Research Methodology: Variables and Collaboration

• BM2101 Research Methodology is the title of the course.
• Dr. Syahnur Farhana, PhD in Economics, is the lecturer and researcher for the course, with email [email protected]
• Chapter Three covers the literature review, and Chapter Four covers the theoretical Framework.

Literature Review In Definition

• A Literature review is a summary and evaluation of existing research on a specific topic.
• Literature review, Chapter 2 in a report, should be incorporated in Chapter I to strengthen the Background of Study and Problem Statement.
• Looking at what others have written or studied about the topic can find out what they discovered and explain how it relates to the research.

Rules for Writing Literature Reviews

• No single way to conduct a literature review exists.
• Literature reviews are written in a descriptive manner that progressively builds towards the research focus.
• Many reviews continue throughout a research project rather than being conducted only at the beginning of the study.
• Long literature reviews are unnecessary.
• Review just the key concepts to developing the chapter/framework.
• It is not an attempt to cover everything on the topic.

Literature Review Methods

• Integrate what others have done and found.
• Criticise previous scholarly works.
• Build bridges between related topics.
• Identify the central issues in a field.

Integrating Other's Work Examples

• Danial (2022) found that apples are the most popular fruit among Gen Z.
• Damia (2023) argued that oranges are the actual preferred choice.

Criticising Previous Work Examples

• Some previous studies offer valuable insights, but some were conducted in the UK, where taste preferences may differ from Brunei.

Building Bridges Between Related Topics Examples

• There is a need for a deeper understanding of which fruits are most favoured by Bruneians, who traditionally consider rice a staple food (Syahnur, 2020).

Identifying Central Issues Examples

• Gaining insight into other food preferences beyond rice is essential to ensuring Bruneians have diverse options that contribute to nutritional needs (Leha, 2019; Raudhah, 2020).

Literature Sources

• Online resources include Google and Google Scholar.
• Offline resources include hardcopy books and libraries offline
• High quality and reliable online sources may include Elsevier (Scopus), Emerald, ScienceDirect, MDPI, Springer, and among others; not all are open access.
• Utilize Google Scholar to search for relevant journal articles.
• Types of literature include newspapers, reports, journal Articles, and conference proceedings.

Importance of Literature

• Literature gives background/context by showing what others have already researched, helping people understand the topic and how their research connects.
• Literature finds missing pieces/gaps by looking at existing studies to spot areas not yet explored, guiding your own research.
• It supports credibility.
• Comparision and contrast with findings shows if the work supports or challenges existing theories and helps identify new insights one brings to the field.

Reviewing Literature

• Key questions to consider when reviewing literature surround Relevance, Value and Sufficiency
• For Relevance, how recent is the sources used?
• Do the research questions/objectives closely align with the research, making it directly relevant?
• Does the source support or challenge arguments, providing insights that either strengthen or refine perspectives?
• For Value, has the source undergone a peer review process, ensuring its credibility and quality?
• For Sufficiency, can you able to critically engage with the academic context of the research, demonstrating a deep understanding of the field?
• Have you review relevant sources to meet the requirements/expectations of report?
• 20-35 references are sufficient for a dissertation project.
• Choosing those that are significant is important.
• Use the latest APA 7th edition referencing style and arrange alphabetically.
• Use "et al." for 3 or more authors.
• Use "last name" in text.
• Copy straight from Google Scholar and add DOI in the reference section.

Researching With Google Scholar

• Read the abstract to see whether the paper fits within your study.
• Read the full text to understand the whole context.
• Not all journal articles are open access.
• SCI-HUB can openly access journal articles by inserting DOI.

What To Include In Chapter 2 - Literature Review

• Identify 3-5 relevant KEY CONCEPTS based on your Research Focus.
• Use flexible yet suitable keywords in Google Scholar.
• Challenges to successful university-industry (UI) collaboration.
• Barriers to successful university- UI collaboration.
• Solutions to successful university- UI collaboration.
• Strategies to successful university- UI collaboration.
• Recommendations to successful university- UI collaboration

Key Concepts of Literature

• Research objectives include:
  • Examining the importance of effective UI within Brunei's agricultural sector.
  • Evaluating the barriers hindering successful UI implementation in Brunei's agricultural sector.
  • Proposing practical solutions aimed at strengthening UI within Brunei's agricultural sector.
• Possible subheadings in Chapter 2 (Literature Review):
  • Overview of Brunei's Agricultural Sector.
  • University-Industry Collaboration - Forms and Importance.
  • Barriers to Successful University-Industry Collaboration.
  • Solutions to Successful University-Industry Collaboration.
• Deductive Approach: Use the literature to find theories and ideas that you can later test with your own data.
• Inductive Approach: The literature review will summarise what is already known, but it might highlight an area where little is known or where there is no clear explanation.

Quantitative Style

• Hypothesis Development is Crucial
• Surveys conducted by Ahmad (2020) in Indonesia revealed that conflicting interests among stakeholders have led to a decrease in collaboration within the agricultural sector.
• However, Ali (2022) argued that the issue extends beyond this, pointing out that financial constraints are a significant barrier to potential collaborations, which has been experienced in Malaysia.
• Haji Shahlehi et al. (2023) echoed this view, noting that while collaborations can improve sectoral performance, limited budgets often hinder their implementation.
• Hypothesis I: Financial constraints as the main barrier to UI collaboration in agriculture.
• You want to study "Barriers to Successful UI Collaboration", but you have limited the barriers into financial factors, cultural factors, and communication factors.
• These three specific factors are your independent variables, hence the CONFIRMED THREE HYPOTHESES DERIVED BASED ON THESE FACTORS.
• The unsuccessful UI collaboration is your dependent variable.
  • Independent variables mean the factors that influence/affect the dependent variable.
  • Dependent variables mean the outcome that is affected by changes in the independent variable.
• Mediating variables explain how or why two things are related; it shows the process that happens between the independent variable and the dependent variable.
  • For example, studying time (independent variable) leads to better grades (dependent variable); a mediating variable might be "number of practice"
  • The hours of study impacts the number of practice problems, which in turn impact the exam score.
• Moderating variable changes the strength/direction of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, which affects the strength/weakness of connection between the two.
  • For example, the relationship between studying time (independent variable) and grades (dependent variable) might be stronger for students with higher IQs(moderating variable) than those with lower IQs.
• Control variables are factors that we keep the same in a study; they are not the main focus, but they are controlled because they could affect the results.

Control Variables

• Key aspect of control variables which highlight those that we keep the same in a study.
• They emphasize that while control variables aren't the main focus of the research, they are controlled because they could affect the results if not kept constant.
• It is important to think about other factors that might influence the outcome, even if those factors are not directly measured
• For example, if a student is sick, they might score lower on an exam -Health can be added as a control variable.
• To make sure all participants are in good health on exam day, this avoids health influencing the results.
• Before collecting data, write a hypothesis to predict what your research will find because it is a testable statement that answers research questions but has not been proven or disproven.
• A hypothesis is not just a guess; it is grounded in existing knowledge and theory.

Qualitative Style

• Qualitative Style does not need hypotheses.
• Wickramasinghe and Malik pinpoint significant barriers to UI collaboration in developing countries, particularly in Sri Lanka.
• These include a lack of experience in new product development and commercialisation, and resource constraints in equipment and facilities, and different objectives between universities and industries.
• Oyelaran-Oyeyinka and Adebowale underscored critical issues like inadequate facilities and financing in other developing countries such as Nigeria.
• The challenges in developed countries are less about experience or resources.
• Awasthy et al. highlighted complexities in intellectual property rights negotiations and information dissemination that hinder academia-industry collaboration in Australia.
• Mogyorosi and Bucsai stressed as one of the significant challenges that effective collaboration includes inadequate knowledge of collaboration processes and partners and difficulties in collaborative projects.
• Both Crespo and Dridi underscored that the lack of academic freedom and inconsistent missions of both partners complicates collaborative efforts.
• Siegel et al. echoed a similar view, highlighting institutional goal differences, insufficient understanding of operational methods, timeframes, reward structures and funding mechanisms, and conflicts of interest.
• After writing your literature review, develop your research framework (conceptual framework).
• Theories (literature review) are created by researchers to explain events, connect ideas, and predict.
• A framework shows how the key concepts and variables/factors in a study are related from the researcher's point of view.
• A conceptual framework identifies the key variables/factors, showing how they might be connected.
• Barriers to Successful University - Industry Collaboration:
  • Financial Constraints
  • Cultural Differences
  • Communication Barriers
• Which creates Unsuccessful University - Industry Collaboration
• Barriers include A, B, C, D
• Solutions include E, F, G, H
• Successful University - Industry Collaboration links Barriers and Solutions.
• There needs to be the finding of a suitable theory suitable for your literature review (often called as "theoretical framework"), so you should choose ONLY ONE THEORY (can choose MAX 2, but not recommended).

Theoretical Framework Basics

• In, you explain the theories that support your research, showing that your work is based on established ideas.
• Before starting, need to explore the theories and models other researchers have developed.
• Since there may be multiple theories on a topic, you need to evaluate, compare, and select the most relevant ones.
• By clearly framing your research, you help readers understand the assumptions behind your approach and the reasons for your choices.
• Different scholars/authors may employ different theories for the same topic.
• The selected theory should be the one you can describe best and make sure it is relevant to your study.
• Review several related papers and see which one is most used in order to find the most appropriate theory.
• Ensure to cite the 'original author(s)' of the theory to be used.

Examples Of Popular Theories

• Triple Helix Model by Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff (2000) for UIC subjects
• Dynamic Capabilities by Teece (1997) for SME Internationalisation
• Human Capital Theory by Becker (1960) for HR.
• A good literature review include:
  • Relevant key concepts
  • Gaps in literature
  • Research framework
  • Theoretical framework
• Hypothesis Development (for Quantitative Only).

Explores barriers to university-industry collaboration, including conflicting interests. It covers mediating and moderating variables in research models, explaining their roles in clarifying relationships between independent and dependent ones. The content also touches on factors influencing effective implementation.