STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

Learning Outcomes:
After completion of this Study Unit, you should be able to:
1. Define the concept research.
2. Describe the research process.
3. Outline the implications of research.

Assessment Criteria:
1. The concept research is defined.
2. The research process is described.
3. The implications of research are outlined.

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

1. WHAT IS RESEARCH?
• Fundamental research activities.

• Ask questions – find answers.

• Identifying problems – finding solutions.
• Research is a complex process – which means that there are steps.
• Therefore, research can be defined as:
✓ A process of inquiry during which information is collected.
✓ It follows a plan that is based on previous research (theoretical
foundation) to arrive at a conclusion based on evidence that can
be used to present solutions to particular problems, which in turn
will generate further research questions.

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

2. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
• Identifying and analyzing the question or problem
✓ Starts with a thought about a topic of interest then identification follows.
✓ Where?

Existing literature.
Out of observation of things happening around you.
Interest in learning more about a particular topic to gain more insight/understanding.

✓ This type of research is called basic or pure research.

✓ Finding solution to a problem is called applied research.
✓ So, research must always have a purpose – it should make a contribution to a body of existing
literature.
✓ Research topics are usually grouped in three broad categories – determination of the purpose
or goals of research:
o Exploratory research – to gather new information about a topic not being researched
before.
o Explanatory research – to find an explanation for a specific phenomenon. It can be in a
form of a research problem or question.
o Descriptive research – to describe a phenomenon that is identified through the research
conducted. Typically guided by a question.

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

2. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
• Conducting a literature review
✓ Search for relevant literature relating to your topic published before.
✓ These include:
o accredited academic journals.
o Scholarly works and books.
✓ Wikipedia not valid academic source.
✓ Gathering information relating to your research topic enables the formulation of your
research question and problem (next step) more clearly.
✓ It also provides information needed for your rationale.

• Formulating a research question

✓ When formulating a research question, consider the probability of finding answers to your
questions.
✓ Also find out whether the same questions have been asked before and what answers were
found. When, How and Where they were found? What are the implications of those answers
✓ This is referred to as a feasibility of the research project.
✓ Always bear in mind what you want to accomplish with the answers.
✓ Let us look at the following questions as examples:

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?
• Deciding on a research approach
✓ Qualitative or quantitative research approach or both?
✓ This will determine how you choose, collect, analyze and interpret information that will serve as
evidence.
✓ Distinction between the two:
o quantitative approach – present numerical or statistical data.
o qualitative approach – present interpretative data.
✓ The purpose, objective and aim of study will provide some guidelines to choose an appropriate
approach.
✓ For instance:
o If you want to predict and control future outcomes; explain the significance of
quantities, degrees and relationships of quantities; or generalize from a sample of
people to a larger population, go with quantitative methods such as surveys or
experimental designs.
o If your objective is to understand, explore or to describe people’s behavior; themes in
behaviors, attitudes or trends; or relations between people’s actions, go with qualitative
methods such as participants observation, in-depth interviews or textual analysis.
✓ Key to this step is that your research approach has to ensure the validity of your findings.

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

• Writing your research proposal
✓ This is one of the most crucial steps in the research process because at this point, you have to
provide evidence of the work you have done so far.
✓ This means that you have to unpack your thinking around how you are going to answer your
research question and solve the research problem identified.
✓ This can be achieved by providing detailed, clear and specific answers to the following
questions:
o What are you going to research?
o Why is your research worth doing?
o What is the feasibility of your research?
o What are the ethical implications of your research?
o How are you going to collect and analyse your data?
o Who is involved in your research project?
o Where will the study take place?
o When will the research take place?
o What kind of contribution to the body of knowledge will the study make?
o What are some of the potential limitations of your study?
✓ It is therefore advisable to pre-test your data collection methods or instruments (piloting).

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

• Pre-testing data collection methods or instruments
✓ It is important to pre-test your data collection instrument before the actual data collection.
✓ For instance, in case you use questionnaires, test it on a small group of respondents to see
whether they understand the questions, provide the kind of information you intend on
gathering, follow the sequence of questioning etc…
✓ The purpose is to eliminate problems that you may not have foreseen when designing the
instrument.
✓ Data collected during the pre-test should not be used in your actual findings but to rectify
mistakes in your instrument.
✓ Once mistakes are corrected, you may continue with data collection process and thereafter
analyze and interpret your data.

• Analysing and interpreting your data

✓ This step forms the basis of your findings, conclusions and recommendations.
✓ This step determines whether your recommendations will be implemented in your study or
what the recommendations for further research may be.
✓ During this step you will utilize your theoretical framework to interpret your findings.
✓ Your method of analysis will depend on specific research method(s) you may have chosen.

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

 • Writing your research report
✓ This is a final step of the process which present your findings, conclusions and
recommendations.
✓ It summarizes the entire process in a clear, logical and accurate manner.

3. THE IMPLICATIONS OF YOUR RESEARCH

• This refers to your considerations and responsibilities as a researcher:
✓ You should not manipulate information to prove personal position relating the research
conducted.
✓ You should ensure that your research does not cause anybody emotional stress, physical
discomfort, humiliation or even embarrassment.
✓ You should ensure anonymity of respondents or participants who don’t wish to be
identified.
✓ You must obtain consent or substitute consent where children are involved.
✓ You must be aware of legal considerations

STUDY UNIT 1: WHAT IS RESEARCH?

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;II!!! Tshwane University
of Technology
Weempower J)Nple

www.tut.ac.za