1.

Name of Course: Research Methodology in Information Technology

2.

Course Code: UNIM523

3.

Name(s) of Academic Staff: AP. Dr. Abid Abdelouahab

4.

Rationale for the inclusions of the course in the programme:

1. To expose graduate students to the concepts of doing experimental research in the field of
information technology.
2. To train graduate students to perform experimental research and present their scientific
findings.

5.

Semester and Year offered: Semester 1 or 2, Year 1

6.

Total Students Learning Time (SLT)

168 hours
L= Lecture
T= Tutorial
P= Practical
O= Others

Face to Face

Total Guided and

Independent Learning

12
x
14

168

7.

Credit value: 3

8.

Prerequisite (if any): -

9.

Objectives:
Upon completion of programme, students should be able to:
1. plan a research project;
2. identify the practical issues associated with research including ethics and safety;
3. gather information for a proper literature review;
4. choose of appropriate methods of data collection and analysis;
5. produce written work in the form of reports or theses;
6. deliver oral presentations in seminars and conferences.

10.

Learning Outcomes:
1. The ability to propose viable IT research projects.
2. The ability to collect, organize and analyze relevant information using the appropriate
methodologies.
3. The ability to present research results in a clear and concise way.

11.

Transferable skills:
1. Research
2. Writing
3. Oral Presentation

12.

Teaching-learning and assessment strategy

Candidates are exposed to essential concepts related to research methodologies in the sciences,
primarily those that apply to information technology (IT). They are also required to read, discuss
among themselves, and with the lecturer and rest of the class a research article chosen by the
lecturer each week. Definitions of difficult terms used in the weekly lectures are provided at the end
of their respective slides. In completing the course assignments and tasks, students are required to
work individually and in groups to expose them to real-world research task scenarios and develop

their hands-on experience. For their course project, they are also required to present their work to
the class and be subjected to a critical question and answer session by both the lecturer and other
students.
13.

Synopsis
This course will equip students with the skills necessary to undertake a research project in IT. They
will learn project planning, information skills, qualitative and quantitative methodologies, methods of
data analysis, writing skills and oral presentation skills. They will also be exposed to contemporary
research in IT.

14.

Mode of delivery:
i.
Lecture
ii.
Group discussions
iii.
Question and answer sessions
Assessment Methods and Types

15.

Assignments/Quizzes
Project/Presentation
Total
Assessment methods
Assignments/Quizzes
Project/Presentation
Final examination

16.

40
60
100
CO1
X

CO2
X

CO3
X

Content outline of the course and the SLT per topic

Week
Topics
1
Topic 1
(3 hours)
Course Information
Objectives
Content
Recommended texts
Assessment
General reminders
2
(3 hours)

3
(6 hours)

Topic 2
Introduction to Science
Defining science
Science and research
Experimental research
Quantification
The use of numbers
Measurement
Accuracy
Class Reading & Discussion (Article #1)
Topic 3
On Experimentation Part 1
Purpose and principles
Cause and effect
Method of Agreement
Method of Difference

Notes/References

4
(6 hours)

Topic 4
On Experimentation Part 2
Defining the problem
Fundamental and applied science
Resources
Relevance of the problem
Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Class Reading & Discussion (Article #3)

5
(6 hours)

Key aspects
How to search
Are you doing it right?
Class Reading & Discussion (Article #5)

Topic 6
On Experimentation Part 3
Experimental setups
The apparatus
Seeking advice
Simplicity and elegance

7
(6 hours)

Hypotheses
Designing Experiments
Treatment Structures
Class Reading & Discussion (Article #4)

Topic 5
Reviewing Literature
Published literature
Overdoing the review?
Why do a literature review?

6
(6 hours)

Planning the Experiment

Standardizing Test Materials
Reproducibility
Quantity of Experiments
Class Reading & Discussion (Article #2)

Measuring instruments
Calibration
Costing
Class Reading & Discussion (Article #6)

Topic 7
Logic and Reasoning
Induction vs. Deduction
Inferential logic
Logical fallacies
Class Reading & Discussion (Article #6)

More logical fallacies

Arguments


8
(6 hours)

Class Reading & Discussion (Article #7)

Topic 8
Some Statistics and Inferences
Relevance of probability and statistics
Comparing averages or means
Class Reading & Discussion (Article #8)

Main Reference
Srinagesh, K. (2006). The Principles of Experimental Research, Elsevier, UK.
Additional Reference
Rugg. G. and Petre, M. (2007). A Gentle Guide to Research Methods, McGraw-Hill, UK.