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WEEK 1
You are here now!
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INTRODUCTION TO THIS MODULE

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18 1. Introduction
Welcome to Week 1 of this module!

We hope that you will find this module valuable and exciting and that on looking back after
completing the 15-week programme, you will be proud of the learning achieved and skills
and knowledge gained. Ready?? Let’s go!!!!!

185 Activity 1.1

If you have not done so yet, please read through the document entitled
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READ FIRST WELCOME AND ORIENTATION. This will acquaint you

with the module and show you how to use the tutorial material in it.
After you have completed this, we can start with the content of Week
1 of this module in the tutorial guide document.

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In Week 0 in the Read First Welcome and Orientation document, we explained that we
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will take you through the research process in a step-by-step way. For this purpose, we
designed a “Research Walk” (presented in Figure 1 below) and by following it you will
logically work through the research proposal writing process which is the main focus of
this module. You will cover the theoretical content of the prescribed book while at the
same time peep over our shoulders as we conduct a small research project in a step-by-
step way. You may also replicate (repeat) what we do on your own to gain some practice –
perhaps you could do this in the subject area in which you will conduct your own research
proposal/project (see Figure A in the Read First Welcome and Orientation document). It
is extremely important that you follow the process with us and do not fall behind.

The Research Walk shows the broad research process in the middle while the outer layer
of the Research Walk shows the weeks in which we will cover the various aspects. We will
talk more about this process in Week 2. For now, it is enough to take note of the steps
involved in any research process and the writing of a research proposal. When you have
completed this module, we expect you to be able to write a research proposal. Therefore,
in the next layer of our Research Walk we show you how we will deal with the various
sections contained in a research proposal. A detailed description of the different sections
is also provided in Table 1 which was part of the Read First Welcome and Orientation
document.

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Figure 1.
193 The Research Walk
Adapted from Trafford and Lesham (2008, p. 38)
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195 Activity 1.2

Take some time now and look at the Table of Contents in your prescribed
book. Compare the chapter titles with the steps that we showed in the
Research Walk figure (see Figure 1). Also refer to the overview table
(Table 1) in the Read First Welcome and Orientation document as well
as in the Administrative Information document. You will note that we do
not exactly follow the sequence of the chapters in the prescribed book
during our 14-week Research Walk. It is therefore important that you
first work through the content that we present to you in the weekly topic guide and
refer to the prescribed book as we direct you to.
There may be many different reasons that will keep you motivated to successfully complete
this module. Some of these may include
 improving your qualification and obtaining an Honours degree;
 adding basic research knowledge, skills and abilities to your existing repertoire of
knowledge and skills base;
 increasing your professional skills (writing skills, use of Excel, use of PowerPoint and
creating a professional report or article); and
 learning how to plan, conduct and report on research (including the literature review,
data gathering, capturing and analysis, interpretation and presentation).

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198 For practical application we have chosen the topic of “employability”

to demonstrate the process and specific steps in research throughout
the 15 weeks of this module. This theme will be used in self-assessment
MCQs and in all the practical exercises in which we will demonstrate
the different aspects and steps in research. We will provide you with
some articles but also require you to search for additional articles on
the topic.

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If you look in the newspapers for jobs that are advertised, you will often see that research
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skills are required. For example, in a number of jobs for content advisors for Parliament,
the stated requirements for the positions included the following:
 Sound research and content analysis knowledge and skills,
 In-depth engagement with relevant disciplinary knowledge (literature review) in its
interdisciplinary context,
 Locating, analysing and critically using relevant information,
 Analytical and critical thinking,
 Creative problem solving,
 At least 3 years’ applied research experience.

These are examples of skills and experience required and to which the current module
will give you some exposure. The need for such skills in a variety of careers is further
illustrated in the quotation below:

In an article titled “Legal eagles flounder out of nest” by the South African Press
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Association (SAPA) and published in the Pretoria News of 24 November 2010, p. 6, it

is reported that the LSSA (Law Society of South Africa) “continues to express its
concern that a substantial number of law graduates are lacking in a number of essential
skills such as research, computer work, literacy and numeracy”.

“Employability” or “Graduateness” is a relevant issue in the world of work at the moment

and you will find information on this topic in different sources. For one, Prof. Melinde
Coetzee from the Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology at Unisa
delivered her inaugural lecture (the presentation that one makes on being promoted to
full professor) on 3 November 2009. Her presentation was entitled “The degree is not
enough: Does ODL address the challenge of graduate employability in a skills development
era?” (Coetzee, 2009).

Unisa has also added as one of the key features in its 2015 strategic plan the concept
of “graduateness” – implying that its students should be well-rounded graduates who can
apply their skills and knowledge practically and purposefully in the work context and add
value through what they have learnt in their studies.

What are employability skills? According to Robinson (2000, p. 1), “employability skills are
those basic skills necessary for getting and keeping and doing well on a job”. As Honours
students all of you have embarked on the road of obtaining a higher-level qualification
and we are sure that at least some of the motivation for this decision was that it would

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equip you to get a better job and have better career prospects for the future. For your
subject-specific knowledge and qualification, you will take specific subjects related to the
content domain of your degree – whether it be taxation, economics, public administration,
etc. However, unlike the occupation-specific technical (subject-specific) knowledge and
skills that you will obtain in your academic subjects, employability skills are more general
in nature and are relevant to different jobs and job contexts. The following is a summary
of skills sets (Robinson, 2000, p. 2) that are typically considered important in all jobs:

Table 1
Employability skills
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Basic academic Higher-order

Personal quality descriptors
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skills thinking skills

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Reading Learning Responsible Team spirit

Writing Reasoning Self-confident Punctual and
Science Thinking creatively Self-controlled efficient
Mathematics Decision making Socially skilled Self-directed
Oral communication Problem solving Honest Good work attitude
Listening Having integrity Well groomed
Adaptable and flexible Self-motivated
Cooperative Self-managing

Adapted from Robinson (2000, p. 2)

Other authors have made similar summaries of employability skills that employers want,
such as the lists provided by Hansen and Hansen (2009) in Table 2 below:

Table 2
Skills and values sought by employers

Skills most sought after by

215 Personal values employers seek in
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employers employees
• Communication skills (listening, verbal, • Honesty / Integrity / Morality
written) • Adaptability / flexibility
• Analytical / RESEARCH SKiLLS • Dedication/ hard-working/ work ethic /
• Computer / technical literacy tenacity
• Flexibility / adaptability / managing • Dependability / reliability / responsibility
multiple priorities • Loyalty
• Interpersonal abilities • Positive attitude / motivation / energy
• Leadership / management skills / passion
• Multicultural sensitivity / awareness • Professionalism
• Planning / organising • Self-confidence
• Problem solving / reasoning / creativity • Self-motivated/ ability to work with
• Teamwork little or no supervision
• Willingness to learn
Adapted from Hansen and Hansen (2009)
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218 Considering the above sets of characteristics and skills, this also describes
what we would like to see in our postgraduate students. We will be
providing you with learning opportunities in some of these areas, but
obviously we will not be able to cover all. The ones that are indicated in
bold are the ones that we hope to instill in you. By providing challenging
though interesting learning opportunities, you will have the opportunity to
gain on a wider scale than merely obtaining a further qualification. We
hope that you will avail yourself of the opportunity and so be able to
present yourself as a highly employable, well-qualified prospective
candidate for that dream job that you are working towards!

The higher-order thinking skills are particularly important and according to Robinson
(2000, p. 3) “a person who can think critically, act logically and evaluate situations to make
decisions and solve problems, is a valuable asset. Application of higher order thinking skills
in the use of technology, instruments, tools and information systems takes these higher
order skills to a new level, making the employee even more valuable.”

For the latter, we will provide you with opportunities to learn how to use technology in
various ways. Some of the computer systems and programs that you will deal with in
managing your learning in this module include the following:
 Internet
 MyUnisa
 Emails
 Electronic literature searches using different search engines (Unisa
Library, Internet, etc.)
 MS Word for writing documents and writing reports
 Multiple choice questions (MCQs) via the Internet (myUnisa self-
assessment as well as myUnisa submission of MCQ assignments)
 Use of Excel for data capturing and data analysis (optional additional
exercises)
 Use of PowerPoint to present a research proposal or research findings
(optional).

According to Fugate et al. (2004, pp. 15-16), “…the onus is on employees to acquire the
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Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) valued by current and
prospective employers. Accordingly, the component dimensions comprising the construct
of employability predispose individuals to improve their situations (pro)actively and to be
malleable over time – ‘changeable’ – in order to meet the demands of the environment”.

Fugate et al. (2004) view three core dimensions of employability as

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 career identity;
 personal adaptability; and
 human capital.

Fugate et al. (2004, p. 16) view employability as “conceptualized as a form of work specific
active adaptability that enables workers to identify and realise career opportunities.
As such, employability facilitates the movement between jobs, both within and between
organizations. Although employability does not ensure actual employment, we contend that
it enhances an individual’s likelihood of gaining employment”.
Other authors (Pool & Sewell, 2009 as cited in Coetzee, 2009, p. 3) define employability
as “having a set of skills, knowledge, understanding and personal attributes that make a
person more likely to choose and secure occupations in which they can be satisfied and
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successful to the benefit of themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy”.
The implications of employability for job loss and job search are important to consider
(Fugate et al., 2004), particularly in the current turbulent economic times.

226 What we hope to achieve for students completing this module is that
students who pass this module should
 be able to write a technically and academically correct research
proposal;
 be able to compile efficient literature searches to find relevant and
recent information related to the particular subject field of the
research topic (students should be able to evaluate the quality of
source material, i.e. Internet vs general magazine article vs peer-
reviewed article with proper scientific references);
 read critically and demonstrate reading comprehension of the specific content domain
(appropriate for Honours level);
 write correctly and creatively to convince the reader not only of the merits of
the proposed research project, but also of his/her competence as researcher (as
evidenced by the
 academic quality and technical competence displayed;
 logical flow and integration of arguments;
 correct referencing techniques;
 technically correct headings;
 appropriate literature correctly referenced;
 reasoned arguments, creatively presented and with proper logical flow;
 appropriate research approach, design and methods,
 analysis methods presented and motivated, showing an understanding of the
impact of decisions on the projected outcomes of the project;
 consideration of ethics throughout! and;

 be able to use MSWord and PDF in preparing documents.

WARNING!!!
At this point, we have to be realistic and honest and pre-warn students
that if you are not going to remain motivated and work steadily and
consistently to acquire the knowledge and skills required in this
module, it will be very easy to fail. Having given that warning, however,
our aim and commitment is to provide learning opportunities, support
and practical exercises to help students to master the content. Thus,
if you are fully committed to your studies and carefully follow the
guidelines that we provide then there is no reason for concern. If you
use every learning opportunity to the full, then you should not only pass this module, but
you should also acquire very useful skills, knowledge and abilities that will improve your
employability and help create better work opportunities for you!

According to Bloom’s levels of learning outcomes at different levels, first-year study is

about obtaining knowledge and remembering, second-year study requires understanding
and third-year study requires application (Halawi et al., 2009).

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As an Honours level student, you are expected to

 apply your knowledge and
 show critical reasoning ability by
 identifying and analysing real-world problems (i.e. identify relevant research questions)
 in the workplace
 using evidence-based solutions (i.e. conduct empirical research) and
 theory-driven arguments (i.e. compile a literature review).

Successful completion of this module would mean that you have gained the required
knowledge with regard to research methodology and are able to apply your knowledge and
critical reasoning ability in research to relevant fields of economic and management
sciences. You should also be able to demonstrate your expertise in applying research
principles, procedures and methods to current real-life problems in organisational and
business contexts.

In the course of the module, you will be expected to engage with current research and
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scholarly or professional literature in the field and to present and communicate academic/
professional work effectively to a range of audiences. Apart from managing your learning
tasks autonomously, professionally and ethically, you will also be expected to do regular
self-evaluation. You will be required to show responsibility and initiative and to identify
and address your own learning needs with regard to this module.

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Figure 2. Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF) requirements for

qualifications at different levels

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The above triangle gives a visual depiction of the NQF levels. At the top level, in other
words for a doctorate degree, the entire degree is based on research. At doctorate level
students work independently and focus on exactly the topic and subject domain that they
want to. They are also required to make a contribution to the subject field in which they
do their research.

At Master’s level, research makes up at least 50% of the degree. At this level students
are also required to work independently, may choose their own field or area in which to
work, but they are not required to make a (unique) contribution to the subject field. Some
coursework may also contribute to the overall degree.

At Honours level – where you are - research contributes at least 40% to the overall degree
and students receive much more guidance. As this is the first postgraduate level, students
are considered to be in the process of being equipped with general and subject-related
skills, knowledge and other attributes (and attitudes) to be able to work productively in
their specific subject areas. As a graduate student, it is assumed that you have completed
the basic building blocks of knowledge, skills and attitudes towards being knowledgeable
and working productively in a particular subject field.

With reference to Figure A in the Read First document and Figure 2 above, as honours
students you will receive more subject-specific guidance in the Research Proposal/Project
module which will follow this HMEMS80 module.

The NQF framework indicates clearly what students should know about a subject at a
particular level, what type of problems they should be able to solve, how they should
gather information, what they should be able to communicate and how independent they
are required to be in their learning.

At Honours level, the requirements made of students with regard to the different aspects
can be summarised as follows:
 Knowledge: Comprehensive and systematic knowledge base in the discipline and depth
of knowledge in some areas; able to critique current research and advanced
scholarship; able to make sound theoretical judgements based on evidence – able
to think epistemologically. According to Terre Blanche and Durrheim (2006, p. 6)
“Epistemology specifies the nature of the relationship between the researcher
(knower) and what can be known.”
 Problem solving: The ability to identify, analyse and deal with complex and/or real-
world problems using evidence-based solutions and theory-driven arguments.
 information gathering: Ability to engage with current research and scholarly or
professional literature in a field.
 Communication: Ability to present and communicate academic/professional work
effectively – catering for a range of audiences – appropriate to the context.
 independence: Capacity to
 operate effectively in complex contexts;
 self-evaluate personal responsibility and initiative;
 manage learning tasks autonomously, professionally and ethically;
 continue to learn independently for continuing academic/professional development.

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Studying at a tertiary level – and in particular at a postgraduate level – is part of a

greater process of becoming a scholar. At Honours level you are not required to either do
independent research or to make a unique contribution to the subject field. At this level,
students need to understand the principles, process and practices of research – todo
research according to a guided process and to reflect on the application activities andhow
they would fit into the general research framework and specific research domains intheir
subject field.

In terms of research knowledge, skills and other attributes, the requirements at Honours
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level are to become involved in research with clear guidance provided. This includes
theoretical understanding of and practical exposure to the approaches and steps in the
process of planning, conducting and reporting on research. At Master’s level students
are required to show that they are able to do independent research and to present it in
an appropriate academic/scientific format. It is only at doctorate level that students are
required to make a unique and new contribution to the subject field.

In summary, and in line with the NQF requirements for Honours level, this research
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methodology module should equip students to

 show a comprehensive and systematic knowledge base (understanding) of research;
 demonstrate a coherent and critical understanding of the key approaches, methods
and techniques used in research;
 critically evaluate the quality of published research;
 identify and deal with complex and/or real-world problems and issues using evidence-
based solutions and theory-driven arguments;
 efficiently and effectively retrieve relevant information and critically integrate and
discuss the available information;
 identify whether a quantitative and/or qualitative approach is required;
 critically analyse quantitative and/or qualitative data using techniques applicable to
the research question, design and variables involved;
 synthesise quantitative and/or qualitative data;
 independently evaluate quantitative and/or qualitative data in line with the particular
research question, design, variables, etc.;
 engage with current research and scholarly or professional literature;
 present and communicate academic/professional work effectively;
 cater for a range of audiences and present academic work by using a range of different
genres appropriate to the context;
 exercise personal responsibility and initiative;
 manage learning tasks autonomously, professionally and ethically; and
 continue to learn independently in order to ensure continuous professional learning.

244 Activity 1.3

Go back to Figure 1 and see how you can link the above points to the steps
that we described in the Research Walk.

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Baseline questionnaire
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249 Before we start with the actual content of the module, we would like to
provide you with an opportunity to consider your own confidence about
and attitude towards research as well as some indication of your current
(baseline) knowledge and skills. We call this a baseline assessment or
questionnaire, because it will enable you (and us) to assess your current
knowledge and skills in research at this stage.

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251 Activity 1.4

Log in to the HMEMS80 site on myUnisa. Complete the Week 1 Baseline
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Questionnaire that you will find under the self-assessment section

on myUnisa. A copy of this Questionnaire is also uploaded under the
additional resources for Week 1. It is advisable that you use this copy to
preview what the questionnaire entails and maybe even answer the
questions in advance. Then when you start to answer the questionnaire
online, you will know what to expect and be better prepared to answer.
We will provide group-based feedback on the information obtained with this questionnaire
in Week 2.

We hope that you now have an understanding of what this module entails and how we plan
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to interact with you during the semester ahead. In Week 2 we will review the research
process.

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Here, at the start of the module we want to encourage you to use the Comrades analogy
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and imagine yourself at the starting line, running along during the early morning and the
remainder of the day, reaching the finishing line and receiving your medal!

Best of luck and enjoy the journey!

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