research Methods By Khwazbeen Saida Fatah Mathematics Department Science College

1. research Methods By KhwazbeenSaidaFatah Mathematics Department Science College Salahaddin University Nov, 2018 Research Methods

2. Meaning of Research The general meaning of research is the search for knowledge. Research is also defined as a careful investigation or inquiry, specially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge. Redman and Mory defined research as a "systematized effort to gain new knowledge" Research Methods

3. What is the meaning of research? The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines research as: “careful search or inquiry; endeavor to discover new or collate old facts etc. by scientific study of a subject; course of critical investigation’ from which we can conclude that the word ‘research’ may be used interchangeably with ‘inquiry’, ‘study’ or ‘investigation’ in a systematic manner. Research Methods

4. Objectives of Research • The main objective of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not yet been known. • Research objectives may be considered to be falling into the following categories: • 1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into the phenomenon (exploratory research) • 2. To test hypothesis of causal relationship between/among variables (quantitative research) • 3. To describe accurately the characteristics of a particular situation, individual or a group (descriptive research). Research Methods

5. What is a research Study? A research study is a scientific way to improve or develop new methods. Why are research studies important? Research studies are important because they contribute to knowledge and progress on the problems under consideration. Research Methods

6. In addition to a specific method of inquiry, a research project has to have: • 1. Title • The first step of the research process involves selecting a research topic (Title). A working title is needed to be focused on throughout the research study. • It may be that the wording will be improved later but the beginning title should mean something. Research Methods

7. If there is difficulty in choosing a researchable topic, the following can be considered: • Consult the library catalogue and inquire about theses and dissertations, articles in academic journals, reports, books and the like; • Using web searching to find area of interest; • Talk about problems and possible topics with your colleagues and/or with your lecturers who are experts in the field; • Arrange an informal interview with professionals in the industry and discuss what you should emphasize and what the possible practical outcomes are. Research Methods

8. 2. Introduction • What does introduction do? • It introduces the main idea of the research study; Provide some background information about your topic. • Set out reasons for undertaking this particular study. It is needed to set ideas into a theoretical/academic context.The statement should: • Outline the problem – what is the key issue?; • Explain why it is thought this is worth investigating; • Describe the nature and purpose of the research; • Indicate what to achieve. • If you are unable to do this then you are not yet ready to begin. Research Methods

9. 3. Aims and Objectives • The primary focus of the research project is usually expressed in terms of aims and objectives. • What are aims and what are objectives? • What are aims, and how do they differ from objectives? • The difference between aims and objectives is unclear, even to the compilers of dictionaries! In both the Concise Oxford and Webster's, aim and objective are synonymous. • In research terms: Aims tend to be more general than objectives and relate to the end results but objectives help achieve these results. Research Methods

10. How many aims or objectives should be there? Some researchers are happy with one clear strong aim, while others like to see a main aim supported by at least two subsidiary aims. Likewise, there is no fixed number of objectives but you will be required to produce sufficient objectives to be able to measure progress towards meeting the aim/s. Research Methods

11. 4. Methodology • Once you have determined the purpose of your study and have completed a thorough literature search, you should be ready to design your research in detail. • Research design (Methodology) is an action plan for getting from ‘here’ to ‘there’, where ‘here’ may be defined as the initial set of questions to be answered, and ‘there’ is some set of conclusion (answers) about these questions. Between ‘here’ and ‘there’ may be found a number of major steps. • Simply, it should be explained what methods is intended to be used in researching and developing the research study. Research Methods

12. 5. Literature survey • This may also be called a Literature Review. • Literature Review should describe the existing and established theories and researches in the research area. It can be used to show where you are filling a perceived gap in the existing theory or knowledge, or you are proposing something that goes against or is controversial to existing ideas. Research Methods

13. 6. Scope and constraints Here it is necessary to set the boundaries, for example, there may be just too much material to cover and some limits may need to be placed on the project, or you may not be able to conduct some research due to constraints imposed by time, cost or availability of materials. Research Methods

14. 7. Resources • Here you should list resources that you will need to complete the study. • Example: The university’s library and IT facilities should prove adequate for the majority of the research and analysis required by the study. • However, graphical representation of some of the data may require the use of specialist software, which is not currently available in university’s IT suite. Research Methods

15. 8. Results & Discussion The discussion section is where the student should move beyond their data and integrate the results of their study with existing theory and research. i.e. to show the relationship between the results of their study and the results of similar studies and related arguments in the published literature. Research Methods

16. A good Discussion Section typically contains the following An overview of the significant findings of the study; A consideration of the findings in the light of existing research studies; A careful examination of findings that fail to support or only partly support the hypotheses outlined in the study; Limitations of the study that may affect the validity or the generalisability of the results; Recommendations for further research. Research Methods

17. 9. Conclusion For any research project or scientific report, drawing conclusions is the final, and most important, part of the process. In the CONCLUSION to your report, you do a number of important things: Summarize the main points you made in your introduction and review of the literature; Review (very briefly) the research methods and/or design you employed; Repeat (in abbreviated form) your findings; Discuss the broader implications of those findings; Mention the limitations of your research (due to its scope or its weaknesses); Offer suggestions for future research related to yours. Research Methods

18. 10. References The reference list at the end of your work demonstrates the depth of your research. It also acknowledges your sources of information, protecting you against the serious charge of plagiarism (passing off others’ ideas as your own). If you have included a literature survey this is where you list all of your research reading. You must accurately reference all sources mentioned here and give a full citation in the Reference List. Research Methods

19. Finally,the aim for conducting research studies has the following objectives: • To provide the opportunity for researchers (students) to undertake an independent piece of work; • To enable researchers (students) to investigate, in depth, a subject in which they have a particular interest and of their own selection; • To encourage researchers to develop new forms of analysis, conclusions and policies which may make an original contribution to the knowledge in the field of study concerned; • To encourage both clarity and depth of thought in that the project involves analysis of a problem in depth and the development of a logical sequence of ideas; Research Methods

20. To provide researchers with an opportunity of learning how to acquire detailed information on a particular issue. It will involve them in the use of bibliographies, libraries and library reference systems. It will involve them in using primary sources of data such as a census, and it will involve the collection of new data through interviews, surveys and archival research; • To require the proper use, presentation and communication of data. Research Methods

21. THANK YOU Research Methods