Topic Selection & Ethics in Research Wk 5&6.pptx

Ethical considerations in Research

1. FACTORS AFFECTING THE TOPIC SELECTION/POINTS TO OBSERVE WHEN SELECTING A RESEARCH PROBLEM

2. Points to note when selecting a research problem Personal interest- Interest produces enthusiasm on what one is doing. It is the interest that makes the experience adequately rewarding . Topic one selects should be important -The topic selected should not be brought forward just because of personal interest but also because it will add to knowledge . Time -Due to time limitations, writers of academic research need to avoid complex topics as they may require large population samples. It is important to compare the time that topic will take against time available. Newness -It is always good to look at a new area so that, what one is doing is a little different from what others have done in past . Accessibility to material and respondents -A suitable topic is one which allows researcher to access the material . It is important to note that getting materials and respondents in some areas might not be an easy task

3. STEPS IN TOPIC SELECTION. Identify areas that puzzles an interest to you -Many issues may interest or puzzle a researcher and this may be social, economic, political , hr related issues, culture and religion . Identify/select key words for the topic -Researcher should narrow down to the real aspects that are puzzling or interesting him/her and express the in specific key words. Example in human resource management , researcher may be interested on how mergers and acquisitions affect company loyalty . Define the topic -Researcher analyses selected key words and tries to put them together meaningfully . Formulate the topic -After problem identification and definition it is important that reseacher comes up with a complete topic e.g. impact of mergers and acquisitions on company loyalty in a private

4. QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE RESEARCH TOPIC Clear and an un ambiguous . Supported by credible evidence . Should captivate or interest researcher . Should be researchable.

5. WHERE TO GET RESEARCH TOPIC FROM/SOURCES OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS Current issues(Newspaper) Observation of environment behavior. Personal Experience Course ; lecturers, discussion groups and literature. Lifestyle Previous research work i.e. impact of microfinances on SME Natural calamities Review of related literature-Review of published literature e.g textbooks , journals, magazines etc. Other sources in this categories include. Research bulletin , research projects , research thesis

6. STEPS OF RESEARCH PROCESS Problem identification . Research problems can emanate from different sources i.e. area of interest, results from observation of phenomenon , issues being shared in media, practical problems shared in newspapers that require attention and area of specialization . 2. Formulating research objectives and questions/hypothesis . To address research problem . 3. Literature review . After identifying research problem, research of related literature on research problem are conducted. This is the process of finding out what is already and not known about study

7. Research process cont.. 4. Research design Researcher should come up with a design that will help him or her arrive at answers to research questions . The research design is basically mechanism employed for sampling population , data collection and analysis 5. Hypothesis formulation-Optional . Objectives and research questions(RQ ) Objectives and hypothesis(HO) Its possible to carry out a research study without hypothesis in which case , RQ will be necessary

8. Research Process cont.. 6. Data collection tools. Researcher selects instruments/tools for data collection . Data collection tools include : Questionnaires Interview schedules Interview guides Focused group Discussions Experiments 7. Sampling. Select people who will be in your study as participants

9. Research Process cont.. 8. Data collection. Researcher goes to field to gather data required for answering research questions. Data collection can be undertaken by administering questionnaires to students, focused group discussions and carrying out experiments . 9. Data processing . Data is usually collected in raw form and should be processed so that meaning can be made out of it. 10. Report/project writing . This is the last stage in research process where the researcher documents important details of research. The report should explain in detail the various stages of study and present results as well as the recommendations .

10. What is a Research Problem Statement This is a clear, concise, and specific statement that describes the issue or problem that the research project addresses. It should be written in a way that is easily understandable to both experts and non-experts in the field.

11. RESEARCH ETHICS Week 6.

12. What is Ethics Ethics are guidelines that deal with the conduct on an individual. In research, Ethical considerations must be kept in mind when dealing with respondents . Ethical research requires personal integrity from the researcher.

13. Ethical issues include the following 1. Confidentiality and Privacy Respondent’s anonymity request must be adhered to when promised . Confidentiality must be kept where promised . 2. Physical and Psychological harm. Asking embarrassing questions, expressing disgust when collecting data, using threatening statements , etc . 3. Voluntary and Informed consent . Respondents must willingly participate in research. Researcher must disclose the real purpose of the research. Informed consent includes the following information:

14. Informed consent includes.. Purpose of the study Any unforeseen risks A guarantee of anonymity and confidentiality Identification of the researcher An indication of the number of subjects involved Benefits and compensation or the lack of them Use of vulnerable and/or special populations such as children, mentally disabled people, and sick people etc. permission must be obtained from those who care for these special populations. Financial Issues and Sponsored Research

15. Examples of Unethical conduct: Sponsor of a research demands compromise on quality of research to save time and/or money. Sponsors may demand that research findings be distorted. Ethical researchers should never accept such compromise in order to protect their integrity. Unethical conduct also occurs when researchers divert research funds for other purposes. This affects the quality of research and may yield misleading data

16. Ethical issues cont.. 4. Dissemination of Findings A research must not conceal research findings after conclusion of research. Where findings are sensitive , modalities of releasing results should be agreed on. It is a waste of resources to undertake research only to hide the findings . 5. Research Plagiarism and Fraud Plagiarism is a situation where a researcher refers to another person9s work as theirs without acknowledging the author. Stealing ideas from another scholar is also considered plagiarism. This is a crime punishable by law. It erodes the integrity of the victim and has serious professional consequences . Fraud occurs when a researcher fakes data that has actually not been collected. Fraud also includes false presentation of research methodology and results. It is a punishable crime.