LSS 2533: Introduction To Research Methods: DR Christine Coombe Dubai Men'S College

LSS 2533: Introduction to
Research Methods
DR CHRISTINE COOMBE
DUBAI MENS COLLEGE
Defining your project
Before you start to think about research, you need to

ask yourself some questions
Why have I decided to do some research?
How can I remain interested in my research?
How do I choose a research method?
What personal characteristics do I have which might help me
to complete my research?
What skills and experiences do I have which might help me in
my research?
Q1: Why have I decided to do some research?
Some reasons why students do research

Teachers tell them they have to.
If they are working, bosses ask them to.
Students engage in research because they want to find out
about something that fascinates them.
Which reason above is the
Most common
Least common
Motivation is key!
Q2: How can I remain interested in my research?
The most obvious answer

Choose a topic which interests you!
If you are assigned a topic
Choose a research method which interests you
What are some topics that interest you?
Personal
Professional
Educational
Q3: How do I choose a research method?
One of the major parts of this course will be to

Familiarize you with the major research methods & data
collection techniques
Help you select an appropriate research method
Prepare you to do research in other courses and/or your
advanced degrees
Most of you have already participated in research
What types of research methods are you already
familiar with?
Q4: What personal characteristics do I have which might help me to complete my
research?
Think about your personal characteristics, likes

and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.
Write down two of the following:
Personal/personality characteristics
Likes
Dislikes
Strengths
Weaknesses
Consider the following questions:
Are you good with people?

Do you prefer written communication or face-to-face
interaction?
Do you love or hate mathematics?
Do people feel at ease with you and are they willing
to confide in you?
Do you like to number crunch?
Do you like to research things online?
Q5: What skills and experience do I have which might
help me in my research?
Everyone has certain skills and life experiences that

they can use when doing research.
What skills do you have as students?
For working students, what skills do you have from
your jobs?
Write down at least three skills and/or experiences
that you currently have that you think will help you
do research?
Getting started
Many research projects fail because people dont

take enough time to plan.
Think about your research in terms of the following
questions
What?
Why?
Who?
Where?
When?
What?
What is your research?

Your question needs to be answered as specifically as
possible.
Defining your research project is extremely
important.
Why?
Why do you want to do the research?

What is the purpose of the research?
Some reasons might be:
You are interested in the topic.
You have identified a gap in the research literature.
You need research to help you make decisions.
Who?
Who will be your research participants?

Terms in the research literature which refer to those
people participating in research include:
Subjectsquantitative research
Participantsqualitative research
Respondentsquestionnaire or survey research
Initially, you dont need to worry about how many
participants to have
Where?
Where are you going to conduct your research?

Need to consider time and resources
Some considerations might be
Choose a place close to home, college, university
When?
When are you going to conduct your research?

In this course youll conduct three research studies
Timings will be spread out throughout the semester
Summary
You must take time to think about your research as

this will save you problems later.
Ask yourself the 5 Ws
What is my research?
Why do I want to do the research?
Who are my research participants?
Where am I going to do the research?
When am I going to do the research?
Now lets conduct some research on ourselves
Demographics
This type of information is collected to create a clear and
complete picture of the characteristics of a typical member of
each group
The five types of demographics for marketing are
Age
Gender
Income level
Race
Ethnicity
Ethnicity vs Race
The traditional definition of race and ethnicity is related

to biological and sociological factors respectively. Race
refers to a person's physical appearance, such as skin color,
eye color, hair color, bone/jaw structure etc. Ethnicity, on
the other hand, relates to cultural factors such as
nationality, culture, ancestry, language and beliefs.
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Ethnicity_vs_Race
Race is classified differently. Most classifications relate to
skin color.
Black, white, yellow
Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, African
Generational cohorts
Nowadays more and more researchers consider

generational cohorts in research
Groups of people who share:
Birth years
History
Collective personality based on their defining experiences
Generational cohorts typically span 15 to 20 years
The most common generational cohorts are
Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)
Generation X or Gen X (1963 - 1980)
Generation Y or Millenials (1980 2000)
Generation Z (1995 present)
Baby Boomers
Approximate dates: 1946-1964
Defining characteristics: Loosely, those born during the post
war "baby boom" of the late '40s and ensuing decades, where
birth rates significantly increased.
Defining experiences:
the first space flight
the assassination of John F. Kennedy
the Vietnam War
Watergate
"Boomers tend to value work more than younger generations and

see work as being more central to their lives than younger
generations."
Core Values for Baby Boomers
Grew up thinking safety was a given

High value placed on youth, material wealth, health
Generally optimistic
Value hope and peace
Believe their generation changed the world
Generation x
Defining characteristics:
Grew up in the aftermath of Watergate and the Vietnam War
Grew up during recessions
the Reagan presidency
the AIDS epidemic
the end of the Cold War
Research finds Gen Xers are more likely to be independent and
value their own career over organizations. They value autonomy
and freedom at their jobs, and are not as work-centric as older
generations.
They are the first generation to fully embrace the Internet.
In the '80s, the stereotype was that the generation was intensely
self-involved, greedy, and narcissistic.
Best educated generation
Core values for Generation X
Desire balance in their lives

Diversity viewed as the norm
Motivated by money
Self-reliant
Value free time and having fun
Work to live, not live to work.
Gender equality in the workplace
First generation to embrace the PC and internet
Millenials or Gen Y

Defining characteristics:
Grew up during a time of economic prosperity
Many entered the workforce during a recession
Surrounded by the rapid advance of technology, particularly the Internet.
More live with their parents
And their values are just about in line with those who
came before them.
Their attitude towards work differs; they
expect quick advancement, and don't expect to stay at any one
organization for very long.
Also identified with being glued to their smartphones rather than
engaged with the world or their jobs.
Core values of Millennials
Most globally oriented generation

Interested in health, exercise, body adornment
Combined work ethic of Baby Boomers and
technological know how of Generation Xers
Generation Z
Approximate dates: 1995 present

We dont know much about them yet
What do we know about the environment they are
growing up in?
It is highly diverse
High levels of technology
Final thoughts
Which generational cohort are you a member of?

Do you agree with the descriptions of your
generational cohort? Why? Why not?
Generational cohort research is primarily a North-
American field. Do you think it can be applied to
Emirati people? Why? Why not?
References
Dawson, C. (2010). Introduction to research

methods: A practical guide for anyone undertaking
a research project. (4th Ed.) New Delhi: Viva Books.

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LSS 2533: Introduction to

Before you start to think about research, you need to

Some reasons why students do research

The most obvious answer

One of the major parts of this course will be to

Think about your personal characteristics, likes

Are you good with people?

Everyone has certain skills and life experiences that

Many research projects fail because people dont

What is your research?

Why do you want to do the research?

Who will be your research participants?

Where are you going to conduct your research?

When are you going to conduct your research?

You must take time to think about your research as

The traditional definition of race and ethnicity is related

Nowadays more and more researchers consider

the assassination of John F. Kennedy

the Vietnam War

"Boomers tend to value work more than younger generations and

Grew up thinking safety was a given

Desire balance in their lives

Approximate dates: 1982-2004

Most globally oriented generation

Approximate dates: 1995 present

Which generational cohort are you a member of?

Dawson, C. (2010). Introduction to research

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