Assignment for Research Methodology

1. Research is the process of knowing the gap between what is happing and
what we think to happen. Given this piece of information, what are the
characteristics of a good research?
The characteristics of a good research shall include:
(1) Clear objective or purpose: the purpose or the problem involved in the
research should be clearly defined and sharply delineated as clear as
possible;
(2) Detailed research procedures: the research procedures should be
sufficiently detailed to permit another researcher to repeat the research;
(3) Carefully-planned procedural design: the procedural design should be
planned carefully to ensure that the results are as objective as possible,
and the researcher should report any flaws or defects in procedural design
and estimate their effect upon the findings frankly and completely;
(4) Appropriate and reliable data collection and analysis: good research
employs appropriate and reliable methods for data collection to ensure
validity and accuracy, in addition, data should be analyzed using sound
and appropriate statistical or qualitative methods, and the analysis of the
data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its significance;
(5) Conclusions and findings: the findings should be reproducible and
consistent, and conclusions should be confined to those justified by the
data of the research and limited to those for which the data provide an
adequate basis rather than assumptions.
2. Data processing involves the transformation of the raw data in to some
processed form to facilitate analysis. Editing is one of the data processing
activities. What are the major purposes of editing activities?
Data editing is a crucial step in the research and data analysis process, the
major purposes of data editing activities are to ensure consistency,
completeness and accuracy, and some details are as follows:
 (1) Error correction: to identify and correct any errors that may have occurred
during data collection or entry;
(2) Handling missing data: to manage missing or incomplete data, which can
skew analysis or reduce the accuracy of findings;
(3) Ensuring consistency: to ensure that the data is internally consistent with
each other;
(4) Ensuring completeness: to ensure that the data set includes all necessary
and expected data points;
(5) Verifying accuracy: to confirm that the data accurately reflects the actual
information being measured or reported;
(6) Data legibility and uniformity: to make sure that the data is clear, readable
and in user-friendly formats, and readying them for coding and storage,
furthermore, to ensure that the data is compatible with analytical software
or systems by formatting it in ways that the tools can process easily.
3. A literature review is an account of what has been published on the topic
by accredited scholars and researchers. In addition, searching for the
literature should answer some of the questions in mind. Based on this
information, what are the questions that are expected to be answered by
consulting a literature review?
The following are some questions that are expected to be answered by
consulting a literature review:
(1) What are the broad bodies of literature that have relevance for your
research topic (local and international)?
(2) What theoretical models relate to your research topic?
(3) What theories, methods & results have previous researchers in your field
produced?
(4) What is the history of your area of study?
(5) What are the most recent findings in your area of study?
(6) What gaps or contradictions exist among these findings?
(7) What new research questions do these findings suggest?
 (8) What structure suits my literature review best?
(9) What should I leave out?
4. Cohort studies and panel studies are some of the primary longitudinal
survey designs. What are the major differences between cohort and panel
studies? What are the critical limitations of panel studies?
(1) The major differences between cohort and panel studies are: the cohort
study collects data from the same specific population each time data is
collected based on shared similar characteristics or exposures at a specific
starting point and the sample respondents studied may be different, while
the panel study collects data from the same sample of individual
respondents over time and it focuses on the understanding of changes in
behavior, attitudes or other variables within a fixed group of individuals
over time.
(2) The critical limitations of panel studies are: high attrition (some
participants may drop out of the study due to loss of interest, relocation,
death, etc.), switching of respondents, lack of willingness to respond, lack
of appropriate memory, time consuming and difficult to effectively
administer
5. Qualitative and qualitative research methods are the two approaches in
research. Write and discuss the critics on the qualitative research
approach.
Qualitative research approach is an essential methodology in research, this
approach mainly focuses on collecting and analyzing words (written or
spoken) and textual or visual data. It gives detail analysis and assessment of
attitudes (perceptions), opinions, and behavior to the finding of the study,
however, there are critics on the qualitative research approach, some of which
are listed hereunder:
(1) Subjectivity: as qualitative research is the understanding of the subjective
meanings held by actors, it is inherently subjective because it relies
 heavily on the researcher’s interpretation of data. The personal biases of
researchers can influence data collection, analysis, interpretation and
conclusions. The qualitative researchers may over-interpret findings,
reading meaning into data that may not be supported by evidence.
(2) Limited reliability and replicability: qualitative research is difficult to
replicate because the data collection process (for example, interviews,
ethnography and observations) and the subjective nature of analysis can
vary significantly between researchers.
(3) Time-consuming and resource-intensive: conducting qualitative research
such as interviews, focus groups or ethnography requires significant time,
effort, and resources. Analyzing large volumes of qualitative data is labor-
intensive and complex.
6. To put the organizational elements together to make a successful and
effective argument requires four things. Write and discuss these issues
that help to make a successful and effective arguments.
The four things required for making a successful and effective argument are as
follows:
(1) Context: the context for your report or thesis consists of your broader
understanding of the area within which you are researching and studying;
(2) Themes: the themes of your thesis are the key issues, concepts or questions
you identify as being of relevance and interest, and they will be referred to
throughout the main body of your discussion;
(3) Ordering: the ordering of your report or thesis relates to the way you set
out your argument in stages and the way you break it down into
manageable chunks for the readers;
(4) Linkages: the linkages can aid the readers in finding their way through
your thesis and effective linkages will enable the readers to quickly make
sense of your work.