RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

(URSP/MRTE/MRTL 0013)

Lecture 1:
INTRODUCTION
Lecturers:
AP. Ts. DR. ROSLINA MOHAMMAD
AP. Ts. DR. NORLIZA MOHAMED
 Course Learning Objectives
A comprehensive understanding
01 on all aspects of research.

A guide on how to conduct

02 research in a systematic way

A guide to solve and analyze data

03 and results.

A guide on writing techniques and

04 presentation skill.
 MASTERS PROJECT:
Evaluation Marks (%)
No Assessment MRSA 1914 MRSA 2926

1 Project Implementation (Supervisor) 55 35

2 Report (Supervisor) 20 40
*Presentation (Panel of Assessors)-
3
ORAL
25 -
Masters’ Project Symposium
4
(Paper)
- 25

TOTAL 100 100

5
Definition
 Research is an organized, systematic
database, critical, scientific inquiry or
investigation into a specific problem,
undertaken with the objective of finding
answers or solution to it.
The systematic investigation into
and study of materials and sources
in order to establish facts and reach
new conclusions – Oxford dictionary
 What is research?

• Systematic investigative process employed to increase

or revise current knowledge by discovering new facts.

• It is divided into two general categories:

(1) Basic research is inquiry aimed at
increasing scientific knowledge,
(2) Applied research is effort aimed at using basic
research for
solving problems or developing new processes, pro
ducts, or techniques.
(http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/research.html#ixzz3z4AaWK59 9

)
 Basic Comparison Between
Masters & Ph.D Research
Masters PhD
To solve a problem using • Using the methodology that
the methodology that you you have learned and
have learned experience of solving problem
to produce something new
• Contribute a scholar of
knowledge

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 What is Research?

• CASE 1
En. Samad prepared a paper on
“Computer usage in secondary schools”
after reviewing literature on the subject
available in his university library and
called it a piece of research.

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 What is Research (cont.)?

• CASE 2
En. Ali says that he has researched and
completed a document which gives
information about age of his students, their
SPM results, their parents’ income and
distance of their schools from home.

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 What is Research (cont.)?
• CASE 3
Mr Wilson participated in a workshop on
curriculum development and prepared what he
calls, a research report on the curriculum for
building technicians. He did this through a
literature survey on the subject and by
discussing with the participants of the
workshop.

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 What is Research (cont.)?

NONE of the above cases can be classified

under the name RESEARCH.
Why????

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 What is Research (cont.)?
• CASE 4
A general manager of a car manufacturing
company was concerned with the complaints
received from the car users that the car they
produce have some problems with ratling sound
at the dash board and the rear passenger seat
after a few thousand kilometers of driving.

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 What is Research (cont.)?

What he did?
• He obtained information from the company workers
to identify the various factors influencing the problem.
• He then formulated the problem and generated
guesses (hypotheses).
• He constructed checklist and obtained requisite
information from a representative sample of cars.
• He analyzed the data thus collected, interpreted the
results in the light of his hypotheses and reached
conclusions.
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 What is Research (cont.)?
CASE 4 is an example of research because:

• The researcher went through a sequence of

steps which were in order and thus
systematic.

• The researcher did not just jump at the

conclusions, but used a scientific method of
inquiry in reaching at conclusions.
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 Significance of Research

A significant research is one that:

• Develops knowledge of an existing practice
• Develops theory
• Expands the current knowledge or theory base
• Advances current research methodology related
to a current technological issue

• Exploratory research on an unexamined issue

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 Significance of Research (cont.)

• From the literature review, gap analysis can be

conducted in order to see how the propose
research would fill in the gap in the area of
research.

• How does the proposed research related to the

existing knowledge in the area.

• Explicitly state the significance of your purpose or

the rationale for your study.

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 Important Characteristics

1. Systematic
Research is systematic, because it follows certain steps that are
logical in order. These steps are:
• Understanding the nature of problem to be studied and
identifying the related area of knowledge.
• Reviewing literature to understand how others have
approached or dealt with the problem.
• Collecting data in an organized and controlled manner so as to
arrive at valid decisions.
• Analyzing data appropriate to the problem.
• Drawing conclusions and making generalizations.
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 Important Characteristics
(cont.)
2. Follows a scientific method
• This means that it makes an integrated use of
Inductive and Deductive reasoning.
• This makes it very useful for explaining and
predicting phenomena.
• The basic assumption of the scientific method is that
every effect has a cause.

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Important Characteristics (cont’d.)

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 Important Characteristics (cont’d.)
Inductive reasoning
◦ Construction of hypotheses from casual observations and
background knowledge.
◦ From the examination of these, the researcher
establishes certain expectations.

Deductive reasoning
◦ Reasoning out consequences or implications of
hypotheses followed by testing of the implications and
confirmation or rejection of the hypotheses.

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 Systematic Characteristics of
Research

1. Problem
Literature
identification Review

5. Conclusion 2. Reviewing
information
•Observation
•SPSS
•Nvivo Research
Design

4. Analysis 3. Data
collection
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 Research Process

3 main phases of research process:

• Starting the research (Choosing a general topic
1 doable in the area of research)
• Narrowing the topic and collecting information

• Recording information
2 • Organising ideas and Analysis

• Writing, Documentation
3 • Presentation

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 Important Characteristics

• The finding of investigation add new knowledge to

the existing structure of knowledge.
• Further hypotheses are generated from the existing
structure and the casual observations and testing
of these may add to the new applicable
knowledge.
• This process continues in this manner, and
therefore research becomes cyclic and dynamic.

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 Scientific Method of Inquiry

1. Generation of
hypotheses

2. Casual 5. Implications of
observation hypotheses

4. Operationally
3. Existing structure specific testing
of knowledge situation
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Type of Research

Basic/pure/fundamental
Research

Exploratory Research

Applied Research

Development Research

Design Research
Although research activities are
classified according to their different
natures, they will overlap and
merge from one into the other.
 1. Basic/Pure/Fundamental Research

• The term basic research refers to study and research that is

meant to increase our scientific knowledge base.
• This type of research is often purely theoretical with the intent
of increasing our understanding of certain phenomena or
behavior but does not seek to solve or treat these problems.
Examples:
A study looking at how caffeine consumption impacts the brain
A study assessing whether men or women are more likely to
suffer from depression
A study looking how attachment styles among children of
divorced parents compare to those raised by married parents
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 2. Exploratory Research
• Exploratory research is a type of research conducted for a
problem that has not been clearly defined.
• An examination into a subject with an attempt to gain further
insight, a researcher starts with a general idea and
uses research as a tool to identify issues that could be the focus of
future research
• It is open-ended, looking for something which might form the
basis for a successful research project development
• Example:
 Why is the sky blue?
 Why do birds fly?
 Research for a new drug and examining the biological effects of a
new range of chemical materials.
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 3. Applied Research

Research directed towards the practical application of knowledge.

It involves the application of basic knowledge for the solution of a
particular problem.
Applied research is a methodology used to solve a specific,
practical problem of an individual or group.
Examples:
• How can bullying be prevented?
• How to manage global warming?
• Is genetically modified food hurting health?
• How does immigration affect the economy?
• Is technology use for children helpful or harmful?
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 4. Development Research

• Systematic use of scientific knowledge directed towards the

production of useful materials, devices, systems or methods,
including design and development of prototypes and processes.

• Can be further classified into:

1. Product development
• Refers to research regarding new products and products new to
industry or combination of product components in a new way
2. Process development
• Refers to research into new or improved methods of control and
control systems and changes or improvements in manufacturing
and processes technologies.

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 5. Design Research

• Research directed at cost/performance improvement

to existing products, processes or systems;
recombination, modification and testing of systems
using existing knowledge; or opening new markets for
existing products.
eg. Parts and components research.

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 Criteria vs Type of Research

Criteria Types of research

On the basis of Objectives Fundamental Applied Action

On the basis of nature of the Quantitative Qualitative

Data
On the basis of nature of the Experimental Non-
Experimental Manipulations experimental

On the basis of Approached Longitudinal Cross-sectional

Involved

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 Major Stages of Research Work

Preparing research
1
proposal
Organizing and
conducting 2
research
3
Writing a
research report
Evaluating
research 4
 Preparing Research Proposal

• Describes why of research

• What of research
• Questions about which researcher is seeking
answers
• Hypotheses (expected relations) he would like
to test
• How of research (methodology)

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 SMART Objectives

• Specific: Be precise about what you are going to achieve

• Measurable: Quantify the objectives
• Appropriate: Align with the needs of the target audience
• Realistic: Do you have the resources to make the
objective happen?

• Time-Specific: State when you will achieve the objective

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Research Problems?
 Definitions

Research Topic
The broad general area expected to
01 investigate. It is a broad idea or concept
from which many problems may be
delineated.

Researh Problem
A situation or circumstance that requires a
solution to be described, explained, or 02
predicted. It is an unsatisfactory situation
that wants you to confront.
 Definitions

If there is a knowledge gap in an area that need to be

investigated, the research problem identifies this gap.

Where as the research topic is simply a broad area of

interest, the research problem identifies what is
problematic about that topic.

Research Statement: A statement specifies exactly

what is being studied.

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 Research Statement

The research statement should include 6 elements:

1. Information about the research topic that provoked
the study
2. The scope of the problem (e.g.. how many people are
affected by it).
3. Why it is important to study the problem
4. How research area/field would be influenced by the
study
5. General characteristics of the methodology/techniques
of interest
6. The overall goal or aim of the study or the question to be
answered.
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 Title of the Thesis/Masters
Project
• The title should be a concise description of the main focus and
contribution of the research.
• Not more than 15 words, excluding grammatical words such as
articles, conjunction and prepositions

• Redundancies such as “Aninvestigation of …”,“Apreliminary

study of …”,“Analysis of …”,“On the …”,“Theory of …”,“Some
,,,”,and“Toward a …”must be avoided.

• Title should not contain formulas, symbols or subscripts, Greek

letters, or other non-alphabetical symbols; rather word substitutes
are used.
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 Exercise 1

Identify a problem from your

domain(research area), write a
suitable title of research
 The Research Triangle

objectives

Research
Question
significance methodology

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 Acknowledgement & a special
mention:

ASSOC. PROF DR. ASTUTY AMRIN

DR . SAARDIN ABDUL AZIZ

4/3/2020