Research Project: Design, Conduct and Report, Leading to Diploma Postgraduate - in Research Project Management, Double Credit, 60 Credit-Hours, Accumulating to A Postgraduate Certificate, with 120 additional Credit-Hours, and a Postgraduate Diploma, with 300 Additional Credit-Hours. Click to download the PDF Brochure for this Course.

Course contents include: Employing Data Elicitation Techniques, Employing Surveys as a Research Tool: Cross-Sectional Surveys,  Longitudinal Surveys,  Participant Observation as a Qualitative Data Elicitation Tool: Enacting the Complete Observer Role,  Contextualising the Complete Participant Role,  The Participant-Observer Role,  Being an Observer-Participant Role,  The Practicality of the ‘Complete Participant as Observer’ Role. Conversation Analysis: Conversation Analysis as Qualitative Methodological Technique,  Quantifying Conversation Analysis,  Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches in Conversation Analysis,  Documentary Analysis,  Qualitative Methodological Technique,  Quantifying Documentary Analysis,  Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches in Documentary Analysis,  Focus Groups,  Optimising Focus Group Size,  Constituting Focus Groups,  Operationalising Focus Groups,  Quantifying Focus Group Responses,  Analysing Focus Group Output,  Validating Focus Groups in Ethnographic Research,  Interviews and Questionnaires as Data Elicitation Techniques in Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodologies,  Distinguishing between Interviews and Questionnaires,  Positive Issues associated with the use of Questionnaires,  Negative Issues associated with the use of Questionnaires,  Positive Issues associated with the use of Interviews,  Negative Issues associated with the use of Interviews,  Sampling as an Important Element of Research Design,  Determining the ‘Population’,  The ‘Theoretical Population’,  The ‘Accessible Population’,  Factors that Define a ‘Population’,  A Sample as a Factor of the ‘Theoretical Population’,  Sampling the ‘Accessible Population’,  What Constitutes a ‘Representative Sample’,  The Sampling Frame,  Determining a Suitable Sampling Frame,  Factors Mitigating against a ‘Sample Frame Choice’,  Sampling Techniques,  Convenience or Non-random Samples,  Quota Sample,  Systematic Sample,  Probability or Random Samples?,  Simple Random Sample,  Stratified Sampling,  Bases of Stratification,  Multi-stage Sampling: Its Organisation and Execution,  Interview and Questionnaire Design and Administration,  Salient Issues in Questionnaire Design,  Designing Unstructured Questions for Questionnaires,  Designing Structured Questions for Questionnaires,  Designing Structured Closed-Ended Questions for Questionnaires,  Designing Structured Open-Ended Questions for Questionnaires,  Multiple-choice Format as the basis for Designing Structured Closed-Ended Questions in Questionnaires,  Avoiding ‘Forced-choice’ in Structured Closed-Ended Questions in Questionnaires,  Questionnaire Administration,  Personal Questionnaire Administration,  Timing of Questionnaire Administration,  Web-based Questionnaire Administration,  Protecting against multiple-responses,  Anti-bot Security Measures.

For Whom This Course is Designed

This Course is Designed For:

Data Analysts;

Data-Set Developers;

Data-Set Utilisers;

Doctoral Students;

Ethnographic Researchers;

Executives;

Managers;

Market Researchers;

Postgraduate Research Students;

Postgraduate Research Supervisors;

Quantitative Researchers;

Research Analysts;

Research Assistants;

Research Commissioners;

Research Project Managers;

Research Team Leaders;

Research Tutors;

Researchers;

Sales and Marketing Managers;

Supervisors;

Team Leaders, Generally;

Undergraduate Dissertation Supervisors;

All others who are desirous of undertaking postgraduate level training in Research Methodology - generally - but more specifically:

Ethnographic Research;

Qualitative Research;

Quantitative Research;

Research Triangulation;

Research Design,

Research Project Management,

Questionnaire Design,

Population and Sampling Frame Choice,

Sampling Design,

Questionnaire Design;

Interview Formulation;

Data Elicitation;

Data Analysis;

Date Interpretation;

Research Report Writing.  

Course Coordinator:

Prof. Dr. R. B. Crawford is the Director of HRODC Postgraduate Training Institute, A Postgraduate-Only Institution. He has the following Qualifications and Affiliations:

Doctor of Philosophy {(PhD) {University College London (UCL) - University of London)};

MEd Management (University of Bath);

Postgraduate (Advanced) Diploma Science Teacher Ed. (University of Bristol);

Postgraduate Certificate in Information Systems (University of West London, formerly Thames Valley University);

Diploma in Doctoral Research Supervision, (University of Wolverhampton);

Teaching Certificate;

Fellow of the Institute of Management Specialists;

Human Resources Specialist, of the Institute of Management Specialists;

Member of the Asian Academy of Management (MAAM);

Member of the International Society of Gesture Studies (MISGS);

Member of the Standing Council for Organisational Symbolism (MSCOS);

Member of ResearchGate;

Executive Member of Academy of Management (AOM). There, his contribution incorporates the judging of competitions, review of journal articles, and guiding the development of conference papers. He also contributes to the Disciplines of:

Human Resources;

Organization and Management Theory;

Organization Development and Change;

Research Methods;

Conflict Management;

Organizational Behavior;

Management Consulting;

Gender & Diversity in Organizations; and

Critical Management Studies.

Professor Dr. Crawford has been an Academic in the following UK Universities:

University of London (Royal Holloway), as Research Tutor;

University of Greenwich (Business School), as Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor), in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management;

University of Wolverhampton, (Wolverhampton Business School), as Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor), in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management;

London Southbank University (Business School), as Lecturer and Unit Leader.

His responsibilities in these roles included:

Doctoral Research Supervisor;

Admissions Tutor;

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Dissertation Supervisor;

Programme Leader;

Personal Tutor

Classroom-Based Duration and Cost:

Classroom-Based Duration: 10 Days

Classroom-Based Cost:    £10,000.00 Per Delegate

Online (Video-Enhanced) Duration and Cost

Online Duration:                20 Days @ 3 Hours Per Day

Online Cost:                       £6,700.00 Per Delegate

Classroom-Based Course and Programme Cost includes:

Free Continuous snacks throughout the Event Days;  

Free Hot Lunch on Event Days;                           

Free City Tour;              

Free Stationery;                               

Free On-site Internet Access;

Postgraduate Diploma/ Diploma – Postgraduate –or

Certificate of Attendance and Participation – if unsuccessful on resit.

Students and Delegates will be given a Selection of our Complimentary Products, which include:

Our Branded Leather Conference Folder;

Our Branded Leather Conference Ring Binder/ Writing Pad;

Our Branded Key Ring/ Chain;

Our Branded Leather Conference (Computer – Phone) Bag – Black or Brown;

Our Branded 8-16 GB USB Flash Memory Drive, with Course Material;

Our Branded Metal Pen;

Our Branded Polo Shirt.;

Our Branded Carrier Bag.

Daily Schedule: 9:30 to 4:30 pm.

Classroom-Based Course Delivery Locations: 

Central London, UK;

Dubai, UAE;

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;

Amsterdam, The Netherlands;

Brussels, Belgium;

Paris, France; and

Durban, South Africa;

Other International Locations, on request.

Research Project: Design, Conduct and Report, Leading to Diploma Postgraduate - in Research Project Management, Double Credit, 60 Credit-Hours, Accumulating to A Postgraduate Certificate, with 120 additional Credit-Hours, and a Postgraduate Diploma, with 300 Additional Credit-Hours. Click to download the PDF Brochure for this Course.

Course Objectives

By the conclusion of the specified learning and development activities, delegates will be able to:

Design a research project, taking account of important issues;

Choose sources of information appropriate for the type of research being conducted;

Assess the value of secondary sources of information as a prelude to the conduct of primary research;

Choose the methodology that best suits the type of investigation being conducted & appropriate to the research objectives;

Choose the most appropriate data elicitation techniques, in relation to the sampling frame, sampling unit, sample size & time span, among other factors;

Advise others of the situations in which participant observation, conversation analysis, documentary analysis, focus groups, interviews & questionnaires, respectively, are appropriate;

Design interviews & questionnaires that will elicit information appropriate to the research objectives;

Design structured & unstructured questions, determining the conditions under which they should be used;

Design questionnaires & interview schedules, with a mixture of open-ended & closed-ended questions, avoiding forced-choice in the latter;

Employ appropriate data analysis techniques, based on the type & volume of data available;

Use SPSS and, or, Excel software packages in analysing data;

Identifying ‘trends’ & ‘patterns’ in information, in an effort to arrive at conclusions;

Produce effective reports, adhering to conventional styles, presenting evidence from the data, & exploiting visual representations;

Make research proposals, taking pertinent factors into account;

Manage research projects, from inception to reporting;

Identify appropriate roles in research project management & produce realistic costing; and

Design a research project that incorporates a high ethical standard.

 Research Project: Design, Conduct and Report, Leading to Diploma Postgraduate - in Research Project Management, Double Credit, 60 Credit-Hours, Accumulating to A Postgraduate Certificate, with 120 additional Credit-Hours, and a Postgraduate Diploma, with 300 Additional Credit-Hours. Click to download the PDF Brochure for this Course.

Course Contents, Concepts and Issues

Part 1: Research Design: Important Considerations

What is involved in Research Design;

Understanding Sources of Information:

Secondary Sources of Information;

Primary Sources of Information.

Choosing a Broad Research Area;

Preliminary Readings: Familiarising with Broad Research Area;

Narrowing the Field, from Initial Literature Review;

Choosing Relevant Primary Sources of Information;

Techniques of the Literature Review;

Recording Information from Literature Review;

Citations and their Conventions;

Literature Review as the basis for Conceptual Framework;

Literature Review as Empirical Pointers;

Choosing The Empirical Data Elicitation Methods:

Exploring the Qualitative Approaches to Data Elicitation;

Quantitative Approaches to Data Elicitation: Their Value and Practical Issues;

Triangulating’ The Methodology.

Part 2: Employing Data Elicitation Techniques (1)

Employing Surveys as a Research Tool:

Cross-Sectional Surveys;

Longitudinal Surveys.

Participant Observation as a Qualitative Data Elicitation Tool:

Enacting the Complete Observer Role;

Contextualising the Complete Participant Role;

The Participant-Observer Role;

Being an Observer-Participant Role;

The Practicality of the ‘Complete Participant as Observer’ Role.

Conversation Analysis:

Conversation Analysis as Qualitative Methodological Technique;

Quantifying Conversation Analysis;

Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches in Conversation Analysis.

Part 3: Employing Data Elicitation Techniques (2)

Documentary Analysis:

Documentary Analysis as Qualitative Methodological Technique;

Quantifying Documentary Analysis;

Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches in Documentary Analysis.

Focus Groups:

Optimising Focus Group Size;

Constituting Focus Groups;

Operationalising Focus Groups;

Quantifying Focus Group Responses;

Analysing Focus Group Output;

Validating Focus Groups in Ethnographic Research.

Interviews and Questionnaires as Data Elicitation Techniques in Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodologies:

Distinguishing between Interviews and Questionnaires;

Positive Issues associated with the use of Questionnaires;

Negative Issues associated with the use of Questionnaires;

Positive Issues associated with the use of Interviews;

Negative Issues associated with the use of Interviews:

Part 4: Sampling as an Important Element of Research Design

Determining the ‘Population’:

The ‘Theoretical Population’;

The ‘Accessible Population’.

Factors that Define a ‘Population’.

A Sample as a Factor of the ‘Theoretical Population’;

Sampling the ‘Accessible Population’

What Constitutes a ‘Representative Sample’;

The Sampling Frame:

Determining a Suitable Sampling Frame;

Factors Mitigating against a ‘Sample Frame Choice’.

Sampling Techniques:

Convenience or Non-random Samples;

Quota Sample;

Systematic Sample.

Probability or Random Samples?

Simple Random Sample;

Stratified Sampling;

Bases of Stratification;

Multi-stage Sampling: Its Organisation and Execution.

Part 5: Interview and Questionnaire Design and Administration (1)

Salient Issues in Questionnaire Design;

Designing Unstructured Questions for Questionnaires;

Designing Structured Questions for Questionnaires;

Designing Structured Closed-Ended Questions for Questionnaires;

Designing Structured Open-Ended Questions for Questionnaires;

Multiple-choice Format as the basis for Designing Structured Closed-Ended Questions in Questionnaires;

Avoiding ‘Forced-choice’ in Structured Closed-Ended Questions in Questionnaires;

Questionnaire Administration:

Personal Questionnaire Administration;

Timing of Questionnaire Administration;

Web-based Questionnaire Administration:

Protecting against multiple-responses;

Anti-bot Security Measures.

Part 6: Interview and Questionnaire Design and Administration (2)

Designing the Interview Schedule:

Designing Unstructured Interview Questions;

Designing Structured Interview Questions;

Designing Structured Closed-Ended Interview Questions;

Designing Structured Open-Ended Interview Questions;

Multiple-choice Format as the basis for Designing Structured Closed-Ended Interview Questions;

Avoiding ‘Forced-choice’ in Structured Closed-Ended Questions;

Incorporating Prompts and Guides;

Arranging and Conducting Interviews:

Determining an appropriate Time-Frame for the Interview Administration;

Establishing Standard for Interview Administration;

Keeping to a common duration;

Using Unstructured Questions in Interviews;

Using Open-ended Questions in Interviews;

Recording General Responses during an Interview;

Recording responses to Open-ended Questions;

Recording responses to Closed-ended Questions;

Recording Multiple-Responses from an Interviewee;

Recording Verbatim Comments, during an Interview;

Recording Verbatim Comments, as an addition to responses to Closed-ended Questions;

Dealing with the unexpected occurrences during an Interview.

Part 7: Data Analysis and Interpretation

Instruments of Analysis:

Using a ‘Tally System’;

Using SPSS Package;

Using Excel Package.

Data Interpretation:

Making Sense of the Information;

Identifying ‘Trends’ & ‘Patterns’ in Information;

Arriving at Conclusions.

Part 8: Presenting the Research Findings

Report Planning;

Outlining the Report;

Report Format:

Formatting the Report;

Principles of Document Design.

Guidelines for Report Writing:

Drafting the Report

Revising the Drafts;

Reviewing the Appearance of Draft;

Preparing the Final Copy;

Logical Ordering of Information;

Exploring the Evidence.

Creating an Outline;

Getting Ready to Compile the Report;

Presenting the ‘Evidence’;

Revising and Editing the Report;

Writing Style and Lapses:

Choosing a Writing Style;

Frequently Occurring Writing Lapses (FOWLs);

Electronic Tools in Identifying FOWLs;

Collaborative Writing.

Report Illustration:

Impact of Visuals;

Determinants of Effective Visuals;

Selecting and Developing Visuals;

Generating Graphs and Charts from Tables;

Graphics Tools for Developing Visuals.

Part 9: Research Project Management

Project Life Cycle;

Project Life Cycle Phases:

Project Initiation;

Project Planning;

Project Execution;

Project Evaluation.

Project Completion;

Project Commissioning.

Project Cost Management:

Cost Estimating;

Cost Budgeting;

Cost Control.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Process Breakdown Structure

Responsibility Matrix;

Project Planning Process;

Project Life Cycle Management;

Project Portfolio Management System;

Project Co-ordination;

Project Sustainability;

The Project Manager’s Role.

Defining the Project Scope:

Project Objectives;

Deliverables;

Milestones;

Technical Requirements;

Limits and Exclusions;

Reviews with Project Owner/s.

Project Priority.

Part 10: Writing a Research Proposal

Establishing Research Objectives;

Identifying & Defining The Problem;

Presenting the Research Synopsis

Ethical Concerns in the Formulation & Conduct of Research.

The proposed research area;

The importance or relevance of the proposed research project

How the proposed research fits with existing theories and empirical research findings;

How the proposed research paper will address any gaps in knowledge created by pre-existing research;

The theoretical base that will be employed;

The general approach that will be adopted;

The broad research methods - qualitative research method, quantitative research method, or a combination of both - that will be employed;

The data elicitation techniques to be adopted;

The anticipated types, or likely direction, of any recommendations that might emerge from the research findings.Research Project: Design, Conduct and Report, Leading to Diploma Postgraduate - in Research Project Management, Double Credit, 60 Credit-Hours, Accumulating to A Postgraduate Certificate, with 120 additional Credit-Hours, and a Postgraduate Diploma, with 300 Additional Credit-Hours. Click to download the PDF Brochure for this Course.