Research Methodology and

Statistical Analysis

Dr Ni Lar Win & Daw Cho Cho

 Contents
• Course information
• Introduction to Research Methodology
 Research Statistical
Methodology Analysis

Dr Ni Lar Win Daw Cho Cho

 Course Information

Credit hour Method of Assessment

delivery
• 3 credits • lecture • Presentation
• 120 hr SLT • practical (20%)
• Report (70%)
• Peer assessment
(10%)
 Course Information

Objective
• Upon completion of this unit, the
student will be able to demonstrate
the research competence by
completing the independent research
using statistical analysis of the data
and writing research findings.
 Course Information
Learning To understand some basic concepts
Outcomes of research and its methodology

To apply the fundamental statistical

analysis in engineering

To write a research report

What is research?
 What is research?
A search for knowledge

A scientific and systematic search for pertinent

information on a specific topic

An art of scientific investigation

 What is research?
Advanced Learner’s • “A careful investigation or inquiry specially
Dictionary of through search for new facts in any branch of
Current English knowledge”

Redman and Mory • “Systematized effort to gain new knowledge”

• “The manipulation of things, concepts or

symbols for the purpose of generalising to
Slesinger and extend, correct or verify knowledge, whether
Stephenson that knowledge aids in construction of theory
or in the practice of an art”
 Objectives of Research

Purpose of research
• To discover answers to questions through
the application of scientific procedure

Main aim of research

• to find out the truth which is hidden and
which has not been discovered as yet
 Groupings of Research Studies
Exploratory or • To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or
formulative to achieve new insight into it
• To portray accurately the characteristics of
Descriptive a particular individual, situation, or a
group
• To determine the frequency with which
Diagnostic something occurs or with which it is
associated with something else

Hypothesis • To test a hypothesis of a causal

testing relationship between variables
 Motivation of Research

Why people undertake research?

Desire to Desire to Desire to

get a face the get
research challenge Desire to Desire to
intellectual
degree in solving be of get
joy of doing
along with the service to respectabili
some
its unsolved society ty
creative
consequent problems
work
ial benefits
 Types of Research
Descriptive vs. Analytical

Applied vs. Fundamental

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Conceptual vs. Empirical

Some other types of research

 Descriptive vs. Analytical
Descriptive Analytical

Surveys and fact-finding

enquiries of different
Use facts or information
kinds.
already available, and
The researcher has no analyze these to make a
control over the variables; critical evaluation of the
he can only report what material
has happened or what is
happening
 Applied vs. Fundamental
Applied Fundamental

Finding a solution for an Concern with generalisation

immediate problem facing and with the formulation of a
a society or an industrial theory.
or business organisation
Directed towards finding
information that has broad
base of applications and
thus, adds to the already
existing organized body of
scientific knowledge.
 Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Quantitative Qualitative

Based on the Concerned with qualitative

measurement of phenomenon, i.e.,
quantity or amount phenomena relating to or
involving quality or kind.
Phenomena that can be
expressed in terms of Is important in the
quantity behavioural sciences where
the aim is to discover the
underlying motives of human
behaviour
 Conceptual vs. Empirical
Conceptual Empirical

Relates to some Rely on experience or

abstract ideas or observation alone, often due
theory regard for system and theory.

It is generally used by It is data-based research,

philosophers and coming up with conclusions
thinkers to develop which are capable of being
new concepts or to verify by observation or
reinterpret the experiment.
existing ones
 Some Other Types of Research

Time Environment Purpose

• one-time • Field-setting • Conclusion-
research – • Laboratory oriented –
single time • Simulation free to pick
period up a problem
• Longitudinal • Decision-
research – oriented – for
several time the need of a
periods decision
maker
Research Methods vs. Methodology
Research method
• All those methods/ techniques that are used for
conduction of research
• All those methods which are used by the researcher
during the course of studying his research problem

Methods which are Statistical Methods which are

concerned with the techniques which used to evaluate the
collection of data. are used for accuracy of the
establishing results obtained.
relationships
between the data
and the unknowns
Research methodology
• Is a way to systematically solve the research
problem

Research Research
Research
methods methodology
 Research Methodology
Not
onl • How to develop certain indices or tests
y • How to calculate the mean, the mode, the median, ….
nee • How to apply particular research techniques
d to
kno
w • Which of these methods are relevant and which are not, What
would they mean and indicate and why
• To understand the assumptions underlying various techniques and
But also to know the criteria – to decide that certain techniques and
need to procedures will be applicable to certain problems and others will
know not

Me • It is necessary for the researcher to design his methodology for his

tho problem as the same may differ from problem to problem
dol
ogy
 Examples

Architect Scientist Has to expose

Particular size, the research
number and decision to
location of evaluation
doors, windows before they are
and ventilators implemented
Has to specify
Particular very clearly and
materials and precisely what
not others decisions he
selects and why
he selects them
so that they can
be evaluated by
others
 Research Methodology
“ when we talk of research methodology we not
only talk of the research methods but also
consider the logic behind the methods we use in
the context of our research study and explain
why we are using a particular method or
technique and why we are not using others so
that research results are capable of being
evaluated either by the researcher himself or by
others.” (Kothari, 2004, p.8)
Research Methodology
• Why a research study has been undertaken

• How the research problem has been defined

• In what way and why the hypothesis has been

formulated

• What data have been collected and what particular

method has been adopted

• Why particular technique of analysing data has been

used
Summary
 References
• The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current
English, Oxford, 1952, p.1069.
• Redman, L.V. and Mory, A.V.H., The Romance of
Research, 1923, p.10.
• The Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, Vol. IX,
McMillan, 1930.
• Kothari, C.R., Research Methodology: Methods
and Techniques, Second edition, New Age
International Publishers, 2004
Questions and Discussion
Thank you
 Research Methods
Type Methods Techniques
Library (i) Analysis of Recording of
research historical notes, content
records analysis, etc.
(ii) Analysis of Statistical
documents compilation and
manipulation,
reference and
abstract guides