BUSITEMA UNIVERSITY ARAPAI CAMPUS

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIBUSINESS AND EXTENSION

RESEARCH METHODS AND DISSEMINATION- DAP 1208

ILUKOL VICTOR

BU/UP/2022/0480, DAP 1B

Definition of research

These are the various definitions of research presented by different scholars and authors.

In general, Research is a way of thinking and finding answers to the questions that come into your mind.

A broad definition of research is given by Martyn Shuttleworth that includes any gathering of data,
information and facts for the advancement of knowledge.

Another definition of research is given by Creswell who states that; Research is a process of steps used
to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue. It consists of
three steps; Pose a question, collect data to answer the question and present an answer to the
question.

According to Waltz and Bansell (1981), Research is a systematic, formal, rigorous and precise process
employed to gain solutions to problems or discover and interpret new facts and relationships.

According to Kothari (2006), Research is a pursuit of trust with the help of study,
observation,comparison and experiment, the search for knowledge through objective and
systematic method of finding solutions to a problem.

Kerlinger (1873). Research is a systematic controlled, empirical and critical investigation of

hypotheticalpropositions about the presumed relations among natural phenomena.

According to Longman dictionary of contemporary English (1997), Research is a serious study of asubject
that is intended to discover new facts or test ideas.

According to Marriam ( Webster online dictionary), Research is a studious inquiry or

examination,especially; investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and
interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or law in the light of new facts or practical
application of such new or revised theories or law.

Properties or characteristics of Research

 Research is valid. It measures what it intends to measure

 Research is systematic. It follows a given order.
 Research is ethical. It means that any conclusion drawn is totally based upon ethical or hard
evidence gathered information collected from observations and real life experiences.
 Research is reliable. The findings should be consistent
 Research is empirical. Should be based on facts of the research findings.
  Research is rigorous. It follows the procedures to find out the answers related questions which
are relevant and appropriate in nature.
 Research is replicable
 Research is logical

Importance of Research

 It finds out real facts. A researcher evaluates or finds the real or exact information for the
problem related questions
 It achieves the new thoughts. Research is the process of finding the exact information through
proper observation, optimization and experiments.
 It evaluates information. It finds out the information and then evaluate them in an appropriate
or efficient manner so that they can easily design the research problem and then solve them.
 It tests hypotheses. The researcher does the causal relationship between the variables. The
hypotheses testing study represents the number of actions.
 It builds credibility
 It builds a strong foundation
 It helps in problem solving
 It helps in discovering new ideas.

Purposes of research

There are three main purposes of research;

Explanatory;

This is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. It
therefore aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature if the problem and not to provide a
conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables us to conduct more in-depth research later on.

Descriptive;

This expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its

characteristics and population. It focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’ but not on the ‘why’.

Explanatory;

Explanatory research, also referred to as casual research is conducted to determine how variables
interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. It deals with the ‘why’ of the research questions
and is therefore often based on experiments.

National Research Agenda

A research agenda plays a critical role in advancing knowledge and understanding in a particular field. It
Provides a roadmap for research efforts, promotes collaboration, drives innovation, informs policy and
practice and helps allocate resources more effectively.

Uganda’s national research agenda is driven by the government’s commitment to achieving sustainable
Development goals and improving the lives of citizens. The National Development Plan III
outlines the country’s development priorities, including economic growth, job creation, and
social service delivery and sets the framework for the National Research Agenda. The plan has
prioritized key growth drivers with the greatest multiplier effect as identified in the Uganda
vision 2040 namely; Agriculture, Tourism, Minerals, Oil and Gas, Infrastructure and Human
Capital Development.

Some of the key areas identified in the Uganda National Research Agenda include;

 Education. Through change of curriculum and availing free education.

 Health. The government has put up health facilities (centers) for example HC III in each sub
county.
 Agriculture. Through subsidizing/reducing the costs of Agro-inputs and to increase productivity.
 Infrastructure. Through improvement of roads and also construction of Central markets.
 Information and Communication technology. Through launching of satellite and installation of
CCTV Cameras.
 Climate. Through discouraging people from utilizing of wetlands. The government has also
supplied trees.

Research about the study/research designs and Approaches in research. Explain them.

Research/study design

A research design is simply a structural framework of various research methods as well as techniques
that are utilized by a researcher. It helps the researcher to pursue their journey into the
unknown but with a systematic approach by their side.

Elements of research design

The method applied for analyzing collected details.

Type of research methodology.

 Accurate purpose statement.

 Probable objections to research.
 Techniques to be implemented for collecting and analyzing research.
 Timeline.
 Measurement of analysis.
 Setting for the research study.

Types of Research design

 Quantitative Research design

 Qualitative Research design
Quantitative Research design

In this one, a researcher examines the various variables while including numbers as well as statistics in a
project to analyze its findings. The use of graphics, figures and pie charts is the main form of
data collection measurement and meta-analysis it’s information about the data by the data.

Qualitative Research design

This type of research design is quite contrary to the quantitative research design. It is explanatory in
nature and always seeks answers to “what’s” and “how’s”. it mainly focuses on why a specific
theory exists and what would be the respondent’s answer to it. This allows a researcher to draw
a conclusion with proper findings. Case studies are mainly used in qualitative research design in
order to understand various social complexities.

Now that we know the broadly classified types of research, quantitative and qualitative research can be
divided into the following major types of research designs.

 Descriptive research design

 Correlational research design
 Experimental research design
 Diagnostic research design
 Explanatory research design

Descriptive research design

In this, it describes the situation or case in depth in their research materials. This type of research design
is purely on a theoretical bases where the individual collects data, analyzes, prepares and then
presents it in an understandable manner.

Examples of descriptive design

 Do customers of company A prefer product C or product D?

 What are the main genetic, behavioral and morphological differences between Uganda wild
cows and hybrid cows?
 How prevalent is disease 1 in population Z?

Experimental research design

Is the type of research design in which the study is carried out utilizing a scientific approach and two sets
of variables. It is used in quantitative research methodologies, for example, if you lack sufficient
evidence to back your conclusions, you must first establish the facts.

Types of experimental research design

 Pre-experimental
 True experimental
 Quasi-experimental research designs.

Correlational research design

This one looks into correlations between variables without allowing the researcher to control or
manipulate any of them. It reveals the magnitude and or direction of a link between two
variables. It might have either positive, negative or zero.

Correlational studies research as a viable choice in a few scenarios like;

 To investigate non-causal relationships

 To explore causal relationships between variables
 To test new measurement tools.

Diagnostic research design

This is a type of research design that tries to investigate the underlying cause of a certain condition or
phenomenon. It can assist in learning more about the elements that contribute to certain
difficulties or challenges that your clients may be experiencing.

This consists of three main stages which are as follows;

 Inception of the issue

 Diagnosis of the issue
 Solution of the issue

Explanatory research design

This is a method established to explore phenomena that have that have not been researched or
adequately explained. Its primary goal is to notify us about where we may get a modest bit of
information. In short, it is a type of research design that is responsible for finding the why of the
events through the establishment of cause-effect relationships.

The most popular methods of explanatory research are;

 Literature research
 In-depth interview
 Focus groups
 Case studies

Research Approaches

A research approach is the procedure selected by the researcher to collect, analyze and interpret data.

There are three Approaches to Research namely;

 Quantitative research approach

 Qualitative research approach
 Mixed methods.

Quantitative research approach

This is the collection and analysis of numerical data to describe, explain, predict or control phenomena
of interest. The analysis of numerical data is complex and must be addressed systematically. It
uses deductive reasoning.
Qualitative research approach

This is the collection, analysis and interpretation of comprehensive narrative and visual data to gain
insights into a particular phenomena of interest. It can be characterized as the simultaneous
study of many aspects of a phenomenon and the attempt to study things as they exist naturally.
This approach uses inductive reasoning.

Mixed methods research

This combines quantitative and qualitative approaches by including both kinds of data in a single study.
This research allows the researcher to build on the relationship and strength that exists between
quantitative and qualitative research approaches. This allows for the phenomenon that is being
researched to be better understood.

Research techniques for data collection

Different research techniques are used to collect data depending upon the researcher’s choice to
conduct quantitative research or qualitative research.

When conducting quantitative research, surveys can be conducted. Survey research is a quantitative
research methodology technique that involves collecting numerical data to test hypotheses or
answer questions about the status of the subject in the study.

Qualitative research method techniques include participant observation, interviews, and focus groups.
Participant observation is used for collecting data on naturally occurring behaviors in their
natural settings. Interviews are best for collecting data on an individual’s history, perspective, or
experience. Focus groups are very effective in collecting data on norms of a group or issues
faced by a group.