MSc. Research Methods

Week 1- Introduction

Purpose of Module

• to prepare postgraduate students for undertaking research

• to introduce students to the discipline of research

• to help lay the essential foundations for a dissertation of MSc quality

• to help you define an area of study that could or will form the basis of your research project

Learning OutcomesKnowledge and understanding

1. Plan and document laboratory work in accordance with all legal and best - practice requirements for health, safety, risk minimalisation and management.

Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills

1. Critically evaluate complex issues from a variety of viewpoints and rigorously apply appropriate methodologies, techniques and practical strategies; being sensitive to the context.

2. Demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge and the scientific method to the solution of identified practical problem.

3. Devise an effective and practical research proposal for their dissertation.

Assignment

• Explain, backed up by the relevant literature, why you propose to carry out research on the chosen topic. The justification for this topic should be included. (20 marks)

• You should make it clear whether your proposed research will require ethics approval. Include the ethics checklist in your list of appendices. (5 marks)

• Design a conceptual framework for your proposed research. (15 marks)

Assignment• Describe your research methodology. Explain why

you chose a qualitative / quantitative or mixed methodology. Back up your research methodology by appropriate references. (20 marks)

• Describe and justify the proposed tools to collect and analyse your data, for example, laboratory experiments, survey questionnaires, interviews, secondary data collection from reliable and a variety of sources, etc. (20 marks)

Assignment

• Include a Gantt Chart and a critical path analysis of the proposed activities required to successfully complete the proposed research within the time framework. (15 marks)

• Ensure proper use of references. Use the Harvard referencing style. (5 marks)

Assessment CriteriaIn general, assessment criteria will include:Quality of argument• Does the work show the ability to reason, analyse and

integrate elements?Critical reflection and synthesis• Does the work demonstrate powers of critical reflection?Evaluation• Does the work involve analysis of the relative importance of

the different aspects or events described?Attainment of university graduate generic outcomes• Does the work demonstrate understanding of the concept of

being a graduate and is it written in a manner appropriate for postgraduate level?

Assessment CriteriaSpecifically, assessment criteria will include: Structure of the work• The presence of clear and sound objectives / identification of

clear research question• Evidence of critical evaluation of the work of others• Evidence of proposed analysis, either from theoretical

framework or empirical or both• Logical structure and argument• Relevance and depth• Summary: clarity and concisenessPresentation of work• The quality of text, writing and use of tables and figures• The quality and relevance of the bibliography, including

evidence of wider reading

Level 4 at Anglia RuskinCognitive/Intellectual skills (generic)• Analysis: with critical awareness can undertake analysis of complex,

incomplete or contradictory areas of knowledge communicating the outcome effectively

• Synthesis: with critical awareness, can synthesise information in a manner that may be innovative, utilising knowledge or processes from the forefront of their discipline / practice

• Evaluation: has a level of conceptual understanding that will allow her / him critically to evaluate research, advanced scholarship and methodologies and argue alternative approaches

• Application: can demonstrate initiative and originality in problem solving. Can act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level, making decisions in complex and unpredictable situations

Level 4 at Anglia Ruskin

Practical skills (subject specific)• Application of skills: can operate in complex and

unpredictable, possibly specialised contexts, and has an overview of the issues governing good practice

• Autonomy in skill use: is able to exercise initiative and personal responsibility in professional practice

• Technical expertise: has technical expertise, performs smoothly with precision and effectiveness; can adapt skills and design or develop new skills or procedures for new situations

Starting well

• Explore the literature• Shortlist possible subjects (‘cognitive domain’)• Select your preferred subject• Think about the methodology, time management and planning• The process is not sequential …

– Introduction Introduction– Literature Review Previous work– Work done Experiment– Findings Result– Discussion Discussion– Conclusions Conclusion

Deciding on a theme

• Identify the options available to you• Identify your own personal research interests

– of interest & relevance (novel and challenging for you, motivates you, experience (work, study or modules))

– durability (still relevant on your CV)– breadth (deep enough for research)– topic adequacy (marking criteria)– resources (enough literature on your topic)

Six-stage process

• Identify broad topic and academic area (reading, reading, reading)

• Determine the scope• Brainstorm issues, puzzles and questions• Map and structure the issues (post-its!)• Conduct a reconnaissance (ask people, do further trawl

of the literature)• Frame your research question

(Fisher, 2007)

Purpose for Research

Simple Fact Finding

Pressing business/IT problem

When an opportunity arises

Personal Experience

Conduct Research

Discussion

• From your experience Can You identify some IT Issues?

• Can you identify opportunities for the use of IT by your organization?

What is Research?

• Research is defined “as something that people undertake in order to find out things in a systematic way thereby increasing their knowledge” Saunders et al (2007, pg. 5)

• “The good researcher is not one who knows the right answer but one who is struggling to find out the what the right questions might be” Phillips and Pugh (2000, pg. 48-49)

Key Points to Note

• Research:– Is a process of inquiry and investigation– Is systematic and methodical– Has a clear purpose– Increases knowledge– Is original

• Collis and Hussey (2003) summarize the purpose research as:– To investigate some existing situation or problem– To provide solutions to a problem– To construct or create a system– To explain a new phenomenon– To generate new knowledge

• Essentially what all of this is saying to us is simply, our research must produce a meaningful OUTCOME

What to Research?

• Information Management/Systems Issue– Issues that requires a management decision

• ICT Issues– Issues that can affect the competitiveness of an

organization or industry• Internet Security issues

– Issues that can impact the organization

Gartner Hype Cycle for India July 2012

Sample Topics from Anglia Ruskin

• Natural human-computer interaction in learning and teaching - teaching astronomy with natural user interfaces.

• A comparative investigation into the effectiveness of static and animated banners, and how web users respond to this mode of advertising.

• An agile development comparison to waterfall method.• How usable is the interface of the WebCT discussion tool?

An analysis from the perspective of an end user.• A comparison of the intelligibility of object-oriented and

process-oriented diagrammatic representations in computer science students.

• How do we improve the usability and performance of an e-commerce website?

• What is the perception of Internet shopping safety and security?

• An investigation on how e-commerce websites utilise attractiveness on their sites as evaluated using an heuristic evaluation.

• Power management in android devices.• Improving network security using cross domain

authentication.• Collaboration integration modelling.• Data privacy and security in social networking sites.

Sample Topics from Anglia Ruskin

Qualities of a Good Research• Purpose clearly defined• Research process detailed• Research Design thoroughly planned• High ethical standards applied• Limitations frankly revealed• Sound and comprehensive analysis• Findings presented unambiguously • Conclusion justified

Researcher qualities and SkillCollis and Hussey (2003)

Perseverance

Communication

Intellectual

IT Skill

Organization Skill

Motivation

Independence

RESEARCH

Purpose

Strategic Outcome

Process

Exploratory Analytical Evaluation

Design

Methods

Methodology

Data Collection Data

Analysis

Paradigm/Approach/Philosophy

Positivistic Phenomenological

Researcher

Experience Skill

Theoretical Framework

Research Question