DMS 411:

BUSINESS
RESEARCH
METHODS

Lecture VII
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 Research Process

What? Where? HOW? Who?

•Concepts, •Context / Overall Representation
Variables & setting of Methodology •Population
Measures the day to be used •Sampling

Data Gathering

Analysis
Interpretation
& Application
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 Key questions addressed in methodology
• What design strategy will be used?

• Who/what is the study unit?

• Who/what forms the population of the study?

• Will sampling be done, and if so, what sampling design

will be used? What sample size?

• What kind of data will be used? Where /from whom

will it be collected? Which/what instrument will be
used and how will the researcher reach the
respondents/data source?

• How will the collected data be analyzed and

presented?
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 3
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 Chapter Three: Research Methodology
• 3.1 Research Design

• 3.2 Population

• 3.3 Sampling and Sample Size

• 3.4 Data Collection

– Data type
– Data source
– Collection method
– Research Instrument
– Mechanism for reaching target
audience/object/subject

• 3.5 Data analysis

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 Research Process

What? Where? HOW? Who?

•Concepts, •Context / Overall Representation
Variables & setting of Methodology •Population
Measures the day to be used •Sampling

Data Gathering

Analysis
Interpretation
& Application
6
 The life cycle of a research from a design
perspective
Research question
Target Population
Construct Research objective

Sampling Frame

Measurement What Who

is the is the
Sample
study study
Response about? about?

Respondent

Edited
Response Poststudy Adjustments
Research results
/ findings
The Measurement dimension The Representational dimention
describes what data are to be concerns what population are
collected about the observational units described by the study
in the sample 7
 Definitions
Data:
• The term data means groups of information
that represent the qualitative or quantitative
attributes of a variable or set of variables.

• Data are typically the results of measurements

and can be the basis of graphs, images, or
observations of a set of variables.

• Data are often viewed as the lowest level of

abstraction from which information and
knowledge are derived.

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 Definitions
Information:
• Processed Data

• Facts, data, or instructions in any medium or

form.

• The meaning that a human assigns to data by

means of the known conventions used in their
representation.

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 Definitions
• Knowledge:
(i) expertise, and skills acquired by a person
through experience or education; the
theoretical or practical understanding of a
subject

(ii) what is known in a particular field or in total;

facts and information or

(iii) awareness or familiarity gained by experience

of a fact or situation

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 Types of data
• Quantitative • Primary Data
Data – Focus Groups
– Numerical form – Panels
– Individual

• Secondary Sources
• Qualitative – Databases,
– Non numerical – Institutional records
– books,
– periodicals,
– statistical abstracts,
etc. , etc

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 Secondary Data
• Advantages
– No need to reinvent the wheel
– It will save you money
– It may be very accurate
– It has great exploratory value
• Critical issues (downfalls)
– When was it collected? For how long?
– Is the data set complete?
– Are there confounding problems?
– Are the data consistent/reliable?
– Is the information exactly what you need?

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 Primary Data
• Advantages
– Reliability
– Accuracy
– Relevant
• Issues
– Expensive
– Uniqueness - May not compare to other
populations
– Researcher error (Bias)

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 Measurement &
Scales of measurement

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 The measurement dimension
Constructs are the elements of information that are
Construct sought by the researcher :
How many incidents of crimes with victims there were in the last year;
The consumption of beer in the last month; The degree of knowledge
of mathematics of childrens…

Measurements are ways to gather information about

constructs :
Measurement
NB: the critical task for measurement is to design tools that
produce answers reflecting perfectly the construct we are trying
to measure.

Response could be produced in a variety of means

Response But in general the nature of the response is determined by
the nature of the measurement

Editing of data may examine the full distribution of

Edited answers and look for atypical patterns of responses
Response Edited responses are the data from wich inference is made about
the values of the construct for an individual respondent
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 Measurement
• Measurement is the process of assigning values
/weight to concepts of interest (variables) in a
research

• Some variables are easily measured through the

use of appropriate measuring instruments
whereas certain concepts /variables are not
easily measurable using physical measuring
devices e.g. motivation, satisfaction perception
etc.

• Abstract notions are broken down into

observable/measurable aspects
(operationalyzing).
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 Scales of Measurement
• As scale is a tool or mechanism by which
individuals/items are distinguished as to
how they differ from one another on
the variables of interest in a study.

• Types of scales:
– Nominal
– Ordinal
– Interval
– Ratio

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 Nominal Scale
• Allows for categorization/grouping of
items

• Values have no intrinsic value, other

than grouping/identification purposes
only

• E.g. Gender (Male/Female), Make of

Vehicles (Toyota, Isuzu, etc)
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 Ordinal Scale
• Categorizes the variables -
differences amongst various
categories
• Organizes variables in an ordered
array (Rank orders the categories in
some meaningful way.
• Examples: Grades obtained in an
exam: A, B, C, D, E…..
• Job categories in an organization.

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 Interval Scale
• Combines the aspect of categorization,
rank-ordering and magnitude (measuring of
distance between any two points on a scale).

• Allows for arithmetic computation of the

data collected (statistical analysis)

• Interval scale has an arbitrary origin point.

• E.g. salary scales, Temperature.

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 Ratio Scale
• Has an absolute value, over and above
other properties of other scales
(nominal, ordinal, interval).

• It allows statistical computations

• Allows comparability (in proportion)

e.g. actual age, income, price of items,
etc.
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 Levels of Measurement
Level Characteristic Example
Nominal Unordered Race, gender
categories

Ordinal Ordered categories Sm, med.lg

Hardness scale

Interval Consistent distance Temp in fahrenheit

between categories or Celsius

Ratio Natural zero Temp in Kelvin

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 Data
Collection
Methods

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 Scientific research process
Desktop
Field work & Define the problem research
report writing
=
Research
Review literature: proposal
Report writing Theory Vs practice
(findings)?

Formulate Hypothesis
Data analysis

Design research

Collect data

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 Data collection
• There are several data collection methods,
each with its own advantages and
disadvantages.

• Use of appropriate methods greatly

enhances the value of the research

• Data can be collected in a variety of ways,

in different settings (field, lab) and from
different sources.

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Common data collection methods

• Interview
• Questionnaire
• Observation
• Data mining

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Common data collection methods
• Interviews
– Types:
• Structured (use of interview guide)
• Unstructured (open discussion).

– Methods:
• Face to face, telephone, computer aided,
electronic mail, FGD (Focus Group
Discussions) etc.

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 Common data collection methods
• Questionnaires
– A questionnaire is a pre-formulated written set of
questions to which respondents record their
answers

– Types:
• Open ended
• closed ended

– Method:
• personally administered (face to face, telephone, etc)
• Mailed questionnaires
• Electronic Questionnaires

– Questionnaire Pre-testing
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Common data collection methods

• Observation
– individuals/events with/without
recording as they occur/happen.

– Can be done in the natural occurrence /

setting or in a controlled environment /
setting

– Can be structured or unstructured

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Common data collection methods

• Data mining
– Various approaches used to obtain
secondary data…
• Computer searches (online data bases)
• Published data
• Books, etc

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Choosing a data collection method
Depends on:
• Facilities available
• The degree of accuracy required
• The expertise of the researcher
• Time span of the study
• Purpose of data collection
• Variables of interest
• Other case and resources associated
with and available for data gathering.
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 Techniques of data collection
OCR/ICR FAX
Optical/intelligent
caracter recognition
Computerised Self

Mail Disk by Mail E-mail Web Administered

Questionnaires

Telephone CATI TDE IVR

computer assisted Touchtone Interactive
telephone data entry voice response
interviewing

Face to CAPI computer assisted personal interviewing

face SAQ Text Audio Video
Self administered
CASI CASI CASI
questionnaire

Walkman
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 Ethics in Data Collection:
• Treating information given by
respondents as strictly confidential is
a primary responsibility of the
researcher.

• not to misrepresent the nature of the

study to subjects

• Personal or seemingly intrusive

information should not be solicited;
where necessary, absolute sensitivity
and caution should be exercised.
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 Ethics in Data Collection:
• Respondents should not be forced to
participate in a study

• Objectivity should be maintained i.e.

researchers opinion, assumption,
expectations and biasness should be
made explicit and remain non-intrusive.

• Subjects should never be exposed to

situations that may result in physical
or mental harm.

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• General questions and
answers?

• Lessons learnt?

• General comments?
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Thank you

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