PART ONE:
Introduction
Research is not a haphazard process or simply about collecting data, analysing statistics, or writing a report. But a systematic process through which a researcher identifies a problem, investigates it using appropriate methods, analyses evidence, draws conclusions, and makes recommendations based on the findings. Research is problem-driven. The main purpose of research is to provide answers to social problems. Always remember there were problems, there are problems, and there will always be problems; therefore, we shall never cease to talk about research, i.e., a continuous search for answers to research problems.
Many students find Research Methods difficult because they encounter concepts such as research problems, objectives, hypotheses, research designs, sampling, data collection, data analysis, validity and reliability as separate topics. In reality, these concepts are interconnected. Each decision made at one stage of the research process influences decisions made at later stages.
A useful way of understanding research is therefore to see it as a journey:
Research Idea/Topic → Literature Review/research gap → Research Problem → Objectives/Questions/Hypotheses → Conceptual/Theoretical Framework → Research Design → Population → Sample → Data Collection → Data Management → Data Analysis → Interpretation → Conclusions → Recommendations → Final Report
This blog takes you through this journey step by step.
1. Identifying a Research Idea/ Topic
Every research project begins with an idea. This is the general area that the student desires to study. Remember, the idea/topic is very general and does not convey what the researcher wants to study. Do not confuse a topic with a title. A topic is the broad area you are interested in studying, and it does not convey succinctly what your study intends to do, while a title summarizes the idea of your study. It tells the reader what your intentions are and what the general purpose of your study.
- Topic: Implementation of projects
- Title: Influence of Capacity Building on the implementation of community projects: A case of Water projects in Place X.
The topic (idea) is not yet a research problem. It is an observation, an area of interest that the researcher would want to study. It is only the starting point of a research idea.
The researcher may begin asking:
- Why do projects fail or succeed?
- Is the failure/success related to implementation?
- Does access to the projects influence implementation?
- Was the community trained before or after the project was implemented?
- Which of the community projects should I study? Why?
A research idea may arise from:
- Personal observation
- Professional experience
- Previous research
- Problems encountered in an organisation
- Government policies
- Community challenges
- Existing theories
- Gaps identified in literature
- Contradictory findings from previous studies
- Changes in technology or society
- Recommendations made by previous researchers
The research idea only becomes more useful as the researcher begins to ask questions about the phenomenon. An observation may generate an idea, but the idea must eventually be developed into a clearly defined research problem.
2. Establishing That the Problem Really Exists / Preliminary Literature Review
A research problem is the gap between what is in the literature and what the researcher would want to know. It is a discrepancy between the ideal and the real. A researcher should not assume that a problem exists simply because it appears to exist.
What evidence do I have that this problem exists? This question helps students avoid writing research problems based solely on personal opinions.
Research is evidence-based; it is not based on hearsay. The researcher needs to read literature that is relevant to the idea. This is what is called a preliminary literature review. Many times, students are in such a hurry to start writing the proposal even before determining what others have said concerning the problem you want to study.
For example, if the researcher claims that projects are not well implemented or that they are well implemented, the researcher could examine:
- Project completion records
- Project reports
- Statistics of how many people are accessing the projects
This process of preliminary literature review transforms an assumption into an evidence-based research problem.
One of the most important purposes of preliminary literature review is to identify the research gap. A research gap refers to something that existing research has not adequately addressed.
A gap may arise because:
- A population has not been studied
- A geographical area has been overlooked
- Existing findings are contradictory
- A variable has not been investigated
- A particular theory has not been tested
- Previous studies used different methodologies
- Existing studies are outdated
- A new phenomenon has emerged
The key question is:
What remains unknown after reviewing what is already known? This helps to state the problem by identifying the variables of the study. The research gap provides the justification for the study.
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3. Defining the Research Problem
Preliminary literature review enables the researcher to clearly define the research problem. The research problem is the foundation of the entire study. A research problem refers to an issue, difficulty, gap, contradiction, or unexplained phenomenon that requires systematic investigation. At the point of defining the research problem, the researcher narrows down the idea /topic to a specific area. This is where the researcher writes the statement of the problem. A statement of the problem should have three types of information:
- Statement of social need
- Statement of knowledge gap
- Statement of the research problem or the researcher’s intuition
The problem statement should establish:
- The ideal situation
- The existing situation
- The evidence of the problem
- The consequences of the problem
- What is not yet adequately understood
- Why the study is necessary
It is also at this point that the researcher writes the title of the research. The researcher has moved from a general concern to a specific research problem.
Sources of a research problem
A research problem may be identified from:
- Existing literature
- Previous research findings
- Research gaps
- Professional experience
- Policy documents
- Statistical reports
- Organisational records
- Community observations
- Theoretical disagreements
- Contradictory research findings
4. Developing Research Objectives, questions and hypotheses
The variables of the study identified in the preliminary literature review allow the researcher to state the research objectives, research questions, and hypotheses. These are the specific activities that the research will address itself to. These should be very specific. Research questions should be investigative, not yes/no questions. Hypotheses should establish the relationship between variables.
Specific objectives
- To examine the influence of beneficiary participation on implementation of community projects
- To assess the influence of access to information on implementation of community projects
Clear objectives, research questions and hypotheses are extremely important because they influence:
Objectives → Research questions →Hypotheses → Data required → Data collection → Data analysis → Findings → Conclusions → Recommendations
This is one of the most important relationships students need to understand.
5. Developing the conceptual and theoretical Framework
The conceptual framework shows the relationship between variables, while the theoretical framework explains the theory or theories that provide a foundation for the study.
The important distinction is:
- Theoretical framework = based on an established theory
- Conceptual framework = researcher’s structured representation of the relationships among study concepts/variables
The researcher asks:
Which established theory helps explain the phenomenon I am studying?
A theory provides concepts and relationships that can help explain the research problem.
The researcher should not select a theory merely because it is popular.
The theory should have a logical relationship with:
- The research problem
- Variables
- Objectives
- Research questions
- Expected relationships
Students should be able to explain:
Why did you choose this theory?
A strong answer demonstrates the connection between the theory and the phenomenon being investigated.
PART TWO TO BE CONTINUED.