Scribd
Upload
15 views11 pages

Introduction To Research-Tutorial 1

tutorial for telecommunications engineers

Uploaded by

trevorcmapuranga19
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
15 views11 pages

Introduction To Research-Tutorial 1

tutorial for telecommunications engineers

Uploaded by

trevorcmapuranga19
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 11

RESEARCH

METHODS Introduction to
research

Engineer Tarugarira
LESSON OBJECTIVES

 By the end of this tutorial, students should be able to;


 Define research and outline the key elements that
constitute a research.
 State and explain the objectives of research.
 Explain the major research approaches.
 Outline the rationale for research
 Classify and explain the various types of research

Engineer Tarugarira
WHAT IS RESEARCH?

 According to Leedy, research is a procedure by which we attempt


to find systematically, and with the support of demonstrable fact,
the answer to a question or the resolution of a problem. (1989, p).
 It’s an objective formal process of systematically collecting,
analyzing and interpretation of data for the purpose of providing
functional information to managers for decision making.
 To produce a credible research, researchers use the tools of
experience and reasoning available to them.
 Research anchors on scientific reasoning; which could be inductive
and deductive or both. It is a combination of both experience and
reasoning and can be said to be the most appropriate way of
discovering the truth, precisely in the natural sciences.
Engineer Tarugarira
ABUSE OF THE TERM, “RESEARCH”

 The following are ways in which the term ‘research’ is used in common language
(abused) and basically do not constitute a research.
(i) Mere gathering of facts or information- A quick reading of a few books so
that you are better informed about something.
(ii) Moving facts from one situation to another- Mere assembling of
information i.e. collecting information and reassemble it in a report or paper, duly
annotated and referenced, and think of it as research.
(iii) As an esoteric activity, far removed from practical life. We must
understand that research is an activity which is prompted by our need to satisfy
our natural curiosity and our wish to make sense of the world around us not
a mere adventure into some mysterious process e.g. laboratory experiments.
(iv) As a word to get your product noticed. Very often the term ‘research’ is
used in an emotive fashion in order to impress and build confidence yet if you would
ask for evidence of the research from people who market their products, you
would get none.

Engineer Tarugarira
PURPOSE(S) OF RESEARCH

 The primary purpose of a research is to seek and provide answers


or solutions to problems that communities face. NB If it does not
benefit communities, it’s not fit to be called a research.
 Three of the most common and useful purposes are.
 Exploration
 Description
 Explanation

Engineer Tarugarira
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH

 The main, overriding objective must be that of gaining useful or interesting


knowledge.
 Reynolds (1977, pp. 4–11) listed five objectives which he believed most people
expected scientific knowledge to provide.
• Categorization: Forming a typology of objects, events or concepts. It’s useful in
explaining what ‘things’ belong together and how. For
example we could have categories single, married, divorced,
and widowed women etc.
• Explanation: There are many events and issues which we do not fully, or
even partly understand. Providing an explanation of phenomena is a
common objective in many forms of research
• Prediction: Based on an explanation of a phenomenon, it is often possible
to make a prediction of future events related to it. e.g if a person
disagrees with a friend about his attitude toward an object, then a state
of psychological tension is produced.
Engineer Tarugarira
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH……

 • Creating understanding:
 • Providing potential for control:
A good level of understanding of a phenomenon might lead
to the possibility of finding a way to control it.
 • Evaluation:
It is making judgements about the quality of objects or
events. To be useful, the methods of evaluation must be
relevant to the context and intentions of the research. For example,
level of income is a relevant variable in the evaluation of wealth,
while degree of marital fidelity is

Engineer Tarugarira
PUSH FACTORS OF RESEARCH

 a) Government directive – Research can be directed by the government to


try and get a solution for the nation or society.
 b) Organizational problems may motivate research e.g. a company may have
high rate of staff turnover
 c) Desire to get a research qualification or in some cases it may be a course
requirement being studied e.g. HND, PHD
 d) Desire to offer service to the society
 e) To fill the gap in knowledge
 f) Desire to face challenges in solving the unsolved problems
 g) Employment conditions – There are some established research stations that
specialize in research. In such research stations people are employed to carry
out research e.g. Grasslands Research Station which specializes in Agricultural
Research.
Engineer Tarugarira
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISCOVERY
AND INVENTION
Discovery Invention
 Discovery can be a result of research  The invention is a result of research to
to find the existing things, but you find new things that are not existing
are the first one to discover those before, but you are the first one to
things e.gt he magnet already invent those things e.g the invention
existed but suddenly a scientist of the cell phones, laptops, Email,
discovered that magnet can be used DOS, Windows, fiber optic cable,
in storage devices. routers, gateway etc.

 Mostly, Discovery is the process of  Mostly, invention is the result of


exploration of the things existing experimentation e.g after the
invention of the PC, Many experiments
here and there.e.g the magnet
were conducted to transform it into a
already existed but scientists smaller laptops and transformed to
explore “how a magnet can be used cellphones after several experiments.
in the storage device?”.

Engineer Tarugarira
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISCOVERY
AND INVENTION…….
Discovery Invention
 In most cases, discoveries are natural  Inventions are man-made occurrences of
occurrences and are usually present until objects and inventions exist due to the
discovered by somebody e.g the magnet hard work and research of scientists e.g
already existed in the mountains, but the first computer “windows” was
magnetism was first discovered by a invented by Bill Gates (Microsoft founder).
shepherd named Magnes.
 A scientist can patent his invention.
 A scientist cannot patent the Discovery e.g
Magnes can’t patent his discovery of Magnetic storage devices are patented.
magnets in mountains. For example, you can see the demo of the
patent document.
 In most cases, scientists or some common
person Discover things accidentally e.g the  In most cases, scientific Inventions are
magnet already existed in the mountains and the results of regular research and study
a shepherd named Magnes was not by scientists e.g regular research was
struggling of discovering the magnet but conducted to utilize magnets in magnetic
accidentally noticed that his shoes were storage devices.
sticking to the mountains.

Engineer Tarugarira
EXAMPLES OF DISCOVERIES AND
INVENTIONS
 Silicon was discovered by Jöns Jacob Berzelius, a Swedish chemist,
but Italian physicist Federico Faggin invented the processor by
using silicon chips.

 Magnet was discovered by a Shephard “Magnes” but later


scientists invented storages devices using magnets.

Engineer Tarugarira

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy