...the picture of any questionnaire the findings can create profound negative impact. The most frequent and important ways of misconduct in scientific research are falsifying results, plagiarize and over-interpretation. Motives are prestige, money, pressure of time and conflict of interests. The "publish or perish" phenomenon and the sometimes difficult attainable deadlines play an important role. Furthermore, there is a "gray-zone" in which clinical scientific researchers are influenced particularly by the pharmaceutical industry, leading to the writing of tendentious publications. (Verh K Acad Geneeskd Belg. 2004). Over the last 25 years, a small but growing body of research on research behavior has slowly provided a more complete and critical understanding of research practices, particularly in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. The results of this research suggest that some earlier assumptions about irresponsible conduct are not reliable, leading to the conclusion that there is a need to change the way we think about and regulate research behavior. This paper begins with suggestions and support for more precise definitions of the terms “responsible conduct of research,” “research ethics,” and “research integrity.” It then summarizes the findings presented in some of the more important studies of research behavior, looking first at levels of occurrence...
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...Confidentiality Confidentiality can be defined as an explicit or implied guarantee by a researcher to a respondent in social science research whereby the respondent is confident that any information provided to the researcher cannot be attributed back to that respondent. According to IRB Guidebook, U.S. National Institutes of Health (1993), Office for Protection from Research Risks, Protecting Human Research Subjects assert that: Confidentiality pertains to the treatment of information that an individual has disclosed in a relationship of trust and with the expectation that it will not be divulged to others in ways that are inconsistent with the understanding of the original disclosure without permission. (p. 3) The data that is collected should be kept very confidential, as research involves the people of the United States of America. The people were informed about their rights to confidentiality and anonymity before interviewing them. Very good care is taken to maintain the confidentiality of the information they provided. Documents will be stored safely in a bank locker and they are accessed only by the researcher. Documents will be destroyed after 5 years. Data Collection The data were collected from 100 people of the United States of America, whose age will be 21-55. This age group is selected because generally this age group people are the ones who are directly or indirectly involved in setting-up their own small business. They are divided into two groups...
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...to her from viewers on their reaction to the TV series “Dallas”. Imagine that you want to find out what goes on in the teachers’ lounge or staff room. You could interview those involved, or maybe even send out a questionnaire. Using the interview or the questionnaire, you would be getting what people thought about what was going on. Sometimes, the best way to gain a ‘rich picture’ of a setting such as the staff room, the school canteen, a staff meeting, the playground or the classroom is to see for yourself what is happening, rather than depending on your respondents. Observation is the technique of obtaining data through direct contact with a persons or group of persons. Since, the main focus of qualitative research is naturalism, the researcher has to observe person or persons in their natural state...
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...RESEARCH PROCESS A PAPER WRITTEN BY : IVIE ELOGHOSA OGBEIDE(ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT,UNIBEN) INTRODUCTION. Research process has been conducted from the time since human being was first created and it is a never ending process. More than hundreds of definitions of research have been available in written form in different books, encyclopedias, dictionaries and in research literature. These definition may have difference in wordings but meanings are similar.This paper is going to look at the meaning of research,its aim and purpose,types,characteristics and the processes or steps involved in a research. The word "research" is used to describe a number of similar and often overlapping activities involving a search for information.It is a systematic investigation to establish facts. Research can be defined as the search for knowledge or as any systematic investigation, with an open mind, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories. The primary purposes of basic research are documentation,discovery,interpretation,or the research and development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knoledge.Research is the seeking of knowledge in systematic, organized manner. The system that a researcher follows to find out the facts that are hidden and not known to people, determines the validity, genuineness and reliability of research. A research is biased or fake if there is no validity or reliability in the research process...
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...CHAPTER 4 Research Methodology and Design 4.1 Introduction All research is based on some underlying philosophical assumptions about what constitutes 'valid' research and which research method(s) is/are appropriate for the development of knowledge in a given study. In order to conduct and evaluate any research, it is therefore important to know what these assumptions are. This chapter discusses the philosophical assumptions and also the design strategies underpinning this research study. Common philosophical assumptions were reviewed and presented; the interpretive paradigm was identified for the framework of the study. In addition, the chapter discusses the research methodologies, and design used in the study including strategies, instruments, and data collection and analysis methods, while explaining the stages and processes involved in the study. The research design for this study is a descriptive and interpretive case study that is analysed through qualitative methods. Questionnaires were used to evaluate participants’ WebCT skills (before the course starts) and to determine their levels of satisfaction in the course (at the end of the case study). A descriptive statistical method was used to analyze the student satisfaction survey. Participant observation, face-to-face interviews, focus-group interviews, questionnaires, and member checking were used as data collection methods. Furthermore, the justification for each of the data collection methods used in the study...
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...EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Unit Structure 1.0 Objectives 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Sources Acquiring Knowledge 1.3 Meaning, Steps and Scope of Educational Research 1.4 Scientific Method, aims and characteristics of research as a scientific activity 1.5 Ethical considerations in Educational Research 1.6 Paradigms of Educational research 1.7 Types of Research 1.7.a Fundamental 1.7.b Applied Research 1.7.c. Action Research 1.0 OBJECTIVES : After reading this unit, you will be able to: 1 To explain the concept of Educational Research 2 To describe the scope of Educational Research 3 To state the purpose of Educational Research 4 To explain what is scientific enquiry. 5 To explain importance of theory development. 6 To explain relationship among science, education and educational research. 7 To Identity fundamental research 8 To Identity applied research 9 To Identify action research 10 To Differentiate between fundamental, applied, and action research 11 To Identify different paradigms of research 2 1.1 INTRODUCTION : Research purifies human life. It improves its quality. It is search for knowledge. If shows how to Solve any problem scientifically. It is a careful enquiry through search for any kind of Knowledge. It is a journey from known to unknown. It is a systematic effort to gain new knowledge in any kind of discipline. When it Seeks a solution of any educational problem it leads to educational research. Curiosity...
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...A review of the positivist and interpretive paradigms and discussion on how they are both related to the proposed study 'Chinese culture on learning and the use of meta-cognitive language-learning strategies at an institute of vocational education in Hong Kong'. By Manfred Wu "I certify that this work is entirely my own and has not been accepted as part of a submission to another degree course" _________________________ Word Length: 5,964 Abstract This paper begins with a review of the positivist and interpretive paradigms. After the description of a proposed study on Chinese values on learning and use of meta-cognitive language-learning strategies (MCLLS), how the study emerges from the two paradigms is discussed. Discussions show that the aims of the study of gathering descriptive data and exploring relationships between the two variables as well as the use of survey method are more pertained to the positivist paradigm as it shares features with the paradigm including a high degree of control over responses, use of statistics both for descriptive and for determining relationships and researchers being detached by adopting the role of an objective and passive informant. Other aims of generating insights on the two selected concepts, collecting information from respondents' frame of reference, focusing on the whole institutional setting and the use of semi-structured interview are more pertained to the interpretive paradigm. It is because...
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...Methodology and Research Approach OVERVIEW Chapter 3 of the dissertation presents the research design and the specific procedures used in conducting your study. A research design includes various interrelated elements that reflect its sequential nature. This chapter is intended to show the reader that you have an understanding of the methodological implications of the choices you made and, in particular, that you have thought carefully about the links between your study’s purpose and research questions and the research approach and research methods that you have selected. Note that in the proposal’s chapter 3, you project what you will do based on what you know about the particular methods used in qualitative research, in general, and in your tradition or genre, in particular; hence, it is written in future tense. In the dissertation’s chapter 3, you report on what you have already done. You write after the fact; hence, you write in past tense. As such, many of the sections of chapter 3 can be written only after you have actually conducted your study (i.e., collected, analyzed, and synthesized your data). To write this chapter, you need to conduct literature reviews on the methodological issues involved in qualitative research design. You need to show the reader that you (a) have knowledge of the current issues and discourse, and (b) can relate your study to those issues and discourse. In this regard, you need to explain how you have gone about ...
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...10 Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology Deborah Biggerstaff Warwick Medical School University of Warwick, Coventry UK 1. Introduction In the scientific community, and particularly in psychology and health, there has been an active and ongoing debate on the relative merits of adopting either quantitative or qualitative methods, especially when researching into human behaviour (Bowling, 2009; Oakley, 2000; Smith, 1995a, 1995b; Smith, 1998). In part, this debate formed a component of the development in the 1970s of our thinking about science. Andrew Pickering has described this movement as the “sociology of scientific knowledge” (SSK), where our scientific understanding, developing scientific ‘products’ and ‘know-how’, became identified as forming components in a wider engagement with society’s environmental and social context (Pickering, 1992, pp. 1). Since that time, the debate has continued so that today there is an increasing acceptance of the use of qualitative methods in the social sciences (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000; Morse, 1994; Punch, 2011; Robson, 2011) and health sciences (Bowling, 2009; Greenhalgh & Hurwitz, 1998; Murphy & Dingwall, 1998). The utility of qualitative methods has also been recognised in psychology. As Nollaig Frost (2011) observes, authors such as Carla Willig and Wendy Stainton Rogers consider qualitative psychology is much more accepted today and that it has moved from “the margins to the mainstream in psychology in the UK.” (Willig & Stainton...
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...INTRODUCTION Welcome to Research Rundowns, a blog intended to simplify research methods in educational settings. I hope this site can serve as a quick, practical, and more importantly, relevant resource on how to read, conduct, and write research. The contents are an expansion and revision of my class materials, intended for use as a refresher or as a free introductory research methods course. Topics are organized into five main sections, with subsections (in parentheses): * Introduction (INTRO)–a brief overview of educational research methods (3) * Quantitative Methods (QUANT)–descriptive and inferential statistics (5) * Qualitative Methods (QUAL)–descriptive and thematic analysis (2) * Mixed Methods (MIXED)–integrated, synthesis, and multi-method approaches (1) * Research Writing (WRITING)–literature review and research report guides (5) Most subsection contains a non-technical description of the topic, a how-to interpret guide, a how-to set-up and analyze guide using free online calculators or Excel, and a wording results guide. All materials are available for general use, following the Creative Commons License. Introduction (INTRO)–a brief overview of educational research methods 1. What is Educational Research? (uploaded 7.17.09) 2. Writing Research Questions (uploaded 7.20.09) 3. Experimental Design (uploaded 7.20.09) ------------------------------------------------- Experimental Design The basic idea of experimental design involves...
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...CONFERENCE PAPERS 165 What is the Impact of Corporate Governance on Organisational Performance?* Loizos Heracleous** Research on the importance of generally accepted ``best practices'' in corporate governance has generally failed to find convincing connections between these practices and organisational performance. We discuss research outcomes on the relationship between two such ``best practices'' (CEO/Chair duality and insider/outsider composition) and organisational performance, and find this relationship to be insignificant. We propose four possibilities for this tenuous relationship, that are not mutually exclusive: firstly, the possibility that ``best practices'' in governance are indeed irrelevant to organisational performance; secondly, that the operationalisation of theoretical concepts has low face validity; thirdly, that studies are too narrow, aiming to relate board attributes directly to organisational performance and ignoring other systemic factors; and lastly, the possibility that different types of organisations require different practices in corporate governance. Lastly, we address the methodological and substantive implications of each of these possibilities. Keywords: Corporate governance, best practices, performance, research methodology T he legal formation of limited liability companies in the UK in the eighteenth century has separated ownership from control of corporations (Fama and Jensen, 1983), where salaried managers ideally...
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...EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Willis Yuko Oso Faculty of Education and School of Postgraduate Studies Amoud University - Somaliland [pic] Barkhadleh Printing, BORAMA - SOMALILAND Typesetting and Printing By Barkhadleh Printing, Borama, Somaliland. Barkhadleh52hotmail.com /0025224509257 Copyright © Willis Yuko Oso, 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part or transmitted in any form or by any means (except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical review for educational purposes) without the express permission of the publisher in writing. Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Willis Yuko Oso Faculty of Education and School of Postgraduate Studies Amoud University Somaliland ISBN: 978-9966-793-32-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES vii SYMBOLS USED IN THE TEXT x PREFACE xi 1: EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH – CONCEPTUALIZATION 1 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Defining Educational Research 1 1.2 Characteristics of Educational Research 4 1.3 Purpose of Educational Research 5 1.4 Types of Research 9 1.4.1 Basic Research 9 1.4.2 Applied Research 10 1.4.3 Action Research 11 1.4.4 Research and Development (R&D) 15 1.4.5 Operations Research 15 2: THE RESEARCH PROCESS 18 2.0 Introduction 18 2.1 Research Topic 18 2.1.1 What is a Research Topic? 18 2.1.2 Elements of a Research Topic 19 2.1.3 Identifying a Research Topic 19 2.1.4 Sources of Research Topics...
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...AND DISTANCE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF EXTRA-MURAL STUDIES. In collaboration with CENTRE FOR OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING MASTER IN PROJECT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT COURSE: LDP 603: RESEARCH METHODS Authored by: Dr. Christopher Mwangi Gakuu Senior Lecturer, Department of ExtraMural studies, University of Nairobi & Dr. Harriet Jepchumba Kidombo Senior Lecturer, Department of Educational Studies University of Nairobi Page 1 of 240 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE MODULE The Research Methods course is one of the first semester core courses for those learners pursuing the Master in Project Planning and Management course. You are aware that any good decision is based on facts. Facts are based on data. The data must be systematically collected, processed, analysed and presented for use. The best-known way of collecting empirical data is through scientific research methods. This is what this course module is all about. The main aims of this course unit is to: 1. Providing you with the basic information needed to understand the research process. 2. Enable you to use the knowledge to design their own research agenda on an area of personal interest or that of an organization. MODULE STRUCTURE The module is covered in Lectures. Each Lecture focuses on area in research. You will note that in each unit, there is an introduction, unit objectives, contents presented in subtopics, activities, summary and suggestions for further readings. This structure aims ...
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...I ~ i APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS SERIES CASE Series Editors LEONARD BICKMAN, Peabody College, Vandelbilt University. Nashvine DEBRA J. ROO. Vanderbilt UnillelSity. Washington. DC I. SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS (ThIrd Edition) by FlOYD J. FOWLER, Jr. 2. SYNTHESIZING RESEARCH (ThIrd edition) by HARRIS COOPER 3. METHODS FOR POUCY RESEARCH by ANN MAJCHRZAK 4. SECONDARY RESEARCH (Second Edition) by DAVID W. STEWART and MICHAEL A. KAMINS 5. CASE sruDY RESEARCH (ThIrd edition) by ROBERT K. YIN 6. META-ANALY11C PROCEDURES FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH (Revl'" Edition) by ROBERT ROSENTHAL 7. TELEPHONE SURVEY METHODS (Second Edition) by PAUL J. LAVRAKAS 8. DIAGNOSING ORGANlZAnoNS (s.cond Edition) by MICHAEL I. HARRISON 9. GROUP TECHNIQUES FOR IDEA BUILDING (Second Edition, by CARL M. MOORE 10. NEED ANALYSI9 by JACK McKilliP II. UNKING AUDmNG AND META EVALUAnON by THOMAS A. SCHWANDT and EOINARD S. HALPERN 12. ETHICS AND VALUES IN APPUED SOCIAL RESEARCH by ALLAN J. KIMMEL 13. ON nME AND METHOD by JANICE R. KEllY and JOSEPH E. McGRATH 14. RESEARCH IN HEALTH CARE SEmNGS by KATHLEEN E. GRADY and BARBARA STRUDLER WALlSTON 15. PARnCIPANT OBSERVAnON by DANNY JORGENSEN 16. INTERPREnVE INTERACllONISM (Second Edition) by NORMAN K. DENZIN 17. ETHNOGRAPHY (Second Edition) by DAVID M. FETTERMAN 18. STANDARDIZED...
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...Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 (2014) 229 – 236 Project portfolio management in a company strategy implementation, a case study Irja Hyväria* a Martela Oyj, Aalto University School of Business, Finland Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the project portfolio management in different business organizations. Project portfolio management is seen as a holistic activity, dependent on the organization's strategy. This study aims to determine how the project portfolio decisions are made and how the project portfolio is managed. Also other organizational factors which may affect the efficiency of project portfolio will be considered. In this study, research method was case study carried out in business organizations. The study showed interconnection between company strategy, project portfolio and projects in process and practice. The results indicate that project portfolio management is, however, facing people challenges in managing project portfolio. © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the IPMA. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the IPMA. Keywords: Project portfolio management; business organizations; company strategy; leadership* 1. Introduction Nowadays organizations face challenges in their...
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