Research Methods is often perceived by students as a difficult and abstract subject. Terms such as research methodology, research design, research problem, research gap, hypothesis, qualitative research, and quantitative research can appear confusing when students encounter them for the first time. The problem is often not that the concepts are inherently difficult. Rather, students are not able to connect the concepts to real-life situations. In these series of understanding research, Prof. Lydiah Wambugu will use simple explanations, everyday examples, and a running research example to demonstrate how research works.
The first thing that should always be in your mind is research is about answering a question, it’s about asking yourself WHY? Anytime you think of a situation and you ask yourself, WHY? This calls for investigation. That investigation is what constitutes research. In our daily life, we conduct informal researches in our homes, offices or even before accepting an offer for a new job where you want to gather as much information about the environment you will be spending the better part of your life in.
In an academic setting, this is the same thought that used in research. As academicians we desire to change our environments, make them better than they are i.e. we want to come up with solutions that will improve our environment by solving a problem.
For example:
1. Why are some university students performing better academically than others?
2. Why are community projects implemented by the government succeeding?
3. Why are community projects implemented by the government failing?
4. Why are guidance and counselling sessions such a big deal in organizations?
5. Why is in-service training necessary for a new employee?
This is the BIG IDEA.
Once we ask this question, we do not stop at that neither do we start writing. Many students are in so much of a hurry to start writing the proposal. Since research is not hearsay., we need to determine:
a) Who has written about my why? This is what we call preliminary literature review. This helps you determine what is documented about your WHY. Who has written about it? What did they find out? What are the variables they studied? Has this WHY been addressed in the local context? These questions help you to solidify your WHY
b) What information do we need? This helps to define the literature you will use. You are able to identify the key concepts/terms that you will be using when searching for information
c) Who should provide the information? Who will be the target population? This is the part of the population who will provide you with the information that helps you answer the WHY
d) How will we collect the information? This call for identification of tools that will be appropriate to answer the WHY
e) How will we analyse it? You need to ask yourself; will I collect narrative or numerical data? The type of data of data determines whether you shall use statistics or thematic induction to analysis data.
f) How will we interpret the findings? This calls for giving meaning to the findings. This is an area that many students have a challenge on. We shall be discussing it in coming days
g) What conclusions can we draw? What are we telling the world about this problem? Are there policies that can be drawn from my study?
Answers to these questions what we call research.
What is Research?
Research is a systematic process of collecting, analysing and interpreting data in order to answer a question, solve a problem, or generate new knowledge.
There are several important words in this definition.
1. Research is systematic – this means research follows an organized process. It is not a haphazard process; you do not collect information randomly. You must have a plan.
For example, suppose you want to find out: Why are some students frequently absent from university classes? You cannot simply ask three students and conclude that you have discovered the answer. You need to plan the study.
By planning, you need to
1. identify the problem;
2. formulate research questions;
3. identify the population;
4. think of the sampling theory you will use sample;
5. develop research instruments;
6. collect data;
7. analyse the data;
8. interpret the findings; and
9. write a report.
These are areas that you need to think through even before you start writing the proposal. That is what makes research systematic.
2. Research is evidence-based – research should be based on evidence rather than assumptions. Research is not subjective but very objective.
Consider the statement: “Students perform poorly because they are lazy.”
This is an assumption. A researcher would ask: “What evidence demonstrates the factors associated with students’ academic performance?”
The researcher might investigate:
i. attendance to lessons;
ii. study habits;
iii. financial challenges;
iv. teaching methods;
v. access to learning materials;
vi. digital access;
vii. family responsibilities;
viii. motivation; and
ix. learning environment.
The researcher then collects evidence before making conclusions.
3. Research answers questions – research normally begins with something we want to understand. That is the WHY. For example: Does the use of online learning improve students’ academic performance? This question can be investigated scientifically.
4. Research is meant to solve problems – research does not only generate academic knowledge but it can help solve practical problems.
For example: A university notices that many first-year students are dropping out.
The university can conduct research to determine:
i. Why are students dropping out?
ii. Is financial difficulty a major factor?
iii. Are students struggling academically?
iv. Are they experiencing challenges adjusting to university life?
v. Does student support influence retention?
Research can therefore contribute to decision-making.
In conclusion, a simple way to remember research
Students can remember research by:
a) Begin with a question.
b) Collect evidence.
c) Analyse the evidence.
d) Arrive at an evidence-based answer.
QUESTION → EVIDENCE → ANALYSIS → ANSWER
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