research methods lecture notes .

1. METHODS OF RESEARCH
NON SCIENTIFIC
 subjective methods of acquiring knowledge.
 Depend mostly on human judgment.
 Issues addressed incorporate the existence of God, whether a person is good or
 bad and issues relating to moral values.
 Issues addressed do not require investigation and are even difficult to verify or
investigate.

2. NON SCIENTIFIC METHOD CONT.
 Mostly used in social research.
 Social research is the collection of methods and methodologies applied systematically to
 produce scientific based knowledge about social world
 no variables can be deduced to be tested

3. Types of Non scientific methods
 Appealing to custom and tradition
 Appeal to authority
 Mystical method
 Rationalistic method/ use of personal experience
 Empirical method
 Common Sense
 Media Myths
NB : For the explanation of these types, refer to Research Methods
Module 1

4. SCIENTIFIC METHODS
 scientific research or scientific thinking.
 Scientific thinking is regarded as the men’s unending search for truth which has
brought him to the stage of science as the main source of evidence.
 systematic investigation of a question, a phenomena or a problem using certain
principles.
 Considered as the integration of empirical and rationalistic methods of acquiring
knowledge because is based on observations made during experiments followed by
reasoning ability

5. TYPES OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS
 Descriptive research (Comparison research)
 Experimental research
 Quasi-experimental research
 Exploratory research
 Explanatory research
• NB : For the explanation of these types, refer to Research Methods Module 1

6. STEPS IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROCESS
 Location and definition of a problem through exploratory research techniques
 Survey of past experiences (Review of related literature)
 Formulation of a hypothesis
 Mental elaboration of the hypothesis checking for agreement with facts,
verifiability and logical consistency
 Collection of data

7. STEPS IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROCESS
 Analysis , classification and summarization of the data collected
 Formulation of new generalization representing observed uniformities, explanatory
principles or scientific law.
 Formulation and communication of recommendations – data presentations and
conclusions

8. CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH METHODS
Quantitative research is a research which looks at a large group of cases , people, units
and measures a number of features.
 Can be a single point in time (cross-sectional) and multiple time points (longitudinal
research).
 Collects hard data , that is inform of numbers.
 Measure variables and test hypotheses that are generalized to the entire population
Qualitative research is a study or research which focuses on one or few cases during a
limited time period.
 Is used in or as a case study.
 Collects soft data, that is, data in form of impressions, words, sentences, photos,

9. CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH METHODS
Quantitative research Qualitative research
Measure objective facts
Focus on variables
Reliability is key
Value free
Theory and data are separate
Independent of context or situation
Many cases or subjects are considered
Employs statistical analysis
Researchers are detached
Construct social reality, cultural meaning
Focus on interactive processes and events
Authenticity is key
Values are present and explicit
Theory and data are fused together
Situational constrained
Few cases and subjects
Employs thematic analysis
Researcher is involved