Research Methodology and Technical Report Writing

At the end of the course, students should have learned to: 1. distinguish qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and their applications; 2. identify and define a research problem in a given area; 3. identify different methods of data collection and select the methods appropriate to a given situation; 4. design and conduct simple research including analysis and interpretation of research results; 5. document research problems, methodology all the way to research report writing; 6. defend the written research report; and 7. be familiar with ethical issues in the conduct of research.

Foundations of Research. Types of Research. Research Approaches. Significance of Research. Research Methods versus Methodology. Research Process. Criteria and Strategy for Good Research. Problems Encountered by Researchers in Nigeria. Principles of Scientific Research. Scientific investigation. Problem formulation. Definition and technique of the Research Problem. Selection of Appropriate Method for Data Collection- Primary Data and Secondary Data. Guidelines for Constructing Questionnaire/Schedule. Guidelines for Successful Interviewing. Difference between Survey and Experiment. Eloping Research Proposal and Research Plan. Formulation of working hypothesis and Testing. Literature review. Procedure for reviewing related relevant studies and referencing cited works. Types of Reports. Technical Report Writing. Layout and Mechanics of Writing a Research Report. Standard Techniques for Research Documentation. Sampling Design. Different Types of Sample Designs. Steps in Sampling Design. Criteria of Selecting a Sampling Procedure. Methods of analysis. Processing and Analysis of Data Elements/Types of Analysis. Interpretation and Presentation of results. How to prepare References and Bibliography.