This document provides an overview of advanced research methodologies. It discusses the explanation of a research question and problem statement, the differences between qualitative and quantitative research, and different types of research designs. The research question guides the literature review and focus of the study. Qualitative research focuses on words, opinions, and perceptions, while quantitative research analyzes numerical data and statistics. Different research designs include experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive, and correlational methods. Overall, the document outlines fundamental aspects of developing and conducting rigorous academic research.

1. ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
Jan Roan Neethling
Hons (B.Com)
STUDENT NUMBER: 23990384
ECON 876 submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
Masters of Commerce (Economics)
in the
Department of Economics
in the
Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology
at the
Vaal Triangle Campus
of the
North-West University
Vanderbijlpark
2016

2. “The best research you can do is to talk to people” – Terry Pratchett.
1. INTRODUCTION
Research is a word which can’t be defined or explained in a certain way, however, the word
research have a wide variety of meanings to different people (Amaratunga, Baldry, Sarshar &
Newton, 2002:17). Amaratunga et al., (2002:17) states that research is process of enquiry
which is systematic and methodical whereby it increases ones knowledge. According to
Carmichael (1922:571) research may be defined as the art of scientific investigation, or the
movement from the known to the unknown. Research may be defined as an academic activity in
defining, redefining problems, formulating hypothesis, organising, collecting and evaluating data
making recommendations and reaching conclusions (Pedaste et al., 2015). Research may be
defined as an original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge making for the
advancements in the pursuit of the truth in with the assistance of comparisons, observations
and experiments. Research is a very important factor in academics because it helps to find
solutions to problem and are mostly based on exciting theory to link the findings with your
specific study. Research should not be regarded as “scientific research” if it does not contribute
to the content of science or if it doesn’t follow a specific scientific method (Bhattacherjee,
2012:1). Figure 1.1 demonstrates the various types of research which the researcher may use
in order to conduct a specific study.
Figure 1.1: Types of research
Source: Maree (2016)

3. Figure 1.1 is a representation of the different types of research which may be used in any form
of study. There are three major groups of research, which includes application research,
objective research and the types of information sought. Application research primarily focuses
on pure research whereby the researcher gain new information which were not previously done.
Applied research is based on gaining new information from a group or study which were not
previously done by any institution or organisation. Application research is the purest form of
research in the sense that new knowledge is gained in an area where previous research wasn’t
done. It often involves research in specific communities which are done for the purpose of
government, organisations and clients.
Objective research is based primarily on descriptive and exploratory research in the sense that
the research results show actual figures and numbers, which may be used to compare one
study with another. It is also based on a problem of a specific field which have not yet been
clearly defined, whereas explanatory research is focused on the attempt to connect certain
ideas in order to understand the cause and effect of the specific research problem. Types of
information sought is primarily focused on the two groups of gaining the information which is
quantitative and qualitative research. Qualitative research is based on information given in the
source of ideas and perceptions as quantitative research involves the specific analyses of raw
data and numbers.
Conducting the most appropriate scientific research requires the researcher to have two set of
skills in order to master the science of research. Theory and methodology are the two set of
factors which mostly influences the applicability or standard of research in a specific study
(Bhattacherjee, 2012:4). The methodological skills involves the “know-how” of the research field,
while theoretical skills involve the specific “know what”, however, the “know-what” factor is the
most difficult, as it requires years of reflection and observation. Theoretical skills are harder to
master, and it is something that can’t be “taught”, but rather it comes with years of experience
(Bhattacherjee, 2012:4). The methodological skills are needed by an ordinary researcher, but
theoretical skills are needed to be an extraordinary researcher within your specific field.
Research is very important and it forms a significant part in the academic environment, as such,
research contributes to the knowledge base in a subject, and it also adds value in the
practitioner environment in terms of service innovation and development. The importance of
research doesn’t only have an impact on the academic environment, but it also adds value to
other parties such as the government, international organisations and policy development for
important role players in the economy as well. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the
explanation of a research question, the research problem statement, different types of research
designs as well as the requirements for an excellent literature review.

4. 2. CONTENT
2.1 THE EXPLANATION OF A RESEARCH QUESTION
The research question are mostly used in research in order to “direct” you into the most
appropriate research literature and other valuable resources in your field of study. For example
if you are researching the question: “What Macro-Economic variables determine economic
growth the most?” then your literature will focus mainly on the economic growth variables and
GDP than on policies to improve economic growth. Thus the research question is very important
because it determines the focus area of your study, and prevents you from drifting from your
original purpose of the study (Maree, 2016:3). When drifting away from your original question,
and finding some other important information for example on the history of a country, the
culture, the trade relations etc. it will help you to determine some very important
recommendations and possible limitation to the study at hand. The research question thus
provides a very important disposition in order to gain valuable time in the collection of resources
and data (Labaree, 2009:1).
Some of the qualities of a good research question includes factors such as being concise, clear
in your approach, open-ended, elegant, timely, theoretically rich and self-explanatory (Maree,
2016:4-5). In order for the researcher to be certain that the research question is adequate, there
will be various literature surrounding the topic which may be found in textbooks and academic
journals that supports the topic. Expert opinions are also very important because the supervisor
or mentor will guide you in determining whether the study is feasible and the value it will add to
the specific subject field (Maree, 2016:5).
Applied research is very important because the questions are designed to provide specific data
which could help improve the specific situation. Applied research are also known as action
research whereby the researcher are actively involved in the communities and doing research
on the specific problem at hand (Thomas, 2010:5). There are three categories of a research
question which are very important in determining your objectives of the study. The three
categories include a descriptive question (how and what questions), an explanatory research
question (why are the economic growth at a very low rate, given the various policies
implemented to develop the economy) as well as exploratory questions (focus are shifted
towards the dimensions of the specific problem at hand).
The research question is a very important part of your study because it can make or break your
research. Without a specific research question it will have no severe impact on the literature that
needs to be collected. Given that a research question is one of the first steps in determining the

5. base of your research it also important to consider a hypothesis or statement to test purpose of
the study. In the beginning of research it is however very important to have a research question
in order to formulate the purpose of your study.
2.2 THE EXPLANATION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT
The problem statement usually refers to the specific problem that needs to be examined before
starting the research. The research problem statement are usually linked with the research
questions because it specifically entails the problem or possible consequences linked with your
title. In economics the research problem (with regards to low economic growth or GDP) may be:
South Africa experienced a huge balance of payment problem in the past five years, or, the
currency devaluated to R17.00 against the $ in 2016. This problem will always be linked back to
your title, as it entails possible factors that may influence the low economic growth.
The research problem or statement may be seen as the first step in determining the research
question, because when the problem occurs the researcher will then have to ask themselves a
few questions that links to the title of the study. A problem statement therefore specifically refers
to the explanation possible causes or problems to the specific topic or subject. The research
problem may influence the way in which the researcher go about in his study in terms of the
challenges and other factors which may influence the way in which research are done. The
problem statement is therefore lined backed to research question in terms of the descriptive
question whereby it entails the specific “how” and “what” questions of your designated study.
Research problems may change very repeatedly, especially in qualitative research which is
more open-ended than close ended questions. A research problem may be seen as a metaphor
for “globalisation” because the fact is that your research problem may change in one day, due to
external factors such as a recession. In order for the researcher to formulate the research
problem it may be a better alternative to daily read the changes in the specific field of study,
because an event may happen two or more times in a year. Therefore, when formulating your
research problem it is very important to identify the possibility of the specific problem to happen
on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. If this problem occurred only once in the last 10
years then it will be more adequate to do a specific research proposal on such an instance
(such as the 2007/8 recession in the USA).
2.3 DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Qualitative data usually have to do with specific interviews, opinions, statements or perceptions
of people, while your quantitative study specifically focuses on quantities of research which

6. refers to the collection of numbers and data. The following section will elaborate more on the
differences between quantitative and qualitative data:
2.3.1 Qualitative research
Qualitative research are mostly associated with the complex sets of human understanding and
behaviour which may be reduced to a simple, fixed and ambiguous definition (Gough, 2002).
Atkinson et al., (2003) states that literature are used to tell us there are a wide variety of
approaches to qualitative research which are based on a variety of methodologies such as
anthropology, interactionism, sociolinguistics, ethnomethodology and feminism. In short, the
quantitative approach involves a holistic picture, analysing words, viewing detailed reports of
participants and conducting the research in a natural setting (Creswell, 2015). The qualitative
research method therefore differs from the quantitative research methods, because with
quantitative measures the researcher are using specific data, numbers or statistics, whereby the
qualitative research method involves the specific analysis of words, conversations or academic
writing. The researcher is often faced with reality in a constructive position whereby the meaning
of certain perceptions differ from each other (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011).
Some of the key characteristics in qualitative research is to know and understand a central
problem are, which is the process or concept explored in a qualitative research study. The
sample size is relatively small and the research question are very broad. According to Maree
(2016:104) some of the main types of qualitative data includes:
 Individual and focus-group interviews (transcripts of interviews with the participants)
 Observations (notes and pictures taken by the researcher during the observation)
 Documents (public and private records about the study phenomenon)
 Audio-visual materials (pictures or audio recordings of people, places and events)
 Artifacts (materials or objects used by the participants).
This type of data are normally used by making notes on interview and observation protocols
with the use of audio and video recording devices. The text data are then used to transcribe for
a further analysis. This qualitative approach are then used to code the text segments into
certain themes. The interpretation involves the statement of the larger meaning and findings of
personal reflections about the lessons learned (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Quantitative research
are more concerned with work in social sciences such as sociology, psychology and
anthropology, however, social sciences also comprises of quantitative research as well in terms
of the use of specific validated scales (Hancock, 2009:1). Qualitative research therefore
specifically focuses on the development of the social phenomena whereby it helps explaining

7. the world we live in and why things are the way it is (Hancock, 2009:1). Qualitative research
therefore specifically focuses on the reason why people behave the way they do, how attitudes
are formed and the way in which people are affected by certain events around them. Qualitative
data are based on four major types of research designs including phenomenology,
ethnography, grounded theory as well as case studies. There are also three major methods for
collecting qualitative data including individual interviews, focus groups as well as observations
(Hancock, 2009:1).
Qualitative data is very important because it helps in explaining experiences, opinions, and
feelings in a more subjective manner. The experiences are gained through a more holistic
approach, and helps identifying possible variables which may be used to determine the
validation of the study. Specific target groups and subgroups are used in qualitative research in
order to gain a degree of understanding within the entire population. We may conclude that
qualitative data is more holistic and subjective and focuses more on the opinions and
statements from certain individuals than quantitative data which are based on scientific and
objective research studies (Curry, Nembhard & Bradley, 2009: 1442).
2.3.2 Quantitative research
A quantitative research process may be defined as a systemic and objective way of using
numerical data from a subgroup of a population in order to generalise the findings to the
universe that is being studied. The three most important elements of quantitative research
includes objectivity, numerical data and generalisability. The quantitative way of research differs
from the qualitative data in the sense that quantitative data specifically focuses on raw data
which may be used in both primary and secondary research types. Quantitative research
therefore focuses specifically on scientific evidence and doesn’t focus specifically on opinions
and views from other parties or groups. Quantitative analysis are primarily focused on the
interpretation of existing data, such as the World Bank, Trading Economics, IMF and Statistics
South Africa (StatsSA). The models used in the quantitative research methods may differ, but it
is still regarded as existing data which are interpreted in its own way. The perfect example of a
quantitative research topic may be: “The impact of crime on the economy: The case of South
Africa”. The data used already exists, it is just the possibility of interpreting the data in its own
way. The method used may be a linear regression, correlation, covariance matrixes and basic
descriptive statistics, however, qualitative data is not possible due to size of population and
invalid research validity.

8. Figure 2.1: Research process for quantitative data
Source: Maree (2016:163)
Figure 2.1 is a representation of the research process in quantitative studies in starting with the
research. The first aspect is sampling in order to determine the size of the group which needs to
be evaluated, intervention strategies are then needed in order to determine how the researcher
will go about interpreting the results different than other similar studies. Instruments are then
needed in order to collect the necessary data for the study and it is usually associated with the
method of research used such as questionnaires, interviews or secondary data. After the data
has been collected, the data needs to be coded correctly and edited where it’s needed. The
analysis usually begins with descriptive data and then moving to more advanced analysis, such
as regressions, correlations and covariance’s. The data will then be analysed and provisional
results will be given whereby the data and the study will be published. After the whole process,
there will always be new questions and research hypothesis which may be used for future
research.
Golafshani (2003:597) states that quantitative research are therefore more focused on the
analysis of existing data and numbers, which helps the researcher to familiarize him/herself with
the specific problem or concepts to be evaluated, and it may help generating a hypotheses to
be tested. Quantitative research forms part of a paradigm which includes: (1) the emphases on
facts and causes of the behaviour, (2) the information may be summarised, (3) the
mathematical process is norm for interpreting the data and (4) the final result is expressed in a
Research
process
Sampling
Intervention
strategies
Instruments
to collect
data
Collect data
Edit and
code data
Descriptive
and
inferential
data
Data analysis
Provisional
results:
statitical
inference
Publish data
New
questions
and research
hypotheses
Further
research

9. statistical terminology. Quantitative research therefore focuses more on the analyses of existing
data and the interpretation of the data in a different manner. Glesne and Peshkin (1992:6)
states that quantitative research are mostly supported by scientific and positivist paradigm
which leads to observable and measurable facts.
2.4 DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGN
The research designs refers to the overall strategy that are needed in order to integrate the
different components of the study in a more logical way. The research design are therefore
used to effectively address the research problem and it shows the exact collection,
measurement and analysis of the data (De Vaus, 2006). The problem statements usually firstly
needs to be identified before the research design may be laid out, and therefore the problem
statement are used to determine the design of the study. According to De Vaus (2006) there are
a wide variety of research designs which includes: action research designs, case study designs,
casual design, cohort design, descriptive designs and observational research designs. Table
2.1 shows a brief description of the various research designs, the definitions of each and an
example.
Table 2.1: Different types of research designs
Type of research
design
Description Example
Case study design Case study research designs are based on the
analysis of an in-depth study of a particular
research problem. The case study design are
mostly used when not much are known about
the problem or phenomenon.
Case study designs are mostly used in the
analysis of specific geographical areas such
as South Africa. The topic of a case study
research will be: An analysis of economic
growth: A case study of South Africa.
Casual designs Casual designs are mostly referred to the
situation whereby the study are used to
analyse the impact of a specific change on the
existing assumptions and norms.
The perfect example of a casual design
would be to determine whether the
independent variable had a significant
impact on the other variables. The impact of
an enabling environment on regional
economic development is the perfect
example.
Cohort design Cohort study designs are mostly used in
applied social sciences involving the study of a
specific group in a population who are similar
in certain characteristics. The cohort design
may be applied in marketing of generation Y
whereby the focus group is young adults.
Cohort studies usually refers to studies done
within a specific group in a population.
Example: Perceptions of Generation Y in the
usefulness of mobile banking applications.
Descriptive
design
The descriptive study designs are primarily
focused on obtaining information of the current
The idea surrounding the descriptive design
is based on the principle that it is one study

10. status of the research problem. The subject
therefore focuses on the natural and
unchanged environment only with new data.
that are being analysed with new data. The
perfect example would be: The impact of
economic growth from 1994 to 2016. The
year 2016 are added whereas previous data
only focused on the years 1994 to 2010.
Observational
design
The observational research design is based on
the comparisons of research groups in the
case where the researcher has no control over
the study. Direct observations are where the
study are being analysed by observation, while
unobtrusive behaviour is where the behaviour
of individuals are being measured.
The observational research design is based
on the principle whereby the researcher is
not participating in the actual study,
however, the researcher is observing the
study in one way. The perfect example
would be: The behaviour of consumers in
choosing different brands of bread. The
main focus would be to analyse the
behaviour on choice of bread in a retail
market by means of number of sales on a
daily basis.
Action research
design
The foundations of the action research design
is based on the principle of exploratory stance
in order to understand the problem and making
an interventional strategy to overcome the
specific problem. The action research design
are mostly used to dig deeper and to find
adaptive and collaborative research within
community situations.
The action research design are primarily
focused on a definite action plans towards
understanding the problem at hand. The
perfect example of the action research
design would be: The impact of regional
economic development on the enabling
environment: Perceptions of community
members. The foundation of the research
are to design a questionnaire with various
questions and to distribute the questionnaire
to community members in order to analyse
the areas where service delivery may
improve.
Cross-sectional
design
The main objective of the cross-sectional
design is that the study design has no time
dimensions, mostly reliant on existing
perceptions or behaviours and the target
population are chosen from a wide variety of
people i.e. no exact study group. The cross-
sectional research design therefore focuses
primarily on a “snapshot” of the situation at that
specific date and time and is not reliant on a
specific time period.
The cross sectional study design are mostly
used in social sciences whereby the
behaviours, perceptions or opinions are
measured rather than the changes of
variables over a specific period of time. An
example of the cross-sectional design might
be: “The perceived causes of poverty in
townships: The case of Sharpeville”. The
study primarily focuses on the issue, known
as poverty, but there are no time period for
measuring the causes.
Source: De Vaus (2006)

11. There are various ways of doing research in social sciences such as economics, marketing, risk
management and accounting, but the way in which the problem is addressed should be the first
step in assuring the type of research design you will be using. Designs such as cohort designs
specifically focuses on one study group rather a wide variety of people in a study area, while
cross sectional study designs focuses more on a wide variety of people and study groups. The
research design are therefore very important in any article or dissertation because it shows the
way in which the researcher integrate the different components of the study in a logical way,
and determines the blueprint of your study.
2.5 REQUIREMENTS FOR A GOOD LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature review may be seen as critical thinking in the sense that it includes a wide variety
of analysing arguments, evaluating, reading through similar studies and solving a specific
problem at hand (Lai, 2011:2). One of the most vital requirements of an excellent literature
review is the background knowledge needed for enabling some kind of critical thought for a
given subject (Lai, 2011:2). Prior to writing the literature review the researcher should first do
some reading on the topic, and formulate some kind of structure within the literature review.
Conducting the literature review reveals the knowledge of the author in terms the subject,
theories, key variables, approaches and history of the research problem (Randolph, 2009:1).
The literature review will give the examiner or reader a clear and decisive conclusion on
whether the researcher knows what he/she are talking about and if the researcher collected
enough information prior to writing the article or dissertation.
The literature review are needed in any kind of research because it is both advantageous and
necessary to rely on recent studies of the specific research topic or field (Putasso, 2013:1). It is
most likely that a new researcher will focus on a large amount of theory and literature available
to them, however, as the researcher progress in his/her career they find ways to narrow down
information to the most important points. Putasso (2013:1-3) states that the requirements for a
good literature review includes aspects such as defining the audience, researching the
literature, keeping the literature review focused, but broad for a larger audience, finding a logical
structure, including your own relevant research and being up-to date with the newest findings on
the study.
Randolph (2009:3) states that there is a taxonomy which should be used in order to write the
literature review in an article or dissertation. The Cooper’s taxonomy of literature reviews are
mostly used in order to guide the researcher in writing the perfect literature review for a specific
study.

12. Table 2.2: Cooper’s taxonomy of literature reviews
Characteristic Category
Focus The literature review should have clear and concise research
outcomes and methods. Specific theories and practical applications
are needed to support your literature review.
Goal The goals of the literature review is to integrate the existing theory
with the practical findings. Generalisation, conflict resolution criticism
and the identification of the central issue are needed in order to
explain the specific literature.
Perspective Perspective are needed in order for the reader to have an idea of what
previous studies have found, but more importantly it should have a
neutral representation. The literature review should be used in order
for the both the researcher and the reader to have a clear and concise
idea of the specific research.
Coverage One of the characteristics mostly needed in the literature review is
coverage. An all-inclusive literature are needed with selective citation
in order for the literature review to be more representative.
Organisation The literature review should be flowing in the sense that it should be
based on historical theory with relation to the topic and a clear
methodological approach to the study at hand.
Audience The audience of your literature review should be focused on
specialized scholars in the field, general scholars, policymakers,
government and the general public.
Source: Randolph (2009:3)
The requirements of an excellent literature review are based on five very important
characteristics including focus, group, perspective, coverage, organisation and audience. The
Cooper’s taxonomy for the requirements of an excellent literature review is one of the first steps
needed in order to write an excellent literature review. Given the importance of a good literature
review it is important for any scholar to be clear and concise in the literature review in order for
the article or dissertation to have an adequate flow.
3. CONCLUSION
Research is a process whereby a person gain new knowledge in a specific field of study.
Research is life because it adds value to a specific subject of field of study, moreover it shapes
the way in which we see the world that is constantly changing. One of the first steps of research
is to have some sort of problem statement and research question, because it ultimately
determines your route of research. The problem statement guides you to dig deeper and find

13. studies similar to those on which are being investigated, which ultimately leads the reader to
find work on similar studies such as the formulation of the literature review. The type of research
design needs to be determined prior to investigation because it enables the researcher to find a
structure to the study, but most importantly the researcher needs to determine whether he/she
will be using qualitative/quantitative data or primary/secondary data. The way in which the
researcher goes about the literature review should include characteristics such as a clear focus,
goal, perspective, coverage, organisation and audience. As part of the literature review it is very
important for the researcher to have a clear and concise way of interpreting the data, which is
also known as the methodology of the research process. Everyone thinks differently, and
everyone have a different way of doing research, however, it is still important to find an
adequate structure in the layout of your research.
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15. 1