references should be listed in the appropriate
convention for your subject area (e.g. Harvard).
Such references should be used throughout your
research proposal to demonstrate that you have
read and understood the work of others.
other relevant material that you are aware of, but
not actually used in writing your proposal, can also
be added as a bibliography

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Research proposal format:
Cover Page.
Introduction.
Review of the literature.
Theoretical framework
Materials and methods.
Research timetable.
References.

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Cover Page:
The cover page should show:
the title;
the student’s name and student cell phone number;
the name of the University;
the name of the degree sought;
the name of the principal supervisor;
the date of submission.

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Abstract:
The abstract should be self contained, concise,
readable, and one page or less. It should outline
what you intend to do, why you believe it needs to be
done and what the results will mean in theory and in
practice.
The abstract consists of:
• One or two sentences summarizing (The introduction)
• One or two sentences summarizing (Theoretical
Background)
• One or two sentences summarizing (Methodology)
• One or two sentences summarizing (Purpose/Research
Questions)
• One or two sentences summarizing (Significance)
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Introduction contains:
The Background to the Study: This section sets the scene for
a naive reader who knows nothing about your research.
The Significance of the Study: This section states why it is
important to do the research.
The Purpose of the Study or a Statement of the Problem :
This section states, what you expect to achieve by doing this
research or what problem gave rise to the research. This
problem statement may be presented in broad terms in
qualitative studies.
Research Questions: These are unambiguous questions that
the research is designed to answer.
Hypotheses :These are clear statements that the research is
designed to test.
Definitions of Terms or Operational Definitions: Define any
important terms used in the research questions or elsewhere
in the thesis.
Usually at the end of the introduction student must show his
overall aim(s) and objectives.
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Review of the literature :
The first phase of the literature review should be
brief but give the reader enough information to
understand the context of the proposed research. It
may include references to previous findings and
specific studies similar to the current study, and to
relevant methodology.

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Review of the literature :
A good literature review:
1. includes all literature that is relevant to justifying the
proposed research;
2. does not include literature that is irrelevant to
justifying the proposed research;
3. supports undertaking the proposed research;
4. avoids speculation and unsubstantiated statements;
5. is critical (a critical review does not merely accept
previous authors’ conclusions, but weighs them carefully,
examining them on the basis of the weaknesses and
strengths in the methodologies of the studies being
reviewed);
6. is organized under subheadings;
7. forms a connected argument;
8. has a summary at the end.
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Theoretical framework :
The theoretical or conceptual framework identifies
variables impacting on the research questions and their
inter-relationships and/or identifies theoretical and
philosophical assumptions underpinning the study. The
theoretical framework is often summarized as a flow-
chart diagram, which shows relationships between
theories, concepts and variable of the study.

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Materials and methods :
This section describes how you will answer the
research questions. It must be sufficiently detailed so
that another researcher would know from the
written instructions how to collect the data.
This section can include:
Instruments or materials or apparatus or equipment.
Procedure
Data Analysis
Limitations

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Research timetable:
Timetable / Plan: lists the stages of the research project
in timeline, spreadsheet or tabular format, and the
deadlines for completion of these stages or tasks. You
should include any challenges to completion that you
anticipate facing.

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References:
Students should consult their Supervisor regarding the
choice of the most appropriate referencing style for their
dissertation. It is recommended that students use the
EndNote or other bibliographical software so that the
reference list is generated automatically by the software.

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Some Things to Bear in Mind:
Don’t choose something too broad: your research must be
achievable. Your project might feel like it’s going to last a long
time, especially if it is a PhD, but be aware of how long
different aspects of your research might take. You won’t be
able to answer every question about the topic, or look into
every single aspect of a subject.
Don’t choose something vague: your proposal needs to be as
defined as possible, as a proposal which is too vague will look
like you haven’t thought it through.
Is there enough University expertise? Make sure there’s
somebody available to supervise your research. Don’t propose
to study a topic if there isn’t a suitable supervisor within the
School/University!
Make sure you find it interesting: be sure to choose
something you are interested in and passionate about. You’ll
spend an awful lot of time studying it, so you must be
committed to the topic.

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At the end check these elements on your proposal:

1. Your proposed topic should address a significant

problem and, therefore, advance the state of knowledge
in that field.
2. You have identified an appropriate methodology and
underlying theory to address the problem, including data
collection methods and equipment, if required.
3. Your methods of data analysis are outlined and
appropriate to your data set so that you can draw useful
conclusions from your work.
4. You have an organized plan for your work, including a
timeframe.

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 Summary

 The standard research proposal should include the

following:
 – title
 – background (including literature search)
 – aims and objectives
 – methodology/methods
 – timetable
 – budget and resources
 – Referencing.
 Summary

 Most research projects will require the production of

a research proposal which sets out clearly and
succinctly your proposed project.
 Before you write your proposal, check whether you
need to produce it in a specific format.
 Summary

 Research proposals stand a better chance of being

accepted if you’re able to prove that you have the
required knowledge and/or experience to carry out the
research effectively.
 It is important to make sure that your proposed
methods will address the problem you have identified
and that you are able to display an understanding of
these methods.