Scientific Research Methodology

Instructors:

Le Phuong Thao, Ph.D Email: lephuongthao@hou.edu.vn

Nguyen Thi Thuy Hong, Ph.D Email: hong12g@hou.edu.vn

Course Description:

The subject of the course “Methodology of Scientific Research” includes methods,

techniques, instruments, and processes of performing a scientific research. The aim

of this course is to provide students with the body of theoretical knowledge and practical
 Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, the student will be able to:
● Understand the basic concept of research methodology
● Identify methods and methodology
● Define research problems
● Know how to design a research
● Master characteristics of a research
● Conduct a research process
● Write up a research
 Course materials + Evaluation

Course materials:
● The Good Research Guide.pdf
● Social Science ResearchPrinciples Methods and Practices
Course Evaluation:
● Class participation: 10%
● Mid-term assignment: 20%
● Final assignment: 70%
Course Schedule and Topics
Chapter 1: Research
Methodology: An
introduction
 In this chapter you will learn about:

01 02 03
Meaning of research Objectives of research Motivation in research

04 05 06
Types of research Research approaches Significance of research

07 08 09
Research methods versus Research process Criteria of a good research
Methodology
 Listen to the video clip
Answer the questions:
1. What is research?
2. Where can we find a quality research?
3. What kinds of articles are research articles?
4. What are the main sections of research articles?
Research Defined: What is research? How do you recognize a research
article?
Answers to the questions
1. What is research?
Research is defined by academics as a logical, systematic, in-depth,
and rigorous investigation of a question or problem.
2. Where can we find a quality research?
Quality Research articles can be found in peer-reviewed journals.
3. What kinds of articles are research articles?
Research articles have a specific layout that contains key information
about a study that was done.
4. What are the main sections of research articles?
Research articles are organised into four main sections including an
Introduction, design, Results/findings, and finally the discussion.
 Research: what does it mean?

Research is one of the ways to find answers to your questions. When you say
that you are undertaking a research study to find out answers to a question, you
are implying that the process being applied:
1. is undertaken within a framework of a set of philosophies.
2. uses procedures, methods and techniques that have been tested for
their validity and reliability.
3. is designed to be unbiased and objective.
 1. Meaning of research

● A search for knowledge

● A scientific and systematic search for relevant information on a specific topic
● “A careful investigation or inquiry specially through search for new facts in any
branch of knowledge” (The Advanced Learner‘s Dictionary of Current English)
● A “systematized effort to gain new knowledge”. Redman and Mory (1923)
 What is scientific research?

● What is scientific research?

Application of scientific method to the investigation of relationships
among natural phenomenons, or to solve a problem
 2. Objectives of research
● A research is aimed to discover answers to questions through the
application of scientific methods.
● The main aim of research is to discover the truth which is covered up
and which has not been found out .
 Objectives of research
● To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it
(exploratory research)
● To present accurately characteristics of a particular individual, situation
or group (descriptive research)
● To determine frequency with which something occurs or with which it is
associated with something else (diagnostic research)
● To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables
(hypothesis-testing research)
 3. Motivation in Research
Possible motivations for doing research:
● Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits;
● Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e., concern over
practical problems initiates research;
● Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work;
● Desire to be of service to society;
● Desire to get respectability.

Many more factors such as directives of government, employment conditions,

curiosity about new things, desire to understand causal relationships, social
thinking and awakening, and the like may as well motivate people to perform
research operations.
4. Types of
Research
 Types of research

● Descriptive vs. Analytical

● Applied vs. Fundamental

● Quantitative vs. Qualitative

● Conceptual vs. Empirical

 Descriptive vs Analytical

Descriptive Analytical
● Survey and fact-finding ● Utilize facts or
● Description of the state information already
of issues available - analyze to
make basic evaluation
 Examples of Types of research

● Descriptive:

Eg. Current situation of major students’ learning speaking

skills online at FOE, HOU; Greetings in English common

conversations

● Analytical

Eg. Factors affecting major students at FOE, HOU to learn

 Applied vs Fundamental

Applied Fundamental
● Find a solution for an ● Focused on
immediate problem generalisations and
that a society or an with the formulation
industrial/ business of a theory
organisation
encounters
 Examples of Types of research

● Applied

Eg. Towards improving major students’ speaking skills online at

FOE, HOU

● Fundamental

Eg. Ways to write a research paper; How to develop a research

 Quantitative and Qualitative
1. Quantitative
● Based on the measurement quantity or amount
● Applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity
● Relates to the techniques of using statistics, variables, reliability of
data, describing data, analyzing data, testing hypotheses and dealing
with problematic data.
 Quantitative and Qualitative
2. Qualitative

● Qualitative phenomenon- relating to quality

● Underlying motives and desires, using in depth interviews for the
purpose.

For instance, when we are interested in investigating the reasons why

students of FOE, HOU find difficult to write a research paper.
 Examples of Types of research

+ Quantitative

Eg. Regular class attendance leads to good marks.

+ Qualitative

Eg. Factors affecting major students of FOE, HOU in writing a

research paper.
 Conceptual vs Empirical
● Conceptual research:
○ Related to some abstract ideas or theory.
○ Used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or
reinterpret existing ones.
● Empirical research = experiment research
○ Data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable
of being verified by observation or experiment.
○ The researcher must provide himself with a hypothesis or guess
probable results. He then works to get enough data to prove or
disprove his hypothesis. He then sets up experimental designs to
bring forth the desired information.
 Examples of Conceptual and Empirical
● Conceptual research:

Eg. Learning speaking English skills online during the Covid 19

pandemic.

● Empirical research = experiment research

Eg. Developing new methods to learn speaking English skills

online during the Covid 19 pandemic.
5. Research
Approaches
 RESEARCH APPROACHES

● APPROACH needs to be distinguished with METHOD.

● Approach is the direction to go.

● Method is the way of doing.

 Quantitative and Qualitative approach

Quantitative approach

Deals with numbers

and statistics

Approach

Qualitative approach

Deals with words

and meanings
6. Significance of
research
 Significance of research

● Research inculcates scientific and inductive thinking and it promotes the development
of logical habits of thinking and organisation.
● The role of research in several fields has greatly increased in modern times.
● Research provides the basis for nearly all government policies in our economic system
● Research has its special significance in solving various operational and planning
problems of business and industry.
● Research is equally important for social scientists in studying social relationships and
in seeking answers to various social problems.
7. Research Methods vs
Research Methodology
 Research Methods

Research methods may be understood as all the techniques

that are used for conduction of research.
 Research methodology

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem.

The scope of research methodology is wider than that of research methods.
Thus, when we talk of research methodology we not only talk of the research
methods but also consider the logic behind the methods we use in the context
of our research study and explain why we are using a particular method or
technique and why we are not using others so that research results are capable
of being evaluated.
8. Research Process
 Research Process
01 Identify the 02 Review literature 03 Formulate hypothesis
research
problem

04 Prepare design 05. Determine a 05 Collect the data

sample design

06 Process and 07 Write a report

analyse data
 Step 1: Identify the Research Problem
● Two steps are involved in formulating the problem:

○ Understand the problem thoroughly

○ Rephrasing into meaningful terms from an analytical point of view

● The best way of understanding the problem is to discuss it with your

colleagues and with those who have expertise in the matter.
 Step 2: Review Literature
● Extensive literature survey: Once the problem is formulated, write down a
brief summary.

● The researcher should undertake extensive literature survey connected with

the problem.

● Academic journals, conferences proceedings, government reports, books,

etc… must be tapped depending on the nature of the problem

Ex: https://scholar.google.com/

● A good search in the library will be a great help to the researcher at this
stage.
 Step 3: Formulate hypothesis
● A hypothesis states your predictions about what your research will find. It is a

tentative answer to your research question that has not yet been tested. For

some research projects, you might have to write several hypotheses that

address different aspects of your research question.

If you want to test a relationship between two or more things, you need to

write hypotheses before you start your experiment or data collection.

Eg1: Daily apple consumption leads to fewer doctor’s visits.

Eg2. Regular class attendance leads to better marks.

 Step 4: Prepare the research design
The preparation of the research design, appropriate for a particular research
problem, involves usually the consideration of the following:
● the means of obtaining the information;
● the availability and skills of the researcher and his staff (if any);
● explanation of the way in which selected means of obtaining information will
be
● organised and the reasoning leading to the selection;
● the time available for research; and
● the cost factor relating to research, i.e., the finance available for the purpose.
 Step 5: Determine sample design
A sample design is a definite plan determined before any data are actually
collected for obtaining a sample from a given population.

Eg: The plan to select 100 out of 310 the second-year students of FOE, HOU in a
certain way constitutes a sample design.
 Step 6: Collect the data

Through Through
By observation personal telephone
interview interview

By mailing of Through
questionnaires schedules
 Step 7: Analysis of data
● Collected data should be adequate and dependable

● A careful watch should be kept for unanticipated factors to keep the

survey as much realistic as possible

● This step is to ensure that the survey is under statistical control so

that the information is accuracy

● Researcher should classify the raw data into some purposeful and
usable categories

● Coding, editing and tabulation is the three part in this procedures.

 Step 8: Write a report
Introduction
1 Clear statement of the
objective
Summary of findings 2

Main Report
3 Logical sequence
and broken down
Conclusions into identifiable
4
sections
Put down the results
of his research
9. Criteria of a good
research
 Criteria of a good research
● Good research is systematic: It means that research is structured with specified
steps to be taken in a specified sequence in accordance with the well defined set of
rules
● Good research is logical: This implies that research is guided by the rules of logical
reasoning and the logical process of induction and deduction are of great value in
carrying out research
● Good research is empirical: It implies that research is related basically to one or
more aspects of a real situation and deals with concrete data that provides a basis
for external validity to research results.
● Good research is replicable: This characteristic allows research results to be
verified by replicating the study and thereby building a sound basis for decisions.
 Example:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GRskvPAJaex1_-u5422PscxTrOuHRnJZ/view?usp=sharing