AGENDA

1. AGENDA RESEARCH DESIGN • Objective of the course • Proposal • Benefits • Content –Research Design Components • Basics of Research Design • Overview of writing proposal and thesis

2. Course syllabus – Objective of the course • Thesis preparation starts with a planning & design phase. • In this phase, the researcher starts with a research problem of her/his area of interest, • Defines the problem broadly at first, makes literature review about the topic to narrow the research problem and ends up with a research question. • This can be achieved by providing a feasible, valid and reliable solution to the research question. An applicable solution to a research problem can be obtained by conducting a scientific research. • Scientific research starts with clear definition of the research problem.

3. Course syllabus – Objective of the course Research design phase -PROPOSAL •  Depending on the purpose of the study and research question, research design is planned. • In research design; • the type of the research – exploratory, descriptive or causal - is identified, • the method of sampling and data collection is determined, • Analytical tools are selected to analyse the data. After completing this phase, proposal is prepared and presented for evaluation and approval. This proposal is expected to be completed by the students at the end of this course.

4. Approval of the proposal starts Implementation phase(Course syllabus) • After the approval of the proposal, implementation phase starts. • The designed research is conducted and the data is collected, analysed and research results are obtained. • These findings are interpreted and solution(s) to the research question is proposed depending on the research results. • Depending on the research findings and conclusions, recommendations to the related parties -like the decision makers on this issue, further researchers - are made. Writing and presenting the thesis finalize the study.

5. Conclusion and Interpretation Course syllabus • Conclusions and interpretations should be completely based on the research findings. It is a systematic and objective investigation process rather than concluding intuitively and relying on common sense about the issues that are investigated.

6. Scientific ThinkingCourse syllabus • Briefly, what is important in research is, conducting the research systematically on scientific basis. Thus; forming a framework to conduct a systematic research and providing students gaining insights about the philosophy of scientific thinking are also the objectives of this course.

7. OVERVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD • Assesment of relevant existing knowledge (How?) • Formulation of concepts and propositions • Statement of hypothesis • Design the research and test the hypothesis • Collect, acquire meaningful empirical data • Analyse and evaluate the data • Provide explanation to your propositions and state new problems raised by your research

8. RESEARCH PROPOSAL A written statement of • the research design • that includes a statement explaining the purpose of the study and • a detailed systematic outline of a particular research methodology.

9. Benefits • Forces the researcher to highlight the basic steps of actual research • Generalizations about problems become concrete, • Precise statements about the research procedure (research design, research methodology) is given • It initially performs a communication function between the researcher thesis student and the one who requires the thesis (Advisor, advisor committee)

10. Content of proposal • Problem definition and literature review • What information will be obtained • From where it will be obtained • How it will be obtained THAT IS; It should include basics of research design

11. 1-Type of the research: 2- Type of the investigation: 3-Extent of researchers interference: 4-Study setting: 5-Unit of analysis: 6-Time horizon: 1- Exploratory, descriptive or causal 2- Correlational, causal, comparison 3- No, minimal interference or manipulation 4- Contrived, noncontrived 5-Individuals, dyads, groups, organizations, etc 6-Cross sectional, Longitudinal Basics of research design

12. 7-Sampling design, 8-Data collection method, 9-Measurement, measures 10-Data analysis 7- Probabilistic, nonprobabilistic, determination of sample size 8- Observation, interview, questionnaire, Physical measurement 9- Operational definition, scaling, coding, categorizing 10-Appropriate statistical tests Basics of research design Go to research design presentation

13. How to choose among alternatives of research design components (general criteria for selection) • What is the reason of the research? • Solve a business problem, improving the situation • Article, master’s thesis, doctoral dissertation • Is there sufficient time available for such a research • You better schedule your time, drawing back from the due date of presenting

14. Which Type of research • Exploratory • Descriptive • Causal • What is the degree of ambiguity • You are searching whether there is a problem or not • You are just aware of the problem • You can clearly define the problem

15. WhichType of investigation? • Correlational • Causal • Comparison • What is the purpose of study? • What type of a question need to be answered? • Are you investigating whether two variables are associated or not? • Do you claim that x causes y? • Are you going to prove that a defined group is superior than the other? • Compare two or more groups with respect to a characteristics • What type of a finding is expected to be obtained? Go to “Decision Making” transparency 1,2&1,2

16. PROPOSAL AND THESIS http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/readings/res+writ.html http://www.learnerassociates.net/dissthes/ Writing and Presenting YourThesis or Dissertation S. Joseph Levine, Ph.D. Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan USA 1-“Thinking about a subject and discovery of a problem” 2- Preparing the PROPOSAL 3 –Conducting the research 4-Writing the thesis 5- Thesis defense

17. Discovery of the problem- Thinking about Stage • Don’t eliminate ideas quickly. Be creative • Review literature. Read. Write down your ideas-If you don’t, you probably feel that you are not going anywhere. • Talk with your friends, colleages, experts on this topic, instructors • Make your own choice about the subject • Remember that this is a fullfillment of an academic requirement. Be realistic. Don’t assume that it will draw an international attention to you!  • Plan the time that you will commit to it. Prepare a time schedule. Periodically update that time schedule.

18. Preparing the PROPOSAL Answer the following questions before proceeding with writing the proposal • Are you familiar with other research that has been conducted in same or similar areas of yours? • Do you have a clear understanding of the components of research design? • Do you feel that you have the ability and drive to get through each step in research design?

19. Preparing the PROPOSAL • If available read through someone else’s research proposal • Make sure that you proposal has a comprehensive review of the article. Don’t forget you should “read” “read” “read” before preparing the proposal. Writing the proposal stage is after the literature review stage. Don’t think that literaure review is for thesis but not for proposal. If you wait until writing your thesis IT IS TOO LATE

20. The rationale behind the literature review • This study is needed • There exist researches which have already been conducted by the previous researchers • Theoretical framework (relationship between the variables) I have constructed depends on the previous findings. • The research methodology chosen is the most appropriate for this study.

21. Preparing the PROPOSAL-Continued • A good proposal should consist of the first three chapters of thesis 1-Statement of the problem/background information 2-Review of the literature 3-Explain the research methodology It should be written in future tense since it is a proposal. Then turn this good proposal to first three chapters of thesis by changing the tense from future tense to past tense. “This is what I would like to do” “This is what I did”

22. Preparing the PROPOSAL-Continued • Focus your research very specifically: Don’t try to cover too broad area in your research • Define narrowly so that it is do-able • You should have obtained something specific and definitive to say • Don’t forget that you can not solve all of the problems in one research.

23. Preparing the PROPOSAL-Continued • Include a title on your proposal. • Don’t leave title for the end. • A title is the first thing to help the reader begin to understand the nature of the study • Title should • have the most important words appear • limit the use of ambigous or confusing words • be broken down into a title or subtitle when you have too many words • include keywords that will help the researchers in the future to find your study

24. Preparing the PROPOSAL-Continued • If you are making interview or applying a questionnaire, tell your subjects in advance that you can share the research results with them if they like. • Choose your methodology wisely. Don’t be too quick in running away from using a quantitative methodology because you fear from statistics. It might be preferred to qualitative research. • Combined methodology can be used • CONTINUES WITH OTHER ADVICES ON RESEARCH DESIGN COMPONENTS ........