Research Methods Examination -
Section B Solutions
Question 2
The purpose and importance of carrying out a literature review in research include:
1. **Identifying Gaps in Existing Research**: A literature review helps researchers identify
areas that have not been explored.
2. **Avoiding Duplication**: Ensures that the research being proposed is original and not a
duplication of existing work.
3. **Building on Existing Knowledge**: Enables researchers to use established theories and
findings as a foundation.
4. **Providing Theoretical Framework**: Helps in identifying suitable theories and models
to guide the research.
5. **Clarifying Research Questions**: Refines the research questions or hypotheses.
6. **Understanding the Research Context**: Provides insight into the background and
setting of the topic under study.
7. **Methodological Insights**: Informs researchers of the methods that have been used
previously, their advantages, and limitations.
8. **Demonstrating Research Competence**: Shows that the researcher is knowledgeable
about the field.
Question 3
**SWOT Analysis of Qualitative vs Quantitative Research Methods:**
**Qualitative Research**
- **Strengths**: Provides depth and detail, captures emotions and experiences, flexible and
adaptive.
- **Weaknesses**: Subjective, harder to generalize, time-consuming.
- **Opportunities**: Can explore new phenomena, useful in theory development.
- **Threats**: Researcher bias, difficulties in analysis, less credible to some audiences.
**Quantitative Research**
- **Strengths**: Objective, generalizable, statistically analyzable.
- **Weaknesses**: Lacks depth, may miss contextual details, rigid structure.
- **Opportunities**: Large-scale studies, useful for testing hypotheses.
- **Threats**: Misinterpretation of data, potential for unethical manipulation.
Question 4
i. **Explanatory Research Design (7 marks)**:
This design is used to explain the relationships between variables. It goes beyond
describing and aims to determine cause-and-effect relationships. Often uses hypothesis
testing and statistical methods.
ii. **Exploratory Research Design (7 marks)**:
Used when little is known about a phenomenon. Helps in gaining insights and familiarity. It
is flexible, informal, and often uses qualitative methods like interviews or focus groups.
iii. **Sequential Mixed Method Research Design (6 marks)**:
Combines both qualitative and quantitative methods in a sequential manner. Typically,
qualitative research is conducted first to explore a topic, followed by quantitative methods
to test findings or vice versa.
Question 5
The main components of a research proposal include:
1. **Title**: A clear and concise description of the research.
2. **Abstract**: A brief summary of the research proposal.
3. **Introduction**: Provides background and sets the context.
4. **Research Problem/Questions**: Clearly states the problem or questions the research
will address.
5. **Literature Review**: Summarizes existing research and identifies gaps.
6. **Objectives**: Lists the aims and objectives of the study.
7. **Methodology**: Describes research design, data collection, and analysis methods.
8. **Significance of the Study**: Justifies why the research is important.
9. **Ethical Considerations**: Addresses ethical issues.
10. **Timeline**: A plan or schedule for the research activities.
11. **Budget**: Estimated costs (if applicable).
12. **References**: List of cited sources.
