Advanced Research Design and Analysis Skills for Doctoral Studies – Level 8 draft

Program Overview

This doctoral-level module equips students with advanced research design and analysis skills, covering both qualitative and quantitative methods. Students learn to design research projects, select appropriate methodologies, collect and analyze data, and write research proposals and papers. Through a learner-centered approach, students engage in workshops, guided readings, and tutorial guidance to develop the necessary research competencies.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This module, "Advanced Research Design and Analysis Skills for Doctoral Studies – Level 8," aims to equip candidates with the knowledge and skills to design and conduct doctoral-level research. It focuses on developing critical awareness of research philosophies, approaches, and techniques relevant to interdisciplinary projects emphasizing pragmatic and applied outcomes. Students will learn to identify appropriate research questions, design research using suitable methods, and utilize various data collection and analysis techniques. The program covers writing literature reviews, conducting interviews, observations, and questionnaire surveys, and using secondary data. Qualitative methods include narrative, discourse, thematic, template, and content analysis. Quantitative methods cover statistical techniques, sampling, and result interpretation. The module also teaches effective mixed-methods use, preparing students for doctoral research. Students will learn to write and publish a research paper and develop a research proposal for their doctoral studies. The program aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of research methods.

Outline:

The syllabus covers:

• Selection and justification for the choice of research topic.
• Critical analysis of existing literature from reliable academic and professional sources.
• Research methodology – POEMS (Research philosophy, Ontology, epistemology, Approaches, methods, and strategies).
• Research Strategies (Experiment, Survey, Case Study, Action Research; ethnography, Grounded Theory, Longitudinal, etc.).
• Selection, justification, and application of rigorous research methods (quantitative, qualitative, and systematic literature review).
• Research instrument/tool development and testing.
• Quantitative Methods: reviewing the nature and background of quantitative methods, introducing different types of quantitative research and study methods of data collection and sampling.
Using Descriptive and Inferential Statistics to deal with Univariate, Bivariate, and Multivariate data.
• Qualitative Methods: understanding the nature of qualitative research and techniques including narrative analysis, discourse analysis, thematic analysis, template analysis, and content analysis.
• Ethical considerations and Reflexivity.

Assessment:

The module is assessed through two components: A research proposal for doctoral studies. A critical reflective commentary demonstrating engagement and understanding of research methods, design, and techniques learned in the module. The commentary is 4000 words.

Teaching:

The teaching approach is learner-centered, using directed reading, resource-based learning, and tutorial guidance. Interactive workshops cover quantitative and qualitative data analysis applications, including SPSS and NVIVO. Support and guidance are provided for writing and publishing in research journals through collaborative teams. Guidance is also given to develop a research proposal for future doctoral studies. The total study hours are 400, broken down as follows: Lectures (36 hours), Workshops (36 hours), Supervision (48 hours), and Independent Learning (280 hours).

Other:

The program is a Level 8 module and offers 40 credits. The program's administration is rescheduling upcoming events due to the COVID-19 situation.