LEGAL SKILLS – LEG 113E

RESEARCH QUESTION

QUALITATIVE & QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

DATE: 12 MAY2023

TIME: 14H00-14H45
Dr. Siyabulela C Fobosi
Senior Researcher: UNESCO ‘Oliver Tambo’ Chair of
Human Rights: Faculty of Law, University of Fort Hare
[email protected]

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 INTRODUCTION

 In previous lectures, we discussed introduction to research.

 This is research skill –qualitative and quantitative research methods.
 These are some of the methods that you will use to study a legal research problem in your
academic career.
 What is research?
 Simply put, research is the process of discovering new knowledge.
 We also discussed research methodology and research methods
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a good research
1. Good research is systematic:
2. 2. Good research is logical:
3. 3. Good research is empirical:
4. 4. Good research is replicable: This characteristic allows research results to be verified by
replicating the study and thereby building a sound basis for decisions.

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 For this lecture, I will outline how to develop a research question.
 This lecture will also discuss the differences between qualitative and
quantitative research

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TYPES OF RESEARCH
 Exploratory or formulative is intended to gain familiarity with a
phenomenon or to achieve new insights into research.
 Descriptive research describes accurately the characteristics of a particular
individual, situation or a group.
 Diagnostic research determines the frequency with which something occurs
or with which it is associated with something else.
 Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries. The main
characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no control over the
variables; he can only report what has happened or what is happening.

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 In analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to use facts or information
already available, and analyse these in order to make a critical evaluation of the material.
 Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society or
an industrial/business organization.
 We noted that research is designed to find out how people feel or what they think about a
particular subject or institution is called qualitative research.
 Quantitative Research is used to quantify research problem by way of generating
numerical data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is used to quantify
attitudes, opinions, behaviours – and generalise results from a larger sample population.
 Research proposal: Any study should have a proper proposal in written form before it is
actually carried out.
 It is like a blue print of a building plan before the construction starts.
 A good research proposal is based on scientific facts and on the art of clear communication.
 Writing a formal research proposal should be started by the time one has decided on the topic
for the study.
 Writing a research proposal is both science and art. It is technical skill that is learnt and
refined with experience.
 It reveals a variety of skills such as writing, reading and critical thinking.
 A research proposal should be concise, clear and comprise of logical ideas built upon each
other in order to justify a study.

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Proposal Outline
 This is not a blue print, but a good proposal should not overlook the following even if they are not
included in the same sequence:
- Introduction/Background of the study.
- Statement of the problem
- Research question main research question sub-research questions
- Purpose of the study
- Research Aim and objectives
- Significance of or rationale of the study
- Delimitation of the study
- Limitations of the Study
- Literature review
- Methodology
- Definition of key terms
- Ethical considerations
- Chapter outline
- Chapter summary 8
INTRODUCTION/BACGROUND

 The problem proposed to be studied is introduced in this section.

 It should help the reader to be acquainted with the topic.
 The importance and relevance of the problem to be researched should begin to
emerge to any reader.
 This can be backed up or illustrated by relevant statistics or information.

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Statement of the Problem

 A very precise articulation of the problem in one or two paragraphs.

 A research problem is defined as a general issue, concern or controversy addressed in
research. – it is something that is going wrong. A research problem must integrate
concepts and theoretical perspectives into the problem addressed.
 Identifying a research problem should be based on the following
 Looking or attempting to identify a research problem;
 Reading the literature and identifying valid scholarly sources;
 Synthesizing – it is necessary to develop a research problem by weaving together or
synthesizing what has been obtained from number of sources to create a whole that is
coherent and meaningful.

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 Thus, in selecting a problem statement, the following should be taken into
consideration:
 Workability: have you the time and the resources to carry out a successful
investigation? Is the methodology that is likely to be use already in operational
readiness?
 Importance: is the problem large enough and complex enough to fulfil the initial
motivation for its investigation?
 Interest: Does the researcher’s background contain any experience that makes the
problem particularly attractive.
 Theoretical value: is there a recognizable gap in the literature. This will have
emerged during literature search and review. Is the problem recognised by others?
Will its solutions contribute to the advancement of the field?
 Practical value: will the results and conclusions lead to further research or
applications
RESEARCH QUESTION
 What the research seeks to address. This should emerge from, or be closely
connected with, the statement of the problem and the background to the study.
 Research questions should be:
 Clear and precisely stated - It is not too broad, nor is it too narrow.

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 Open-ended, as opposed to closed - It cannot be answered in a sentence or
phrase.
 It is critical to engage with words such as“who? What? When ? Where?
Why? How? So what?” These represent possible “gaps” in your knowledge;
the last four are particularly tough because they are open-ended – they often
lead to good research questions.
 Velhal (2018) writes that “a good research question should be appropriate, meaningful, and
purposeful”.
 Ways of generating a research question:
1. So what approach
- “A strong idea should pass the SO WHAT test.
- Researcher should think about the impact of the research he has proposed.
- What is the benefit of answering the research question?
- Who will be helped by this research question?
- How will it help?
- So he must able to make definitive statement about the purpose of research.” (Velhal, 2018).
 A research can be generated in the following ways:
1. Choose a topic that researcher is interested in! The research process is more relevant if one care
about topic.
2. Reading, interacting with advisor, teacher, colleague, guide during independent study, or working on
a research assistantship, some possible projects will emerge.
3. Talk about research ideas with a friend. She/he may be able to help focus topic by discussing issues.
4. Repeat/validate/verify the work done by other scientists.
5. Need of the society or country.
6. Keen observation of a prepared mind.
7. Serendipity means accidental discovery of any procedure or drug.
8. Based on earlier work done by other scientist but a step ahead.
9. Persistence on particular problem or consistent efforts.
10. Intuition power.
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2. The PICOT approach
 The PICO technique, which consists of four components, is how the idea of a structured
research question was first introduced.
 It was introduced in 1995.
 It is currently generally recognized practice to frame research questions using the PICO
structure, which was later expanded to include PICOT.
 With the use of this formula, research questions are created in the fields of nursing,
palliative care, transfusion medicine, occupational health, clinical epidemiology, and
systematic reviews.
 This formula requires the presence of the components patient or population of interest,
intervention or issue of interest, and result of interest, although comparison with another
intervention or issue and time frame may or may not be included, depending on the
inquiry.
 FORMULATING HYPOTHESES

 When you've read the appropriate literature, developed a research topic, and
are ready to get more precise.
 One or more predictions should be made for your study.
 A hypothesis is the name for such a prediction.
 It represents a reasonable assumption about what ought to occur in a certain
circumstance under specific circumstances.
 Not every study must test a hypothesis; other research may only include
gathering data on a subject.
 For those who do have a hypothesis, it should logically follow from prior
discoveries or the predictions of a certain theory.
 It is not appropriate to base hypotheses solely on what the student thinks ought
to occur.
 A concise justification is required.
 Examples of good and bad hypotheses
VARIABLES

 Special terminology are used by researchers to characterize their operations when they
manipulate an environmental factor to study how it affects behavior.
 Every element that can alter or fluctuate in amount or quality is referred to as a
variable.
 The experimenter has control over and is responsible for administering the independent
variable, also known as the treatment.
 The behavior that we are measuring and that could be impacted by the therapy is
referred to as the dependent variable.
 Always, we manipulate the independent variable first, then record the dependent
variable as a measure of the behavior.
 Because changes in it depend on the effects of the independent variable, it is referred to as a
dependent variable.
 We have established an empirical or causal link if a systematic relationship between the
independent and dependent variables can be found.
 Because changes in the dependent variable depend on the values (different amounts) of the
independent variable, it is also sometimes referred to as a functional relationship.
 Either a qualitative or quantitative variable may be the independent variable.
 A qualitative variable differs in kind as opposed to quantity.
- For example, there are several forms of violent television violence, a wide range of
psychotherapies, the influence of various medicines on response speed, and the possibility
of receiving or not receiving feedback when learning a psychomotor activity.
 A quantitative variable, on the other hand, varies in magnitude.
For example, a child's exposure to varying levels of violence on TV, different levels of
punishment, the dosage of a medicine, or the quantity of practise trials might all be examined.
 Examples of qualitative and quantitative independent variables found in
psychological research
 In our next lecture, we will have a revision and introduce sampling, data
collection, and analysis techniques.

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THANK YOU!

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