NDEJJE UNIVERSITY

Paper Research methods and writhing CODE BED2102

Instructor : Kamanyire venance- on PhD psychology

Introduction

Dear students. I greet you in name of Lord Jesus. I welcome you from the obstruction of Covid
-19. We are back to this paper of research methods and writing. We are expected on
conceptualizing the research, concepts in research ,designing questionnaire ,sampling procedure
and to write a report.

Objectives

At the end of this interaction, the student is expected to conceptualize the research problem

The student is expected to identify different concepts in research in report,

At the end, the student is expected to formulate research problem

TOPIC 1: CONCEPTUALIZATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

Research means to a search for a knowledge. It is a careful and systematic effort of gaining
new knowledge”. It means a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to
generalisable knowledge about the variable one is interested. It is an art of scientific
investigation. It follows a scientific plan or procedure. Research is a systematic, logical and
structured, with specified steps in specified sequence in accordance with a well defined set of
rules. Research is guided by specific problem, question or hypothesis, accepts certain critical
assumptions, and requires collection and interpretation of data.

The primary purpose of research is discovering, interpreting and the development of methods
and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matter of
our world and the universe, gains familiarity with a phenomenon to achieve new insight into it.

1. CONCEPT

Concepts are really mental boxes into which we throw things that we think have important things
in common. It is a mental picture or an idea that comes into the mind of the researcher. Concepts
as "a label we put on a phenomenon that enables us to link separate observations and to make
generalizations. Generally speaking, you should think about three things when dealing with
definitions and concepts.
1. Keep the definitions clear. This is not easy because we use words to define other words.
Usually definitions try to use more simple words to define more complex words. This is a useful
way to approach definitions of abstract concepts.

2. Make the definition appropriate. By appropriate, use a definition that is consistent with the
way the concept is used in the literature. It is not surprising that so many of the results do not
seem consistent when they are really studying different phenomenon.

3. Avoid defining concepts with related concepts. You should create definitions with simpler
words. So if you are talking about ideology, you should say something like attitudes about the
degree to which government should be involved in regulating economic matters and regulating
personal behavior. You should NOT say that ideology is partisan identification. Partisan
identification is an abstract term and it is a separate, although related, concept. Democrats do
tend to be more liberal and Republicans more conservative, but it is far from a one-to-one
relationship. Group membership and interests, family and regional loyalties, and heroes are also
involved in partisanship.

4. Avoid circular definitions. Political alienation may be the degree to which one is alienated to
politics, but that is not a good definition. Substitute "feeling of separation from" for "alienation"
and you are closer to a legitimate definition. Use simpler words to describe all the things in
mental box.

2. RESEARCH PROBLEM

A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be improved, a

difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or
in practice that points to the need for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation.
The research problem provides context for the study and reveals what the researcher is trying to
answer.

A research problem is an issue or concern that an investigator presents and justifies in a research
study. Anything that a person find unsatisfactory or unsettling, a difficulty of some sort, a state
of affairs that need to be changed. A problem involve areas of concerns to researchers, for
condition they want to improve, difficulties they want to eliminate, questions for which they
want to seek answers. It can be summarized into two words (i) what is expected? (ii) What is on
the ground? The difference between the two is the discrepancy, need, the why the study now is
what we call research problem. It is often guided by three questions;

(i) Is there perceived difference between what is expected and what is on the ground. If
no, then, no problem. If yes, then, there is a problem.

(ii) Is there a reason why there is a discrepancy between the two? If no, then, no problem,
if yes, then, there is a problem.
 (iii) Are there possible answers to why there is a discrepancy?. If yes, it’s from these
answers that form the basis of research problem.

The purpose of a problem statement is to:

It introduces the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. The reader is oriented to the
significance of the study and the research questions or hypotheses to follow. It places the
problem into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated. It
provides the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is probably necessary to
conduct the study and explain how the findings will present this information.

So What!

Research problem establishes the means by which you must answer the "So what?" question. The
"So what?" question refers to a research problem surviving the relevancy test. Note that
answering the "So what" question requires a commitment on your part to not only show that you
have researched the material, but that you have thought about its significance. To survive the "So
what" question, problem statements should possess the following attributes:

Clarity and precision. A well-written statement does not make sweeping generalizations and
irresponsible statements.

Identification of what would be studied, while avoiding the use of value-laden words and terms,
Identification of an overarching question and key factors or variables, Identification of key
concepts and terms, Articulation of the study's boundaries or parameters.

Some generalizability in regards to applicability and bringing results into general use,
Conveyance of the study's importance, benefits, and justification regardless of the type of
research, it is important to address the “so what” question by demonstrating that the research is
not trivial, Does not have unnecessary jargon; and, Conveyance of more than the mere gathering
of descriptive data providing only a snapshot of the issue or phenomenon under investigation

A Practical Problem

Suppose you're walking along a street one day when a practical problem confronts you. A quick
solution to the problem doesn't come to mind. Your search for a solution to the problem
motivates you to look further into the topic in hopes of resolving the problem. You may not have
thought of it this way before, but research usually grows out of a practical problem facing
someone in the real world. To solve your practical problem, you first have to think up a relevant
research problem about the topic and then solve that research problem. Learning the answer to
the research problem will let you understand how to resolve the practical problem.

Practical vs. Research Problem

Thinking about a practical problem motivates a research question which defines a research
problem which finds a research answer which helps to solve the practical problem. At first
glance, you may think that the difference between a practical problem and a research problem is
like splitting a hair. However, the difference is crucial.

A practical problem happens in the real world. It costs you something in time, money, happiness,
etc. You'll solve that problem by doing something to change something out there in the real
world.

A research problem, on the other hand, starts in your mind when you don't understand
something.

Propose a Research Problem

To solve that real-world problem, you first must propose and solve a research problem. Of
course, we're not always aware we are posing and resolving a research problem when we solve a
practical problem.

An example: Suppose you're a politician running for re-election. A right-to-life organization is

pressuring you to oppose abortion. You ask yourself, "Will I lose if I don't?" You take a poll.
You discover, "My constituents support abortion rights." Now, decide whether to reject the right-
to-life organization's request. Before anyone can resolve a practical problem, a research problem
has to be posed. Of course, solving the research problem doesn't automatically solve the practical
problem.

You don't change anything in the real world when you solve a research problem. Rather, solving
the research problem allows you to learn more about something or come to understand
something better. The knowledge gained from solving the research problem is applied toward
finding the solution to the practical problem.

WAYS TO FORMULATE THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

1. Specify the research objectives: A clear statement of objectives will help you develop
effective research. It will help the decision makers evaluate your project. It’s critical that you
have manageable objectives. (Two or three clear goals will help to keep your research project
focused and relevant.)

2. Review the context of the research problem: In order to do this, you have to identify the
contextual o environmental variables that will affect the research project. This will help you
determine whether the findings of your project will produce enough information to be worth the
cost..

3. Explore the nature of the problem: Research problems range from simple to complex,
depending on the number of variables and the nature of their relationship. If you understand the
nature of the problem as a researcher, you will be able to better develop a solution for the
problem. To help you understand all dimensions, you might want to consider focus groups of
consumers, sales people, managers, or professionals to provide what is sometimes much needed
insight.

4. Define the variable relationships: Focus on creating a sequence of behaviors that occur over
time, as in the adoption of a new package design, or the introduction of a new product. This
creates a commitment to follow some behavioral pattern in the future. The process involves:

Determining which variables affect the solution to the problem; Determining the degree to
which each variable can be controlled; Determining the functional relationships between the
variables and which variables are critical to the solution of the problem; During the problem
formulation stage, you will want to generate and consider as many courses of action and variable
relationships as possible.

5. The Consequences of alternative courses of action: There are always consequences to any
course of action. Anticipating and communicating the possible outcomes of various courses of
action is a primary responsibility in the research process.

Quantitative research problems: Problem is researchable; Problem is important; Problem

should indicate the type of research; Problem specifies the population being investigated;
Problem specifies the variables and the relationships between or among them, three type of
questions raised under it include; descriptive, relational and casual.

Qualitative research problem: Identifies a central phenomena (i.e., an issue or process) being
investigated; Examples of issues: Drug abuse in high schools; Teacher burnout; Alienation of
children with special needs

3. VARIABLE

It refers to some specific characteristic of a subject that assumes one or more different values. A
variable is a label or name that represents a concept or characteristic that varies (e.g., gender,
weight, achievement, attitudes toward inclusion, etc.)For the subjects in the study like “, amount
of insurance sold is an example of a variable—some subjects sells a lot of insurance and others
sell less. A different variable could be goal difficulty—some subjects have more difficult goals,
while others have less difficult goals.