Important Sections of the Methodology

Chapter in the Dissertation

Method Kazaura, PhD

Questions you must ask Steps you will take Elements of each step What is the problem and why should it be studied? What information is available? Why do we want to carry out the research? What do we hope to achieve? What additional data do we need to achieve our objectives? How are we going to collect this information

Selection, analysis and statement of the research problem

Literature review

Formulation of research objectives

Research methodology

- problem identification - prioritizing problem - analysis - justification

- Literature and other available information

- Broad and specific objectives

- hypotheses

- variables - type of study - study pop., sample size - data collection technique - plan for data collection - plan for data processing - plan for data analysis - ethical considerations - pre-test/piloting

Questions you must ask Steps you will take Elements of each step What data have you collected for each objective? Complete and accurate? What do data look like? How can data be summarized? How can associations between variables determined? Do we measure differences or associations between variables? How should the report be written?

Prepare data for analysis

Summarize data and describe variables

Analyze associations

Determine the types of statistical analysis

Make an inventory of data for each objective. Sort data and check quality

Frequency tables, tally sheets, master sheets

Cross-tabulations

Choosing appropriate significance tests

Write the report Prepare an outline. Prepare and interpret data. Discuss and summarize conclusions. What are recommendations?

Methodology

A methodology

• Explaining how you carried out your research

• Where your data come from

• Type of data gathering techniques used, etc

• It is an instruction manual of your plasma TV

A methodology

• Third party gets enough information to replicate a study

• Do not have to include tools

• Shows why you chose to use those particular techniques

• What new information to collect

Methodology (points):• Introduction

• Study design

• Study area

• Target population

• Study population

• Sample size

• Sampling procedure

• Study instruments

Methodology (points): Ctn• Data collection procedure

• Pre-testing of tools

• Recruitment of Ras

• Management of tool in the field

• Data sorting and editing

• Data entry

• Data processing and analysis

Methodology (points): Ctn• Variables (Dependent and Independent)

• Ethical issues

Introduction

• Summary of the research questions

• Brief aims and objectives of your study in relation to the

methodology

Study types

Exploratory orDescriptive study

Cross-sectional comparativeCase-controlCohort

Cohort study

Experimental orQuasi experimental study

Knowing that a problem exist but know little about its characteristics or possible causes

Suspect that certain factors contribute to the problem

Know factors, you want to the extent to which a particular factor causes/ contributes to the problem

Knowing the cause, develop or assess an intervention to prevent or solve the problem

Analytical studies

• Quantitative or qualitative or both approaches

Study area

• Bring the reader to understand your study area

• Relevant information only

Target population

• The population into which inference would be

made

Study population

• The actual sample you will collect data

Sample size estimation

• Probabilistic or non-probabilistic

• “Convenient”?

• Right formula (necessary to show a formula?)

Sampling procedure

• Clear, step-by-step

• If more than one population, have separate sub-

section

Stratified VS Cluster sampling

44

STS: Take a sample in each stratum

CLS: Fully study all units in a selected cluster

Study instruments

Data collection tools

• Using secondary data?

• Observational?

• Primary data (Interviewing)?

• Self-admin or face-to-face?

• Focus group discussions or IDI?

Data collection tools

• Can use a combination of these

• Each has advantages and disadvantages

• Try to minimize BIAS (distortion of the collected data –

away from reality)

• Observer bias, defective instrument, information bias, etc

• Language and procedure to get a final version

Questionnaires

• Take objective and variables as a starting point

• Formulate a question that captures both

• A question should measure one thing at a time

• No leading questions

• Avoid vague terms (“unhealthy food”)

• Get the proper sequencing (flow) of questions

• Ask sensitive questions in a socially acceptable way

• (“If your friend was considering abortion, what would you advise her”)

Questionnaires

• Open-ended questions

– What do you think are the reasons for not breast-feeding?

• Semi structured questions

– Example….

• Closed questions

– Example

Variables

• What new information are we going to collect?

– Background variables (maybe independent variables)

– Dependent variables

– Confounding variables

• Remember, types of variables will dictate the type of

analysis (handling of variables)

Variables

• How are you going to measure them?

• Operational definition of variables

Data collection procedure

• So as to help improve the usefulness, timeliness, and

accuracy of data

• These procedures describe processes that will result in

high quality data

• Who to do what

• How

• Imagine you are planning to conduct ‘exit interviews’

Recruitment of RAs and Pre-testing

• RA: who are they and why?

• Pilot and pre-testing of instruments

Management of data in the field

• What to do after a completed questionnaire?

• Safe custody

• Data sorting and editing

• Data entry

Processing and analysis

• Sort data

• Perform quality checks

• Data processing (master sheets or Epi Info)

– Categorizing

– Coding (new variables or for open ended questions)

– Summarizing data into master sheets or data entry

Data analysis

• Describe variables (frequency tables)

• Based on objectives, cross-tables?

• Select (decide) appropriate tests

Ethical considerations

• Are data collection techniques likely to

cause physical or emotional harm?

• Obtain informed consent

• Permission to conduct a study