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EPM8106 ACCOUNTING FOR NON-FINANCIAL MANAGERS

EPM8107 INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS

EPM8104 MONETARY ECONOMICS AND BANKING

EPM8101 PUBLIC SECTOR ECONOMICS

EPM8111 REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

EPM8102 RESEARCH METHODS

COURSE OUTLINE

COURSE: Research Methods

Programme: MEPM

Duration: February 2021

Facilitator: Professor Joseph M. Ntayi (PhD).

www.ntayi.co.ug, jntayi@mubs.ac.ug

Course Description:

The course will focus on the fundamental skills required to generate, collect and assess data. It will provide a process for applying the basic steps required in Data collection, sorting, organizing, summarizing and describing variables as well as testing and measuring different sorts of linkages and associations between and among variables and communicating this information. Additionally, the course will analyze experimental designs, which are most effectively utilized in confirmatory research studies where the subject under investigation is well formulated, a theoretical paradigm exists to guide the research and testable hypotheses can be developed. These designs attempt to establish causal relationships between interventions and outcomes. The course will also investigate and interpret surveys, which are research designs used to assess and quantify the predominance of problems and needs within the community or client populations/cohorts, utilization of patterns of service delivery and consumer satisfaction. Measurement, sampling and statistical techniques relevant to both surveys and experimental design will be addressed. In addition to covering ethical protocol in research, the course will investigate the interpretation of results, the writing up of findings and effective communication of data.

Course Objective:

Research methods provide the insight into the challenges faced by managers in research for business decision making. The course aims at:

§ Meeting the challenges of the fast pace decision making environment using data and information,

§ Providing the knowledge and skills a manager needs to solve the problems using information,

§ Preparing the students to manage business, not-for-profit, and public organization in all functional areas using data and information.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

Think within different research frameworks.
Become aware of the assumptions of essential Paradigms that influence approaches to carrying out research.
Develop skills for defining a research focus and the types of questions that can be developed from such a process as well as competence in specifying conceptual and operational definitions.
Utilize computer and Internet technology in the research process.
Augment skills of interpreting results and writing up findings.
Effectively communicate data to others.
Understand the connection between effect size and sample size.
Conduct a literature review.
Understand the concepts of dependent and independent variables and their function in testing of the hypothesis.
Comprehend the concept of measurement.
Understand the principle of randomization and experimental control.
Describe the ethical, political and feasibility issues that can arise from both experimental and survey designs.
Understand the role of theory in survey research as well as different types of survey research.
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of different survey designs.
Describe the range of sampling techniques, strategies and issues associated with sample size.
Understand the process of questionnaire construction and associated measurement issues.
Understand the interconnection between the type of statistical test and level of measurement.
Develop introductory skills in writing up a research proposal for a program evaluation or needs assessment.

Evaluation:

Tests/examinations/assignments must be written/submitted at the time specified. Requests for adjustments to that schedule must be made before the test/exam/assignment date to the facilitator. Failure to do so will result in a mark of “0”, unless an illness/emergency can be proven with appropriate documentation at no cost to MUBS. To graduate from this program, a student must attain a minimum of 60%. Evaluation comprised of:

Coursework 40%

Final exam 60%

Course Contents:

	Topic
1	The Role of Research - The scope of Research. - Research Defined. - Managerial Value of Research - What is Good Research? - How the research industry works. - Research is a global activity.
2	Scientific Investigation The Hall Marks of Scientific Research Research & the scientific Method Deduction & Induction The language of Research Concepts Constructs Definitions Variables Propositions & Hypotheses Theory Models Some Obstacles to conducting Scientific Research in the Management Area The Hypothetico-Deductive Method
3	The Research Process: Stages in the Research process Decision alternatives in the research process Influence of uncertainty on types Research. Research Process Issues
4	Research Requests and Proposals - Research Proposal. - Purpose of Research Proposal. - Types of Research Proposal. - Development of the proposals. - Formatting the Research proposal - Contents of the Research proposal - Requirements of the sponsoring agent. - Evaluation of Research proposal. - Professional Implicit Considerations.
5	Ethics in Research. - What are research ethics - Ethical treatment of participants. - Ethics and the Sponsors. - Professional Standards.
6	Experimental Research - The nature of experiments. - Basic Issues in Experimental Design. - Experimental research Design § Pre-experimental Designs § True Experimental Designs § Field Experiment - Validity in Experimentation § Internal Validity § External Validity - Threats to Experimentation Validity.
7	Doing a Literature Review Purpose of Reviewing Research Research Investigation Writing the review & its use Referencing & Quotations in Literature Review Section
8	The Research design:. - What is Research Design? - Classification of Designs. - Exploratory Studies Techniques. - Descriptive Studies. - Causal Studies
9	Qualitative and Quantitative Research - Comparison of Qualitative & Quantitative Research - The Process of Qualitative Research - Qualitative Research Methodologies - Interview - Individual Depth Interviews - Group Interviews - Focus Groups - Case Study - Merging Qualitative & Quantitative Methodologies
10	Secondary Data Collection - What are secondary data? - Advantages and disadvantages. - Classification of secondary data. - Internal and Proprietary data. - Common external sources.
11	Primary Data Methods. - Sources of Data - Interviewing - Structure & Unstructured Interviews - Personal Interviews. - Telephone Interviews. - Self-Administered Questionnaires. - Observation. · Direct Observation · Observing social settings · Content analysis · Mechanical observation
12	Measurement Scales - Sources of Measurement Differences - Characteristics of good Measurements § Validity § Reliability § Practicality
13	Selecting a Measurement Scale - Simple Category Scale - Single-Response Scale - Multiple Response Scale - Likert Scale - Semantic Differential Scale - Numerical Scale - Multiple Rating List Scale - Constant-Sum Scale - Staple Scale - Graphing Rating Scale - Ranking Scale - Cumulative Scale
14	Crafting the Research Instrument Questions categories & Structure Question Content Question \|Wording Response Strategy Types & Forms of Questions - Open ended versus Close ended - Positively & Negatively worded Questions - Dichotomous Questions - Multiple-Choice Questions - Rating Questions - Ranking Questions Biases in Questions - Double Barrelled Questions - Ambiguous Questions - Re-call Dependent Questions - Leading Questions - Loaded Questions Length of Questions Drafting & Refining the Instrument Questions Sequencing Classification Data or personal information Principles of Measurement Over Coming Instrument Problem
15	Sampling Design - The nature of sampling. - Steps in Sampling Design. - Sampling Method. § Probability Sampling. § Non-probability sampling - What is appropriate sample design? - Random sampling errors and non-sampling.
16	Hypothesis Testing - Statistical Significance - Logic of Hypothesis Testing - Statistical Testing Procedure - Tests of Significance - Types of Tests - How to select test - One-sample test - Two-Independent Samples Test - Two-Related Samples Test - K-Independent- Sample Test - K-Related Sample Test
17	The case study as a Research Strategy - Comparing case studies with other research strategies in the social sciences - Common Definition of Case Studies - General Approach to Designing Case Studies - Criteria for judging the Quality of Research Designs - Modest Advice in Selecting Case study designs
18	Analysing qualitative data - Grounded Theory Introduction - Coding Procedure - Analysis through Microscopic Examination of Data - Basic Operation: Asking Questions and Making Comparisons - Analytical Tools - Open Coding - Axial Coding - Selective Coding - Theoretical Sampling
19	Data Preparation and Description - Editing - Field Editing - Central Editing - Coding - Codebook Construction. - Coding Closed Question. - Coding Rules - Missing Data
20	Presenting insights and Findings: (Research Report) - Written Research Report - Short Reports - Long Reports - Research Report Components. - Writing the Report - Pre-writing Concerns - Writing the draft - Presentation Consideration. - Presentation Statistics - Oral Presentation - Preparation - Delivery - Audio-visuals
21	Computer Technology & Business Research - Information Needs - Advantages of ICT - Role of ICT in Managerial Decision Making - PC Applications using Software - End Note Software - SPSS Software - N-vivo Software - Data Recording by using MS Excel & MS Access - Presentation of Report by using MS Power point - Literature Search through internet - Using the database of Science Direct (Elsevier), Emerald, JSTOR etc. - How to use the Turnitin (Plagiarism Software)