The document outlines the significance of research methodology in the academic process, detailing various types of research methodologies, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. It clarifies the distinction between research methods (tools for data collection) and research methodology (the overall guiding principles), while emphasizing the importance of well-defined research objectives. The text also discusses the relevance of research in contributing to knowledge and addressing practical issues across various fields.

1. RESEACH METHEDOLOGY, RESEARCH METHEDS,
TYPES OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES,
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE &
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
BY
ALI JILI'OW
MBA/OUM
JULY, 2017

2. INTRODUCTION
Research has been very interesting discipline to scholars and researchers for the past decades, but
now new researchers and even final year students might find it difficult because their experience
towards it may be very limited even thought they are expected to do and present their final
project proposals. The fact remains that, research is so interesting and exciting subject, all you
need is to be interested your area of research, select good topic and be ready to contribute.
As the matter of fact, writing research proposal has been very essential in the entire research
process and it's frequently used by the evaluators to decide whether proposed project should be
supported or reject, so the importance of one's research can be determined by the how perfect is
his/her research.
RESEARCH, CONCEPT, MEANING AND DEFINITIONS
Research in common idiom refers to investigate for knowledge. Once can also define research as
a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic. In fact, research is
an art of scientific investigation (Kothari, Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques,
2004). Research refers to a search of knowledge, its systematic search for information on a
specific topic. Research is an art of scientific investigation. It is actually a journey of discovery.
Research is considered an original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge (Kothari,
2004).
Research is an academic activity and as such the term should be used in a technical sense. The
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English (1952), defines research as “a careful
investigation or enquiry specifically through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge.”
According to Mugenda & Mugenda (2003:1), research is a “diligent inquiry or a critical
examination of a given phenomenon. It implies exhaustive study, investigation or
experimentation following some logical sequence”
RESEARCH METHEDOLOGY
Research methodology is the process that researcher follows to complete his/her study, it include
the procedure for data collection, data analyzing tools and overall the procedure that one wills to
complete his project. Research methodology is a technique to scientifically solve the study

3. problem. It may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. In it
we study the various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in studying his research
problem along with the logic behind them (Kothari, 1990).
WHAT IS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY?
Research Methodology is the approach or the general principle that guides your research. It is the
usually move toward to studying your topic and contains issues you need to consider about such
as the restrictions, dilemmas and ethical choices within your study (Dawson, 2007)
According to (Collis & Hussey, 2003), the term methodology refers to the overall approaches &
a perspective to the study process as a whole and is concerned with the following main issues as
 Why you collected certain data
 What data you collected
 Where you collected it
 How you collected it
 How you analyzed it
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN METHODS AND METHODOLOGY
More often than not, many students confuse the usage of these terms ''Research Methods'' and
''Research Methodology'', so what is the difference between these two terms? The answer to this
question is quite clear.
According to Dr. Dawson (2007), research methods are the tools you utilize to collect your data,
these are the tools you employ to collect data, such as questionnaires or interviews, while
Methodology is the general guideline that you should follow when conducting research project
TYPES OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
There are three main research Methodologies and they are
 Qualitative research methodology
 Quantities research methodology
 Mixed research methodology
A quantitative approach is one in which the researcher largely employs postpositivist claims for
developing information for instance, cause and effect thinking, decreasing to precise variables
and hypotheses and questions, use of measurement and observation, and the test of theories
(Creswell, 2003)

4. In qualitative research, the numbers and types of approaches also became more clearly visible
during the 1990s. Books have summarized the various types (such as the 19 strategies identified
by Wolcott, 2001).
Mixed Research Approach less famous than either the quantitative or qualitative, approaches are
those that engage in bring together and analyzing both forms of data in a sole study. The theory
of mixing different methods most likely originated in 1959, when Campbell and Fiske used
numerous methods to study validity of emotional character (Creswell, Research
Design,Qualitative,Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, 2002)
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
Qualitative research technique focus on discovering and understanding the experiences, per-
spectives, and thoughts of participants—that is, qualitative research explores meaning, purpose,
or reality (Hiatt, 1986).Qualitative research design is also called inductive, so the research may
built his or her own theory or hypothesis to explain the variables within the study
According to Sanders (2007), Qualitative data refers to all non-numeric data or data that have not
been quantified and can be a product of all research strategies
Qualitative data are associated with such concepts and are characterized by their richness and
fullness based on your opportunity to explore a subject in as real a manner as is possible (Robson
2002).
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
Quantitative research approach is based on numbers, Trochim and Land (1982) defined
quantitative research design as the glue that holds the research project together. A design is used
to structure the research, to show how all of the major parts of the research project—the samples
or groups, measures,
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUALITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE
Quantitative Data
1) Based on meanings derived from numbers
2) Collection results in numerical and standardized data
3) Analysis conducted through the use of diagrams and statistics

5. Qualitative Data
a) Based on meanings expressed through words
b) Collection results in non-standardized data
c) Requiring classification into categories
Sources: Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Research objectives state the intention of the study; Objectives are specific aims arising directly
from the purpose of study (Onen, 2008). The reason of research is to find out answers to
questions through the application of scientific procedures, research objectives is to find
reasonable solution to current problems. Nevertheless the main aim of research is to find out the
truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered as yet (KOTHARI, 2004).
 According to Kothari (2004), research objectives to discover answers to questions through
the application of scientific procedures, so the main objectives of doing research is
 To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights
 To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group
 To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with
something and To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
The importance of the research relates to the relevance of the investigation interns of academic
contribution and practical use that can be made of the findings (Onen W. Y., 2008). The main
significant of research are summarized below.
 Research inculcates scientific and inductive thinking and it promotes the development of
logical habits of thinking and organization.
 The role of research in several fields of applied economics, whether related to business or to
the economy as a whole, has greatly increased in modern times.
 Research provides the basis for nearly all government policies in our economic system.
 Research has its special significance in solving various operational and planning problems of
business and industry. Operations research and market research, along with motivational

6. research, are considered crucial and their results assist, in more than one way, in taking
business decisions.
Research is equally important for social scientists in studying social relationships and in seeking
answers to various social problems. According to Kothari (2004), the significance of research
can also be understood keeping in view the following points:
 To those students who are to write a master’s or Ph.D. thesis, research may mean careerism
or a way to attain a high position in the social structure.
 To professionals in research methodology, research may mean a source of livelihood
 To philosophers and thinkers, research may mean the outlet for new ideas and insights
 To literary men and women, research may mean the development of new styles and creative
work. To analysts and intellectuals, research may mean the generalizations of new theories.

7. REFERENCES
Bwisa, H. M. (2008). How to write a statement problem:Our Proposal Companion. Henry M.
Creswell, J. W. (2002). Research Design,Qualitative,Quantitative and Mixed Methods
Approaches. California, United States.
Dawson, D. C. (2007). Practical Guide to Research Methods. London: How To Content A
division of How To Books Ltd,Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road,Begbroke, Oxford UK.
KOTHARI, C. (2004). Research Methedology: Methods and Techniques. New Delhi, India:
Published by New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers.
Mark Saunders, P. L. (2009). Research Methods For Students (Fifth Eddition ed.). Edinburgh,
Britain: Pearson Education.
Mark Saunders, P. L. (2009). Research Methods For Students. Pearson Education Limited.
Neville, C. (2007). An Introduction to Research & Research Methods . University of Bradford,
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University of Southern California. (2017, June Friday). USC Libraries. Retrieved June Friday,
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Onen, W. Y. (2008). A General Guide to Writting Research proposal and Report. Kampala: East
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Onen, W. Y. (2008). General guide to writting research proposal and report. Kampala, Uganda.
Onen, W. Y. (2008). General guide to Writting Research Proposal and Report: Hand book for
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