CHAPTER TWO

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

 The Research Process

• Research is usually represented as a multi-stage process which

must be followed in order to undertake and complete the
research project.
The precise number of stages varies, but they usually include:
• Formulating and clarifying a topic,
• Reviewing the literature,
• Choosing a strategy,
• Collecting data,
• Analyzing data and
• Writing up
 2.1.1 Formulating and Clarifying the
Research Topic
• Before you start your research you need to
have at least some idea of what you want to
do
Some of the points you have to consider are:
• Generating and refining research ideas.
• Turning the research idea into research
question(s), or hypothesis(es) and objectives
 Attributes of a Good Research Topic

• Does the topic fit the specification and meet the standards set by the
examining institution? If there is an examining body.
• Is the topic something with which you are really
fascinated/attractive(captivated or mesmerized?
• Does your research topic contain issues that have a clear link to theory?
• Do you have, or can you develop within the research project timeframe,
the necessary research skills to undertake the topic?
• Is the research topic achievable within the available time?
• Is the research topic achievable within the financial resources that are
likely to be available?
• Are you reasonably certain of being able to gain access to data you are
likely to require for the topic?
• Are you able to state your research question(s) and objectives clearly?
• Will your proposed research be able provide fresh insights on this topic?
• Does your research topic relate clearly to the idea you have been given
(perhaps by an organization)?
Generating and Refining Research Ideas
1. rational thinking
2. creative thinking
1. Rational Thinking

i) Examining Own Strengths and Interests

ii) Looking at Past Research Project Titles
iii) Discussion
iv) Searching the Literature
2. Creative Thinking

i. Keeping a notebook of ideas

ii. Exploring Personal Preferences using Past Research Projects
iii. Relevance Trees
3. Brainstorming
Turning Research Ideas into Research Problems, Questions or Hypotheses
Research Problems
• Research originates with a problem or question. So, after
deciding on the research idea, one has to think of a
research problem.
• 1. Research projects should not be a ruse for achieving self-
enlightenment.
• 2. A problem whose sole purpose is to compare two sets of
data is not a suitable research problem.
• 3. Calculating a coefficient of correlation between two sets
of data to show a relationship between them is not
acceptable as a problem for research.
• A correlation coefficient is nothing more than a statistic that
expresses how closely two sets of data are related to each
other. It tells us nothing about why that relationship exists.
• 4. Problems that result in yes or no answer
are not suitable problems for research.
• e.g. “Is homework beneficial to children?”
That is no problem for research, certainly not
in the form in which it is stated.
 background information in your research paper
• The length and detail of your background also depend on the degree
to which you need to demonstrate your understanding of the topic.
Paying close attention to the following questions will help you in
writing the background information in your research paper:

• 1. Are there any theories, concepts, terms, and ideas that may be
unfamiliar to the target audience and will require you to provide any
additional explanation?
• 2. Any historical data that need to be shared in order to provide
context on why the current issue emerged?
• 3. Are there any concepts that may have been borrowed from other
disciplines that may be unfamiliar to the reader and need an
explanation?
• The background of the study is the key to introduce your audience to
your research topic and should be done with strong knowledge and
thoughtful writing.
• The background of the study is one of the key
aspects you need to get right when you are writing
a research paper. It is the key to introducing your
readers to the topic of your research
• The background of study will provide your readers
with context to the information talked about
throughout your research paper. It can include
both relevant and essential studies.
• What does a good background of the study
example contain?
• A good example of background of the study is one
that:
• Contains reviews of the area being researched
• Has currently available information about the
problem of the study
• Captures the previous studies on the issue
• Indicates the history of the issue of the study
from previous researches done on the subject
 statement of the problem

• A statement of the problem is used in research

work as a claim that outlines the problem
addressed by a study.
• A good research problem should address an
existing gap in knowledge in the field and lead to
further research.
• To write a persuasive problem statement, you
need to describe (a) the ideal, (b), the reality,
and (c) the consequences.
 research problem
• A good research problem should have the following
characteristics:
1. It should address a gap in knowledge.
2. It should be significant enough to contribute to the existing
body of research
3. It should lead to further research
4. The problem should render itself to investigation through
collection of data
5. It should be of interest to the researcher and suit his/her
skills, time, and resources
6. The approach towards solving the problem should be ethical
• A persuasive statement of problem is usually
written in three parts:
• Part A (The ideal): Describes a desired goal or ideal
situation; explains how things should be.
• Part B (The reality): Describes a condition that
prevents the goal, state, or value in Part A from
being achieved or realized at this time; explains
how the current situation falls short of the goal or
ideal.
• Part C (The consequences): Identifies the way you
propose to improve the current situation and move
it closer to the goal or ideal.
 research question
• A research question is 'a question that a research project sets
out to answer'.
• Choosing a research question is an essential element of both
quantitative and qualitative research. Investigation will
require data collection and analysis, and the methodology
for this will vary widely.
• Good research questions seek to improve knowledge on an
important topic, and are usually narrow and specific.

• To form a research question, one must determine what type

of study will be conducted such as a qualitative, quantitative,
or mixed study. Additional factors, such as project funding,
may not only affect the research question itself but also
when and how it is formed during the research process
 Constructing a research question
• The FINER method prompts researchers to determine whether one has the
means and interest to conduct the study
F – Feasible
• Adequate number of subjects
• Adequate technical expertise
• Affordable in time and money
• Manageable in scope
I – Interesting
• Getting the answer intrigues investigator, peers and community
N – Novel
• Confirms, refutes or extends previous findings
E – Ethical
• Amenable to a study that institutional review board will approve
R – Relevant
• To scientific knowledge
• To clinical and health policy
• To future research
 Types and purpose

The research question serves two purposes:

1. It determines where and what kind of
research the writer will be looking for.
2. It identifies the specific objectives the study
or paper will address.
• Therefore, the writer must first identify the
type of study (qualitative, quantitative, or
mixed) before the research question is
developed.
 Hypothesis
• A hypothesis is a logical supposition, a reasonable guess, an educated
conjecture. So, it provides a tentative explanation for a phenomenon
under investigation.
• It may direct your thinking to possible sources of information that will aid
in resolving one or more sub problems/specific objectives and, in the
process, the principal research problem/general objective.
• A hypothesis (plural hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for a
phenomenon.
• For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method
requires that one can test it.
• Scientists generally base scientific hypotheses on previous observations
that cannot satisfactorily be explained with the available scientific theories.
• Even though the words "hypothesis" and "theory" are often used
synonymously, a scientific hypothesis is not the same as a scientific theory.
A working hypothesis is a provisionally accepted hypothesis proposed for
further research, in a process beginning with an educated guess or though
 Research Questions in a quantitative study
• To form a research question, one must determine what type of study will be
conducted such as a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed study
• A quantitative study seeks to learn where, or when, so the writer's research must
be directed at determining the where, or when of the research topic. Therefore,
when crafting a research question for a quantitative study, the writer will need to
ask a where, or when question about the topic.
• For example: Where should the company market its new product? Unlike a
qualitative study, a quantitative study is mathematical analysis of the research
topic, so the writer's research will consist of numbers and statistics.

Here is Creswell's (2009) example of a script for a quantitative research question:

• Does _________ (name the theory) explain the relationship between _________
(independent variable) and _________ (dependent variable), controlling for the
effects of _________ (control variable)?
• Alternatively, a script for a quantitative null hypothesis might be as follows:

• There is no significant difference between _________ (the control and experimental

Quantitative studies also fall into two categories:
• Correlational studies: A correlational study is non-
experimental, requiring the writer to research relationships
without manipulating or randomly selecting the subjects of
the research. The research question for a correlational
study may look like this: What is the relationship between
long distance commuters and eating disorders?
• Experimental studies: An experimental study is
experimental in that it requires the writer to manipulate
and randomly select the subjects of the research. The
research question for an experimental study may look like
this: Does the consumption of fast food lead to eating
disorders?
• Qualitative study
• A qualitative study seeks to learn why or how, so the writer's research
must be directed at determining the what, why and how of the
research topic. Therefore, when crafting a research question for a
qualitative study, the writer will need to ask a why or how question
about the topic. For example: How did the company successfully
market its new product? The sources needed for qualitative research
typically include print and internet texts (written words), audio and
visual media.
• Here is Creswell's (2009) example of a script for a qualitative research
central question:
• _________ (How or what) is the _________ ("story for" for narrative
research; "meaning of" the phenomenon for phenomenology;
"theory that explains the process of" for grounded theory; "culture-
sharing pattern" for ethnography; "issue" in the "case" for case study)
of _________ (central phenomenon) for _________ (participants) at
• Mixed study
• A mixed study integrates both qualitative and quantitative
studies, so the writer's research must be directed at
determining the why or how and the what, where, or when of
the research topic. Therefore, the writer will need to craft a
research question for each study required for the assignment.
A typical study may be expected to have between 1 and 6
research questions.

• Once the writer has determined the type of study to be used

and the specific objectives the paper will address, the writer
must also consider whether the research question passes the
"so what" test. The "so what" test means that the writer must
construct evidence to convince the audience why the research
is expected to add new or useful knowledge to the literature.
 Theory

• The importance of theory

• Theory is a set of interrelated variables, definitions
and propositions that presents a systematic view
of phenomena by specifying relationships among
variables with the purpose of explaining natural
phenomena. Simply, theories are explanations of
how things function or why events occur.
• In one sense theories are the generalizations we
make about variables and the relationships among
them. We use these generalizations to make
decisions and predict outcomes.