Dreams and their effects on overall body functioning

Dreaming

This chapter discusses the methodology to be used in the study. It describes the procedures that will be applied and followed systematically in conducting the research study. Steps involved in carrying out the research study are elaborated and a justification for the chosen research design is justified. The research design, unit of analysis, sampling design and procedures, instruments of data collection and data analysis are given in this section.

Research methodology defines the explicit system and rules used to direct the conduct of a research Lunenfeld & Laurel, 2003.

A research methodology thus entails the process of caring out the research, and the procedures that the study follows in order to obtain result in a scientific manner. Research methodology assures that the information derived from the conduct of a study meets the required standards for use in arriving at conclusion.

Research design

A research design is the abstract construction for a conducting a research. It constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data. In this study, survey research was identified as the main research design. A survey entails of gathering information from a population on their actions, characteristics or opinions.

Survey research is a quantitative and qualitative method, requiring standardized information about and from the subjects being studied. The subjects studied include individuals, groups, organizations, conditions or behavior, communities or systems. In our study the subjects to be studied are individuals and the actions given particular circumstances.

Surveys conducted for research purposes have three characteristics. The survey's purpose of producing valuable insights in form of quantitative and qualitative information is the first; descriptions of some aspects of the study population. Survey analysis may be interested with interactions between variables, or with contriving findings descriptively to a predefined situation Groves et al., 2004()

For this study, the two variables are dreams and overall body functioning. Second, the main way of collecting information and thirdly how that information is used to generalize the findings to a wider population. The survey for their study entails observation and creating a database for the observations made.

The study will be conducted as a survey with information gathering entailing bringing the respondents in a controlled environment. Prior to conducting the survey information about the respondents will be sought and a data base of the information created. The study will use volunteer participants in order to minimize that cost of the undertaking. The participants will be reimbursed to compensate for their time and involvement in the survey.

A data base for participants body functioning will be kept to collect and obtain information on their body functioning. This information will be useful in giving an insight on the normal functioning of the participants and will be evaluated against reviewed studies on body functioning. The data base will further be evaluated against the information collected under the controlled environment. This will form a basis for comparisons and conclusion to be arrived at.

Data analysis

The data will also be standardized for purposes of doing the analysis intended. The data collected will be analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. These techniques will be used in order to provide both statistical and interpretive insights. Raw quantitative data is cleaned and coded for easy analysis. The data collected will be analyzed guided by the survey questions and the literature reviewed. In the analysis, comparisons of the type of information observed in the varied circumstances and the individuals will form core parts of the analysis.