ECO813_913_2025_qualitative and quantitative research_Lecture slides .pptx

Lecture note for qualitative and quantitative research

1. Department of Economics Lecture Note Course Code: ECO913 Course title: Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods Semester: First Session: 2023/2024 Programme : Ph.D. Economics Lecturers 1. Prof. Shehu Abdul Rahman 2. Dr . Abdulkareem Alhassan

2. ECO913 Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

3. Course outline Nature and concept of research Classification of research base on purpose and methods Types of research design Components of a research project (article, dissertation, Thesis) Topic Statement of the problem Literature review (Conceptual, theoretical, and empirical)

4. Course outline cont. Methodology (cross-sectionl, time series, and panel data) Area of study, population, sample and sampling techniques. Data collection (sources of Data) Methods of data analysis Data analysis and presentation of results İnterpretation and discussion of results A.O.B of research Referencing style (APA) Ethics of research Presentation of research outcome, and defense Research resources for economists Writing for journal publication

5. COMPONENTS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT (Thesis and Dissertation )

6. Writing introduction An introduction is the first passage in a journal article, dissertation, or scholarly research study. It sets the stage for the entire project. It provides readers with the background information for the research. It establishes the issue or concern leading to the research by conveying information about a problem. It needs to create reader interest in the topic, establish the problem that leads to the study, place the study within the larger context of the scholarly literature, and reach out to a specific audience. All of this is achieved in a concise section of a few pages. Because of the messages they must convey, and the limited space allowed, introductions are challenging to write and understand. Fortunately, there is a model for writing a good, scholarly social science introduction.

7. A Model for an Introduction The deficiencies model of an introduction – building on gaps existing in the literature. It includes the elements of stating the research problem, reviewing past studies about the problem, indicating deficiencies in these studies, and advancing the significance of the study. It is a general template for writing a good introduction. It consists of different subsections in thesis.

8. Writing introduction In a long-book style (not article-style) of dissertation or thesis, the introduction is present in subsections as follows. Background to the study Statement of the problem Research questions Research objectives Research hypotheses Significance of the study Scope of the study Operational definition of terms (optional) Organization of the study

9. Background to the study It provides background information – an overview about the issue under consideration. Requirements Introduce the issue with narrative hook Highlighting the global and local perspectives about the issues. It could be chronicle of events or policies concerning the issue. Identify the main variables and interact them. This can be done by providing statistics and discussing the trend of the major variables Presenting summarized submissions of previous studies – Theoretical and empirical. Situating the current study – overview on the current study.

10. Statement of the problem Requirements of statement of the problem Problem statement Previous research and policy efforts Failure or ineffectiveness (deficiencies) of the previous studies – persistence of the problem Purpose statement. Situate the current study – state how the current study will remedy the deficiencies of the previous efforts and provide a unique contribution to the scholarly literature. Note: No problem, no research

11. Research questions T he research questions—those questions that the data collection will attempt to answer. The research questions should emanate from the statement of the problem. Avoid Yes or No questions (although acceptable for quantitative research)

12. Research objectives Main objectives: This is the general-purpose statement , which establishes the central intent for the study. Specific objectives: - specific goals for the research How to form specific objectives?

13. Research hypotheses H ypotheses are predictions that involve variables and statistical tests N ull hypothesis Alternate hypothesis How to state hypotheses? Only the null hypotheses can suffice

14. Significance of the study This section provides a clear rationale for the importance of the study. Requirements What is important? How is it important? Why is it important? For whom is it important?

15. Scope of the study This defines the focus of the study. It includes, Substantial scope – Focus of the study in terms of concept and perspective. Geographical (spatial) scope Temporal ( time) cope

16. Organization of the study This outlines the arrangement of the study based on chapters. It provides and highlight of what is contained in each chapter of the thesis.

17. Literature review Purposes The literature review accomplishes several purposes. It shares with the reader the results of other studies that are closely related to the one being undertaken. It relates a study to the larger, ongoing dialogue in the literature, filling in gaps and extending prior studies. It provides a framework for establishing the importance of the study as well as a benchmark for comparing the results with other findings. All or some of these reasons may be the foundation for writing the scholarly literature into a study.

18. Literature review (LR) Types (forms) of Literature review (a) Integrative LR – integrate what others have done and said, (b) Argumentative LR – critique previous scholarly works, (c) Scoping LR – build bridges between related topics, and (d) Systematic LR – identify the central issues in a field ( meta-analysis and Meta-synthesis ) (e) Narrative literature review ( traditional), review and critiques literature and summarizes the body of a literature . Except for criticizing previous scholarly works, most dissertations and theses serve to integrate the literature, organize it into a series of related topics (often from general topics to narrower ones), and summarize the literature by pointing out the central issues

19. Literature review Structure of literature review Conceptual literature This entails the review of extant literature on the meaning of concepts. Provide clarification on the meaning of the concepts. Adoption or adaption of definition(s) from the extant literature. Stating the reason(s) for the adoption or adaption of a specific definition Theoretical literature review   focuses on a pool of theory that has accumulated regarding an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The focus of the theoretical review depends on the objectives of the study, T he theoretical literature is also linked to the model specification Empirical literature Review of extant empirical studies Literature gaps Identify (philosophical, methodological, spatial(geographical), and temporal gaps ) in the literature.

20. Literature review Theoretical framework (more appropriate for methodology) State the theory( ies ) adopted or adapted for the study. State the reason(s) for choosing the theory If more than one theory is chosen, the complementarity of the theories should be stated. Structure (Styles) of LR Thematic LR Chronological LR Literature mapping (tabular ) Use of literature To frame the problem in the introduction of the study (background to the study and statement of the problem) Provides a review of extant views, perceptions, postulations and conclusions(literature review – chapter 2) Provides basis for comparing or contrasting findings of the study (discussion of findings).

21. Literature review Tips Rule 1: Define a Topic and Audience. Rule 2: Search and Re-search the Literature. Rule 3: Take Notes While Reading. Rule 4: Choose the Type of Review You Wish to Write. Rule 5: Keep the Review Focused but Make It of Broad Interest. Rule 6: Be Critical and Consistent ( add your voice ). Rule 7: Be Up-to-Date, but Do Not Forget Older Studies

22. Methodology (Materials and methods) Secondary data Theoretical/empirical framework Model specification Nature and sources of data Methods of data analysis

23. Methodology Primary data Research design Study area Sample and sampling techniques Theoretical/empirical framework Model specification (mathematical or conceptual framework) Sources of data Reliability and validity of instrument Methods of data analysis

24. Methodology Theoretical/empirical framework The model specification and estimation must be based on established theory or empirical studies . The specification of the established theory or empirical studies can be adopted or adapted

25. Nature and sources of data Nature (cross-sectional, time series, panel/longitudinal) Sources of secondary data National Bureau of Statistics Central Bank of Nigeria Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey World Bank (World Development Indicators, WGI, Gender Statistics, Education Statistics, etc Microdata, 5135 datasets IMF (DOT. FAS, etc ) Heritage foundation Polity IV

26. Sources of economic data Economic atlas  and  the globe of economic complexity International Energy Agency atlas Transnational land database – the Land Matrix IMF data site ,  data mapper  and  IMF Article IV reports The Armed Conflict Database maintained by Uppsala University World Bank Doing Business database The World Bank’s World Development Indicators UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI) UN COMTRADE database OECD aid database

27. Sources of data Sources of primary data Survey (Questionnaire, Interview –Key informant, Indeth …, Focus Group discussion, Observation Experiment Archives

28. Methods of data analysis ….. The methods of data analysis depends on the objectives of the study, nature of the data , measurements of the variables , and the nature of relationship between the variables. Objectives Describe – Descriptive statistics, simple percentages, graphs … Relationship – correlation, cointegration tests, causality tests. Influence, impact, effect – Regression analysis. Nature of data – Cross-sectional, Time series analysis (Stationary & Nonstationary, panel data (Micro panel, macro panel, long and short panel).

29. Methods of data analysis ….. Measurement of variables (continuous, discrete/categorical) Nature of relationship (Bidirectional or unidirectional)

30. Data presentation, analysis and discussion of results Presentation of results Ten commandments of a regression table Thou Shalt Report Key Statistics Thou Shalt Clearly Identify Dependent Variable and Estimation Method: Thou Shalt Use Self-Explanatory Labels Thou Shalt Choose Sensible Units Thou Shalt Place Standard Errors Alongside Coefficients Thou Shalt Display Standard Errors, Not T-Statistics or P-Values: Thou Shalt Use Superscripts for Significance Levels Thou Shalt Report Significance for Two-Tailed Tests Only Thou Shalt Insert Key Tables within the Body of the Paper Thou Shalt Make the Presentation Version of the Table Large and Readable:

31. Interpretation and discussion of results

32. Interpretation and discussion of results In an economics thesis, the interpretation of results and discussion of findings involves ..   explaining the meaning of your research findings , connecting them to existing theories and literature , and highlighting their implications and limitations

33. Interpretation & Discussion of Results (findings) Explain the meaning:  Don't just present the data; explain what the numbers, graphs, or other findings mean in the context of your research question. Relate to your research question:  How do your findings answer the question and hypotheses you set out to address? Consider alternative interpretations:  Are there other ways to view your results? Discuss potential limitations or alternative explanations. Compare to existing literature:  How do your findings align with or contradict previous research? Discuss the implications:  What are the practical or theoretical implications of your findings? 

34. Interpretation & Discussion of Results (findings) Contextualize your findings: Place your results within the broader context of economic theory and practice.  Strengths and weaknesses: Acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of your research methodology and data.  Limitations: Discuss any limitations of your study, such as sample size, data availability, or potential biases.  Policy implications: If relevant, discuss the policy implications of your findings and suggest potential recommendations.  Future research: Identify areas for future research based on your findings and limitations

35. Discussion of Findings The discussion section is one of the final parts of a research paper, in which an author describes, analyzes, and interprets their findings. It explain the significance of those results and tie everything back to the research question(s). In a discussion section, the author engages in three necessary steps: interpretation , analysis , and explanation . An effective discussion section will tell a reader why the research results are important and where they fit in the current literature , while also being self-critical and candid about the shortcomings of the study

36. How Is a Discussion Section Structured? Key findings – summarize the key findings from the research and link them to the initial research question. Context - Contextualize your findings. Place your results(findings) within the broader context of economic theory and practice. Unexpected results – mention and discuss any unexpected results. Describe the results and provide a reasonable (plausible) explanation of why they may have appeared. Limitations – address limitations or weaknesses in the research. This shows the credibility your discussion. Recommendations – provide a brief look at potential follow-up research studies. Recommend a few areas of further research. Restatement – conclude with a restatement of the most significant findings and their implications.

37. Don’t of discussion Don’t rewrite the results section Don’t draw conclusions from the findings without support Don’t bring up new information Don’t cherry-pick the results to analyze