AMBO UNIVERSITY
HACHALU HUNDESSA CAMPUS
SCHOOL OF INFORMATICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Course Name
Research Methods in IT
Prepared by: Berhanu F. (MSc.)
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Course Information
Course Title: Research Methods in Information Technology
Course Code: ITec4155
Course CR. HRs: 2
Target group: 4th Year InformationTechnology regular student’s
Pre-requisites: None
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Objective of the course
At the end of this course, students will be able to understand:
The terminologies used by professional researchers employing
scientific thinking.
How to formulate a solid research hypothesis (research
question).
the basic stages of research design
types of proposals and the contents of each
the issues covered in research ethics
the relationships that exist between variables in research design
and the steps for evaluating those relationships
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Resources
Required Text Books.
1. Cooper, Donald (2006). Business research methods, 9th Ed, McGraw-Hill
2. G. Marczyk, D. Demattoe, D. Festinger(2005). Essentials of research
methodology and design. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
3. Donald H. McBurney(1998). Research methods, 4th Redbooks/Cole
Publishing Company. University of Pittsburgh.
4. Kothari, C.R. (2004), Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques,
Second edition(Available in Soft Copy)
5. Sing, K. (2007), QUANTITATIVE SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS, Sage
Publications
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Evaluation
Mid exam ……………………….30%
Assignment…..………………..…5%
Project/proposal………...............15%
Final examination……………....50%
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Grading
As per the university’s grading scale
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Rules
Attending class is must.
Coping other person’s work is not allowed
However, discussion is encouraged
Assignments/projects missed their deadlines will not be
accepted and graded.
Active class participation is required.
You can ask question in class or in office at any office hours
Engaging yourself in the reading assignments is
mandatory
Because reading assignments are a part of your mid and final
exams !!
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Introductory Questions
What do you understand by the term research
and research methods?
What do you think are the objectives of
research?
What if we do not conduct research? Is there
any need to conduct research? (Give
examples)
Is Research conducted only by gifted people?
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Eye – opening
Experiences on participatory approach for software
development activities in Ethiopia
Issues related to failure of software development
projects in Ethiopia
Reasons for users’ resistance of using software
products
Students’ opinion of the teaching learning process in
the area of computer science
Is there a relationship between smoking, lung cancer
and smoking?
Predicting academic performance of a student based
on some personality traits?
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Chapter One
Introduction to Research
Meaning of Research
• Research is an Organized and Systematic way of Finding
answers to Questions
Systematic: because there is a definite set of procedures
and steps which you will follow. There are certain things in
the research process which are always done in order to get
the most accurate results.
Organized : because there is a structure or method in going
about doing research. It is a planned procedure, not a
spontaneous one. It is focused and limited to a specific
scope.
Meaning of Research ..(cont’d)
Finding Answers : is the end of all research. Whether
it is the answer to a hypothesis or even a simple
question, research is successful when we find answers.
Sometimes the answer is no, but it is still an answer.
Questions : are central to research. If there is no
question, then the answer is of no use. Research is
focused on relevant, useful, and important questions.
Without a question, research has no focus, drive, or
purpose.
Meaning of Research … (cont’d)
– Research is an academic activity
• Search for knowledge
• An art of scientific investigation
– Research includes
• defining and redefining problems.
• formulating hypothesis
• collecting, organizing and evaluating data
• making deductions and reaching conclusions
• Carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether
they fit the formulated hypothesis
Scientific Research
• Employs systematic observation and rational
processes to create new knowledge.
• Based on logical relationships not just beliefs.
• Involves an explanation of the methods used to
collect and analyze data; explanation to “why the
results are meaningful?”
Objectives of Research
• To discover answers to questions through the application of
scientific procedures.
• To find out the truth which is hidden which has not been
discovered as yet.
• To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new
insights into it;
Motivation in Research
• What makes people undertake research?
o Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential
benefits.
o Desire to solve a challenge in solving the unsolved
problems.
o Desire to design appropriate policies
o Desire to contribute to the existing stock of knowledge.
o Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work
o Desire to be of service to society
o Directives of government.
o Curiosity about new things, etc....
Significance of research
o Increased amount of research make progress possible.
o Research inculcates scientific thinking and promotes the
development of logical habits of thinking and organization.
o Complexity in business and government is increasing.
o There is more information and knowledge to understand the
world than before.
o Multi disciplinary professions have become common
Significance of research … cont’d
Research Knowledge
Information
Development
Significance of research … cont’d
• Research is necessary in allocation of resources.
(e.g.. optimum resource allocation).
Significance of research … cont’d
o A means of livelihood
o The outlet for new ideas and insights;
o The development of new styles and creative work;
o The generalizations of new theories;
o Fountain of knowledge;
o Important source of providing guidelines for solving
different problems; etc.
Requirements of research
Research requires resources, such as the following:
• Money;
• People;
• Time and space;
• Experimental Subjects, in some cases;
• Research is both enjoyable and frustrating.
• Enjoyment comes from considering a specific problem or
subject field.
• Frustration comes from discovering that it is not possible
to do all that is intended to at the start of the investigation.
o The Research topic may be imposed on the student
o The Research must be completed within a given time
period.
o Funds for Experiments, travel, postage and so on may
be limited or even non -existent.
o The results of the research must be presented in a
specified manner.
o The student may possibly have to relate to an
academic supervisor who is not interested
Ethical Issues in Research
• Ethical concerns
o Moral issues: honesty, integrity
o Legal implications: confidentiality/privacy,
o Neutrality
o Protecting Human Subjects
Types of Research
1. Descriptive Research
includes surveys and fact finding enquiries of different kinds.
Major purpose:
Could be the description of the state of affairs as it exists at
present
Main characteristic:
The researcher can only report what has happened and what
is happening.
Types of Research …cont’d
Explanatory/Causal Research
Main purpose: finding the ‘reasons why’
• desire to know how the causal factors relate to the
effects under predictions
• Usually referred as hypothesis-testing research
• Such studies require procedures that
– Reduce bias and increase reliability
– Permit drawing inferences about causality
• Research design in such kind of studies means Design
of Experiments
Types of Research …cont’d
• Fundamental research: is mainly concerned with
generalizations and with formulation of a theory.
o Research concerning some natural phenomenon or
relating to pure mathematics. (Deriving formulas)
o Research carried to make generalizations about human
behaviour
• Quantitative Research:- based on the measurement of quantity
or amount- applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in
terms of quantity.
• Qualitative Research :- Concerned with qualitative phenomena
(relating to quality or kind)
Types of Research …cont’d
• Conceptual Research
o related to some abstract idea or theory - Generally used
by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts
or to reinterpret existing ones.
• Empirical Research
o relies on experience or observation. It is a data-based
research, coming up with conclusions which are capable
of being verified - Appropriate when proof is sought.
o Evidence gathered through Empirical Studies is
considered to be the most powerful support possible for
a given hypothesis.
Types of Research …cont’d
• Experimental research
o is commonly used in sciences such as sociology and
psychology, physics, chemistry, biology and medicine
etc.
o It is a collection of research designs which use
manipulation and controlled testing to understand causal
processes.
o Generally one or more variables are manipulated to
determine their effect on a dependent variable.
Types of Research …cont’d
• From the point of view of time, we may have
o One-time research :- where the research is confined to a
single time - period.
o Longitudinal research:- where the research is carried on
over several time periods.
• from the point of view of environment, we have
o Field-setting research
o Laboratory research
• All other types of research are variations of one or more of the
above stated approaches, based on.
o the purpose of the research
o the time required to accomplish the research
o the environment in which the research is conducted.
