Designing your Research Project?

By Antony K. Ndung’uPaul 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

What are the Components of a Research Project?

• Rationale• Objectives• Project description• Budget

Rationale

Underlying reasonsor

Reasoning or principle that underlies or explains something, or

a statement setting out this reasoning or principle

Objectives

A goal or aimorExpected end result

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

Post Data entry

• Two version of entry and validated• Data cleaning (1 month)

Overview of Survey data flow

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)

Thank you!

• 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.