Dayo Odukoya, Ph.D & Oladunjoye Oludotun, Ph.D

Research

Methodology

Guideline for Undergraduate Students

© 2007

Dayo Odukoya, Ph.D & Oladunjoye Oludotun, Ph.D

Distance Learning Institute,

University of Lagos

234-8034730219; 01-7434613

234-802-324-9540

Dedication

With excitement and deep sense of appreciation, we wholly dedicate this development-oriented publication to our all-sufficient Father,

Jehovah God Almighty.

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge with thanks everyone who has made this publication possible. In this regard, we particularly thank the 2007 Year 5 students of the Departments of Accounting and Business Administration, Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos, who did not only prompt the execution of this project, but also contributed in meaningful ways through their questions and responses in the classroom. God bless you all richly and make you agents of development in Nigeria and beyond.

Content

·  Fly Page

·  Supervisor’s Certification

·  Dedication

·  Acknowledgment

·  Content Page

INTRODUCTION 5

·  Objectives

·  General Information

·  Research Topics

·  Basic Structure

SAMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS FOLLOWING 10

THE BASIC STRUCTURE FORMAT

CONCLUSION 32

Reference

INTRODUCTION

Objectives

·  The primary objective of this lecture is to bring all stakeholders to the same page on Distance Learning Institute’s (DLI) Research Methodology standard [which in reality is international standard]

·  The secondary objective is to build the research capacity of the undergraduate students both at DLI, in Nigeria and also beyond, knowing that research is a principal tool of development worldwide.

General Information

·  Use 1.5 line spacing. Use New Times Roman, size 12 for the main text; size 16 for major headings and size 14 for sub-headings.

·  Use past tense in the Introduction, Literature review and Methodology; while using present tense in reporting the Results. Depending on the tone of discussion, your Discussion and Conclusion could be a mix of present and past tense.

·  Thoroughly proof-read your work. Errors seen will not be accepted as ‘typographic’ errors, but rather as ‘brainographic’ errors. Use the help of an English major if necessary.

·  Avoid multiple ‘Introductions’ and ‘References’

·  Do not hyphenate [split] words at the end of a line.

·  Do not use slang in your write-up.

·  Do not use contractions [e.g. It’s]

·  Avoid guessing spellings. If in doubt, check it up.

·  Avoid excessive use of the terms, I, me and my and the phrase, personally speaking.

·  Avoid the use of sexist language [gender biased]

·  Get friends to read your work, if they cant understand it, then it needs work.

·  When abbreviating any term, spell them out the first time.

·  Do not use too many abbreviations. Not more than 3.

·  All measurement reporting should be done in metric system e.g. m, cm, kg, g, etc

·  Numbers 0-9 should be spelled out, except when in a table or figure number. Numbers 10 and above should be written as numbers.

·  Capitalize nouns that are followed by numbers or letters e.g. Figure 2, Block 3.

·  In abstract, use digit for all numbers, except when they begin a sentence.

·  Spell out any number when it occurs first in a sentence.

·  Be consistent with number formats e.g. one decimal or two decimal points all through.

·  If you use someone’s idea or words, give them the credit by citing them. Refusal to do so is plagiarism.

·  Citations Techniques: Male babies generally weigh more than female babies [Odukoya, 1997]; Odukoya (1997) reported that male babies generally weigh more than female babies; In 1997, Odukoya reported that male babies generally weigh more than female babies.

·  The first time a reference is cited in the text, spell out all of the authors last names e.g. Oludotun, Hassan, and Harrison (2007) suggested that … When cited the second or third time, use Odukoya et al (2007) suggested that ...

·  Multiple citation in parentheses should be done alphabetically as follows: (Odukoya, 2007; Peter, 1998; Randy, 2007)

·  If you cite something second hand, make it clear as such: (Obe, as cited in Jones, 2003).

·  You must give page numbers for direct quotes e.g. Smith (1998) noted that ‘the world is round’ (p.1)

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Source: Many of the points listed above can be attributed to: Plonsky, M (2007)

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Research Topics

The research topic is one of the most sensitive issues in conducting empirical research. If you miss the conception and articulation of the research topic, it could spell the failure of the entire project. Quite a number of undergraduate project works have been rejected solely because of poorly conceived research topics. Avoid this error. This guideline offers a sample of research themes from which researchable topics could be drawn. However the suggestions are limited to the department of Business Administration and Accounting. See Appendix 1 for the suggested themes. Avoid ‘term paper’ topics.

Basic Structure

·  Cover Page

·  Fly Page

·  Abstract

·  Supervisor’s Certification

·  Dedication

·  Acknowledgment

·  Content Page

Chapter 1

Introduction

·  Background

·  Statement of Problem

·  Statement of Objective

·  Significance of Study

·  Research Questions

·  Research Hypotheses [if any]

·  Scope of Study

·  Operational Definition of Terms

Chapter 2

Literature Review

·  Elucidation of Key Concepts in the Project Title

·  Theoretical background

·  Empirical background [if any]

Chapter 3

Methodology

·  Research Design

·  Population of Study

·  Sample and Sampling Technique

·  Instruments

·  Procedure for Data Collection

·  Data Analysis

Chapter 4

Results

·  Tables of Results [with brief explanations]

Chapter 5

Discussion

·  Summary of Findings

·  Discussion

·  Recommendations

·  Limitation of Study

·  Suggestion for Further Study [if any]

·  Conclusion

Reference

Appendices

·  Sample of Research Instrument[s]

·  Charts [if any]

·  Pictures [if any]

·  Special Tables [if any]

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SAMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS FOLLOWING THE BASIC STRUCTURE FORMAT

The illustrative topic chosen to explain the subject of Research Methodology in this publication is: An Assessment of the Authenticity of Popular Advertisements in Nigeria. Presented in the following sections are illustrations on how the various segments of an empirical research should be reported. In some sections, only brief explanations were made.

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Cover/Fly Page

Abstract

·  The abstract last should be written last. It is a technical summary of the project. So ensure the information therein is also in the body of the report.

·  Don’t put the project title.

·  No paragraph. Use single spaced blocked format. Use past tense. No citation please.

·  State the aim or core objective of the study

·  Next, state the research design and method used, including your sample size, type of instrument used for data collection and data analyses made.

·  Next, state the core findings.

·  End the abstract with the core recommendation made

·  The abstract should not exceed one page, hence you are permitted to use single line spacing.

For a sample of a typical abstract, see Appendix 2

Supervisor’s Certification

Dedication

·  Avoid dedicating your work to God and men at the same time. Choose one.

·  Make the statement short and concise.

Acknowledgement

·  Using simple coherent expressions, acknowledge those who contributed to the success of your research work in tangible ways.

·  Do not exceed one page.

Content Page

·  Obey the numbering principle e.g. 1, 1.1, 1.1.1 etc

·  Indent sub-topics under the parent topic.

·  Use bigger font size for Chapters 1-5 topic … i.e. Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results and Discussion

·  Ensure correct pagination

·  Ensure what is reflected in the content is actually in the body of the report.

Chapter 1

Introduction

·  Background

It is almost becoming a common phenomenon to find six or more advertisements out of every 10 advertisements featured in National Newspapers and Televisions not fulfilling their promises. This trend, over the years tended to make people to develop distrust for advertisements in Nigeria. While some would quickly switch to other stations when such adverts came on the air. Others resorted to using the opportunity to attend to other pressing issues, only to resume watching their loved programme when such adverts were over. When it comes to printed media, the common reaction tended to be quick flips over the adverts. Informal observations made over the years revealed that many notable companies and institutions were involved in these seeming sharp practices. Johnson (2005) in a longitudinal study of made-in-Nigeria products reported that in order to make up for deficiency in quality, many companies often resorted to making false claims in their advertisement slogans, all in the bid to win patronage by all means possible. The influx of facsimile products of better quality is not helping matters either. But the question is, ‘is lying the way out of the challenge?’ Would this rather not undo and destroy the culprit companies in the long run? It is this and related questions this study is poised to find answers to. [In reality, the background should be more detailed than what is presented here].

·  Statement of Problem

It is not un-common to purchase a product or use a service based on certain claims in the product’s advertisement, only to discover the claims are not true. This trend tends to lead to disappointment and frustration on the part of consumers. At times, the health and life of the consumers could be ill-affected. Depending on volume of purchases made, colossal amount of money may be wasted in the process. It is these pertinent problems that prompted this research study.

·  Statement of Objective

This study is aimed at achieving the following objectives:

ü  Ascertain the authenticity of popular adverts in Nigeria

ü  Assess the magnitude of problems caused by fake adverts [if any]

ü  Assess peoples’ reaction to the fake adverts [if any]

ü  Assess effect of fake advert [if any] on product sales

·  Significance of Study

The significance of this study can be drawn from the statements of problem and purpose above. The fact that many people are likely to be freed from recurrent frustrations, disappointments and un-told hazards as a result of findings of this study lend support to its significance. The correction of any seeming sharp practices is also apt to significantly enhance genuine product development in the country.

·  Research Questions

ü  What are the proofs of the authenticity of popular adverts in Nigeria?

ü  What are the problems caused by fake adverts in Nigeria [if any]?

ü  What are peoples’ reactions to fake adverts [if any]?

ü  What are the effects of fake advert [if any] on product sales?

Avoid examination questions. Avoid questions demanding ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses. Use truly researchable questions.

·  Research Hypotheses [if any]

ü  There is no significant difference in the proportion of authentic and fake adverts in Nigeria.

ü  There is no significant relationship in the frequency of fake adverts’ presentation and product sales.

Remember that research hypothesis is more applicable to experimental studies, though occasionally it could be applied in survey or quasi-experimental studies. Only the null hypotheses [as stated above] should be stated. This presents the researcher as un-biased.

·  Scope of Study

This study is limited to the commercial and political cities of Nigeria – i.e. Lagos and Abuja. This is due to the representative nature of these cities in terms of all the major tribes in the country. The scope of the study is also limited to popular adverts featured in major television stations aired in these capital cities. [Note that the scope of study is not the same as limitation of study. So do not mix them up]

·  Operational Definition of Terms

This section is reserved for technical words, expressions, and purposely defined words used in your research topic. It is not necessarily the same thing as dictionary definition of terms. In fact, it is expected that most of the definitions that will presented here may not be found literally in any standard dictionary. That is why it is called ‘operational definition of terms’. Samples of such definitions relating to the illustrative research topic given earlier are:

ü  Popular Advertisement – An advert is regarded as popular when 5 or more people out of every 10 people interviewed confirms they are aware of it.

ü  Authenticity – An advert is regarded as authentic in this study if it fulfils everything it promises in its advertisement.

Chapter 2

Literature Review

Breakdown of the key concepts in the project title

·  Ensure all the key concepts in your research topic are succinctly addressed in your literature review. Use extensive relevant and current literature.

·  Cite authors appropriately, and ensure the references of all cited authors are reflected in the Reference.

·  Ensure coherence, logicality, relevance and natural flow all through your review.

·  Avoid verbatim copy. Consequently, as a rule, do not quote more than three or four authors in 10 pages.

For our hypothetical research topic, the elements of the Literature Review can be broken down as follows:

ü  Product Development [Generally and in Nigeria]

ü  Marketing

ü  Advertisements and their effects

ü  Fake Advertisements and their effects

ü  Historical Background on some popular adverts in Nigeria [vis-à-vis opinions on them]

ü  Corruption, Integrity and Authenticity in Nigeria

ü  Concept of Assessment

These issues should be addressed theoretically and empirically according to available information. See samples of theoretical and empirical background write-ups below.

Theoretical Background

Sample ‘theoretical background’ is presented below:

‘Stones (2001) defines advertisement as … Hardly can one make tangible sales without concerted advertisements. Worldwide, advertisements have been known to promote sales. There are various forms of advertisement. For instance, the genesis of billboard advertisement was attributed to Hanson in 1961’.

Empirical Background

Sample ‘empirical background’ is presented below:

‘In 1978, Harrison conducted an empirical study on the effect of advertisement on the sales of some popular products in America. He found among others that … Benson, Freezer & Yuri (2004) in a similar study conducted in England came up with virtually the same findings as that of Harrison. To date, we are yet to find record of any such studies conducted in Nigeria or any African country’.