WHAT IS RESEARCH.

Research

 

This is systematic creation of knowledge and the use of existing knowledge by examining a hypothesis to discover new facts, generate new concepts, verify existing knowledge and data analysis.​

There are different methods of collecting data for research which include the following:​

Primary research.

This is research conducted by researchers by gathering  first-hand- data from the source through the following methods:​

INTERVIEWS.​

 

These are formal conversations between an interviewer and an interviewee where a series of predetermined  and prepared questions are asked in order to gain more depth and understanding about people’s thoughts , experiences  and feelings on certain topics .​

Interviews are conducted to create a more detailed conclusion.​

SURVEYS.​

These are a series of questions  asked from a sample of people to collect or to gather a further understanding of a sample of people as a whole whether it be their opinions , characteristics or knowledge.​

QUESTIONNAIRE.​

These are a  series of questions  including open-ended and close-ended questions ,used to gather information from a group of people. ​

FOCUS GROUPS​

This research method is conducted on a small group of people where they are asked a series of questions to gain more insight into people’s thoughts on a certain topic.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PRIMARY RESEARCH.​

                   ADVANTAGES​

Research is specific to a sample of respondents or rather a group of people rather than a large group of people. ​

The first–hand data collected is highly accurate as it is not manipulated .​

The data collected is a combination of quantitative  and qualitative data.​

The data collected is up-to-date and the researchers have control over the methods , offering  unique perspectives on the research.​

                       DISADVANTAGES ​

.Collecting data is time consuming due to the need for a large sample of individuals. ​

 .Furthermore , the data collected may be inaccurate as the respondents could have a biased opinion or may not understand the questions being asked.​

.Additionally, the data collected can become outdated as the conditions surrounding the research can change.​

.Conducting this research is also costly.​

 SECONDARY RESEARCH.

This research is compiled using existing second -hand data sourced from internal and external sources such as the internet , in–house research ,newspapers and government statistics.​

1.TYPES OF SECONDARY RESEARCH:​

1.STATISTICAL ANALYSIS-

this is sample data that is available from a variety of online sources , often in the form of datasets which are  open –source .lt is ideally used to conduct hypothesis testing and regression analysis.​

The data is sourced from the following:​

The government and agencies​

NGOs​

Educational institutions​

Newspapers​

Magazines​

Libraries​

2.Literature Reviews​

This is a piece of academic writing demonstrating knowledge and understanding of academic literature on a specific topic placed in context.​

Purpose of literature review​

To provide more information, to provide a stepping stool to show work that has  already been  done on research topics ; to justify new research ;provide contextual background information and to build on previous research.​

3.Case studies​

This is a detailed study that utilizes existing concrete ,contextual , and in-depth knowledge about real –world subjects.​

4.Content analysis.​

This is a research method that is used to analyse non- numerical data.​

Advantages and disadvantages of secondary research.

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ADVANTAGES​

The data is easily sourced , fast and easy to access.​

Conducting research is less time consuming as it is readily available from both external and internal sources.​

The data collected is often reliable as it is sourced from credible sources such as government establishments.

DISADVANTAGES.​

The data sourced may be outdated.​

.Sometimes , the data is unreliable due to its reliance on primary data . lf the primary data collected is biased then the secondary data will be as well.​

The data lacks detailed insights into specific issues.​

The data must be verified , reviewed and analyzed before being sourced.​

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Research methods​

  Quantitative research

This is research data that is collected for research purposes by gathering numerical information to test hypotheses, analyze data and  identify patterns  to provide precise statistical data.​

                  Advantages include the following:​

More reflective of real-world conditions due to their assignment of real-world experiences.​

The data can identify trends, patterns and correlations across a sample of people.​

Provides measurable and reliable results reducing guess work.​

                 Disadvantages ​

Resource -intensive and requires more effort, money and time.​

The data may not align with the researcher’s objectives.​

Requires  a significant investment as it requires more money and time for conducting the research as its resource intensive.​

Unable to capture decision -making processes , user’s behaviour and their reasoning.​

Needs a large sample group for reliable insights.

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 Qualitative data.

 This is the collection  and  analysis of non-numeric data to gain a deep understanding and insight into a problem as well as to understand opinions, concepts and experiences.​

This data can be collected using the following techniques:​

Surveys-this is a method of  gathering information by asking a series of questions to a sample of people to assess thoughts, opinions and feelings.​

Experiments-this is an observation of a relationship between variables by measuring them to identify outcomes.​

Closed- ended questionnaires-these are structured questions designed to collect information from respondents on specific topics about their experiences, opinions and attitudes.​

Interviews-this is a discussion between two or more individuals in a formal or informal manner where the researcher asks a  series of questions to obtain information and gain an in – depth understanding of a certain topic.​

                    Advantages.​

Generation of new ideas as  researchers uncover new ideas from the respondents open- ended responses.​

The  collected data is adaptable and can be manipulated.​

                   Disadvantages.​

Lack of generalization to real-world experiences as the data is often hypothetical or based on lab experiments.​

The data collected may be quite subjective.​

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​COMPARISION OF DIFFERENT RESEARCH TOOLS.​

SURVEYS

Advantages.​

-Cost – effective and faster to administer.​

-Easy to run remotely.​

-Easy to compare and quantify results.​

-Collects both factual and attitudinal data with a flexibility to ask a wide range of questions.​

-Large – sample sizes.

Disadvantages.

-Low response rate due to skipped questions or non answenred questions which can skew data.​

-Potential and bias and dishonesty.​

-Close-ended questions may limit the depth of insight.​

-Misinterpretation of questions​

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INTERVIEWS

Advantages

Highter response rate.​

-Can overcome language and literacy issues .​

-Provides in-depth rich data.​

-Higher response rates.

Disadvantages

-Time consuming.​

-Interviewer bias.​

-Limited anonymity.​

-Resource- intensive.

Questionnaire.​

ADVANTAGES.​

-Cost –effective and efficient .​

-Anonymity and confidentiality.​

-Easily acceable.​

DISADVANTAGES.​

-Limited depth of information.​

-Bias responses.​

-Low response rates.​

-Misinterpretation of questions.​

-Inability to probe for clarification.​

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Focus groups.​

Advantages.​

-Diverse perspectives​

-Cost effective with real time feedback.​

-Produces rich and qualitative data.​

Disadvantages​

-Has potential for moderate bias from participants.​

-Limited depth of individual insights.​

-Inability to explore individual perspectives.​

-Lack of flexibility ​

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.

​Advantages​

-Can be reused to check different variables.​

-Patterns and correlations are clear and visible.​

-Less time consuming and cheaper.​

Disadvantages.​

-Researchers data may be bias. ​

-Data can be easily misinterpreted and it can be manipulated to show the point the researchers wants to show.​

-Data is hard to access and check.​

LITERATURE REVIEW.​

Advantages.​

-Time and resource efficiency.​

-ldentifies research gaps.​

-Provides a strong theoretical framework and context for new research.​

Disadvantages ​

-Potential for bias and subjectivity.​

-Scarcity of strong references.​

-Outdated research.​

CASE STUDY​

Advantages.​

-Can be done remotely.​

-Help develop new theories.​

-Provides a in-depth understanding about specific cases.​

Disadvantages.​

-The study is labor intensive.​

-Time consuming.​

-Potential for bias.​

CONTENT ANALYSIS​

Advantages​

-Provides a in-depth insight.​

-Low cost ,unobstructive and ethical.​

DISADVANTAGES​

-Potential for research bias.​

-Time consuming.​

-Lack of deeper explanation of data.​

SKILLS NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE RESEARCH.​

​

1.CRITICAL THINKING.​

The foundation of effective research which involves the ability to evaluate sources ; identify biases and rigorously analyze information.​

2.ANALYTICAL SKILLS.​

A key skill for interpreting complex data and extracting meaningful insights.​

3.COMMUNICATION SKILL.​

Effective communication articulates research finding clearly through written reports and oral  presentation.​

4.Organization skills.​

Keeping skills essential for managing the numerous tasks and details involved in qualitative research.The skills essential include keeping track of various data sources ; manage time effectively and ensuring that all data is processed correctly to ensure transparency of the research.​

5. Flexibility and adaptability.​

Being flexible and adaptable allowing for easy handling of the unexpected and to allow easy navigation of the complexity of qualitative research effectively ensuring that the research co-aligns with the data collected. Also requires being open to new ideas and a modification to the plans or any new insights of research questions that may emerge.​

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