Research Methodology and Methodology

¶ … obtained from this course, there are several different ways for conducting research that a researcher can choose from. While the research question is the major factor that drives the research methodology, the selection of a research method for a specific study also requires consideration of other factors. This is a major issue in the research field because researchers continue to struggle in identifying the most suitable methodology for a study. In essence, one of the major questions when conducting a research is, "What is the most suitable research methodology for the study?" This question is significant because of the role research methodology plays in generating credible and accurate results. According to Holden (2004), research methodology affects the study results and how conclusions are derived from the research findings.

When making decisions regarding the most suitable methodology for the study, one of the most important considerations for the research is the research question. The research question helps in determining the kind of data to be collected, which in turn influences whether the study can be qualitative, quantitative or mixed. During this process, the researcher should determine whether the study will require quantitative and/or qualitative data. Apart from the research question, the choice of an appropriate research methodology is also influenced by the desired goals or objectives of the study. This implies that the researcher should begin the process with the end in mind i.e. by determining the specific research goals. The other consideration is the availability of existing literature or information relating to the research topic, which helps in determining whether primary or secondary research will be conducted. The other considerations or factor that influence the choice of research methodology are the timing in which the results are needed and the appropriate sample size for the research goals.

Challenges in Conducting Research

Researchers, especially students, experience several challenges and obstacles when conducting research. These challenges or obstacles are attributable to different factors relating to the researcher and/or the research process. During this course, I experienced some challenges or obstacles when doing research given that I have never conducted a study before. One of the major challenges I experienced was difficulties in identifying a suitable research topic or issue. Given my inexperience in conducting a research, I struggled to identify a research topic that would be suitable for my academic goals. The other challenges/obstacles included proper time management, lack of organization, and poor control of data collection and analysis. Actually, data analysis was a major challenge because of the complex statistical data that was generated during the data collection process.