Designing your Research Project? By Antony K. Ndung’u Paul Baraka
Definitions for research:1) Methodical investigation into a subject in order to discover facts,
to establish or to develop a plan of action based on facts discovered
2) Attempt to find out information in a systematically and scientific manner
3) Human activity based on intellectual investigation and is aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising human knowledge on different aspects of the world. Research can use the scientific method, but need not do so.
4) Diligent and thorough inquiry and investigation into a subject. This includes using all appropriate print and electronic sources, asking the reference librarian for help, and making use of bibliographies given by other authors.
5) The process of discovering new knowledge or of synthesis of existing knowledge into a form useful for a stated purpose
Why do we conduct Research Projects?
a)To invent new things
b)To solve a prevailing problem
c) To support development programs of a country
d)To uplift living standards
e)Because we are inquisitive about things happening around us
Rationale
Underlying reasonsor
Reasoning or principle that underlies or explains something, or
a statement setting out this reasoning or principle
Project description
Duration (short-term, medium term, Long-term)Partners involved and responsibilitiesMethods Materials Activity plan/ ScheduleData management and Analyses How to report the results (Expected Output)
Sample BudgetA Preparatory stage(Training & Pretesting)- 6 Days
Melkasa excursion 3 2 0 The vehicle for 2 days Melkassa excursion1 night accommodation & perdiem at Melkassa for 28th 5 1 0 Venue cost for 15 people /day
Training venue costs 17 4 0 The cost of the training venue for 4 days
Training Meal costs 17 4 0 Meals tea/lunch during 4 days training
training accommodation15 6 0
Accommodation for enumerators during the training & pre-test
Training perdiem 15 6 0 perdiem for enumerators during the training & pre-
Survey printing costs 320 1 0320 copies - maybe done in office after Pre-test--The number hh to be visited
Photocopy of training and pretesting copies 20 1 045 drafts surveys for the two days (2 pretests)-Can be done at the ICRAF office
Other photocopies (Introductions, identification variable etc) 20 1 0 Reference material e.g consent forms
Car hire (pretesting) 3 2 02 days of pre-testing (Are there a another means due to large group)
B Data collection (10 Days)Survey printing costs 300 1 300 surveys
Survey staff Salaries 14 10 See required working days below the table
Survey staff Perdiems 14 10 See required working days below the table
Communications Costs (Field officers) 15 10 See required working days below the table
Communications (Supervisors) 2 10 See required working days below the table
Cost of rental equipments (Car) 3 10 Car hire costs (assume hired)for the actual data collection
Other transport expenses 2 2 Use of motor bikes and public transport if any
Revisits to unreached households (vehicle days) 5 1It wont be possible to reach all the people within the 10 days since new locations
Household identification Use of villagers to identify the households
C
Total
Contingency (10%)
0
0
Methods
• Practical (Primary)– Laboratory (Bio physical data)– Field data collection (Survey data/social
economic)
o Theoretical (Secondary)o Using published or written informationo Using IT facilities
Data quality Measures
• Field and data entry level (Involve RMG)• “Your study is as good as your data”• Enumerator training (10 days;- 5 days training, 3days
pretest, 2 day feedbacks),• Data entry template construction,(2 weeks to finalized
all changes),• Data entry clerk training (3 days),• Data entry (depend on size of questionnaire, sample,
speed of DC),• *Double data entry- measure of entry data quality
Analyses of Data
Using statistical methods (Regression, ranking data analysis , e.t.c)
Computer Programs (Stata, R, SPSS, SAS, GenStat) – Research Methods Group
Data archiving (ICRAF Dataverse)
• The CART- principles —credible, actionable, responsible, and transportable data collection.
• Credible: Collect only data that accurately reflect what they are intended to measure. At a larger scale, credibility means accurately measuring the impact of a program through rigorous evaluation. At a smaller scale, credible data collection also refers to appropriateness and accuracy of chosen indicators.
• Actionable: Collect only the data that your organization is going to use. To make data actionable, ask if you can use the information to change the course of action at your organization—if not, do not collect it. Put simply: If all possible findings lead to the same decision, it is a waste of time and money to collect that information.
• Responsible: Match data collection with the systems and resources your organization has to collect it. Think about the resources you have. It is tempting to collect as much information as possible, but if overreaching will compromise the quality of data you collect and your ability to analyze it, the data will not help anyone.
• Transportable: Apply what you learn to other programs and contexts—either your own program in future years or in other locations, or those of other organizations working on similar problems. For transportability, you need to know something about why a program works, and be open and transparent about sharing learning with others.