1. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences Research Methods Week 1 Collecting, Processing and Analyzing Data

2. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 2 Aims of the Session The purpose of this session is to: Introduce you to the Research Phase (30%) of the Database Technology Module. Introduce you to the assessment requirement for this part of the Database Technology Module. Discuss how to evaluate research arguments

3. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 3 The Purpose of Research The purpose of research is to contribute to a current state-of-the-art research and possibly to advance knowledge in some ways different to already existing works. This means that the research that one undertakes has to be : 1. Embedded in a recognisable field of study, taking into account and drawing on past research works 2. Of interest to other researchers working in the same field, and possibly to other fields (wider community) 3. Generalisable to more than one individual experience or circumstance.

4. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 4 Typical Research Structure Conduct Literature Review Select Research Questions Devise Methodology & Research Instruments Apply Methods & Instruments Perform some Analysis Test Hypotheses & Draw Conclusions The process of research is well-documented. This diagram more or less describes the activities required for a research project. What we will do in this session, is to look at some of the elements, and how they fit together. Produce an initial Research Proposal

5. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 5 Getting Started Conduct Literature Review Select Research Questions Devise Methodology & Research Instruments Apply Methods & Instruments Perform some Analysis Test Hypotheses & Draw Conclusions In this course we will only be completing the initial stages of the research cycle. The initial stages are an iterative process Secondly, you will be gaining experience of quantitative research. More about this later. Produce a Research Proposal

6. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 6

7. 7 Getting Started Conduct Literature Review Select Research Questions Devise Methodology & Research Instruments Apply Methods & Instruments Perform Statistical Analysis Test Hypotheses & Draw Conclusions The first thing that you will do is to make sure you are well-informed, and to pose pertinent questions which your research will answer. Produce a Research Proposal

8. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 8 Defining Your Field of Study (1) A Literature Review is undertaken in a particular field, in order to ensure that the research is embedded within that field, and that account is taken of the methods, issues, results, theories and conventions which apply. At the end of the literature review, the field is narrowed down to a relatively small topic within the field, and will have some ‘unanswered questions’ which the research will try to investigate. These focussed questions form the basis of the Research undertaken.

9. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 9 Defining Your Field of Study (2) Research Questions are crucial, as they effectively define both the content of your research and the manner in which you carry it out.  Research methodology is designed specifically to attempt to answer these questions  The data collected will be focussed on issues relevant to these questions  Analysis of the data will seek to provide answers to the questions  Conclusions will summarise the answers.

10. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 10 Research Questions Typical research questions might be:  How can historical data be used to find trends and patterns using artificial intelligence techniques e.g. cyber crime, fraud detection, customer buying patterns  To what extent is industry embracing wireless sensor networks?  How can we detect dyslexia and dyscalculia in primary schools using some software and data collected from the children  Are there differences in the way that men and women approach the task of writing software?  How can historical events be modelled effectively using VRML?

11. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 11 Defining Your Population When framing Research questions, you need to be clear about what set of objects, people or events forms the ‘background population’ in your study. – For example, the software you produce is implemented in a particular language. – Target audience e.g. specific learning difficulties like dyslexia etc. – Software user or audience type e.g. students

12. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 12 Defining Your Population If you are investigating whether on-line learning is effective, is your population: - UK University students, Liverpool Hope Students etc

13. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 13 Research Questions References Lewis, Ian. - So you want to do research! : a guide for beginners on how to formulate research questions. - 2nd ed. - Edinburgh : Scottish Council for Research in Education, 1997. - (SCRE publication ; 2 ;.. - 1860030327

14. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 14 Assessment Requirements You are required to complete a portfolio of activities consisting of Evaluating an argument, evaluating a journal article. Developing a Research Proposal for a given Quantitative Research Task involving Databases and measures of performance

15. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 15 Evaluating Arguments If you are finding background information first how do you evaluate what you are finding. In initial stages you will identify general information relating to a topic. This is then refined the more specific information is identified.

16. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 16 Evaluating Arguments An argument in the context of this course is “case in support of a point of view”. To assist you in understanding what make a good argument or a poor argument you will complete the Evaluating Arguments portfolio activity.

17. www.hope.ac.uk Deanery of Business & Computer Sciences 17 Next Week Critical evaluation of a journal article.