RESEARCH CHAPTER ONE BSC, MPH, EPIDEMOLOGIST Abdisalaam sheikh mohamed muhumed works minister of health development epi sect ion consultant

1. Research Methods
Lecturer:
Abdisalaam SH.M.muhumed
SEPTEMPER, 2021
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Bsc,PH
MPH:
EPEDEMOLOGY

2. 2
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction to Research
Methods

3. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
After completing Chapter One, students will be able to:
1. Define research and describe its main characteristics.
2. Explain the importance of research
3. State purpose, aim and objectives of research and
describe its different types and Problems.
4. Determine when research should and should not be
conducted.
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4. THE TERM RESEARCH
 The term “Research” consists of two words:
Research: Re + Search
 “Re” means again and again and “Search” means to
find out something, the following is the process:
 Therefore, the research is a process of which a
person observes the phenomena again and again
and collects the data and on the basis of data
analysis he/she draws some conclusions.
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5. What is a Research?
 Research is the application of the scientific
method in searching for truth about phenomena.
 The research must be conducted systematically,
not haphazardly/randomly. It must be objective to
avoid the distorting effects of personal bias.
 Research should be rigorous/consider every part of
something , but the rigor is always traded off
against the resource and time constraints that go
with a particular decision.
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6. Meaning of Research
 There are two ways of looking at research: The
everyday general meaning and the technical
(scientific) meaning.
 General meaning: In this sense, research refers in
any means of getting to know. Any means of gathering
information and arriving decision is a research.
 Scientific Meaning: In this scientific sense, Research
is defined by both the process and the product
(knowledge). The process and the product of research
must meet certain characteristics.
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7. Process
The research process must meet three characteristics:
1. Systems: Research follows logical, sequential and
ordered that lead into one another. The research
process has six main steps as follows:
 Problem identification and definition
 Possible/Tentative solution (hypothesis)
 Data collection Method
 Data collection
 Analysis and interpretation
 Conclusion = Solution = knowledge
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8. Cont…
2. Guide: It is intended to answer certain specific
questions. Only these questions, we form the focus on
the research. Any other question, no matter how
important is out of the scope or the boundaries of the
research.
3. Intensive (involving a lot of effort or activity) : It
consumes resources (capital, financial, human
resource, physical=material, equipment and time).
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9. The Product (Knowledge)
• The research product must meet
three basic characteristics:
1. Valid: Supported by evidence.
There must be evidence (data) to
support the new knowledge
generate through research.
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10. 2. Reliable: Knowledge is consisted
or repeated. The same knowledge
can be obtained by the same
research at different times or by
other researchers or among other
population. Knowledge is
consistent over time, resource and
population.
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11. 3. Generalizable: Knowledge which
applicable beyond where it was
generated.
Note: Research is a systemic, guided and
intensive inquiring, investigating for
producing knowledge that valid
reliable and generalizable.
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12. Characteristics of Research
Research is:
 Empirical. It is based on direct experience or
observation by the researcher.
 Logical. It is based on valid procedures and
principles.
 Cyclical. It starts with a problem and ends with a
problem.
 Analytical. It utilizes proven analytical
procedures in gathering data, whether historical,
descriptive, experimental and case study.
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13. Critical. It exhibits careful and precise
judgment.
Methodical. It is conducted in a
methodical manner without bias using
systematic methods and procedures.
 Replicable. Its design procedures are
repeated to enable the researcher to arrive
at valid and conclusive answer.
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14. Importance of Research
 The main importance of research is to produce
knowledge that can be applied on aspects related
health, such as targeted customer, marketplace
trends, production processes, and
FINANCIAL PRACTICES, can help
predict trends, project sales, spot opportunities,
and avoid potential problems. For example,
marketing research is important because it allows
consumers and producers to become more familiar
with the products, goods, and services around
them.
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15. Cont…
 Research is a basic ingredient for
development and therefore serves as a means
for rapid economic development. The main
importance or uses of research may be listed
as under:
It provides basis for governmental policies;
Helps in solving various operational and
planning problems of institution and industry;
Research helps problem solving in business;
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16. It lets the analysis of how different
departments of institutions are performing
and comparing their PERFORMANCE
AGAINST PROJECTIONS to
determine if they need adjustments;
Is useful to students, professionals,
philosophers, literary men, analysts and
intellectuals.
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17. Purpose, Aims and Objectives of
Research
 The purpose of research is to discover answers to
specific QUESTIONS THROUGH THE
APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES.
The main aim of research is to find out the truth
related aspects which is hidden and which has
not been discovered yet. Though each research
study has its own specific purpose, we may think of
research objectives as falling into a number of
following broad groupings to:
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18. Cont…
 GAIN FAMILIARITY WITH A
PHENOMENON or to achieve new insights
into it (studies with this object in view are
termed as exploratory research studies);
 PORTRAY ACCURATELY THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF A PARTICULAR
INDIVIDUAL, SITUATION OR A GROUP
(studies with this object in view are known as
descriptive research studies);
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19. Determine the frequency with which
something occurs or with which it is
associated with something else
(studies with this object in view are
known as diagnostic research studies);
Test a hypothesis of a causal
relationship between variables (such
studies are known as hypothesis-testing
research studies).
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20. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY
RESEARCHER
 There is insufficient interaction between the
university research departments on one side
and business establishments, government
departments and research institutions on the
other side.
 Many researchers also face the difficulty of
adequate and timely secretarial assistance,
including computerial assistance.
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21. Library management and functioning
is not satisfactory at many places and
much of the time and energy of
researchers are spent in tracing out
the books, journals, reports, etc.,
rather than in tracing out relevant
material from them.
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22. Cont…
There is also the problem that many of our
libraries are not able to get copies of old and
new Acts/Rules, reports and other
government publications in time.
There is also the difficulty of timely
availability of published data from various
government and other agencies doing this
job.
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23. There does not exist a code of
conduct for researchers and inter-
university and interdepartmental
rivalries are also quite common.
The lack of a scientific training in
the methodology of research.
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24. TYPES OF RESEARCH
There are different types of research
depending on whether they are classified
by purpose or on method.
The most popular classification is by
purpose and this produces three main
types of research:
1. Basic research
2. Applied research
3. Action research
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25. BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH
BASIC RESEARCH APPLIED RESEARCH
 Basic research is
conducted without a
specific decision in mind
that usually does not
address the needs of a
specific organization.
 It attempts to expand the
limits of knowledge in
general and is not aimed
at solving a particular
pragmatic problem.
.
 Applied business
research is conducted to
address a specific business
decision for a specific firm
or organization.
 It is directed toward a
specific managerial
decision in a particular
organization.
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26. DETERMINING WHEN TO
CONDUCT RESEARCH
Dr. Mohamed Muse Jibril 26

27. Definition of a proposal
 A proposal is a written presentation of an intended
research specifying the problem, the purpose, scope,
methodology and the budget of the study.
 A research proposal is made up of three sections: the
preliminaries, the text and appendicies sections.
 The priliminaries section contains 1. title/topic, 2.
table of contents, 3. list of tables and 4. list of figures.
 The text section is divided into i. The introduction, ii.
Literature review and iii. Reseach methodology.
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28. Length of Proposal
 The recommended length of a proposal for masters
dessertation and for all other levels below masters is
usually 15 pages-excluding the appendices. The
recommended lenght for a doctorate (Ph.D) is 25
pages-excluding appendices.
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