DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF LAGIS
2024/2025 ACADEMIC SESSION
COURSE OUTLINE SECOND SEMESTER
ECO 345 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
LECTURERS: Professors M. A. Lotto and K.B. Ajide
Course Description:
This course introduces students to the fundamental principles, concepts, and procedures of
conducting scientific research. It emphasizes the formulation of research problems, research
design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, with a focus on both quantitative and
qualitative methods.
Course Objectives:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Understand the nature and scope of research.
2. Formulate clear research problems, questions, and hypotheses.
3. Design appropriate research methodologies for various research questions.
4. Select suitable data collection and analysis methods.
5. Understand ethical considerations in research.
6. Present research findings effectively.
Course Outline:
1: Introduction to Research
● Definition and characteristics of research
● Purpose and importance of research
● Types of research: Basic vs. Applied, Descriptive vs. Analytical, Quantitative vs.
Qualitative
● Ethics in research
2: The Research Process
● Steps in the research process
● Identification of research problems
● Literature review and gap identification
● Formulation of research questions, objectives, and hypotheses
3: Research Design
● Meaning and significance of research design
● Types of research designs (exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, experimental, cross-
sectional, longitudinal)
● Sampling techniques: probability vs. non-probability sampling
● Sample size determination
4: Data Collection Methods
● Primary and secondary data
● Tools for data collection: questionnaires, interviews, observation, focus groups
● Scaling techniques and measurement (Likert scale, semantic differential, etc.)
● Validity and reliability of instruments
5: Quantitative Research Methods
● Survey research
● Experimental and quasi-experimental designs
● Statistical tools for data analysis (descriptive and inferential statistics)
● Introduction to statistical software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R)
6: Qualitative Research Methods
● Phenomenology, ethnography, case study, grounded theory, content analysis
● Data collection techniques: in-depth interviews, participant observation, document
analysis
● Coding and thematic analysis
● Trustworthiness and credibility in qualitative research
7: Mixed Methods Research
● Rationale and design for mixed-methods studies
● Integration of quantitative and qualitative data
● Advantages and limitations
8: Writing the Research Proposal
● Structure of a proposal (introduction, literature review, methodology, references)
● Plagiarism and referencing (APA, MLA, Chicago)
● Budgeting and timelines in proposals
9: Data Presentation and Interpretation
● Tables, charts, graphs
● Interpretation of statistical and qualitative results
● Drawing conclusions and making recommendations
●
10: Writing and Presenting Research Reports
● Components of a final report or thesis
● Academic writing style
● Oral presentation of research
● Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
11: Contemporary Issues in Research
● Digital and online research
● Open data and research transparency
● Research in the era of AI and big data
Assessment Methods:
● Class participation and assignments – 10%
● Mid-semester test – 20%
● Final examination – 70%
Suggested Reading Materials:
1. Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques.
2. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed
Methods Approaches.
3. Babbie, E. (2020). The Practice of Social Research.
4. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research Methods for Business
Students.
