Fundamentals of Research Methodology

NATURE OF THE COURSE:

Research Methodology is a hands-on training in the basic methodologies and methods of academic research in social sciences and business management. Research scholars will investigate the major components of a research framework and be effectively exposed to them, namely problem definition, research design, data collection, ethical research concerns, report writing and submission. Once endowed with this information, participants are well situated to carry out disciplined study in the field of their choice under supervision. Besides applying to a university environment, many of the methods presented in this course were comparable to those used in research contexts in professional research. 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The major goal of this course is to instil in scholars a research orientation and to familiarise them with the foundations of research methodologies. The course specifically seeks to introduce them to the fundamental principles utilised in research, as well as scientific social research techniques and approaches. It discusses sample procedures, study strategies, and data analysis. The following are some of the course's other objectives:

1.  To get knowledge of the fundamental framework of the research process.

2. To get a working knowledge of diverse research designs and methodologies.

3.  Identify multiple sources of information for literature study and data collection.

4.  Gain knowledge of the ethical aspects of doing applied research.

5. Recognize and assess the components of academic writing.

Recommended Texts 

1. Bryman, Alan & Bell, Emma (2011). Business Research Methods (Third Edition), Oxford University Press.

2. Kerlinger, F.N., & Lee, H.B. (2000). Foundations of Behavioural Research (Fourth Edition), Harcourt Inc.

3. Rubin, Allen & Babbie, Earl (2009). Essential Research Methods for Social Work, Cengage Learning Inc., USA.

4. Anantasi, A. & Urbina, S. (2004). Psychological Testing, Pearson Education, Inc.

5. Neuman, W.L. (2008). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches, Pearson Education.