briefly introduce about the research process.

1. RESEARCH
PROCESS
A QUICK GLANCE

2. The research process: 8 step model

3. Phase I: Deciding what to research
Step 1: Formulating a research problem
A research problem identifies your destination: it should tell you, your
research supervisor and your readers what you intend to research.

4. Phase I: Deciding what to research
Step 1: Formulating a research problem
A research problem identifies your destination: it should tell you, your
research supervisor and your readers what you intend to research.
The main function of formulating a research problem is to decide what you
want to find out about.

5. Phase I: Deciding what to research
A research problem
The formulation of a problem is like the ‘input’ to a study, and the ‘output’ –
the quality of the contents of the research report and the validity of the
associations or causation established – is entirely dependent upon it.

6. Phase I: Deciding what to research
Sources of research problem:
Most research revolves around four Ps:
• people;
• problems;
• programmes;
• phenomena.

7. Phase I: Deciding what to research
Considerations in selecting a research problem:
Most research revolves around four Ps:
• Interest
• Magnitude
• Measurement of concepts
• Level of expertise
• Relevance
• Availability of data
• Ethical issues

8. Phase I: Deciding what to research
Characteristics of objectives:

9. Phase I: Deciding what to research
A research problem
Broadly speaking, any question that you want answered and any
assumption or assertion that you want to challenge or investigate can
become a research problem or a research topic for your study.
Keyword: neurodegeneration disease

10. Phase II: Deciding what to research
Step 2: Conceptualizing a research design
The main function of a research design is to explain how you will find
answers to your research questions. The research design sets out the
specific details of your enquiry.

11. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 2: Conceptualizing a research design
The main function of a research design is to explain how you will find
answers to your research questions.The research design sets out the
specific details of your enquiry.
When selecting a research design it is important to ensure that it is valid,
workable and manageable.

12. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample
The accuracy of your findings largely depends upon the way you select
your sample.

13. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample
There are three categories of sampling design:
• random/probability sampling designs;
• non-random/non-probability sampling designs;
• ‘mixed’ sampling design.

14. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample
Principles of sampling:
Suppose there are four individuals A, B, C and D. Further suppose that A is
18 years of age, B is 20, C is 23 and D is 25

15. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample
Principles of sampling:
Suppose there are four individuals A, B, C and D. Further suppose that A is 18
years of age, B is 20, C is 23 and D is 25.
Now let us suppose that you want to select a sample of two individuals to make
an estimate of the average age of the four individuals. To select an unbiased
sample, we need to make sure that each unit has an equal and independent
chance of selection in the sample.
Randomization is a process that enables you to achieve this.

16. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample

17. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample

18. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample
Principles of sampling:
To understand the second principle, let us continue with the above
example, but instead of a sample of two individuals we take a sample of
three.

19. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample

20. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample

21. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 4: Selecting a sample

22. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 5: Writing research proposal
This overall plan, called a research proposal, tells a reader about your research
problem and how you are planning to investigate.
Broadly, a research proposal’s main function is to detail the operational plan for
obtaining answers to your research questions.

23. Phase II: Planning a research study
Step 5: Writing research proposal
Contents:
• an introduction, including a brief literature review;
• theoretical framework that underpins your study;
• conceptual framework which constitutes the basis of your study;
• objectives or research questions of your study;
• hypotheses to be tested, if applicable;
• study design that you are proposing to adopt;
• setting for your study;
• research instrument(s) you are planning to use;
• sampling design and sample size;
• ethical issues involved and how you propose to deal with them;
• data processing procedures;
• proposed chapters of the report;
• problems and limitations of the study;

24. Phase III: Conducting research study
Step 7: Processing and Displaying Data

25. Phase III: Conducting research study
Step 7: Processing and Displaying Data
There are four ways of communicating and displaying the analyzed data.
These are:
• Text;
• Tables;
• Graphs;
• Statistical measures

26. Phase III: Conducting research study
Step 7: Processing and Displaying Data

27. Phase III: Conducting research study
Step 8: Writing a Research Report

28. Phase III: Conducting research study
Step 8: Writing a Research Report
Before you start writing your report, it is good practice to develop an outline
(‘chaptalization’).
This means deciding how you are going to divide your report into different
chapters and planning what will be written in each one.
In developing chaptalization, the sub-objectives of your study or the major
significant themes that emerged from content analysis can provide immense
guidance.