Week 1, 28/09: Introduction to the Research Methods and The key tools of research.

I learnt that research methods are very instrumental for answering research questions. It is the
mode in which research data is collected and it comes with short comings. It is the logical
theoretical study of methods used in study materials. The research methods involve the
theoretical scrutiny of methods and ideologies allied in a specific branch of knowledge. It sets
out an imperative3 section where choice is taken out to determine the way the research questions
are to be formulated. Research methods is the key to the success and the overall outcome of any
research.

Week 2, 05/10: The nature and dimensions of research.

In my scholar journey research dimension revolves around the difference between basic and
applied research. It also looks at how people do their research for example the approach and how
to go about the research. A research can either be qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative research
is a means of exploring and understanding the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social
or human problem. It looks at emerging of questions and procedures, collecting data in the
participant setting, analyzing data inductively, building from particulars to general themes and
making critical interpretations of the data meaning. Quantities research is a ways of testing
objective theories through examining of variables. I also learnt that the variables can be
measured typically on instruments to make numbered data easy to analyses using statistical
procedures.

Week 3, 12/10: The Research Problem.

Research problem is a concise description of the problems on a certain research topic. It looks at
the problems to be addressed and how they can be addressed. I learnt that there are specific
question to be formulated when stating the problem. For example, who does the problem affect,
when does the problem occur, where is the problem and why is it necessary to fix the problem.
When writing a problem statement I should look at the problems stated and how they are
affecting the topic.

Week 4, 19/10: Critical Review and Analysis of the Literature.

When doing critical review there are several processes that are used such as keyword
identification, literature inclusion When writing a literature review we look at then relevant
literature materials that’s is relevant to the research topic. In my erudition, I learnt that in order to
write a good literature review one must use an exclusion criteria, Boolean Operators, Outcomes
of literature search and assumptions of the study. Systemic approach to ensure that the articles
used have a strategy that is organized and holistic
Week 5, 26/10: Research Philosophies.
I figured out that research philosophy dealt with the way the research can be accompanied
through various bases and analyzed. The part also analyses data and information collected from
data analysis. Through the philosophy I was able to provide relevant information about reading
and writing skills. It also aids in conducting research as a natural or social scientist. Research
philosophy ensures that the researcher conducts his work efficiently and obtains observable data
used in the analysis part.
Week 6, 02/11: Writing a literature review.
When doing literature review I need to organize and present concepts in analyzed studies. In this
case having a thorough analysis of what other authors’ have written down about the same topic.
It first looks at the introduction of the literature to be reviewed and then concentrates on the
theoretical part and lastly embarks on the review of the literature. I also learnt that literature
review main purpose is to examine findings of forgoing studies, the procedures used and
implications of the obtained results.
Week 7, 09/11: Ethical Issues and Access to Data.
When looking at the ethical issues and access to data I was able to outline some things that are
very important. In primary data there is no need to expose the identity of the participants
unnecessary. One should strive for honesty when reporting data results and methods and should
not deceive the research sponsors. In experimental design, data analysis, data interpretation, peer
review and all aspects of research should observe objectivity. One should be open to criticism
and new ideas when sharing data and results. The patent’s copyrights should be honored and
given proper acknowledgement. One should not discriminate or disrespect colleagues. In
secondary sources, one should never plagiarize

Week 08, 16/11: Qualitative Research: some common methods.

I featured out that qualitative research has three common methods and each method is
appropriate for obtaining a certain type of data. Firstly, there is participant observation which is
suitable for collecting data on ordinary occurrence that is in their normal occurrence. Secondly,
there is in-depth interviews which are prime for collecting data on individuals’ peculiar history
perspective and proficiencies especially when delicate topics are being explored. Lastly, there is
focus groups which are effective in salvaging data on the ethnic context of a group and
generating a broad overview of matters of concern to the cultural groups presented.

Week 09, 23/11: Quantitative Research Methods: some pointers.

In quantitative methods the final report has a set structure that consists of introduction, literature
and theory, methods, results and discussion. In quantitative research a survey design provides a
quantitative or numeric description of trends attitude or opinions of a population. The researcher
generalizes or makes claims about the topic from the sample results. It also looks at experiments
where one investigates and identifies a sample and generalizes it to a sample. Investigators in
experimental design test their impact of a treatment or intervention on an outcome, controlling
for all the other factors that may influence the outcome.

Week 10, 30/11: Writing the Research Proposal.

When writing the research proposal, we follow a certain structure and a writing style whereby
the proposal process has the following structure: an introduction, background and significance of
the study, literature review, research designs and methods, preliminary suppositions and
implications and conclusion.

Week 11, 07/12: Looking forward: The Dissertation.

This was a challenging bit since have never had a big project in my life before. I acknowledge
the opportunity to use the knowledge of research method in my project. The knowledge helped to
leverage the acquired knowledge in ensuring that my project was a success. I was able to follow
the tutor’s instructions on how to write a dissertation after learning individual units.
Week 12, 14/12: Individual consultation and peer group review and enhancement
When writing this project my tutors were of great help because they gave me the structure and
the style in which to follow. This was of great help because I was able to write the project in the
required style. My peers were of great assistance since they helped me in monitoring my focus
and also helped me cross check the work hence ensuring efficiency.