Research Methods, Design, and Hypothesis - Coursework Example

?Research Method Table of Contents Q1: Research Design and Hypothesis 3 Q2: Protocol for an Experimental Design 5 Q3: Sampling 7 Q4: Data collection 8 Q5: Research Planning 13 References 16 Bibliography 18 Q1: Research Design and Hypothesis Research is the most essential part of any project. It is also the way to find out the information which is required for carrying out the study. The quality of any assignment gets hugely enhanced with the sound understanding of the research design (Deakin, n.d.). A research design is defined as the strategy and configuration towards the completion of a research study. While on the other hand a research hypothesis is also relevant to the formulation of the report. Thus it is referred to as the assumption made by a researcher about the possible outcome of the study. A hypothesis of a study must be simple, theoretically clear and specific (Kumar, 2005, p.75). Among the mentioned questions of the case, the least suitable for testing the hypothesis is the issue related to the opinion of the local population about the new facility. Hence the first question i.e. Q (b) is least suitable for hypothesis testing. The reason this has been cited as the least appropriate one is that the opinion of the local population is difficult to measure. Moreover it is also exploratory in nature. Hence a meaningful hypothesis cannot be formulated. Rather is must be guided by a clear sense of purpose. An Operational hypothesis states a quantifiable relationship among the variables. Therefore the operational hypothesis for the mentioned questions is illustrated below:- Operational hypothesis of Q a: - Increased road traffic has raised the number of road fatalities of large mammals because there is high pressure on the roads and less maintenance. Research Design for Q a: - Case study approach of qualitative research design can be used in this case for the purpose of evaluation. Case study approach has been chosen because it will provide an opportunity to have in-depth analysis of the matter within a stipulated time frame. Operational hypothesis of Q c: - The establishment of the factory will improve the conditions of the participating households, as they will be financially benefitted. Research Design for Q c: - Non-experimental design approach of quantitative research design can be employed for this purpose. It has been chosen because non-experimental design takes into account the reliance of one aspect on the other. The aspects are establishment of factory and the financial condition of the households. Operational hypothesis of Q d: - Improved mango variety will produce more pulp as it is scientifically processed. Research Design for Q d: - Experimental design approach of quantitative research design can be chosen to test it. This approach has been chosen because hypothesis is based on experimental testing. Moreover experimental design also tries to change the outcomes of the participants. Operational hypothesis of Q e: - Proximity of households to the road intensifies the supply of mangoes. Research Design for Q e: - In this context once again case study approach has been chosen to test the hypothesis. This will also reveal the fact that whether the closeness of road actually increases the supply of mango. (Word Count: 494) Q2: Protocol for an Experimental Design A research protocol can be defined as the detailed plan of a study (Rch, 2008). Hence every research study must contain a well defined research protocol. Now the case is about a company namely Country jams and Pickles who is planning to open a factory at a remote place for the production of pickles and jams. Consequently they will require adequate supply of fruits on time to maintain the flow of production. Therefore a study will be undertaken which will be principally focused to find whether supplying of free storage container to the farmers will increase the supply of fruits to the factory. Therefore according to the objective of the study hypothesis can be drawn as follows:- H0 – Supplying free storage container to the farmers will increase the delivery of fruits to the factory. H1 – Supplying free storage container to the farmers will not increase the delivery of fruits to the factory. In the process of conducting the study, it will require personnel from different areas who will be responsible for collection of data, advisors as well as specialized analyzers. In order to carry out the study ‘Experimental design’ will be used. An experimental design can be defined as the process which is used to verify the validity of a hypothesis. Thus according to the research objective of finding the effect of supplying free containers, experimental design will certainly help to serve the purpose. The selection of the participants of the study is also another vital task. The inclusion criterion for this study is that:- The respondent must be a local farmer He / She must cultivate fruits in the farm. The sampling will be done by using simple random technique of probability sampling. This will allow equal probability of getting selected. A sample size of 10 farmers will be randomly selected who will be observed during the course of study. The purpose of taking a small sample is for making the study cost effective. On the other hand a large sample increases the overall cost and duration of the study. Moreover in a remote place of less population 10 respondents will fit best for the study. Once the farmers get selected they will be divided into two groups of 5 members each. Then one group will be supplied with the free containers and the other group will be not provided with the free containers. The groups will be marked as A and B respectively. The analysis will be done on the basis of observation. A time frame of 15 days will be selected for the process of surveillance. After the time period, observation will be made on whether the farmers belonging to group A increases the supply of fruits or not. Finally the conclusion will be drawn on the basis of the outcomes from the observation. (Word Count: 469) Q3: Sampling Sampling can be defined as the science and art of quantifying and controlling the reliability of the information by making use of the theories of probability (Deming, 1966, p.2). In survey methodology sampling is about the selection of the subset of peoples among a group of population. Since it is impossible to survey each and every individual, sampling is undertaken. Sampling offers a huge number of advantages such as: a) the collection of data becomes faster, b) it is a cost effective method ensures homogeneity in order to get better precision and superiority in data. There are generally two types of sampling namely Probability Sampling and Non-Probability Sampling (Psychology, n.d.). Sampling strategy is the proposed plan which portrays the samples which are to be used for the process of study (Natco, n.d.). Therefore in the context of the project a sample of 10 people will be chosen who will be participating in the survey. The survey will be strictly based upon the objective of finding out the proportion of infested mango trees in the target area. There are basically two methods of sampling namely probability sampling and non probability sampling. The non probability sampling is divided into accidental sample, quota sample, snowball sample, purposive sample; self selected sample and incomplete sample. Probability sampling is also once again divided into simple random sample, systematic sample, stratified sample and cluster sampling (Connaway & Powell, 2010, p.117-125). The aim of the study in this context is to find out the proportion of infested mango trees in the surrounding area. The researcher can visit the target areas and can select the mango trees. It can be done by systematically sampling the trees from the target area and find the proportion of mealy bug infestation. The reason behind choosing systematic sampling is that it will help to select the samples at systematic intervals, but the starting point will be chosen randomly. It will also help to achieve maximum diffusion among the sample. The trees will be chosen from a regular space interval. Moreover systematic sampling is also considered as the appropriate sampling to know about some unknown areas and finding a desired pattern. A sample of 100 trees will be chosen for the purpose of study. The reason behind choosing a small sample is to ensure that there are less sampling errors. Moreover it will also help to remain within the estimated budget and time. Also higher degree of precision can be achieved. Once the mango trees get selected, then the researchers with the help of farmers will visit the areas and identify the number of trees infected by mealy bug. The researchers will then record the number of trees infected by mealy bug. As the process of sampling and recording the data gets over, the final step will be to calculate the proportion of mango trees infested by mealy bug. Out of the chosen 100 trees, the researcher can find it out by calculating the average number of trees affected by mealy bug. (Word Count: 499) Q4: Data collection The type of data which is to be collected and the way by which it should be collected is greatly influenced by the research approach, research design and research strategy. Therefore the decision of collecting the data is considered an essential part of research planning process. The basic requirements of data collection process are selecting the appropriate variable which suits best for answering the research question, an accurate recording and measurement of the data which has been collected, collection of data chosen sample and finally checking the validity and precision of the data. A sound data collection involves some of the realistic issues such as cost to be incurred and the total time. However the cost and time purely depends upon the nature of data collection. The reliability and the speed at which the data has been collected and analyzed depend upon the subject and the incorporated methodology. Collection of data is an indispensable aspect for conducting any type of research study. Improper and insufficient data can hugely impact the conclusion of a report and will lead to illogical results. There are two methods of data collection namely quantitative method and qualitative method. The quantitative method of data collection usually relies on random sampling. This type of data collection is extremely structured and is easy to summarize, simplify and evaluate along with other data. In the context of the project the objective of collecting the data is to examine the issue of the availability of labor during the mango harvesting period June-September. Therefore in order to go through the process of finding the answer of the question a sample survey needs to be carried out. The target sample who will be responding to the questionnaires will be the owners of the farming lands who employ labors throughout the year in order to cultivate its land. In order to approach the land owners the company should directly visit them and ask for their presence during the survey. Now for the collection of data the company can make use of questionnaire surveys. A questionnaire is an instrument in research study which comprises of a series of questions for getting information from the target sample. In other words a questionnaire is the set of questions which are completed either orally or in writing (Sociology, n.d.). Generally there are two types of questionnaires namely open ended and closed ended. The types of questionnaires are distinguished on the basis of responding the questions. Open ended questionnaires are intended to record an overall view to the topic from the respondent whereas on the other hand closes ended questionnaires provides user with options in order to get the result more specifically. Now in order to go through the process of data collection for the objective of finding the availability of labors during the month of June to September, the following questionnaire can be undertaken:- Questionnaire 1. Name of the Respondent – Age – Sex – Address – Contact Number – E Mail Address (If Available) – [Note: Please ignore the codes (-1), (0), (+1) beside the options. It is for internal data processing.] 2. How many acres of land do you own? a) Less than 1 acres (-1) b) -2 acres (0) c) 3 (+1) 3. What do you mostly grow in your farm? a) Fruits (-1) b) Vegetables (0) c) Others (+1) If the response is a) ask question number 4, if the answer is b) ask question number 5 else for c) skip to question number 6. 4. Which fruits you cultivate in your farm? a) Seasonal fruits (-1) b) Non Seasonal fruits (+1) 5. Which vegetables you cultivate in your farm? a) Seasonal vegetables (-1) b) non Seasonal vegetables (+1) 6. How many labors do you employ throughout the year? a) Less than 5 (-1) b) 5-10 (0) c) More than 10 (+1) 7. Do you employ them permanently? a) They work throughout permanently (+1) b) They work on contractual basis (-1) 8. When did you mostly find the crisis of labors? a) During January to May (-1) b) During June to September (0) c) During October to December (+1) 8. What do you think can be the reason for shortage of labor during this period? a) Huge demand of labors (-1) b) They do not work during this period of the year (0) c) During this period they only work at places where the pay is on the higher side (+1) 9. Do you think that during the time of June to September i.e. during the mango harvesting session labors charges extra keeping in mind of their demand? a) Yes (-1) b) No (0) c) Depends (+1) 10. Do the labors hugely impact in the harvesting process of mango? a) Yes they hugely impact (-1) b) Up to a certain extent (0) c) No (+1) (Word Count: 795) Q5: Research Planning The stage of research planning comes after the research topic has been identified. Research planning can be defined as the most fitting approach which will be undertaken to carry out the research. Therefore from the point of view of research planning there exist only two types of research i.e. a good research and a bad research (Gordon, 2007, p.12). The basic stages of research planning includes:- The first stage is the introduction of the research topic along with the background of the subject. The second and third step is about identification of the core area of research and the adopted marketing and financial strategies respectively. The fourth step is about reviewing the earlier research work done by the scholars. The fifth step is portraying the hypothesis and the operational definition of the research. The final step of the planning process is underlining the scopes and limitations of the project. I) Quantitative technique of data collection is primarily concerned with the testing of hypothesis which has been estimated from the theory of the subject. The most common ways of collecting data in this format includes focus group interviews, telephonic interviews and questionnaires. In the context of the project the company may employ using questionnaire and focus group interviews to measure the availability of labors during the mango harvesting session and can also use it to assess the proportion of infected mango trees. II) Qualitative method of data collection plays a significant role in the evaluation process. The major ways of data collection are in depth interview, review of documents and observation methods (Uwec, n.d.). In the context of the project the company will face problem if qualitative method is used to collect data. Therefore the collection should be strictly based upon the quantitative way. III) Methodology of a research depends upon the question which is to be studied (Fayolle, Kyro & Ulijn, 2005, p.10). The major methodological challenges for assessing the research questions are the way by which the data will be collected. According to the questions which have been discussed in the above, the way of collecting the data must differ. The collection of data must be done using qualitative technique. IV) Quantitative research offer lots of advantages. Quantitative research is research discipline based on numbers. It helps in the projection of data for a larger sample. The technique also easily converts the data into statistical charts and graphs. The biggest advantage offered by quantitative research is that it allows dealing with larger sample sizes. While on the contrary qualitative method helps in focusing in smaller samples. It also aid in the process of understanding the feelings, viewpoints and the attitudes of the customers. A sound qualitative research design also offers flexibility and completes the entire project quickly. Therefore in the context of the project i.e. the company Country Jams and Pickles must go for quantitative research technique as data is firmly based upon quantification. It will also in the analysis of data. (Word Count: 493) References Connaway, L.S. and Powell, R. R., 2010. Basic Research Methods for Librarians. California: ABC-CLIO. Deakin, No Date. Research Design. [Pdf] Available at: [Accessed 31 May 2012]. Deming, W. E., 1966. Some Theory of Sampling. New York: Courier Dover Publications. Fayolle, A., Kyro, P. and Ulijn, J. M., 2005. Entrepreneurship Research in Europe: Outcomes and Perspectives. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Gordon, J. C., 2007. Planning Research: A Concise Guide for the Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences. Connecticut: Yale University Press. Kumar, R., 2005. Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. California: SAGE. Natco, No Date. Sampling Strategies. [Pdf] Available at: [Accessed 31 May 2012]. Sociology, No Date. Sociological Research Skills: Research Methods. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 31 May 2012]. Uwec, No Date. Research Methods. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 31 May 2012]. Rch, 2008. Guidelines for writing a protocol. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 31 May 2012]. Bibliography Babbie, E. R., 2012. The Practice of Social Research. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Hakim, C., 2000. Research Design: Successful Designs for Social and Economic Research. London: Routledge. Muijs, D., 2010. Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS. California: SAGE. Silverman, D., 2004. Qualitative Research: Theory, Method and Practice. California: SAGE. Read More