Session: Research Methods, Research Approaches & Time Horizon

Inasmuch as Masters candidates are eligible to sign in to this session, the PhD candidates are prerogatively encouraged to participate. By the end of the session, participants are anticipated to have sufficient knowledge regarding the definition of research methods, research approaches, and time horizons. The various research methods and approaches as well as time horizons will be discussed. Their application will also be demonstrated using practical examples.

21 st August 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Background of the Study

The aim is to ensure that all participants will sufficiently understand issues pertinent to the development of the 'Background of the Study'. It is expected that, by the end of the session, the participants will have the requisite knowledge and competencies to write both the conceptual and contextual backgrounds; the latter following funnel approach / inverted triangle approach.

27 th September 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Statement of the Problem

Participants will be taken through the procedure of writing the Statement of the Problem using the following approaches: a) Interrogative approach and b) 3-stage approach. These are the key approaches that are ideally employed in stating the problem in all disciplines that fall under the purview of social sciences. The objective of the session will be to ensure that the participants are able to write the 'Statement of the Problem' with a lot of ease.

28 th September 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Purpose, Objectives & Hypotheses

Participants will gain invaluable insights regarding how to state the general and specific objectives, research questions, and research hypotheses. At the end of the session, it is anticipated that the participants will have the knowledge to state the purpose of the study granted that some local universities require the same to be part of the research proposal/project/dissertation/thesis.

29 th September 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Justification, Significance, Scope & Limitations of the Study

The participants will be taken through how to write justification/significance of the study, scope (delimitation) of the study, limitations of the study, and assumptions of the study as well as other areas like organization of the document (proposal/project/dissertation/thesis).

30 th September 2023

Session Time: 8:00 AM to
9:00 AM EAT

Session: Data Screening, Coding and Entry

The participants will be taken through how to undertake data screening in order to ensure their completeness and appropriateness. They will also be shown how to undertake the procedure of data coding (including reverse coding) and data entry. It will also be explained to them the most suitable tools to employ when analyzing data out of the most commonly used tools i.e. SPSS, SAS, STATA, and Minitab.

30 th September 2023

Session Time: 10:00 AM to
11:00 AM EAT

Session: Theoretical Framework

Identifying the apt models/theories while giving examples. The participants will be taken through the step-by-step procedure of reviewing theories and models.

30 th September 2023

Session Time: 12:00 PM to
1:00 PM EAT

Session: Response Rate & Demographics

The participants will be taken through the procedure of: 1) Determination of response rate, and 2) Presentation of demographic results, interpretations & discussions.

30 th September 2023

Session Time: 2:00 PM to
3:00 PM EAT

Session: Conceptual Framework

Explanation of various types of variables and their application including their synonyms; constructs and sub-constructs. Understanding the relationship between variables graphically and in narration.

30 th September 2023

Session Time: 4:00 PM to
5:00 PM EAT

Session: Descriptive Statistics (Part 1)

The session will focus on: Measures of distribution (frequencies, percentages, range), and measures of central tendencies (mean, mode, median).

01 st October 2023

Session Time: 2:00 PM to
3:00 PM EAT

Session: Empirical Review

At the end of the session, participants are expected to be in a position to effectively write empirical literature review. The participants will get to understand the key tenets in the empirical review, that is, the methodological and funnel approaches.

01 st October 2023

Session Time: 4:00 PM to
5:00 PM EAT

Session: Overview / Review of Literature on Study Variables

In this session, the participants will get to understand how to write overview (the second section in Chapter Two), which is a requirement in some universities. They will also be taken through how to write the 'Review of Literature on Study Variables'; a section that follows the Conceptual Framework in accordance with the format of certain universities. NB: The two parts (Overview and Review of Literature on Study Variables) are largely similar.

02 nd October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Critique, Research Gaps & Chapter Summary

The participants will be taken through how to write the 'Critique of the Reviewed Studies', identify 'Research Gaps', and write 'Chapter Summary'. The stated summary is in respect of Chapter Two, that is 'Summary of the Reviewed Literature'.

03 rd October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Descriptive Statistics (Part 2)

By the end of the session, the participants are expected to have comprehensive understanding of measures of dispersion/variation (standard deviation, variance, skewness, kurtosis), descriptive statistics applicable in continuous data, and descriptive statistics applicable for categorical data.

04 th October 2023

Session Time: 8:30 PM to
9:30 PM EAT

Session: Research Design (Part 1)

By the end of the session, the participants are expected to have in-depth understanding of the description of research design, and types of research designs, particularly, exploratory, descriptive, experimental, and quasi-experimental designs.

05 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Research Design (Part 2)

In this session, the consultants will explain to the participants specific research designs. The designs that will be explained include: Explanatory/cause-and-effect design, correlational design, ex post facto design, cross-sectional survey design, longitudinal design, correlational design, and case study design.

06 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Research Philosophies

This session mainly focuses on candidates undertaking various social sciences disciplines at PhD level. However, proactive Masters' candidates can also consider signing in to the session. In this session, the participants will be taken through the description of research philosophies or paradigms, the various types of philosophies, as well as the application of respective philosophies in a given research study.

07 th October 2023

Session Time: 8:00 AM to
9:00 AM EAT

Session: Research Methods, Research Approaches & Time Horizon

The participants will be taken through the various types of research methods (quantitative, qualitative & mixed), research approaches (inductive and deductive), and time horizon (survey & longitudinal).

07 th October 2023

Session Time: 10:00 AM to
11:00 AM EAT

Session: Population

By the end of the session, the participants are expected to have an in-depth understanding on various types of population: General, target, accessible/study, and sample populations.

07 th October 2023

Session Time: 12:00 PM to
1:00 PM EAT

Session: Sampling Procedure / Design (Part 1)

The session seeks to instill knowledge and competencies in the participants regarding: Description of sampling, determination of sample size using different formulas and charts, and sampling methods/techniques with a particular focus on non-probability sampling methods (for instance, convenience, purposive, and snowballing techniques among others).

07 th October 2023

Session Time: 2:00 PM to
3:00 PM EAT

Session: Sampling Procedure / Design (Part 2)

The participants will be taken through: Probability sampling techniques encompassing 1) Simple random sampling, 2) Stratified random sampling, 3) Systematic sampling, and 4) Cluster sampling. The census survey/design will also be explained in detail.

07 th October 2023

Session Time: 4:00 PM to
5:00 PM EAT

Session: Data Collection

The participants will be taken through: Data types, instrumentation, and data collection procedure. By the end of the session, the participants are expected to have gained invaluable knowledge regarding the three categories of data, various tools employed to collect data, viable methods of data collection, research permit application procedure, and selection of research assistants.

08 th October 2023

Session Time: 2:00 PM to
3:00 PM EAT

Session: Pilot Study

By the end of the session, it is anticipated that the participants will have in-depth understanding of the following: Suitable number of pilot study's participants and how they are obtained; how to conduct the pilot study; analysis of data in respect of reliability and validity testing; types of reliability testing; and types of validity and how they are determined.

08 th October 2023

Session Time: 4:00 PM to
5:00 PM EAT

Session: Data Analysis 1

By the end of the session, the participants are expected to have invaluable understanding of the following: Data types (qualitative & quantitative); quantitative data (continuous & discontinuous); continuous data (ratio & interval, series & panel); discontinuous/discrete/categorical data (quantitative variables, nominal & ordinal)

09 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Data Analysis 2

The participants will be taken through the following: Data screening; brief explanation of qualitative data analysis (using content analysis), factor analysis, quantitative data analysis (analytical tools – SPSS, STATA, Minitab, SAS), and a brief narration of descriptive statistics (measures of distribution, measures of central tendencies, and measures of dispersion/variation).

10 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Data Analysis 3

It is anticipated that, by the end of the session, all the participants will have a clear understanding of various inferential statistics and their viability. The session will focus specifically on chi-square, Spearman rank correlation coefficient, PPMCC, canonical correlation.

11 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Data Analysis 4

The participants will be taken through various types of regression analysis and where they are applicable/recommended. These include: Simple linear regression analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, univariate regression analysis, bivariate regression analysis, multivariate regression analysis, moderated regression analysis, mediated regression analysis, probit regression analysis, and logit regression analysis. The application of Cox regression will also be explained.

12 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Data Analysis 5

The areas that are going to be addressed include: Assumptions of inferential statistical analysis, diagnostic tests, hypotheses testing, and empirical (regression) models. The methods of presenting results/findings will also be addressed.

13 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Descriptive Statistics (Part 3)

The participants will be taken through factor analysis; how it is conducted and the interpretation of the results thereof. Of particular interest will be principal axis factoring (PAF) method, and principal component analysis.

13 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Inferential Statistics (Part 1)

The participants will be taken through how to analyze data using the following inferential statistics: a) Chi-square and cross-tabulations, b) Spearman rank correlation coefficient; c) PPMCC, and d) Canonical correlation analysis. It will also be demonstrated and/or explained to them how to interpret the aforesaid inferential statistics.

14 th October 2023

Session Time: 8:00 AM to
9:00 AM EAT

Session: Inferential Statistics (Part 2)

The participants will be taken through how to analyze data using simple linear regression; multiple linear regression, time series regression (including co-integration analysis), and panel regression. Interpretation of pertinent results will also be explained.

14 th October 2023

Session Time: 10:00 AM to
11:00 AM EAT

Session: Inferential Statistics (Part 3)

The participants will be taken through how to conduct the following regression analyses: Moderated regression, mediated regression; logit regression; probit regression, and Cox regression. The suitability and/or application of each of these types of regression analysis will be expounded.

14 th October 2023

Session Time: 12:00 PM to
1:00 PM EAT

Session: Hypotheses Testing

The participants will be taken through how (null) hypotheses are tested. They will also get to understand how the t-statistic and F-statistic are used in hypotheses testing. By the end of the session, the participants will be conversant with the 'p-value' particularly as a threshold of testing the hypotheses. Moreover, they will be taken through how to reject or fail to reject the null hypotheses, and the interpretations thereof.

14 th October 2023

Session Time: 2:00 PM to
3:00 PM EAT

Session: Diagnostic Tests (Part 1)

The participants will be taken through how to conduct and interpret the following diagnostic tests: Linearity, Normality, homoscedasticity, multicollinearity, and autocorrelation

14 th October 2023

Session Time: 4:00 PM to
5:00 PM EAT

Session: Diagnostic Tests (Part 2)

The participants will be taken through how to conduct and interpret the following diagnostic tests: Unit root test, Bartlett’s test of sphericity, and test for sampling adequacy i.e. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO).

15 th October 2023

Session Time: 2:00 PM to
3:00 PM EAT

Session: Summary, Conclusions & Recommendations

The participants will be taken through how to: Summarize findings, draw conclusions, and suggest recommendations

15 th October 2023

Session Time: 4:00 PM to
5:00 PM EAT

Session: Citations and References

The participants will be taken through how to cite and reference their work using various styles such as APA, Harvard, Chicago, MLA, and Turabian. By the end of the session, the participants will be expected to be conversant with auto-generation of in-text citations and references as well as being in a position to use Mendeley.

16 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Seminar Papers

The participants will taken through the various types of seminar papers and how they should be written.

17 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Conference Papers

By the end of the session, all participants will have sufficient knowledge and insights regarding how to write, submit, and present conference papers.

18 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Journal Articles

The participants will be taken through: 1)Identification of apt peer-reviewed journals, 2) The procedure of extraction and formatting of manuscripts, and 3) Other factors to consider when identifying suitable journals (APC and publication frequency). The participants will also be taken through the meaning of peer-reviewed journals and predatory journals as well as the implication of publishing with those journals.

19 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Preliminaries

By the end of the session, the participants will have gained invaluable insights on the following: 1) Writing the abstract (what should be captured in the abstract, and what should be avoided), 2) Identifying key terms, 3) Definition of terms, 4) Operational definition of terms, 5) Autogenerating the T.O.C, 6) Autogenerating the List of Tables, and 7) Autogenerating the List of Figures

20 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Background of the Study*

The aim is to ensure that all participants will sufficiently understand issues pertinent to the development of the 'Background of the Study'. It is expected that, by the end of the session, the participants will have the requisite knowledge and competencies to write both the conceptual and contextual backgrounds; the latter following funnel approach / inverted triangle approach.

21 st October 2023

Session Time: 8:00 AM to
9:00 AM EAT

Session: Statement of the Problem*

Session Description: Participants will be taken through the procedure of writing the Statement of the Problem using the following approaches: a) Interrogative approach and b) 3-stage approach. These are the key approaches that are ideally employed in stating the problem in all disciplines that fall under the purview of social sciences. The objective of the session will be to ensure that the participants are able to write the 'Statement of the Problem' with a lot of ease.

21 st October 2023

Session Time: 10:00 AM to
11:00 AM EAT

Session: Purpose, Objectives & Hypotheses*

Participants will gain invaluable insights regarding how to state the general and specific objectives, research questions, and research hypotheses. At the end of the session, it is anticipated that the participants will have the knowledge to state the purpose of the study granted that some local universities require the same to be part of the research proposal/project/dissertation/thesis.

21 st October 2023

Session Time: 12:00 PM to
1:00 PM EAT

Session: Justification, Significance, Scope, Limitations & Assumptions of the Study*

The participants will be taken through how to write justification/significance of the study, scope (delimitation) of the study, limitations of the study, and assumptions of the study as well as other areas like organization of the document (proposal/project/dissertation/thesis).

21 st October 2023

Session Time: 2:00 PM to
3:00 PM EAT

Session: Data Screening, Coding and Entry*

The participants will be taken through how to undertake data screening in order to ensure their completeness and appropriateness. They will also be shown how to undertake the procedure of data coding (including reverse coding) and data entry. It will also be explained to them the most suitable tools to employ when analyzing data out of the most commonly used tools i.e. SPSS, SAS, STATA, and Minitab.

21 st October 2023

Session Time: 4:00 PM to
5:00 PM EAT

Session: Theoretical Framework*

Identifying the apt models/theories while giving examples. The participants will be taken through the step-by-step procedure of reviewing theories and models.

22 nd October 2023

Session Time: 2:00 PM to
3:00 PM EAT

Session: Response Rate & Demographics*

The participants will be taken through the procedure of: 1) Determination of response rate, and 2) Presentation of demographic results, interpretations & discussions.

22 nd October 2023

Session Time: 4:00 PM to
5:00 PM EAT

Session: Conceptual Framework*

Explanation of various types of variables and their application including their synonyms; constructs and sub-constructs. Understanding the relationship between variables graphically and in narration.

23 rd October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Descriptive Statistics 1*

The session will focus on: Measures of distribution (frequencies, percentages, range), and measures of central tendencies (mean, mode, median).

24 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Empirical Review*

At the end of the session, participants are expected to be in a position to effectively write empirical literature review. The participants will get to understand the key tenets in the empirical review, that is, the methodological and funnel approaches. They will also be taken through the procedure of finding pertinent materials.

25 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Overview / Review of Literature on Study Variables / Critique / Research Gaps & Summary

In this session, the participants will get to understand how to write overview (the second section in Chapter Two), which is a requirement in some universities. They will also be taken through how to write the 'Review of Literature on Study Variables'; a section that follows the Conceptual Framework in accordance with the format of some universities. NB: The two parts (Overview and Review of Literature on Study Variables) are largely similar. Moreover, the participants will be taken through how to write the 'Critique of the Reviewed Studies', identify 'Research Gaps', and write 'Chapter Summary'. The stated summary is in respect of Chapter Two, that is 'Summary of the Reviewed Literature'.

26 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Descriptive Statistics (Part 2)*

By the end of the session, the participants are expected to have comprehensive understanding of measures of dispersion/variation (standard deviation, variance, skewness, kurtosis), descriptive statistics applicable in continuous data, and descriptive statistics applicable for categorical data.

27 th October 2023

Session Time: 9:00 PM to
10:00 PM EAT

Session: Research Design (Part 1)*

By the end of the session, the participants are expected to have in-depth understanding of the description of research design, and types of research designs, particularly, exploratory, descriptive, experimental, and quasi-experimental designs.

28 th October 2023

Session Time: 8:30 AM to
9:30 AM EAT

Session: Research Design (Part 2)*

In this session, the consultants will explain to the participants specific research designs. The designs that will be explained include: Explanatory/cause-and-effect design, correlational design, ex post facto design, cross-sectional survey design, longitudinal design, correlational design, and case study design among other pertinent designs.

28 th October 2023

Session Time: 10:30 AM to
11:30 AM EAT