Research

Methodology

MBACC/MBFIN 52104
Project in Accounting/Finance

Overview

Prof. Jayamaha

CONTENTS

What is research methodology?

What constitutes a research topic?
How to select a research topic?
What are some of the limitations encountered when doing or thinking of doing a research
project?
What is a literature review?
Where do I find sources of information for my literature review?
How to select an appropriate methodology?
What are some of the common types of qualitative methodology?
What are some of the common types of quantitative methodology?
What type of data to collect?
How to collect data?
How to analyze data?
What are some of the tests used on categorical data?
What are some of the tests used on continuous data?
How to draw conclusions from data?
How to present research findings?
How to present your work with ENDNOTE?

Prof. Jayamaha

What is Research
Methodology?

Is defined as a highly intellectual human

activity used in the investigation of nature and
matter and deals specifically with the manner
in which data is collected, analyzed and
interpreted

Prof. Jayamaha

What Constitutes a Research

Topic?

Unanswered question
Unsolved question
Concern
Query
Statement of inquiry

Prof. Jayamaha

How to Select a Research

Topic?

Personal interest
Social problem
Testing theory
Prior research
Program evaluation
Human service practice
Minorities in research

Prof. Jayamaha

What are some of the

Limitations Encountered when
Doing or Thinking of Doing a
Research
Time constraints
Project?

Financial consideration
Anticipating and avoiding problems
Equipment limitations
Human resource limitations
Out of the box thinking
In the box thinking
Prof. Jayamaha

What is a Literature review?

Systematic review of available resources

Theoretical and conceptual concepts

Identification of independent and dependent variables
Measurement and operational definitions
Selection of appropriate research technique
Sampling strategy
Statistical technique
Findings and conclusions of similar studies studied

Prof. Jayamaha

Where do I find Sources of

Information for my Literature
Review?

Books
Journals
Internet
Data bases
Archives
Interviews
Observations
Reports
Records

Prof. Jayamaha

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Science refers to the body of systematic and organised

knowledge which makes use of scientific method to
acquire knowledge in a particular field of enquiry.
Scientific method is the systematic collection of data
(facts) and their theoretical treatment through proper
observation, experimentation and interpretation.
Scientific method attempts to achieve a systematic
interrelation of facts by experimentation, observation,
and logical arguments from accepted postulates and a
combination of these three in varying proportions.

Prof. Jayamaha

BASIC POSTULATES IN
SCIENTIFIC METHOD

It relies on empirical evidence.

It utilizes relevant concepts.
It is committed to only objective
considerations.
It presupposes ethical neutrality.
It results into probabilistic predictions.
The methodology is made known.
Aims at formulating scientific theories.
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How to Select an Appropriate

Methodology?

What is the nature of the problem being

investigated?
Is the problem being investigated subjective
or objective?
Four types of research methods:

Qualitative
Quantitative
Mixed (qualitative and quantitative)
Critical and action oriented
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What are some of the Common

Types of Qualitative

Methodology?
Surveys

Longitudinal
Cross-sectional, correlation
Experimental
Quasi-experimental
Ex-post facto research

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What are some of the Common

Types of Quantitative
Methodology?

Biographical
Phenomenological
Ethnographical
Case study

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What Type of Data to

Collect?

Categorical

nominal-observations that can be coded

ordinal-observations that can be ranked

Continuous
-Observations that can be counted or measured
Mixed

matrix of categorical and continuous data

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How to Collect Data?

Observations
Interviews
Reports
Records

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How to Analyze Data?

Need to consider the type of data collected

-categorical
-continuous
-mixed

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What are some of the Tests

Used on Categorical Data?

Chi-squared test-to determine the relationship

between variables
Fishers test-to compare two unpaired groups
McNemars test-to analyze a matched case-control
study
Kappa-to quantify interafter agreement
Wilcoxon test- to compare one group to a
hypothetical value
Kruskal-Wallis test-to compare three or more groups
Spearman test-to compare association between
variables
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What are some of the Tests

Used on Continuous Data?

T test- to compare one or two groups

ANOVA-to compare three or more groups
Pearson test-to compare the association
between variables

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How to Draw Conclusions from

Data?

Use of graphical presentations

Use of statistical analyses
Sharing data among colleagues and
receiving constructive feedback
Critically analyzing data and results

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How to Present Research

Findings?

Tables-matrix of rows and columns representing variables

Figures-visual organization of data/observations
-pictures
-pie charts
-line charts
-bar charts
-flow charts
-organizational charts
-cartogram charts
-Gantt charts
-scatter plot charts

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How to Present your work with

ENDNOTE

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How to Present your work with

ENDNOTE

EndNote is an online search toolit provides a simple way to search online

bibliographic databases and retrieve the references directly into EndNote.
(EndNote can also import data files saved from a variety of online services,
CD-ROMs, and library databases.)

EndNote is a reference and image databaseit specializes in storing,

managing, and searching for bibliographiy references in your private
reference library. You can organize imagesincluding charts, tables,
figures, and equationsand assign each image its own caption and
keywords.

EndNote is a bibliography and manuscript makerit formats citations,

figures, and tables in Microsoft Word with the Cite While You Write
feature. Watch the reference, figure, and table lists grow as you insert
citations in your manuscript. Microsoft Word templates guide you through
the exacting manuscript requirements of publishers.
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Haward Style

Third person should be used

Active voice should be used
Writing should be clear, concise and plain
General format should be:

paper size-8.5 x 11
1 margins on all sides
double spaced
written in 12 point font using Times New Roman
short title and page number on the upper right hand corner
of every page
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General Format of Haward

Paper

Title
Abstract
Main Body

methodology
results
discussion
conclusions

References
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Haward Referencing Style

Last name of author, followed by initials

Last names of authors arranged
alphabetically in the reference list
Capitalize the first letter of the first word in
titles and subtitles
Capitalize all major words in journal titles
Italicize titles of books and journals

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Haward In-text Citation

Authors last name and year of publication

placed in parenthesis next to where the
information is cited
Three or more authors, use all three when
first cited then followed by the first author et
al., year for subsequent in-text citations
Six or more authors, use the last name of the
first author followed by et al., year of
publication
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References

Pattron, D. 2000. Fundamentals of Scientific

Research. New York: Scientific Publishers
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, 5th ed.
http://www.apastyle.org

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THANK YOU

THE END

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