Lecture 3 Choosing A Topic And Designing A Project Proposal

CHOOSING A TOPIC AND DESIGNING THE PROJECT PROPOSAL The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 1 OBJECTIVES Students will be able to: 1. Explain in detail, a research problem and...

CHOOSING A TOPIC AND DESIGNING THE PROJECT PROPOSAL The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 1 OBJECTIVES Students will be able to: 1. Explain in detail, a research problem and how/where to identify them. 2. Formulate research problem statements from real world scenarios 3. Define and differentiate between research objectives, research questions, and goal 4. Choose a topic to research and framing the research questions or objectives. 5. Design the project proposal. Deciding the style of research you are going to use and making the broad- brush decisions about how the project will be tackled. 6. Write a proposal document. The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 2 LEARNING OUTCOME Students will be able to: ▪choose and define an appropriate topic for their dissertation. ▪frame practicable and feasible research objectives or questions. ▪make choices appropriate to their research objectives when designing the broad outline of their project and research methods. ▪recognize and respond to ethical issues that may be anticipated in their research project. ▪write a research proposal that defines the research topic clearly and specifies the research plan The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 3  INTRODUCTION As discussed in the last class, research is an organized and systematic approach for finding answers to questions. And, the research process begins with the selection of a topic/phenomenon to study That is, no research study/project can take place without a topic/phenomenon to be studied. The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 4  INTRODUCTION For the most part of your studies, you have been answering questions and undertaking projects that were predetermined by your instructors In this course, you would be identifying your own research topic. Although this sounds exciting at first, the choice of a topic and research problem is crucial to the success of any study The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 5 DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS Research topic – the broad topic of interest to the researcher Research problem – the specific problem within the chosen topic Research purpose – a statement of intent Research questions – a specific set of questions that need to be answered to satisfy the purpose of the research The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 6  ILLUSTRATION OF KEY TERMS General Topic Diversity in software engineering teams Research Reasons for the lack of female and/or non-binary genders Problem within software teams To study the contributing factors to low female involvement Purpose in software engineering 1. Does the culture within software teams create a barrier to Research female involvement in software engineering? Questions 2. Is there a pipeline issue (low number of female CS/SE students)? Specific The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 7  CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A TOPIC 1. Interest and relevance You should choose a topic that interests and even possibly excites you, 2. Durability Will the project last the length of the course?  Try to choose a subject that will still be relevant in a year’s time. 3. Breadth of research questions Is there enough substance to your topic? not broad enough too broad The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 8  CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A TOPIC – (CONT.) 4. Topic adequacy  Check the assessment criteria used on your course, against which your work will be marked, and ask yourself whether the topic you have in mind will enable you to do well against the criteria. 5. Risk and security You need to strike a balance between risk and safety that you can live with 6. Access You may have an excellent topic in mind, but unless you can get access to the people who can answer your research questions, whether by questionnaire, interview or whatever, then the project will be a non-starter. The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 9  CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A TOPIC – (CONT.) 7. Resources Literature – make sure there is enough written literature about your topic, or about the general academic field in which it is located, for you to be able to do the critical literature review. – IT, software and skills – your topic may require access to, and skill in, various software packages. These may include NVivo, SPSS, Minitab and Snap for Windows. 8. Micro-politics Whenever you research a business issue there is a danger that you may become a partisan in the management debates and politics that surround it. The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 10 A SIX-STAGE PROCESS FOR CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC 1. Identify broad topic and academic discipline(s) The starting point is to decide your broad area of interest. It might be, to give some examples:  implementation of mission statements and strategy in multinational Companies 2. Determine the scope This is very often a practical matter of where you can get access. Example studying an aspect of AI; making a comparison of several parts of AI Model or Framework; 3. Brainstorm issues, puzzles and questions  Now go into brainstorming mode and list as many different issues, problems and questions that arise from the broad topic area as possibly. The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 11 A SIX-STAGE PROCESS FOR CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC – (CONT.) 4. Map and structure the issues  Now you have a pile of issues, they need structuring and organizing.  Sort and cluster all your research issues and questions in a relevance tree or hierarchical diagram. The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 12 A SIX-STAGE PROCESS FOR CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC – (CONT.) 5. Conduct a reconnaissance  Having arrived at a clear view about what your research topic is going to be,  Discuss it with tutors, colleagues and other managers to see whether they agree that the issue is important and coherent.  You should also do an initial trawl of the literature, to see what work others have done on the issues that concern you. 6. Frame your research question(s) The final stage is to ensure that you are clear in what you are doing by framing your research question The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 13 SELECTING A RESEARCH TOPIC – WHAT CAN BE RESEARCHED Several factors determine whether a topic is right to be researched: Capability (Is it feasible?) Does the topic fascinate you? Can it be done in the given time frame? Do you have the necessary knowledge/research skills/experience? Financial resources? Availability of data? How long will the topic stay relevant? The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 14 SELECTING A RESEARCH TOPIC – WHAT CAN BE RESEARCHED Several factors determine whether a topic is right to be researched: Appropriateness (Is it worthwhile?) Clear link to theory? Do you have clear objectives and research questions? Will the research provide fresh insights to the topic? Symmetrical nature of the findings? Match of topic to supervisor’s/organization’s/career goals The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 15 Selecting a Research Topic - Generating research ideas GIVEN A TOPIC OF INTEREST, THE FIRST STEP IN GENERATING RESEARCH IDEAS IS TO IDENTIFY A RESEARCH PROBLEM. The Research Problem motivates the study It is the issue/concern that needs to be addressed It illustrates a knowledge gap Important! The research problem is different from the research topic, research questions and research purpose. The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 16 SELECTING A RESEARCH TOPIC - GENERATING RESEARCH IDEAS Research problems are usually formulated from: Theory – a theory is a set of propositions that explain the relationship among observed phenomenon (MacMillan, 1996). When generating a research idea, a common approach is to take an existing theory from related area and develop a problem that is applicable to your setting. E.g., applying the theory of evolution in nature to software systems The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 17 SELECTING A RESEARCH TOPIC - GENERATING RESEARCH IDEAS Research problems are usually formulated from: Experience – One’s personal experiences can also be a source of research ideas. E.g., one’s good/bad experience in a software team can lead to research into the impact of team chemistry on productivity Literature – Related literature such as journals, articles, books, and theses help to identify what has already been done, as well as the existing gaps in the knowledge. Research problems can be formulated from these identified gaps The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 18 SELECTING A RESEARCH TOPIC - GENERATING RESEARCH IDEAS Research problems are usually formulated from: Ideas from external sources/experts – Is some cases, external sources such as funding agencies or supervisor impose a research problem on the researcher Replication of previous studies – Sometimes it is important to replicate an existing study but changing only certain parameters of the research design. E.g., the same study can be conducted on different set of data, or in a different geographical context The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 19 SOME CATEGORIES OF RESEARCH TOPICS TO AVOID: General/broad topics Over-studied topics Topics outside the scope of your experience Topics that are too narrow Controversial topics The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 20  DESIGNING THE PROJECT PROPOSAL 1.Introduction 1.1. background Information 1.2. Problem Statement: 1.3.Research Goal 1.4.Research Objectives 1.5. Research questions 1.6. Justification of the research 1.7 Research Plan/Gannt chart 1.8 Scope of Study 1.9 Research Contribution/Significance 2.Literature Review 2.1 intro 2.2 other sub-topics related to your research 3.Methodology 3.1 4.Conclusion 5.References The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 21 REFERENCES Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019). Research methods for business students. 8th Edition. Pearson. Cresswell, J.W. (2012). Educational Research: planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. 4th Edition. Pearson Education. The Research Problem DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 22  ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE: 19/6/2024 Together with your project group members, 1. Identify a possible research topic of interest 2. For each topic, identify a key research problem the group would like to address. 3. Write a research proposal 4. Submit the both soft and hard copies of the research proposal 1. Link to submit soft copy is: The Research Problem https://forms.gle/hTtrkdFzApX5DrBq6 DR. ALIMATU - SAADIA YUSSIFF 23