HMPYC80/102/0/2024

Tutorial Letter 102/0/2024

Research Methodology

HMPYC80

Year module

Department of Psychology
Tutorial letter 102 contains the learning
activities for the proposal development as well
as information for Assignments 01 – 04
 CONTENTS
Learning Activities Page
Study plan 03
Assignments 04
Study schedule 06
Introduction 09
Learning Activity 01: Manage a research proposal project 11
Learning Activity 02: Overview of research in psychology
and the social sciences 17

Learning Activity 03: Find a research issue or interest 27

Learning Activity 04: Review a research article 40
Learning Activity 05: Formulate a research question 46
Learning Activity 06: Design a feasible research project 52

Assignments Page
Assignment 01: Research in the human professions, and
steps common to both quantitative and qualitative research 26
Assignment 02: Steps unique to quantitative research 38
Assignment 03: Steps unique to qualitative research and
review a research article with the Research Review Inventory 42
Assignment 04: Combined qualitative and quantitative
research and Tutorial Letter 104 59

Resource materials Page

Resource 01: The Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3) 61
Resource 02: Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3): Review Log 73

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 HMPYC80/102

Study plan, assignments, and

study schedule

Dear Student,

Welcome to the academic year ahead. Over the course of this academic term, you may anticipate
a series of informative and instructive tutorial letters, meticulously designed to play a pivotal role
in guiding you through the diverse stages of your academic pursuits. These letters serve as
invaluable tools, aimed at elevating your understanding and proficiency in the subject matter.
During this year you will receive the following tutorial letters:

• Psychology Honours Brochure (PSYHONM_2024_TL_001_0_B.pdf)

• General Tutorial Letter 301: Honours in Psychology (PSYHONM_2024_TL_301_0_B.pdf)
• Tutorial Letter 101: Orientation, general and administrative information.
• Tutorial Letter 102: Formulate a draft research proposal.
• Tutorial Letter 103: Formulate and review the research proposal.
• Tutorial Letter 104: Resource material.
• Tutorial Letter 203 with feedback on Assignment 03: article review.

All tutorial letters will be available on myUnisa. There will be no printed study materials or tutorial
letters in this module. All the tutorial letters must be downloaded on the myUnisa website for
HMPYC80. The tutorial letter is provided in Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) format. Some of the tutorial
letters may not yet be available when you register.

The course work is structured around the processes involved in research studies. You work on
a research topic and are expected to consult resource material concerning research design, data
gathering, data analysis and ethics. You will complete a series of assignments. You are also
expected to produce an acceptable research proposal. You are also expected to perform a self-
review of your draft and final research proposals. You are expected to submit all assignments
on time as these add up to your final mark in this module. (There is no examination in this
module.)

STUDY PLAN
The module consists of Part 1 and Part 2. Tutorial Letter 102 contains Part 1. Tutorial Letter 103
contains Part 2.
Part 1 Part 1 is the first step in the research process. It concerns the identification and
(TL 102) development of a research question and the formulation of a research proposal. The
outcome of the first step in a research process is a research concept and draft
research outline. In Part 1 you learn how to write a research proposal and to review
research proposals and articles in general. Tutorial Letter 102 contains further
information about identifying and developing a research problem and the formulation
of a research proposal.

3 .
Part 2 Part 2 is the second step in the research process. Here the research proposal is
(TL 103) completed. It also explores how a research project is conducted and how the results
are reported. The outcome of the second step in the research process is the research
proposal. In Part 2 you will be shown how to write a short research article and how to
review research proposals and articles. Tutorial Letter 103 contains further
information about how to conduct a research study and how to write a research article.
However, for the final assignment, you will submit your final research proposal only.
Learning You will note that the study material in Tutorial Letters 102 and 103 is structured in a
research particular format. You are required to work through different learning milestones to
in action achieve the outcomes of Parts 1 and 2. Each of these experiences entails a number
of actions. Actions are the steps you take to achieve the required objectives. You will
learn how to find and outline a research problem, how to plan your research, and how
to write a proposal for your research project. You will also learn how to execute a
research project, manage the execution of the project, monitor the quality of your
actions, and report research results in the form of a journal article or report.

ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments and their respective due dates are indicated below. Please study this section
carefully and use the due-dates and our recommendations to plan your study schedule. Please
plan to complete the assignments a few weeks earlier so that you can more easily cope with any
unforeseen circumstances.

Unique Due-date and time Credits and

Assignment
Nr assignment * Submit before Assignment scope contributions
type
number the due date! to final mark
"Section A: Research in
the human professions"
and "Section B: Steps
common to both
2024-03-27 *
01 Quiz/MCQ 745027 quantitative and qualitative 8%
Closes 17h00
research" --- see
prescribed textbook
chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
and 8.
" Section C: Steps unique
to quantitative research" ---
2024-04-24 * 7%
02 Quiz/MCQ 533049 see prescribed textbook
Closes 17h00
chapters: 9, 10, 11, 12 and
13.
" Section D: Steps unique
to qualitative research" ---
see prescribed textbook
Quiz/MCQ 2024-05-22 *
03 745124 chapters: 14, 15, 16, 17, 15%
R.R.I. rating Closes 17h00
18, 19, and article review
with the Research Review
Inventory.

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 HMPYC80/102

Unique Due-date and time Credits and

Assignment
Nr assignment * Submit before Assignment scope contributions
type
number the due date! to final mark
" Section E: Combined
qualitative and quantitative
745285 2024-06-19 * research" --- see
04 Quiz/MCQ 10%
Closes 17h00 prescribed textbook
chapters: 20, 21, 22, 23,
24, and Tutorial Letter 104.
Pre-
Early pre-submission
submission of
and Turnitin draft Use Turnitin
the draft Early submission of
feedback on the draft feedback to
research Assignment 05 by
# 745297 research proposal. improve the
proposal - file 2024-07-17. *
Perform corrections and draft proposal
submission
resubmit Assignment 05. and resubmit.
(Round 1) for
(Pre-round 1)
Assignment 05
Draft
submission of
the research 2024-08-01 * Draft research proposal
05 745297 20%
proposal - file Closes 17h00 (Round 1)
submission
(Round 1)
Pre-
submission Early pre-submission
submission of and Turnitin feedback on Use Turnitin
Early submission of
the final the final research feedback to
Assignment 06 by
# research 745306 proposal. Perform improve the
2024-09-11. *
proposal – file corrections and resubmit final proposal
submission Assignment 06. and resubmit.
(Round 2) for (Pre-round 2)
Assignment 06
40%
Final
This
submission of
assignment
the research 2024-10-02 * Final research proposal
06 745306 is
proposal - file Closes 17h00 (Round 2)
compulsory
submission
to pass the
(Round 2)
module!
* Submit each assignment a few days before the due date to avoid loadshedding and network
challenges!
Assignments 05 and 06 will be marked by the lecturers, as the student peer-review method is
discontinued from 2024.
Assignment 06 is the final summative assessment. This compulsory assignment must be
submitted for students to be eligible to pass the module, depending on all other marks. Note that
all the assignments count toward your final mark in this module. The final mark in this module
consists of the combined assignment marks that add up to 100%. Therefore, students are advised
to submit each assignment!

5 .
STUDY SCHEDULE
Use the above assignment due-dates to plan your studies for the year. The next table provides
an example of a study plan:
February – ORIENTATION
March
o Study Tutorial Letter 101. Please download the latest version of Tutorial Letter
101 with the new lecturing team details, and the assessment plan consisting of
6 assignments.
o Study Tutorial Letter 102 and compile a study schedule.
o Scan all the chapters in the prescribed textbook, study the introduction
chapters, and start to engage with the textbook.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
o Study Tutorial Letter 102
o Complete Learning Activity 01: Manage a research proposal project.
o Complete Learning Activity 02: Overview of research in the social sciences.
o Study the relevant sections in Tutorial Letter 104 for the above learning
activities.
o Study chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the prescribed textbook, Sections A:
“Research in the human professions" and Section B: “Steps common to both
quantitative and qualitative research". Submit Assignment 01: Research in the
human professions, and steps common to both quantitative and qualitative
research.

[Remember to reflect on what you have done and learned in the process.
Therefore, update your Learning and Research Portfolio regularly. You will not
be required to submit this portfolio, but it is good practice to record reflections about
your learning processes in the portfolio. The portfolio may be requested as
evidence by lecturers if there is any dispute about the authenticity of your research
work. This is part of your “audit trail”.]
March - LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
April
o Study and complete Learning Activity 03: Find a research issue or interest.
o Study chapters 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of Section C: “Steps unique to
quantitative research in the prescribed textbook”.
o Submit Assignment 02: Steps unique to quantitative research.

[Remember to reflect on what you have done and learned and update your
Learning and Research Portfolio regularly. This is part of your “audit trail”.]
April – May LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
o Study and complete Learning Activity 04: Formulate a research question.
Establish a draft outline of your research proposal. Scan the contents of the
resource tutorial letters and the prescribed book and identify the information you
think may be relevant to your project.
o Study and complete Learning Activity 05: Design a feasible research project.
o Study and complete Learning Activity 06: Review a research article.
o Study the material you identified to be relevant to your research proposal.
o Study chapters 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 in the prescribed textbook, Section

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 HMPYC80/102

D: “Steps unique to qualitative research".

o Submit Assignment 03. Steps unique to qualitative research, and review a
research article with the Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.)

[Remember to reflect on what you have done and learned and update your
Learning and Research Portfolio regularly, as part of your “audit trail”.]
May – June LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
o Study the learning opportunities in Tutorial Letter 103: Formulate the research
proposal (Part 2).
o Study and complete Learning Activity 07: Plan data gathering and data analysis.
o Continue with your literature search and review.
o Study and complete Learning Activity 08: Write a research proposal.
o Study chapters: 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 in the prescribed textbook, "Section E:
Combined qualitative and quantitative research”, and study Tutorial Letter 104
o Submit Assignment 04: Combined qualitative and quantitative research, and
Tutorial Letter 104.

[Remember to reflect on what you have done and learned and update your
Learning and Research Portfolio regularly, as part of your “audit trail”.]
June – LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
July
o Continue with your literature search and review.
o Consult the prescribed book and Tutorial Letter 104 to determine how the data
could be gathered and analysed.
o Fine-tune the research proposal. Revisit Learning Activity 08: Write a research
proposal; and other related activities, read the textbook, and additional
resources.
o Continue with your literature search and review for the proposal.
o Study and complete Learning Activity 09: How to perform data analyses,
interpretations, and discussions of findings.

[Remember to update your Learning and Research Portfolio.]

July - Aug LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
o Study and complete Learning Activity 10: How to structure research information
for presentations.
o Study and complete Learning Activity 11: How to write a research report.
o Refine a research proposal in which you describe the study and method.
o Perform a self-review of your draft proposal with the aid of the Research
Review Inventory (R.R.I.3), and update your proposal accordingly.
o Pre-submit assignment 05: draft proposal.
o Pre-submissions of the assignment can ideally be done 3 weeks before the
due-date of Assignment 05. However, earlier pre-submission are also allowed
and encouraged. Pre-submit the research proposal as Assignment 05 on
myUnisa as a first draft submission.
o Wait for the Turnitin report and download it as soon as it is made available on
myUnisa.
o Correct all similarity issues and potential plagiarism as highlighted in the first
7 .
 Turnitin report.

[Remember to reflect on what you have done and learned and update your
Learning and Research Portfolio regularly, as part of your “audit trail”.]
Aug - Sept LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
o Submit Assignment 05 before the due-date. You can resubmit the proposal for
a maximum of 2 times on the assignment system on myUnisa.
o Study the feedback you received for Assignment 05 as soon as it is made
available.
o Update your research proposal and make the appropriate corrections that were
indicated in the lecturer feedback.
o Perform a self-review of your draft proposal with the aid of the Research
Review Inventory (R.R.I.3), and update your proposal accordingly.

[Remember to reflect on what you have done and learned and update your
Learning and Research Portfolio regularly, as part of your “audit trail”.]
Sept - Oct LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
o Pre-submit the research proposal for Assignment 6 on myUnisa.
o Pre-submissions of the assignment can ideally be done 3 weeks before the
due-date of Assignment 06. However, earlier pre-submission are also allowed
and encouraged. Pre-submit the research proposal as Assignment 06 on
myUnisa as a first draft submission.
o Study the Turnitin report as soon as it becomes available.
o Correct all similarity issues and potential plagiarism as highlighted in the second
Turnitin report.
o Submit your final version of the research proposal as Assignment 06.
o After you have corrected your research proposal you can resubmit the proposal
as Assignment 06. You may resubmit a maximum of 2 times on the assignment
system on myUnisa.

[Remember to reflect on what you have done and learned and update your
Learning and Research Portfolio regularly. The portfolio may be requested as
evidence by lecturers if there is any dispute about the authenticity of your
research work. This is part of your “audit trail”.]
LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Oct - Nov o Study the feedback you received for Assignment 06 when it is made available.
o Review your final mark for the module HMPYC80.
o Complete the “module evaluation form” online and provide feedback for quality
assurance purposes.

The learning activities of Tutorial Letter 102 are provided in the next section.

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 HMPYC80/102

Introduction

The structure of the research methodology module HMPYC80 is outlined in Tutorial Letter 101.
[Please ensure that you download the latest version of this Tutorial Letter 101 with details of the
new lecturing team, and the assessment plan that consists of 6 assignments.]

This tutorial letter, Tutorial Letter 102, concerns the identification, development, and planning of
a research interest and concept, and then developing a research outline toward your research
proposal. In other words, the outcome is a research concept and the draft outline of a research
proposal of your own choice. In Tutorial Letter 103, you will be guided to complete the research
proposal and perform a self- evaluation of your proposal.

Structure of this tutorial letter (Tutorial Letter 102)

Title
Formulate a draft research proposal

Outcome product
A draft research proposal

Method (Learning Activities)

Learning Activity 01: Manage a research proposal project
Learning Activity 02: Overview of research in psychology and the social sciences
Learning Activity 03: Find a research issue or interest
Learning Activity 04: Review a research article
Learning Activity 05: Formulate a research question
Learning Activity 06: Design a feasible research project

Resources
The resources listed in each of the learning activities

You must work through various learning activities to achieve the outcome of Tutorial Letter 102.
(See <Learning activity: What is it?> in Tutorial Letter 104 for a general description of the structure
of a learning activity). Note that Tutorial Letter 2 has a title, an outcome product, a method, and
resources and contains several smaller learning activities.

The title is a learning activity, namely the formulation of a draft outline of a research proposal.

The outcome product is the outcome of the title activity, namely a draft outline of a research
proposal.

9 .
The method consists of the actions required to produce a draft research proposal. However, each
of these actions has sufficient scope to be considered a learning activity in its own right. Therefore,
each of these actions can be presented as a separate learning activity. These are the learning
activities described in this tutorial letter. In other words, each of the learning activities described
in this tutorial letter is an action in producing a draft research proposal.

The resources section is made up of the resources required for each of the various learning
activities. This means that the prescribed material in Tutorial Letter 102 consists of all the
resources listed in the resource sections of the various learning activities.

It is a good idea to work through the activities and resource material while you complete the
module’s assignments.

Start looking for literature on your proposed topic early to avoid unnecessary delays with the
research proposal.

Note that the learning activities follow each other logically. If you do not complete all the tasks in
each learning activity, you cannot expect to produce the desired outcomes. Also, study the
resource material of each learning activity as you progress through the learning activity. It is
important to study the material in the context of the tasks because doing so facilitates one’s
understanding of the material.

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Manage a research proposal project

Learning Activity 01

Title
Manage a research proposal project

Outcome Product

Description
- A Research and Course Journal
- A Documentation Centre and Data Security Approach
- A Learning and Research Portfolio structure for the development of a research proposal
(recommended)
- A Project Plan.

Standards
The research proposal project is managed through a Research and Course Journal, a
Documentation Centre, Data Security Approach, a Learning and Research Portfolio structure,
and a Research Project Plan for the development of a research proposal. The researcher
creates these documents while preparing a proposal to research a real-life issue that can be
managed by an individual researcher.

Assessment criteria
1. 1. You are competent to draw up a Research and Course Journal if:
- the journal contains a complete record of the experiences you had and the actions you
performed during your learning about research and your planning of a research project
- the material recorded in the journal indicates the various phases in the planning of a
research project.
2. 2. You are competent to compile a Documentation Centre and Data Security Approach if:
- the documentation centre contains all the information and documents related to the
research project.
- a particular system is used to store the information and documents in the documentation
centre.
- you have a data and file backup strategy in place. You have up to date internet security
and anti-virus software installed on all your internet devices.
3. You are competent to draw up a Learning and Research Portfolio structure for the
development of a research proposal if the preliminary portfolio structure:
- organises and links the materials contained in the Research and Course Journal,
Documentation Centre, Data Security Approach, and Research Project Plan.
- contains a research project plan.
- contains a retrospective story and history of your learning experiences concerning the

11 .
 planning of a research project and the writing of a research proposal.
- contains self-reflections about the degree of success obtained in the required learning
tasks.
4. You are competent to draw up a Research Project Plan if the plan:
- contains a proposed research time frame for the various phases of the proposed research.
- contains a research budget for proposed costs related to staff, transport, subsistence and
consumables.

Method
Action 01: Start a Research and Course Journal
Action 02: Design a Documentation Centre and Data Security Approach
Action 03: Create a preliminary Learning and Research Portfolio structure (recommended)
Action 04: Design a Project Plan

Resources
From Tutorial Letter 104
<Research and Course Journal>, <Project planning and management>, <Portfolio>
From Tutorial Letter 102
[Study Schedule]

Introduction
Each of you brings your very own experiences, thoughts, styles, and personalities to this course.
This learning activity will help you start, implement and finish your unique research process within
a structured framework. A recommended activity (that will not be submitted for assessment) is
portfolio-based. A portfolio can be visualised as a briefcase, containing a selection of your reports
(assignments), notes (research and course journal and data), planning materials (project
planner), and other bits and pieces of your work. It represents a comprehensive picture of the
various steps in producing a research proposal. You will find the portfolio an invaluable aid when
you start reflecting on the experiences and process of your learning. Ultimately, it is a tool that
you will find useful in any work setting, both as a way of showing others your quality of work and
to reflect meaningfully on your learning activities.

Action 01: Start a Research and Course Journal

Your Research and Course Journal consists of a running record of all your experiences, actions,
and events. It is also a space where you can reflect on the various phases, problems, and
processes that you experience during the research project. This is a valuable tool to use for a
research audit trail in case any queries arise with regard to your work or publications. Although
this activity will not be submitted for assessment, we highly recommend that you keep this
Journal! This will develop and enhance your project management competencies.

Step 1: Work through the materials contained in <Research and Course Journal> in Tutorial
Letter 104.

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Step 2: Create your own Research and Course Journal. Remember that you need to log your
experiences diligently, preferably after each work session. Start with your expectations
of the course. Use the ADORE technique: “Aim, Do, Observe, Reflect, and
Envisage” to sort out any troubles you encounter. See the <Research and course
journal> resource in Tutorial Letter 104 for an in-depth discussion of the ADORE
principle.

Action 02: Design a Documentation Centre and Data Security Approach

Your learning in this course is dependent on a comprehensive Documentation Centre where all
relevant information and documents are brought together and stored. The Documentation Centre
aims to systematically file and retrieve all the materials that you receive and create during this
course. A significant number of materials are generated throughout this course, and you won't be
able to afford any time looking for lost or misplaced items. Although this activity will not be
submitted for assessment, we highly recommend that you develop and update a documentation
centre! This will develop and enhance your project management competencies.

Step 1: Establish a Documentation Centre which is an archive or filing system where all
materials, notes, documentation, and draft documents can be stored and accessed. Decide on a
physical collection device, or establish a digital folder system on your computer, and start
collecting everything that you do and think about the course in your Documentation Centre or
Archive. You can consider creating separate files or sub-folders for different issues, as they occur
to you. You are well advised to indicate the date for each entry.
You may want to create a master folder on your computer for the digital documentation storage.
Create a sub-folder structure to sort and file materials together that belong with each other, for
example, \HMPYC80 and then sub-folders such as, \Literature review, \Outline, \Proposal 1,
\Proposal 2, \Assignment 01, \Assignment 02, \Proposal self-review, etcetera.

Step 2: Implement a Data Security Approach

Implement a data backup strategy whereby you store your documents on the internet "cloud"
and external memory devices. You can also email the documents to an internet or web-based
email account to keep your documents safe. This is an important facet of data security.

Data backup strategy

Do you have a system where your files are safely stored on external media, email servers, and
internet cloud backup servers?
Are you performing backups at regular intervals (weekly and monthly?)

An important aspect of data security is to install good anti-virus and internet security software
on all your electronic and data devices. You can do some fact-finding on the internet by searching
for reviews and comparisons of available internet security software. There are free versions;
however, the paid versions typically offer more options and better safeguards. Some of them can
be installed on more than one device, and some also work across multiple operating systems
(Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS).

13 .
 Data security: anti-virus and internet security software
Have you installed reputable anti-virus and internet security software to safeguard your study
work files and media?
Is the internet security software installed on all your computing and Internet devices (Windows,
Apple Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, etc.)?
Is the internet security software up to date with the most recent virus and malware detection
signatures?

Due to the rise of electronic viruses and malware, internet safety has become an important part
of research administration. (This is also important when you perform financial transactions online,
for example via internet banking.) We expect you to keep your assignment files clean and free of
viruses and malware when you upload them to the Unisa servers. Remember that the proposal
files will be uploaded on myUnisa.

The above practices relate to the values of service, care, and healthy decision-making. See
"Section 3. Professional practice" and "Section 4. Professional and research ethics" in Chapter
One of the prescribed textbook.

Action 03: Create a preliminary Learning and Research Portfolio structure

(recommended)
Note that you are not expected to submit a Portfolio in this module, but it may be requested
as an “audit trail” by the lecturers to verify that the research proposal is your own and
authentic work.

The Learning and Research Portfolio as a learning activity differs from the other learning activities
in that it runs continuously and is part of the Research Proposal Portfolio. The Portfolio aims to
demonstrate your learning processes and outcomes. As such, it is an invaluable tool for critical
reflection on the various specific aspects of learning (to do research) as you work through the
course.

Evidence of your learning could include …

• your goals and objectives for the development of the portfolio as well as the course.
• your proposed plan of action for achieving your objectives for the portfolio as well as
the course.
• self-selected and lecturer-selected portfolio content.
• reactions to feedback.
• elements of self-reflection
• self-generated, lecturer-generated, and collaboratively generated criteria and
performance standards for evaluating the portfolio, as well as certain assignments you
will be asked to evaluate.

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 HMPYC80/102

Step 1: Work through the materials contained in <Portfolio> in Tutorial Letter 104.

This means that for each Learning activity, you need to keep the original copies of your work-in-
progress (with rough work or writing on it) safely and neatly filed in your Documentation Centre
or Archive. Select items to represent the various phases of your work on a specific product. The
phases could typically include, a preliminary document outline and planning, first draft, final draft,
etcetera. They should be linked through your entries in your Research and Course Journal, where
you should have logged and reflected on the process you followed to get to your final product.
Remember, the goal of the portfolio is to reflect your learning and growth. Select items from your
Documentation Centre or Archive that illustrate this best. Always save a duplicate copy (or
photocopy) of your Learning and Research Portfolio and make a backup of your files and
documents. Keep a copy of every assignment and submission in your Learning and Research
Portfolio for your records, and for the purposes of a research “audit trail”.

All items (except the final product, such as your research proposal or article) will be rough and
ready. They will be filled with your scribbling in pen or pencil, possibly untidy, but definitely
reflecting that you were busy with them - reworking, re-planning, and reflecting on what you were,
and are, busy with all the time. The aim of the portfolio as an assessment tool is to provide a way
for you to demonstrate your thoughts, reflections, changes of course and the processes you
followed while producing a final learning product. In doing your Learning and Research Portfolio,
we hope that you will reflect on and re-interpret the work and problems you experienced.
Reflection and personal growth are major outcomes of this course.

Step 2: Design a preliminary structure for your Learning and Research Portfolio.

A Learning and Research Portfolio will typically include an index page, copies of your project plan
versions (rough and ready), a copy of relevant passages of your Research and Course Journal
(except perhaps those parts which reflect very personal aspects which you consider too intimate
to share with acquaintances and strangers), your selection of work-in-progress copies of the
learning outcomes (rough and ready), copies of the relevant assignments and the feedback (if
any) that you received, as well as your reflection on the feedback, any other documents that you
feel are useful in illustrating your growth and learning on the specific topic. The documents will be
linked through your discussion of the items in terms of your chosen organising principle (e.g.,
chronological, thematic, problem-oriented, or your own organising principle as indicated in
<Portfolio>).

Action 04: Design a Project Plan

The Project Plan will be your very own flexible and provisional planning guide which needs to be
regularly updated during the research project. The initial planning of doing your research proposal
will coincide closely with your study schedule [Study Schedule, Tutorial Letter 101] as this course
is based on tangible learning outcomes which follow the course of a typical research project.

Step 1: Work through the materials contained in <Project planning and management> in
Tutorial Letter 104.

Step 2: Create a Project Plan for the completion of your research proposal. You may group
different learning activities into smaller sub-projects if you wish.

15 .
 Remember:
○ Continuously update your Research and Course Journal by logging the actions and
reflecting on your experiences in this section.
○ File all your drafts and notes carefully in your Documentation Centre or Archive.
Indicate in your Journal which materials will go into your Learning and Research
Portfolio. Use this thinking to complete a reflective insert in your Journal, referring to
the reflective questions in the <Portfolio> and <Research and Course Journal>
sections. It is important that you update your Learning and Research Portfolio regularly.
You will not be required to submit the portfolio, but it is good practice to record
reflections about your learning processes in the portfolio. The portfolio may be
requested as evidence by lecturers if there is any dispute about the authenticity of your
research work. This is part of your audit trail.
○ Update your Internet Security and anti-virus software.
○ Perform your data backups to the Internet (cloud), external devices, and/or via email.

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Overview of research in psychology and

the social sciences
Learning Activity 02

Title
Overview of research in psychology and the social sciences

Outcome Product
Description
- Students are sensitised to the complexities and nuances of research methodology.
Standards
The axiological values-based underpinnings of research and research methodologies are made
visible. The value of decolonial and eco-centric perspectives is understood. Knowledge is
understood to be provisional, perspectival, culture-informed, relational, contextual, and subject
to change.
Assessment criteria
- Students can reflect on the role of different cultural values and assumptions in the context
of research methodologies.
- Students write a one-page reflection that is placed in their portfolio.

Method
Reflection 01: Why do we perform research? How do we perform scientific research?
Reflection 02: What makes life worthwhile? Material success, meaningful relationships, and
values.
Reflection 03: Meaning depends on contexts, cultures, and local values.

Resources
From Tutorial Letter 104
<Research: What is it?>, <Paradigms>, <Positivism>, <Interpretive research>,
<Constructionist research>.
From the prescribed book: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 23 in
Fouché, C. B., Strydom, H., & Roestenburg, W. J. H. (2021). Research at grass roots: For the
social sciences and human service professions (5th Ed.). Van Schaik.
Additional Resource
Kruger, D. J. (2017). Community practices and dynamics. In Gumani, M. A., Kruger, D. J.,
Mbatha, M., Van der Walt, H., Masisi, I., & Nchabeleng, L. (Eds.), Community psychology:
Building foundations. Study guide for PYC2614. (pp. 72--103). Department of Psychology,
University of South Africa.

17 .
Introduction
In this section, we will explore different ways of viewing research and enquiry. The discussion
includes an overview of why and how we can perform scientific research. This is followed by a
discussion of values, relationships, and material success. The next discussion deepens the
dialogue regarding "hard" technical skills and so-called "soft" relational skills. Finally, we look at
how meaning is dependent on cultures and contexts.

Reflection 01: Why do we perform research? How do we perform

scientific research?
Study "Chapter 1: Research in professional practice" (Fouché et al., 2021). Pay special attention
to the discussions on paradigms, ontology, epistemology, axiology, metatheory, approach and
methodology in Chapter 1.

Also, study "Chapter 3: Introduction to the research process” (Fouché et al., 2021). The following
discussion expands on the views in these two chapters.

Although research methodology may appear to be factual and neutral in the discussion of Chapter
1 in the textbook -- it is a highly diverse field, with many perspectives and differences. The authors
of the textbook indicate that qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research rest on
different ontologies (ways of being in the world) and axiologies (philosophies of values) that are
associated with different epistemologies (views on how we construct meaning, and what counts
as valid and trustworthy research.) This then spirals out into different research designs, methods,
and techniques. All these distinctions are very important.

In-depth attention is given to professional and public interests and values in Chapter 1 of the
textbook. Professional practices include the ideal of service via professionality, the public good
and social accountability, professional effectiveness and transparency or accountability; virtues,
character, and professionalism; and fiduciary duty of care, loyalty good faith, and lawful actions.
The authors note that "Professionals to develop their own philosophies as a requirement" (Fouché
et al., 2021, p.3).

The discussion of the "paradigm wars" in Chapter 1 is particularly relevant. The history of the
paradigm wars is one between positivistic (objectivist) researchers who believe that quantitative
approaches are the only correct and scientific method. They see experimental research designs
as the sine qua non (without which not) in the social sciences and humanities.

On the other hand, interpretive researchers follow a constructivist or social constructionist

approach and view qualitative approaches as valid forms of research in the social sciences and
humanities.

The paradigm wars raised an important question, namely "How do we gain reputable scientific
knowledge"? "What forms of scientific knowledge are acceptable (and what are not)?" We will
continue this discussion after looking at the following research case study.

Professor Brené Brown shared her experience of doing doctoral research in her TedxHouston
Talk "The power of vulnerability" of June 2010
(https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en). If possible,
please study the Ted Talk by Brené Brown. She provides interesting perspectives on her
experience of doing research in the human and social sciences. In her research, she developed
valuable insights that relate to the human qualities of belonging, connection, self-worth, shame,
emotional numbing, vulnerability, and love.

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Her personal life philosophy had historically been organized to avoid discomfort, vulnerability, and
the messiness of people's lives. This was done by controlling and organising people and things.
In her research on human connection, love and belonging, she found that human connection is
unravelled by shame. Shame can be seen as the fear of disconnection, and it is a universal human
experience. It is underpinned by the idea or belief that "I am not good enough” or “I am not
enough". Vulnerability means to be fully and truly seen. People with a sense of worthiness, and
a strong sense of love and belonging believe that they are worthy of love and belonging. They
appear to be "wholehearted people" who live from a deep sense of worthiness and belonging.
They demonstrate a sense of courage to show up in the way that they truly are. They have the
courage to be imperfect and show compassion toward themselves and others (Brown, 2010).

In her view, vulnerability is the birthplace of joy, creativity, love, and belonging. However, if the
vulnerability is pushed away or numbed then all other emotions are also pushed away. This leads
to a situation where everything uncertain is made absolute and certain (dogmatism and moralism)
and contributes to addiction, over-medication, perfectionism, and compulsion. Invulnerable
people tend to be cynical, refuse to take accountability and responsibility for their mistakes, and
blame others for their mistakes and misfortune. Consequently, they keep looking for purpose and
meaning (Brown, 2010).

Brené Brown recounts that one of her research professors said that "if you cannot measure it, it
doesn't exist" (Brown, 2010), in other words "if you cannot measure it, it isn’t science". It is safe
to assume that her research professor spoke from an objectivist and positivistic approach to
research. This raises the following question:

What are your thoughts on the idea that if you cannot measure it, it isn’t science?

The above statement raises the issue of whether human qualities such as caring, love, emotions,
soul, beauty, oppression, belonging, connection, loneliness, worth, shame, fear, love, and
vulnerability can be satisfactorily researched.

• Is it possible to quantitatively measure important human qualities, such as connection,

belonging, and vulnerability, for example by using psychometric questionnaires or rating
scales?
• Is it possible to qualitatively measure these important human qualities, for example by using
interviews or by gathering stories?
• How do the quantitative and qualitative measures differ? How are they similar? Can they be
combined, for example in a mixed-methods research approach?

From our perspective, psychometric measurements are often used to: analyse, model, diagnose,
control, or predict. These are useful functions that form an important foundation of psychological
practice. However, it is doubtful whether psychometric measurements can really understand or
know people in their uniqueness and do so with empathy. Understanding and empathy are
qualities of the heart. Measurement can be seen as a quality of the (cognitive) mind. Both are
useful, especially when they are in balance. When they are imbalanced, things can easily go
wrong and derail.

South African-born psychologist Dr Susan David reflects on her research on emotions and
adaptivity in human relations in this podcast with Prof. Brené Brown (2021)
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-dr-susan-david-on-the-dangers-of-toxic-positivity-
part1-of-2. In her research, she reflects on the experience of marginalised and disenfranchised
people of "not being seen" and invisibility due to apartheid segregation (Brown & David, 2021).

19 .
Dr David was also advised by her professors at a South African university that it would not be
possible to study emotions because they are too difficult to measure and ephemeral. However,
she eventually found methods to research emotions and personal regulation (and dysregulation).
Her work on toxic positivity, the denial of difficult emotions, emotional inflexibility or rigidity, the
fragility and beauty of life, and emotional agility are highly informative and relevant. Emotional
agility refers to the skills of being healthy and involves reflective curiosity, emotions as valuable
information or meaningful signposts, and the value of acknowledging and processing difficult
emotions (Brown & David, 2021).

Brené Brown's views and findings are in alignment with Dr Maya Angelou's work. If you have the
opportunity, please view this compilation of her speeches and interviews called "Maya Angelou -
Top 10 Rules" from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU46Lv4jVAw&t=3s.

The PBS and BBC documentary of Dr Angelou's life entitled "And Still I Rise" is also well worth
viewing! See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVadwe7utuA.

Reflection 02: What makes life worthwhile? Material success, meaningful

relationships, and values
An interesting argument is made by Keith (2021) the author of "Anyway: The paradoxical
commandments: Finding personal meaning in a crazy world" which was originally published in
1968 and republished in 2002. In his 2021 work "the paradox of personal meaning" he describes
various psychological research findings on happiness (or life satisfaction and meaningful living).
Whereas the paradoxical commandments deal with life in circumstances of adversity, this 2021
work deals with life in circumstances of material success. For Keith, material success is defined
as money, wealth, possessions, winning, fame, social status, and prestige. The literature that
Keith discusses and references shows that material success (beyond a certain level) does not
equate with more personal happiness and fulfilment (Keith, 2021, p. xiv, 5, 8, 10). The reason
why this is not the case is these targets are based on extrinsic motivation only.

Keith (2021) found that meaningful values relate to relationships and meaningful life purposes are
a more significant contributor to life satisfaction. In his informal surveys over 30 years, the sources
of meaning that received the highest numerical ratings were: family, giving and receiving love,
intimate relationships, living according to one's values, doing one's personal best, and a sense of
accomplishment (p. 8). In the same surveys, the lowest-rated sources of meaning were wealth,
power, winning and fame. Keith (2021) identifies four sources of meaning that "are universal that
cut across countries, cultures, and centuries: love people; help people; live ethically and don't be
too attached to material things" (pp. 8 - 9).

Hard skills, soft skills, and relationships

Relational and interpersonal skills as discussed by Keith (2021) are often seen as "soft skills".
They are also known as Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and are usually contrasted to "hard skills"
which are defined as technical and business skills required to accomplish a job such as computer
skills or analytical skills. Soft skills have to do with intangibles that are hard to see. But by calling
them "soft skills" we potentially devalue the essential skills needed to be successful in life, at
home, with family, in the community, at work, and in business. This includes our ability to self-
regulate, listen, be professional, collaborate, resolve conflict, and engage in difficult
conversations. Perhaps, interpersonal, and relational skills are the hardest to acquire because
they challenge us at a personal level, reveal our "blind spots", and can threaten our identity and
view of ourselves and others.
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Sterling (2009) also states that relational skills are important but goes even further to say that this
is vital for our future in the context of the "climate emergency" and "climate chaos". Sterling (2009)
states that if we want the chance of a sustainable future, we need to think relationally and with
enhanced "ecological intelligence" or the "eco-centric worldview". The sustainability problems we
face are rooted in the dominant underlying beliefs and worldview of the technical-modernistic
Western mind. The world is increasingly complex, interdependent, and unsustainable. We often
need to look at the whole, and at the larger context of interactions and knock-on consequences
between sub-systems, from the individual level to the planetary biosphere.

As indicated in "Community practices and dynamics" (Kruger, 2017), the following quote by Gus
Speth (Hull, 2016, para. 6) reflects an interesting divide between a technical-scientific worldview
and the world we live in: “I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss,
ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science, we could
address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness,
greed, and apathy. And to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation – and
we scientists don’t know how to do that”.

This is echoed by (Scharmer, 2013, p. 1) “The solution to these global crises begins between our
ears. The root causes of today’s global crises originate in our outdated paradigms of economic
thought. The symptoms of these crises can be located in three divides that disconnect us from
each primary source of life: ecological, social, and spiritual”. Psychology can contribute greatly to
the development of interpersonal and relational process skills that facilitate personal and
collective change and adaptivity.

If the above discussion is of interest to you, then you are welcome to study the document
"Community practices and dynamics" (Kruger, 2017) in the “Additional Files” folder on myUnisa,
for further understanding and more in-depth discussions. We suggest that you study the following
sections: "5.7: Community challenges as technical and relational issues"; "5.8: When community
challenges are super-complex problems"; "5.9: Family as a super-complex living system"; "5.10:
Blind spots as a 'wicked' problem"; and "5.11: Historical trauma as a super-complex community
challenge".

Perhaps you can generate a captivating research proposal topic from the (optional) reading
materials?

Reflection 03: Meaning depends on contexts, cultures, and local

values.
Prof. Linda Tuhiwai Smith, a Maori scholar from New Zealand, shows how research in the past
was used to enslave and oppress indigenous people in the name of "objectivity" and
measurement. Her seminal book "Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous
peoples research" (Smith, 1999) constitutes a significant reclamation of respectful, decolonial,
culture-sensitive and context-sensitive research philosophy and approach. Her work is extensive,
but for this discussion, we will look at the interaction between meaning, context, and culture.

Smith (1999) indicates the difficulty of extracting or ripping a concept from its cultural ecology, for
example, the value of respect and development. Development from the industrial-capitalist
viewpoint that is embedded in a materialistic worldview sees nature as inert, unconscious, and
inherently without rights. Many extractive technologies are deployed in capitalist industrial
practices that are often highly polluting of the environment. The deforestation of the Amazon basin
21 .
is a horrific example of this. However, deforestation creates jobs, employment, and resources for
factories -- and is seen as perfectly ethical and legal from the industrial-capitalist materialistic
world view. This position implies that there is a universal truth (not many truths) and a necessary
criterion of civilised society (Smith, 1999, p. 48).

On the other hand, many indigenous peoples (historically) have a view of development that is
non-extractive and based on life philosophies that "connect humans to the environment and each
other and which generate principles for living a life which is sustainable, respectful and possible"
(Smith, 1999, p. 105). The extermination of the North American Bison is an example of
unacceptable, immoral, and biocidal behaviour. From the perspectives of Indigenous or First
Peoples, colonisation was based on sickness of the mind and soul.
As stated before, the ideas and conceptions of "development" differ depending on the cultural
milieu and context from which they are expressed and actualised. Different ways and conceptions
of "development" are examples of incommensurable meanings that are “untranslatable” between
different cultures with different paradigms and cosmologies. A researcher who operationalises a
concept from within an industrial-capitalist materialistic world view will create a very different set
of operational definitions, variables, and questionnaire items, to a researcher who hails from an
indigenous, life-affirming cosmology. This distinction can be applied to other psycho-social
concepts (verbs and values) that differ across cultures and contexts, for example, respect, love,
parenting, boundaries, norms, self, identity, etcetera.
The long and the short of it is that the industrial-capitalist, materialistic researchers will probably
have more power to enforce their questionnaire on other people, because of this dominant and
powerful societal worldview across the planet at this time. However, indigenous peoples across
the planet take issue with this, and they see it as a continuation of oppression, colonisation, theft,
and marginalisation of their cultures, lands, and customs. (See Chapter 2: An Afro-sensed
perspective on decolonising research methodologies.)
Although science has its place it needs to be applied correctly and in fitting contexts. When
positivistic science becomes a dominant worldview or cosmology, it tends to sever the connection
between the head and body. A science that is excessively mental can become divorced from life-
affirming values and thereby become toxic to relationships and life. In this scientific view, the
mental, cognitive and mind are supreme; and emotions or intuition are belittled as weak,
irrelevant, and soft. Factual correctness becomes more important than relationships. This is
known in the literature as "scientism" and is referred to as the mind-body split, or the
consciousness-matter split.
The above discussion links to Chapter 1 of the textbook where Axiology is described as the
philosophical study of value. "Axiology is the science of human values that enables us to identify
the internal valuing systems that influence our perceptions, decisions and actions to clearly
understand why we do what we do" (Fouché et al., 2021, p. 11). Axiology specifically focuses on
how the values, emotions, expectations, and assumptions of the researcher influence the
research design and process. Note the position of Chaturvedi (2014, pp. 19 - 20) who "urges
professions to embrace a more 'value-laden approach' to training of their members and as well
as to service delivery; in professional training to ‘value educate’ is to develop rational critical
thinking, to educate the emotions, to cultivate the imagination, to strengthen the will and to train
the character of the professional" (Fouché et al., 2021, p. 11).
Values are inherently part of research seeking to empower marginalised people and addressing
unequal distributions of power and resources to change the status quo. Participatory Action
Research (PAR) is a prominent research approach that seeks to empower marginalised people
and addressing unequal distributions of power and resources to change the status quo.

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The following foundational questions can and should be asked about any research approach and
project:
• Why should we know (cognitivist axioms, relational axioms, or a combination of both)?
• What should we know (objectivist cognitivist epistemology, relational epistemology, or a
combination of both)?
• How should we know (expert top-down ontology, eco-systemic relational ontology, or a
combination of both)?
• Should we follow the accepted beliefs, wisdom, and orthodoxy; or develop and learn through
experiences and insights; or a combination of both?

Psychological research and inquiry should not only be "from the head" and "for the head". (Head
refers to intellect, cognition, or mental activity.) The famous dictum of René Descartes "I think
therefore I am" is only a small part of human beingness and a poor way to ontologically define
oneself as it leads to hyper-individualism and social disconnection. Excessive use of the human
analytic-logic capacities quickly leads to intellectualism and a superiority complex that "I know
best". This becomes a maze where people lose their way. The intellect is a useful servant but a
poor master.

Ideally, the rational mind should be used in service of life-affirming values. Other complementary
aspects of our human beingness should also be engaged. We could answer Descartes by
including the following: our emotions ("I feel therefore I am, we are"), the body and embodied
experiences and memories ("I am embodied therefore I am, we are"), listening without judgement
or preconception ("I hear you, therefore we are"), seeing without judgement or preconception ("I
see you, therefore we are"), heart ("I feel you, therefore we are"), aesthetics ("I experience beauty,
ugliness, and resonance therefore I am"), and all our interrelationships in the world as expressed
in both the ubuntu philosophy and the ecological worldview ("I am because we are", "because of
you I become a we") (Sterling, 2009).

This dictum that psychological research and inquiry should not be "from the head" and "for the
head only” is equally applicable to people of all philosophical schools or paradigms whether they
follow positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism, critical-realism, Marxism, behaviourism, liberatory
psychology, psycho-dynamic psychology, etcetera. Anyone can fall into the mind trap and maze,
regardless of the philosophy or paradigm that they espouse. Paulo Freire (Freire, 1970; Freire &
Faundez, 1989) would most likely have agreed with the above discussion as applied to education:
Education should never be "from the head" and "for the head" only.

The objective and subjective human experiences of existence are of dynamic multiplicities. This
means that there are many "facts" or perspectives of human experiencing that are always
provisional, perspectival, and subject to change. All aspects of the world, including humans, are
constantly in motion and changing. While things are changing, there are also predictable patterns
of growth, maintenance, and decay in the human life cycle. Research and inquiry are activities
that are performed in a dynamic world by human consciousness. Human consciousness is fluid,
adaptable and able to "change its mind". Knowledge is possible but is always provisional, and is
informed by certain perspectives, cultures, and sense-making based on personal-social
experiences and interpretations. Knowing, as a dynamic and changing experience, is shaped by
geographical locations; ecological interactions (food, water, diet, climate, nutrition and toxicities,
etc.); inter-cultural relational contexts; personal-social experiences; histories and perceptions.

Lastly, many intractable psycho-social problems and challenges cannot be permanently fixed
once and for all. These super-complex challenges or "wicked problems" are discussed in more
detail in "Community practices and dynamics" (Kruger, 2017).

23 .
The above discussion has been provided as a primer to stimulate your thinking about a relevant
research proposal question. Please journal your thoughts on the above readings.

Write down a couple of potential research questions, interests, or curiosities -- based on the above
readings and recommended audio and video presentations:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

References
Brown, B. (2010). The power of vulnerability. [Video]. Tedx Houston.
https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en

Brown, B. & David, S. (2021). The dangers of toxic positivity. [Podcast].

https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-dr-susan-david-on-the-dangers-of-toxic-positivity-
part1-of-2

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). (2017). Maya Angelou: And still I rise. [Video
documentary]. BBC One Imagine. https://youtube.com/watch?v=LVadwe7utuA

Carmichael, E. (2016) Take up the battle! This is your life, this is your world. Maya Angelou Top
10 rules. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU46Lv4jVAw

Fouché, C. B., Strydom, H., & Roestenburg, W. J. H. (2021). Research at grass roots: For the
social sciences and human service professions (5th Edition). Van Schaik.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin Press.

Freire, P., & Faundez, A. (1989). Learning to question: A pedagogy of liberation. Continuum
Press.

Hull, C. (2016). The environment is headed for retirement: our greed and apathy are killing the
planet. http://onlyoneagleway.com/2443/opinion/the-environment-is-headed-for-retirement/

Keith, K. M. (2021). The paradox of personal meaning. Online publication: Terrace Press.
https://www.paradoxicalcommandments.com
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Kruger, D. J. (2017). Community practices and dynamics. In Gumani, M. A., Kruger, D. J., Mbatha,
M., Van der Walt, H., Masisi, I., & Nchabeleng, L. (Eds.), Community psychology: Building
foundations. Study guide for PYC2614. (pp. 72--103). Department of Psychology, University of
South Africa.

Scharmer, C. O. (2013) From ego-system to eco-system economies. [Video].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcbB1I__BmM

Smith, L.T. (1999). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. Zed books.

Sterling, S. (2009). Ecological intelligence: Viewing the world relationally. In Villiers-Stuart, P.,
& Stibbe, A. (eds). The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy. Online publication: University of
Brighton. http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/stibbe-handbook-of-sustainability

Remember:
○ Continuously update your Research and Course Journal by logging the actions and reflecting
on your experiences in this section.
○ File all your drafts and notes carefully in your Documentation Centre or Archive. Indicate in
your Journal which materials will go into your Learning and Research Portfolio. Use this
thinking to complete a reflective insert in your Journal, referring to the reflective questions in
the <Portfolio> and <Research and Course Journal> sections.
○ Update your Internet Security and anti-virus software.
○ Perform your data backups to the Internet (cloud), external devices and/or via email.

25 .
 Assignment 01

Title
Assignment 01: Research in the human professions, and steps common to both
quantitative and qualitative research.

NOTE The assignment must be submitted online. (You cannot submit the assignment via
the postal system or as a hard copy.) This assignment is very important as each
assignment contributes to your final mark in this module.

There is no exam in this module and combined assignment marks will constitute
your final mark. This is guided by the principle of continuous assessment.
According to the university rules regarding "continuous assessment", there will be
no exams or supplementary examinations. Therefore, it is very important that you
aim to complete every assignment. A minimum of two-thirds of the assessments
must be completed to qualify for completion in the module - this means that you
must submit at least 4 assignments, submit the compulsory Assignment 06, and
attain a combined assignment mark of at least 50% to pass this module.

Project: Study "Section A: Research in the human professions" and “Section B: Steps
common to both quantitative and qualitative research”: chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
and 8 of the prescribed textbook. Then review the multiple-choice questions on
myUnisa for this assignment and select the correct answer for each question.

Resource Tutorial letters 102, and the prescribed book for HMPYC80.
material:

Time 2 weeks
required:

Final due 2024-03-27 and closes at 17h00 [Please submit your assignment early to avoid
date: disappointment due to ICT, loadshedding or other issues]

Year mark: Contribution to final mark: 8%

Unique 745027
number:

Online This assignment consists of multiple-choice questions and must be submitted

submission electronically via the assignments tool on myUnisa.

How to submit assignments:

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1. To complete the assignment, go to myUnisa

2. Log in with your student number and password and select myModules 2024
3. Select the module HMPYC80
4. Select the assessment in the menu: Assessment 01.
5. Follow the instructions

Please ensure that you submit your assignment timeously and before the due date!

If you have not done so already, activate your Unisa myLife email address. If your Unisa myLife
email is active you will receive vital course information and important module announcements.

The aim of the assignments is to ensure that you (a) study and (b) demonstrate your
understanding in relation to the chapters in the textbook. Marks are awarded if you demonstrate
that you correctly understand the contents and ideas presented in each of the chapters. Study
the assignment questions and select the correct or "most correct" answer.

As the items are drawn from an item pool each student will receive a different assignment,
therefore a feedback tutorial letter will not be provided for this assignment.

27 .
 Find a research issue or interest
Learning Activity 03

Title
Find a research issue or interest

Outcome product
Description
A description of a research issue or interest
Scope
A research issue or interest will be addressed from a psychological perspective, can be
investigated in practice, and implies a project that is simple enough to be managed by an
individual researcher.
Assessment criteria
You are competent to find a research issue or interest if:
1. the research issue or interest belongs to the field of psychology
2. the research issue or interest can be practically investigated
3. the context of the research issue or interest is indicated
4. the research issue or interest is described in clear and unambiguous language
5. the research issue or interest is presented in the form of a written paragraph.

Method
Action 01: Delineate your world and describe yourself in relation to this world.
Action 02: Analyse your world.
Action 03: Find a research issue, interest, or problem in your world.
Action 04: Put your research issue or interest in context.
Action 05: Write a paragraph about your research issue or interest.
Action 06: If you are really stuck: Select a research issue from the list

Resources
From Tutorial Letter 104
<Content analysis: An example>, <Research: What is it?>, <Text: What is it?>, <Portfolio>
From Tutorial Letter 101
[Library Service: Using the library], [Library Service: Literature search training]
From the prescribed book: “Research at grass roots”
Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 23 in Fouché et al. (2021)
Additional Resource
Kruger, D. J. (2017). Community practices and dynamics. In Gumani, M. A., Kruger, D. J.,
Mbatha, M., Van der Walt, H., Masisi, I., & Nchabeleng, L. (Eds.), Community psychology:
Building foundations. Study guide for PYC2614. (pp. 72--103). Department of Psychology,

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University of South Africa.

Introduction
The first step in psychological research (See <Research: What is it?> in Tutorial Letter 104) is to
observe an issue or a phenomenon. Study-worthy issues or topics sometimes present themselves
quite clearly, but this is by no means always the case. Most people find it difficult to pinpoint and
formulate a worthwhile issue to study as a research project. If you struggle to find a topic this
learning activity could help you. The outcome of this learning experience is a description of a
research issue, interest or problem. All you must do to produce this outcome is to execute the
actions described below. On the other hand, if you are one of those few fortunate individuals who
already have a project in mind you can fine-tune your problem delineation by answering all the
questions in this learning activity.

Various potential research topics were highlighted in Learning Activity 02: Overview of research
in psychology and the social sciences. Review Learning Activity 02 for potential research topics.
You can also study the resource "Community practices and dynamics" (Kruger, 2017) to develop
a research question. However, you do not have to stick to these discussions to develop a research
concept. You may use any psychological topic that is personally relevant or meaningful. Consult
your textbooks in cognitive psychology, personality psychology, developmental psychology,
psychopathology, social psychology, etcetera. The research may be driven by curiosity, by a
problem or challenge, a gap in the literature, or by long-term observations leading to an informed
hypothesis or supposition.

You must develop your own unique research question for this module and develop a research
proposal. This research will not be executed -- you will therefore develop a research proposal
only. (To continue afterwards with the execution of the empirical research you must apply for and
receive ethical permission from the relevant University ethics oversights committees. Without
ethics review and approval, you may not perform the research!).

Review Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the textbook ("Section B: Steps common to both quantitative
and qualitative research”).

Research for facts or perspectives?

In "Chapter 4: Framing the proposed study" there is a discussion on how to identify a researchable
topic, select the most suitable research topic, formulate a research question or problem
statement, and assess the suitability of a research approach (quantitative, qualitative or mixed
methods) and explore its “positionality” (Fouché et al., 2021, p. 400) or the paradigm, ontology or
approach that will be used.

Note that in Section 2.2: "factors influencing the selection of the most suitable research topic"
(Fouché et al., 2021, p. 62) it is stated that researchable topics (as opposed to non-researchable
topics) must be testable (i.e., open to proof or disproof). However, this may not be the case in
exploratory studies, qualitative studies, and participatory action research studies where you wish
to explore and understand people's experiences in context. In this case, there is nothing that is

29 .
testable or provable. The authors appear to follow a positivistic stance in this instance. Therefore,
a researchable topic does not have to be testable.

The authors also state that the topic should "demand an interpretation of the data leading to a
discovery of fact" (p. 62). Keep in mind that there may be different and even contradictory results.
We prefer to speak of interpretations. The word "fact" is problematic and again suggests a
positivistic stance that denotes (absolute or rigid) certainty. Qualitative research is not so much
interested in facts, but rather perspectives.

In the larger picture, from an ecological-systems view, "facts" are only snapshots of information
that will change over time, and change according to context, and according to the viewpoint of
the observer of this data. Psychological research projects should be explicitly informed by
theoretical perspectives that lead to certain views, understandings and interpretations. Different
theories may also lead to different views and findings.

The authors also state that "Questions based on (not about or focused on investigating) faith,
wisdom, values or common sense do not lead to researchable problems, even though these
issues are potentially important to debate" (p. 62). This means that values and common sense
could indeed be worthy drivers of research, as long as these are informed by appropriate and
extensive life experience, reflection, and analysis. In contrast, a simplistic, unreflective, and
uncritical application of faith, values, wisdom, or common sense could result in the imposition of
an ideological conviction that is lacking in substance, applicability, and validity.

We would reframe this statement to say: "Faith, wisdom, values or common sense can contribute
to researchable problems if the insights are well-founded in reality, experience, personal reflexive
insight, and link to the relevant disciplinary bodies of knowledge. However, if the 'faith', 'wisdom',
'values' or 'common sense' are based on reductionism, rigidity, closed-mindedness,
discriminatory stereotypes, disrespectful assumptions, supremacist or exclusionary values,
moralism, judgmentalism, or delusional wishful thinking and pseudo-solutions, then we are in the
domain of personal opinion, 'group think', or cultural belief systems (and not social sciences
research about these matters)."

Life experiences, keen observations, and pattern recognition are valuable and valid when
reflectively distilled into knowledge and wisdom over time. To deepen your reflection on this issue,
refer to the discussion in "Chapter 2: An Afro-sensed perspective on decolonising research
methodologies " regarding the problem of scientistic supremacy that has historically and could
potentially continue to silence and disempower local wisdom, knowledge, and perspectives. Also
see "Chapter 15: Narrative inquiry" and "Chapter 23: Participatory action research".

A valuable device to develop a birds-eye view of processes and patterns (i.e., research) in the
social sciences is to keep a detailed research journal or personal diary where you reflect on
significant daily events, social interactions, the emotions you experienced, and your thoughts
about them. In doing this, you will be "making the invisible more visible", and perhaps reveal
hidden long-standing assumptions and beliefs, and their effects in and on your life.

A RESEARCH PROBLEM OR RESEARCH QUESTION?

Lastly the distinction (Fouché et al., 2021, p. 64) between a "research question" and a "research
problem" can be misleading. A "research problem" does not mean or imply that you are
investigating a social or human problem, nor that research always mean that you must "solve a
problem". The authors of the chapter clearly state that "a common trap for researchers in practice,
however, is that they are sometimes looking for a solution to a practice problem, rather than
knowledge to inform a practice response" (p. 60). Examples of legitimate research interests could
30
 HMPYC80/102

include experiences of joy, happiness, enthusiasm, peacefulness, and love in a certain context
by certain people or groups. We agree with the authors that research can be driven by "informed
inquisitiveness" and "intellectual curiosity" (p. 61).

In conclusion, we prefer the use of the phrase "research question" or "research statement" as
these are more straightforward and unambiguous, rather than speaking of a "research problem"
that suggests an issue that is waiting to be "fixed" or conclusively answered by a researcher.

Conclusive answers and definitive fixes are unlikely as the world and our experiences of living
are infinitely complex, dynamic, changing, layered, nuanced, and often paradoxical or even
contradictory. However, in the case of well-designed, controlled, and randomised experiments or
clinical trials (and some correlational studies) over a sufficiently long period and with appropriate
context-sensitivity, the research result will most likely be conclusive and certain to a high degree
of probability -- but only with regard to a highly circumscribed, delimited and focused research
question.

The following process will help you develop a researchable topic.

Action 01: Delineate your world and describe yourself in relation to it

People find themselves in diverse worlds. The world in which you find yourself can be your daily
world in general, your work environment, or your home environment. It can be any of a variety of
experiential worlds you are exposed to every day. It can also be more abstract, a world you cannot
feel or touch directly, like your world of study, the academic world in general, the world of
economics, or the global world of the information era.

We seldom find ourselves in a single world, or a world divorced from the influences of other
worlds. It is not easy to separate clearly all the overlapping worlds of our daily existence. One
seldom stops to think about the world in which one finds oneself and to consider how one is
influenced by the worlds that overlap to form the rich contexts of one’s life.

How does one become aware of the world in which one finds oneself? It is in fact not all that
difficult. Here is a simple task to help you delineate your world and describe your position in this
world.

31 .
Step 1: Make two lists, one of the things that interest, excite, or worry you and the other of the
things you do. These lists can be as long as you wish but more than 10 items must be listed.

Things that interest, excite, or Things I do ....

worry me ...

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
… …
9. 9.
10. 10.
11. 11.

Step 2: Rank the items on your interest list from the most interesting to least interesting and
rank the items on your do list from actions you spend the most time on to those you
spend the least time on.

Interests listed from most Activities listed from most time

interesting, exciting, or worrisome spent on to least time spent on ....
to least interesting, exciting or
worrisome ...

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
… …
9. 9.
10. 10.
11. 11.

Step 3: Inspect your rank-ordered lists. Is there a relationship between your interests/worries
and your activities? If, in general, you spend the most time on the things that interest
or worry you, you have a fairly clear picture of the world in which you find yourself. On
the other hand, if you spend the least time on the things that interest or worry you most,
you find yourself in a context of overlapping worlds. Most peoples’ worlds are
somewhere between a clearly defined world and a complex context of overlapping

32
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worlds.

Step 4: Write a short essay in which you describe:

(a) your world to somebody who does not know anything about your world. (Remember to
refer to your interests and activity lists.)
(b) what you think of your world (What do you like about this world, what excites you, what
is problematic, what would you like to change, what could be better?)
(c) how you feel about your world (Does this world make you happy, do you find it exciting;
does it make you feel worried, sad, anxious, or depressed?)
(d) how other people, those who know you, would describe you in this world (What would
they say; how accurate would their assessment be?).

Read the resource on <Text: What is it?> in Tutorial Letter 104. You have now produced a text
(See <Text: What is it?>) about your world and about your position in this world. This text is
probably sufficient to make you aware of the world in which you find yourself and the unique way
you relate to this world. However, if you feel like uncovering more about your world you may
decide to start a diary.

Optional exercise: Produce a diary text or personal journal.

Keeping a diary requires time and commitment, yet the results are often surprising and exciting.
Choose a timeslot that allows for fifteen minutes of uninterrupted writing. Update your diary daily
for at least five days of the week. Use a new page for each entry and leave a broad margin - you
may need the space for analysis. Try not to stop writing before the time is up. Do not worry when
you draw a blank. When this happens simply describe how you spent the day. Engage in this
activity daily; get into the habit of writing at the same time every day. Do not delay till the end of
the week and then try to capture five or six days in one go.

You are free to record anything in your diary. However, it is a good idea to focus on behaviour
and emotionally tinged events. Record actions and experiences that elicit both positive and
negative emotions, not only in you, but also in those around you, or in society as a whole. Try to
explore events (or triggers), interactions with others, feelings, and cognitions or thoughts. A
useful dictum is to “describe, describe, describe” until the full experience or scenario has been
adequately reflected and the description is saturated.

Take five minutes at the end of each session to comment on the process of writing itself. Writing
is not easy. Initially, you may experience the exercise as superficial. You may even find it
threatening. Give yourself time. It may be that we are unaccustomed to reflect on our motives and
seldom stop to analyse other people's actions and reactions. It takes time to become less self-
conscious in one's writing. As you proceed you will notice how your diary entries lose their initial
superficial feel and how your writing becomes much more honest and down to earth. Therefore,
at the end of each session describe how that day's writing was like for you. Your diary text should
tell you a lot about your world and the way you exist in this world.

Action 02: Analyse your world.

To analyse your world, you need a text (See <Text: What is it?>) about your world. If you do not
have a text about your world you must execute Action 01 to produce a text. The process of
analysis requires the text you have written about your world as an input text. Through analysis,
you produce a second text, called the output text. The output text adds meaning to the original
text.
Step 1: Do the exercise contained in <Content analysis: An example> in Tutorial Letter 104.
33 .
Step 2: Apply the method described in <Content analysis: An example> in Tutorial Letter 104 to
analyse the text about your world.
You now have an analysis of your world text and of the way in which you exist in this world. If you
are lucky, the analysis provides a clear picture, but this is seldom the case. Usually, our worlds
are too complex to be unravelled by a single analysis. Still, you should have a clearer picture of
the world in which you find yourself, and of the way in which you exist in this world.

Action 03: Find a research issue, interest, or problem in your world

You need an analysed text (See <Text: What is it?> and <Content analysis: An example>) to
execute this action. If you do not have an analysed text you must execute Actions 1 and 2 first.
Sometimes the themes emerging from texts are clear-cut and ready to be formulated as a
research statement or question, but this is the exception. Here we arrive at one of those moments
where you can count yourself among the fortunate minority or see yourself as part of the less
fortunate majority! If you are fortunate enough to have a clear formulation of the research issue
you want to research you can skip this action, although you may still find it useful to read through
the material - there are some interesting ideas here. On the other hand, if you feel, as most people
do, that the themes extracted from your text are interesting but that you are not quite ready to
formulate a research question or statement, you will find this activity useful.

The principle of this exercise is quite simple: Turn around the process you have been following
up till now. In other words, instead of extracting themes from the labelled texts, you begin with
themes and organise the determining labels.

Here is how you do it: Draw a table with four columns. Call the first column "Theme", the second
column "Event level", the third "Regulating process", and the fourth "Mind and Body processes".
In the theme-column write down the most prominent theme that emerged from your text. This
theme may have been extracted from a single text or diary entry, or from several texts. If you use
a single text or a single diary entry look for repeating topics/ideas. Topics/ideas that repeat
constitute themes. Trace the phrases that relate to the theme you have listed in the "Theme"
column, to find the event labels that have been associated with this theme. List these labels in
the "Event level" column. Repeat the process for the third (Regulating process) and fourth (Mind,
soul, and body process) columns. Your table now may look something like this:

THEME EVENT LEVEL REGULATORY MIND, SOUL AND BODY

PROCESS PROCESSES

Prominent theme Prominent event Prominent regulating Prominent mind, soul and
appears in: levels are: processes are: body processes are:
- Phrase 1 ..... A4 B3 C3
- Phrase 2 ..... A3 B2 C2
- Phrase 3 ..... A4 and A3 B3 C3
- Phrase 4 ..... A4 B2 and B3 C3

34
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The table provides a summary of the labels underlying the theme in question. Look for trends in
the label columns. For example, some labels will appear more often than others. The idea is to
find a pattern and to interpret the pattern. You may, for instance, see that most of the labels in the
"Event level" column refer to "Societal", that a large proportion of the "Regulatory process" labels
refer to "Ideological", and that the labels in the "Mind, Soul and Body process" column seem to
cluster around "Cognitions/Conation", “Emotions” and “Body Somatics”. The emerging pattern
defines your research field. For example, the labels may show that the theme in question focuses
on the notion that ideological processes are strongly involved in regulating human behaviour in
society. Thus, the research field is defined by the focus on society, ideology, and wilful or goal-
directed behaviour. This is the context of your research question.
In case you struggle to read your table and find the focus of your research issue or interest,
remember patterns are not always definite and precise. You are lucky if your table shows a clear
pattern. Do not be afraid to work with any trend you see in your table, even if the patterns are
vague or the information seems somewhat confusing. If you are really stuck, with no trend
emerging from your table, list the second most prominent theme in the "Theme" column and
repeat the exercise. At least one of your themes will produce a pattern, especially if you use a
fairly lengthy text or more than one diary entry.
Put your notion about the research field in writing, even if your ideas are still somewhat vague.
Write a sentence that begins as follows:
My research field (interest, concern, or problem) concerns .......................................................
The first goal on the way to formulating a research issue, interest, or "problem" is to define your
field of research. This you have done in the above exercise. The second aim is to formulate a
specific research question or statement in your research field. This is not difficult if you work with
the pattern that emerges from your table. Simply add another column to your table, and call this
column, "Content". Trace the phrases associated with the theme in question. In the "Content"
column list the key terms that describe the different instances or contents of the theme.
Remember, a theme normally emerges from several different phrases. Thus, different events can
point to the theme in question. The aim is to extract these events because they are instances of
the theme they point to. They provide the content of their theme. In other words, they show how
a theme manifests itself in different occurrences. Now examine the "Content" column. Try to find
a trend or pattern. Perhaps different occurrences happened more frequently than others, or some
occurrences may have been recorded in more detail because they were more meaningful. Try to
narrow down your focus to a particular content area and ask the following question: What is the
matter or the issue that I would like to know more about or that I would like to investigate? Once
you have pinpointed this topic you have identified your research issue or interest.

You must formulate your research issue or interest in writing. Write a sentence that begins as
follows:

My research issue, interest, or problem concerns .......................................................................

You have now delineated a research field and isolated a research issue or interest within this
field. The research field and the research issue or interest were extracted from the text you wrote
about the world in which you find yourself and the way in which you relate to this world. At this
stage, you probably view the research issue or interest as a tentative idea, and you are probably
not too clear about the exact nature of the research issue. This does not matter; the point is that
you have developed some degree of focus and you have practised a method for developing focus.

35 .
Action 04: Place your research issue or interest in context
You need a research question to execute this action. If you do not have a research question you
must execute Actions 1, 2, and 3 first.
You have isolated and outlined an issue that is obviously important to you. However, despite its
apparent significance others may fail to see why any time should be spent on researching the
issue. You must convince them that time and possibly money should be spent on studying and
understanding the issue. This may help toward a better approach to addressing a problem, but
usually is understanding and insight-based. To understand the issue better you must situate the
research issue in context.

Step 1: Ask yourself where and how the research issue or interest fits into the lived world of
experience and the abstract world of theory. Who or what does the issue refer to - who
or what would be involved in the study? What is the background to the issue or
phenomenon, where does it come from? What makes the issue an interesting research
topic? Is it a problem and does it relate to other problems? Is it curiosity or an
observation that you have made? What knowledge do you have that sheds light on the
issue? What kind of knowledge do you still need that could help you in your research?
Who could benefit from the research? In what way would they benefit? Write down
some thoughts on these matters:

Step 2: Have a look at the ideas you came up with in Step 1. They provide a good basis for
what you already know. The question is: What do you not know? What do you still need
to find out about? Put question marks above (or next to) those aspects that require
clarification or additional information.
Do not be surprised if most of your question mark points are concerned with the
research context (one needs to understand how the issue or phenomenon comes
about, and under what circumstances) and the research literature (one needs to know
what others have discussed, thought, and found empirically on the issue, or related
issues). A literature survey is important because it sheds light on a variety of issues
concerning the research issue or interest.
Step 3: For each of the following categories write down any question mark aspects you may
have generated in Step 2. If you do not have a question mark aspect for a particular
category, take a moment to formulate one. You should have at least one aspect per
category, to begin with. You will raise more aspects as you progress with your literature
survey. You will notice that the process quickly becomes circular: the initial aspects
start you off on a literature survey, the survey generates answers but also raises
additional issues; these issues stimulate a wider search of relevant literature, and so
the process continues.
Issues concerning the research context (where the issue comes from, how it fits into the lived
world of experience and the theoretical world):

Issues concerning the issue referents (who or what the issue refers to):
Issues concerning the research issue or interest itself (what has been done and / or published
already about the matter at hand):
Issues concerning research ethics (aspects that may cause ethical problems in the research
project - refer to <Ethics> in Tutorial Letter 104):

36
 HMPYC80/102

Issues concerning the research beneficiaries (who or what stands to benefit from the research):
Step 4: Read the chapter in the prescribed book on finding relevant literature. This refers to
chapter 6 in Research at grass roots: "The place of literature and theory in research",
in Fouché et al. (2021). Do a literature survey to address the points listed in Step 3.
Remember, you need keywords to do a literature survey. List the most important
themes raised by the points from Step 3. Isolate the key terms describing these
themes. As you are a postgraduate student you have already done quite a bit of
psychology and you are probably in possession of useful psychological books and
articles. These resources may have some useful material. If you need more information
you can contact the Unisa library to help you with a literature survey. You can send
your queries to: [email protected] (see Tutorial Letter 101).

Action 05: Write a paragraph about your research issue or interest

You need a contextualised research issue or interest to execute this action. If you do not have a
contextualised research issue or interest you must execute Action 04 first. If you have a
contextualised research issue or interest, then you are ready to produce the outcome product of
this learning activity, namely a description of your research issue or interest.

Write a paragraph (this may in fact be more than one paragraph) in which you describe your
research issue or interest and situate the issue in a lived world of experience and theoretical
context. Your research proposal will contain a contextualised description of your research issue
or interest.

Note: Develop a unique and personally relevant research question

You must develop your own unique research question for this module. Always ensure that your
study is a psychological study and that the research question contains psychological terminology
and constructs.

Remember:
○ Continuously update your Research and Course Journal by logging the actions and reflecting
on your experiences in this section.
○ File all your drafts and notes carefully in your Documentation Centre or Archive. Indicate in
your Journal which materials will go into your Learning and Research Portfolio. Use this
thinking to complete a reflective insert in your Journal, referring to the reflective questions in
the <Portfolio> and <Research and Course Journal> sections.
○ Update your Internet Security and anti-virus software.
○ Perform your data backups to the Internet, external devices, and/or via email.

37 .
 Assignment 02

Title
Assignment 02: Steps unique to quantitative research

NOTE The assignment must be submitted online. (You cannot submit the assignment via
the postal system or as a hard copy.) This assignment is very important as each
assignment contributes to your final mark in this module.
There is no exam in this module and combined assignment marks will constitute
your final mark. This is guided by the principle of continuous assessment.
According to the university rules regarding "continuous assessment", there will be
no exam or supplementary examinations. Therefore, it is very important that you
aim to complete every assignment A minimum of two-thirds of the assessments
must be completed to qualify for completion in the module - this means that you
must submit at least 4 assignments, submit the compulsory Assignment 06, and
attain a combined assignment mark of at least 50% to pass this module.

Project: Study chapters 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the prescribed textbook. Then review the
multiple-choice questions on myUnisa for this assignment and select the correct
answer for each question.

Resource Tutorial letters 102 and 104, and the prescribed book for HMPYC80.
material:

Time 2 weeks
required:

Final due 2024-04-24 and closes at 17h00! [Important notice: Please submit your assignment
date: early to avoid disappointment due to ICT, loadshedding, or other issues.]

Year mark: Contribution to final mark: 7%

Unique 533049
number:

Online This assignment consists of multiple-choice questions and must be submitted

submission electronically via the myUnisa assessments tool.

38
 HMPYC80/102

How to submit assignments:

1. To complete the assignment, go to myUnisa
2. Log in with your student number and password and select myModules 2024
3. Select the module HMPYC80
4. Select the assessment in the menu: Assessment 02
5. Follow the instructions

Please ensure that you submit your assignment timeously and before the due date!
As the items are drawn from an item pool each student will receive a different
assignment, therefore a feedback tutorial letter will not be provided for this
assignment.

39 .
 Review a research article
Learning Activity 04

Title
Evaluate and review research articles

Outcome product
Description
- Review of a research article
Standards
A prescribed and structured evaluation schedule is used to evaluate research articles.
Assessment criteria
You are competent to evaluate and review a research article if:
1. the prescribed evaluation schedule is used correctly
2. your evaluation ratings correspond with the norm
3. your evaluation ratings are justified by examples from the article.

Method
Action 01: Review an article.

Resources
Outcomes of Learning Activities 01 - 05
Resource material 01 and 02 in this Tutorial Letter: Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3);
Review Log for the Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3).
A research article as specified in this section.
Tutorial Letter 104 <RESEARCH REVIEW INVENTORY: Application of the R.R.I. with answers:
Example 1, and other examples>

Introduction
Composing a research proposal requires cognitive and writing skills. However, reviewing a
proposal requires one to approach the relevant cognitive and writing skills from a higher
perspective and to deal with them on a more advanced level. Not only does one have to be
competent in implementing the cognitive and writing skills required for composing a research
proposal, but one also has to be able to judge the quality of these cognitive and writing skills. It is
difficult to decide how well an action was executed if one does not know how to execute the action
itself. When one reviews a proposal submitted by another author, one practices one’s ability to
judge the quality of the other author’s cognitive and writing skills. In other words, one practices
one’s meta-competency in the field of research methodology.

40
 HMPYC80/102

Action 01: Review an article

The previous learning activities guided you in writing a research proposal. Keeping in mind what
you have learned, you now need to apply your knowledge by reviewing research articles and
proposals. The review of an article is now offered as an assignment. This method will also be
used to by you to perform a self-review of your draft and final research proposal.

Study the Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3) as provided in Resource Material 01 and 02 at
the end of this tutorial letter (from page 61 onward). Then apply the Research Review Inventory
(R.R.I.3) to the following article.

Review exercise

Example article to understand the review procedure:

Download, study and review the following demonstration article:
Example article: Biance Dekel and Michelle Andipatin (2016). Abused Women's Understandings
of Intimate Partner Violence and the Link to Intimate Femicide [85 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative
Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 17(1), Art. 9,
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/fqs-17.1.2394
Use the following URL web address to access the above article:
http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/2394/3939
or, http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/2394

Perform a review of the above article with the Research Review Inventory (Resource Material
01 in this tutorial letter). Use all 58 items to perform the evaluation as this is an article and not a
proposal.

After you have completed the above review and revision you can compare your answers with
the memorandum that is provided in Tutorial Letter 104: " RESEARCH REVIEW INVENTORY
(R.R.I. revised): Application of the R.R.I. with answers: Example 1".

You should also practice the other review examples that are provided toward the end of Tutorial
Letter 104.

Remember:
○ Continuously update your Research and Course Journal by logging the actions and reflecting
on your experiences in this section.
○ File all your drafts and notes carefully in your Documentation Centre or Archive. Indicate in
your Journal which materials will go into your Learning and Research Portfolio. Use this
thinking to complete a reflective insert in your Journal, referring to the reflective questions in
the <Portfolio> and <Research and Course Journal> sections.
○ Update your Internet Security and anti-virus software.
○ Perform your data backups to the Internet, external devices, and/or via email.

41 .
 Assignment 03

Title
Assignment 03: Steps unique to qualitative research and review a research article
with the Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3)

NOTE: In this assignment, you must apply the Research Review Inventory that is
provided in Resource Material 01 of this tutorial letter to review a published
article in a peer-reviewed journal by Richardson, P., & Andipatin, M. (2023).
The assignment must be submitted online. You may not submit the
assignment via the postal system. This assignment is very important as each
assignment contributes to your final mark in this module. There is no exam
in this module and combined assignment marks will constitute your final mark.
This is guided by the principle of continuous assessment. According to the
university rules regarding "continuous assessment", there will be no exams or
supplementary examinations. Therefore, it is very important that you aim to
complete every assignment. A minimum of two-thirds of the assessments
must be completed to qualify for completion in the module - this means that
you must submit at least 4 assignments, submit the compulsory Assignment
06, and attain a combined assignment mark of at least 50% to pass this
module.
Project: Study the prescribed textbook chapters: 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.
Complete the MCQ questions for this assessment on myUnisa.

AND

Review an article and enter your ratings questions for this assessment
on myUnisa.

Study the Research Review Inventory that is provided in Resource Material

01. Ensure that you have practiced Learning Activity 04: Review a research
article and know how to use the Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3).

Download and study the following research article:

Richardson, P., & Andipatin, M. (2023). South African fathers’ experiences

with healthcare providers during their partners’ medically high-risk pregnancy
and childbirth. South African Journal of Psychology, (online article),
https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231207511

Use the following URL web address to access the above article:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/00812463231207511

Carefully study this research article and then use the Research Review
Inventory (R.R.I.3) that is provided as Resource Material 01 and the log in

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Resource Material 02 at the end of this tutorial letter to review the proposal.

An MS Word format of the Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3) log is also

available in the Resources folder on Unisa myModules. Please keep a record
of your comments to compare your answers to the memorandum in the
feedback tutorial letter. You should also practice the other review examples
that are provided in Tutorial Letter 104 in preparation for

Note that you must submit your answers to the MCQ questions for this
assessment on myUnisa with regard to
(A) the prescribed textbook chapters: 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, and
(B) the answers for the R.R.I.3 ratings (58 items) online on the myUnisa
assessment quiz.

You are not expected to enter your review comments for this assignment, but
should keep a copy of your comments handy for comparison with the
memorandum.

Resource Tutorial letters 102 and 104, and the prescribed book for HMPYC80.
material:
Time 2 weeks
required:
Final 2024-05-22 and closes at 17h00. [Important notice: Please submit your
due date: assignment early to avoid disappointment due to ICT, loadshedding, or
other issues.]

Year mark: Contribution to final mark: 15%

Unique 745124
number:

Online Assignment 03 consists of multiple-choice questions for both the prescribed

submission book chapers and the 58 review items of the R.R.I.3 -- and must be submitted
electronically on myUnisa.

How to submit assignments:

1. To complete the assignment, go to myUnisa
2. Log in with your student number and password, select myModules 2024
3. Select the module HMPYC80
4. Select the assessment in the menu: Assessment 03
5. Follow the instructions

Please ensure that you submit your assignment timeously before the due
date!

43 .
How to review an article with the Research Review Inventory (58 items)

Use the Research Review Inventory (R.R.I. revised, see Resource Material 01 at the end of this
tutorial letter and see Resource Material 02: the review log) to review the above article.

You must apply the information contained in the review criteria to the article you must rate. So,
take the first criterion which pertains to the title of the study. After you have studied the article,
look at the title and then decide if it meets the first set of criteria. If it meets the criteria sufficiently
you give a rating of 3. If it doesn't meet the criteria at all, you give a rating of 1.

For this assignment, you will not be able to add qualitative comments regarding the rationale of
your choices. However, we recommend that you use the Review Log for the Research Review
Inventory (R.R.I.3) in Resource Material 03 to keep a personal log of your answers and
comments. You can then compare your answers to the correct answers that will be provided in
feedback tutorial letter 203 which will be made available after the assignment due date.

Note that the ITEMS in the Research Review Inventory (Resource Material 01) can be read as

QUESTIONS. For example:

Question 01. Does the title contain (at least) one central psychological concept or construct from
the research proposal or study?

Question 02. Does the title indicate the research setting or demographic information of the sample
population? Any one of the following is sufficient: where, who, when, under what circumstances,
or the phenomenon that is being investigated.

Question 03. Does the title point to, or refer to the research method, design, or paradigm? This
may be signalled by keywords such as: “lived experiences”, “perceptions”, “attitudes”,
“constructions”, “discourses”, “quasi-experimental”, “critical study”, “psychometric properties”,
“correlational study”, “inferential study” (and so on).

Question 04. …
Question 58. …

Continue to answer all questions from 01 to 58 to complete the article review as listed in Resource
Material 01 at the end of this tutorial letter.
Remember that these answers will range from 1 to 3 only. Use the log (Resource Material 02)
to record and keep a backup log of all your answers.

Remember that these answers will range from 1 to 3 only. The ratings are defined as follows:
1 or a: Absent, incorrect, or completely wrong.
2 or b: Only partially addressed. It does not attain the item requirement(s) or criterion/criteria.
3 or c: Sufficiently up to standard in terms of the item criteria.

Every item should be reviewed and rated on the above three-point scale of 1 to 3.

Use the log (Resource Material 03) to note all your answers.

Remember, if the item criterion is not explicitly addressed then you must allocate a low rating.
Good academic writing is clear and transparent. If a reader needs to guess whether an issue has
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been implemented and addressed or not, then the writing is neither clear nor transparent. Only
give a high rating if the item criteria have been explicitly addressed.

The abbreviated items 01 to 58 are provided in the Review Log for the Research Review Inventory
(Resource Material 03 of this tutorial letter). Use this to note your answer and justification before
entering only your multiple-choice answer on the myUnisa Assignment Quiz. You are expected
to enter your response of 1, 2 or 3 only. You will only be able to enter the numeric ratings of the
above article. However, keep your justification comments for comparison with the answers
provided in the feedback tutorial letter.

As the items are drawn from an item pool each student will receive a different assignment,
therefore a feedback tutorial letter will not be provided for the first part of the assignment
(prescribed textbook chapters: 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19).

However, a feedback tutorial letter will be provided for the second part of this assignment. This
will cover the answers for the R.R.I.3 ratings (58 items) with regard to the review article.

45 .
 Formulate a research question
Learning Activity 05

Title
Formulate a research question

Outcome product
Description
- A research question or research statement
- A hypothesis or research concept.
Standards
The research question is formulated by the researcher and is based on a research statement
that the researcher formulated earlier on. The research issue or interest belongs to the field of
psychology, and the research question is formulated in terms of psychological constructs and
terminology. If the research question can be expressed in terms of particular variables the
question is stated in the form of a hypothesis or research concept.
Assessment criteria
1. You are competent to formulate a research question if the research question:
- describes the general research issue or interest in precise and unambiguous terms
- indicates the population to be studied
- identifies the key factors (constructs and concepts) to be investigated
- gives information about the research method (for example, whether a descriptive study or
a study of the relationships among variables is implied).

2. You are competent to formulate a research hypothesis or research concept if:

- the key factors or constructs that are at stake in the research question are identified
- possible relationships among key factors or constructs are explicitly stated
- the key factors or constructs are operationalised to be observable
- feasible ways to observe variables or concepts are suggested
- the research question is expressed in terms of the relationships among the observable
variables or constructs in such a way that the expression constitutes a testable hypothesis
or a working conceptual model
- the testable hypothesis or research concepts form a working conceptual model that
specifies a relationship between observable variables in precise and unambiguous terms

Method
Action 01: Formulate research questions.
Action 02: Evaluate the validity of the questions.
Action 03: Formulate a hypothesis or a research concept
Action 04: Evaluate the hypothesis or the research concept

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Resources
From Tutorial Letter 104
<Hypotheses>, <Relationship between variables>, <Research problems and questions>,
<Variables>, <Ethics>
Sections B. “Introduction to the research interest, issue or problem” and C. “Use of literature in
the literature review” From RESOURCE 2 Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3)
From the prescribed book: “Research at grass roots”
Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in Fouché et al. (2021)

Introduction
Research interests are broad descriptions of matters or issues identified as research topics. For
example, if I suggest I would like to know more about how ideology guides people's decisions I
am stating a research issue or interest, but it is not at all clear how I plan to find answers to this
issue. One’s research topic needs to be refined and focused by translating it into a research
question. This research question (or research statement) will then guide you in planning a study
that will enable you to find answers to your research issue or interest.

You can start by asking questions about your research interest. Such research questions deal
with more specific situations. The following are two examples of research questions based on the
research question about ideology and goal-directed or wilful behaviour in society: What kind of
decisions do people living in autocratic societies take personal responsibility for? What will
happen if I ask grade 6 kids to decide the timetable for their daily curriculum? Note that research
questions are often abstract and theoretical but are geared towards particular situations and
content matter.

If your aim is to describe and interpret a specific phenomenon you could frame your
research as a question. For example, "What is it like to be a victim of crime?" or "What are the
lived experiences of new parents?" Personal experience and meaning are important in this type
of study. As you learn and understand the phenomenon more deeply, the focus of your study
might shift, leading to a change or adjustment in your research question. However, if you aim to
look for relations between phenomena and for reasons why things happen, you need to
formulate a more formal research statement.

A good technique that is used to drill deeper into a working conceptual model to better understand
the phenomenon is to use “the five why’s”. Why are you interested in learning about the
experience of being a victim of crime? Your answer might be that you had a family member who
experienced this. Follow up with a 2nd why: Why (or how) is this of psychological interest to you?
Your answer might be that your family member was disabled and become very fearful after the
event. If the previous answer gives you a better research question, stop there. Or, you can follow
up with a 3rd why: Why (or how) did they express their fear, and what actions did they exhibit?
Your answer might be that the family member became agoraphobic and refused to go to parks or
shopping malls as they are associated with the trauma of the crime. Now follow up with a 4th why:
Why is this of interest to me, what is a researchable issue in this specific event?

A demonstration of the “the five why’s” follows next.

47 .
 Exploration with “the five why’s” Response

Why are you interested in learning about the Your answer might be that you had a family member who
experience of being a victim of crime? experienced this.

Why (or how) is this of psychological interest Your answer might be that your family member was
to you? disabled and become very fearful after the event.

If the previous answer gives you a better research question, stop there.

Why (or how) did they express their fear, Your answer might be that the family member became
and what actions did they exhibit agoraphobic and refused to go to parks or shopping malls
as they are associated with the trauma of the crime

Now follow up with a 4th why: Why is this of interest to me, what is a researchable issue in this specific
event?

This process, if applied long enough, will help you to formulate a deeper and more relevant research
question. Eventually, you will have to indicate the type of information that you will be working with as
well as imply a method (or methods) for gathering the data.

This again influences the method (or methods) of data analysis. To understand what it is like to
be a victim of crime who experiences a form of post-traumatic stress, we will focus on personal
experiences and a suitable method for gathering the data would be to interview victims and these
interviews would then be analysed.

Please review Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in the textbook.

Action 01: Formulate research questions

It is not too difficult to formulate research questions once you have identified the main research
question. Make a list of the key terms describing specific instances of your research issue, interest
or problem. Use these key terms to formulate questions that fit in the framework of your research
question. Formulate a number of questions - as many as you can. Formulating more than one
question facilitates your understanding of the research issue or interest, which in turn enables
you to improve the quality of your research questions.

Write down a couple of research questions or interests (or curiosities) based on your research
question:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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Action 02: Evaluate the validity and suitability of the questions

The next step is to determine how suitable and appropriate your research questions are. You
must consider the key factors in your questions to determine whether these questions are
appropriate for a psychological study. See whether you can isolate the key factors of the first
research question (on ideology and goal-directed behaviour) provided as an example.

The key factors of the example research question are autocratic society, kind of decision, and
personal responsibility. These factors are critical for the suitability and appropriateness of the
question or statement. If one or more of these factors cannot be precisely described, or
determined in practical terms, the question cannot be answered. For example, one needs to
clearly define what is meant by autocratic society and by personal responsibility, and one needs
to indicate how one plans to distinguish between different kinds of decisions. Normally the
description of a key factor simply means that one spells out clearly what is meant by the concept,
but such descriptions can also become quite complex. For example, it may be necessary to use
a scientifically designed questionnaire to determine a society's level of autocracy.

Let’s return to your own work now. Choose the most interesting research question from those you
have formulated above, and isolate its key factors:

Now see whether you can provide precise descriptions of these key factors:

You are now in a position to consider the validity of your research question. You probably
encountered one or two issues. This is not surprising. Research questions are seldom flawless
when it comes to operationalising them in practice. Do not give up on your question if you are not
satisfied with its psychological value and validity as a researchable concept. Revisit key factors
that contribute to the research issue(s) and see if they can be defined, described or measured or
observed in different ways. If this does not help, try to rephrase the question. By rephrasing the
question, new key factors are called into the picture and some of the old ones are dismissed.
However, if these remedies are unsuccessful, it is perhaps better to consider one of your other
research questions. Still, do not feel disheartened if you have to give up on a particular research
question. Some questions are interesting but simply not practical.

Action 03: Formulate a hypothesis or a research concept

Before we continue, you need to study the section on <Variables> in Tutorial Letter 104 as we
will refer to the concepts you work with as variables. “Levels of measurement”, that is the type of
variable one is working with, is also discussed in the prescribed book – see Chapter 13:
Quantitative data analysis and interpretation.

You have selected a research question and described the key factors in this question. Now that
you know what is meant by these concepts, you should have a good idea of the type of information
that you will be working with and you can also start thinking about methods for obtaining this
information. If your research aims to look for a relationship between the concepts, your research
question would be about this relationship. (Study the resource on <Research problems and
questions> in Tutorial Letter 104 where criteria for this type of question are discussed.) You would
typically want to measure the concepts and work with numerical data. It is therefore not enough
to have a specific research question, you also need to translate your question into a more formal
statement called a hypothesis (if you are doing experimental and quasi-experimental research).
A hypothesis refers to the relationship you are interested in and this will have implications later
on for how the relevant concepts can be measured. However, suppose that your aim is not to

49 .
provide proof about the relationship between concepts. In this case, you can inquire into the
principles of information elicitation via an interview schedule, a qualitative coding schedule, or
some other method of systematically investigating and analysing a phenomenon. For many, but
not all qualitative research approaches, a prior working understanding of the psychological
phenomenon and theories that apply is of vital importance.

Formulate your hypothesis or research concept and write them out:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Action 04: Evaluate the hypothesis or the research concept

(a) A good hypothesis expresses a relationship between two or more concepts (or key factors).
In other words, one can measure the variables and test the statement about the relationship
between the variables. Subject your hypothesis to the two criteria that hypotheses should adhere
to. Isolate the variables (the key factors or concepts) in question and indicate the relationship(s)
between these variables.
Or, (b) if you are following a qualitative approach: discuss the key factors and dynamics that can
be used to understand the research phenomenon (i.e., provide a working research concept or
conceptual scheme).

(a) Are these concepts observable? Indicate how you would operationalise each of these
variables or concepts to render them observable. Or, (b) Is the working research concept or
conceptual scheme useful to elicit themes using a qualitative research approach? Discuss how.

(a) If you are satisfied that you have arrived at a research hypothesis that passes the “two criteria
test”, then write it down. Remember, you can return and revise your hypothesis at any time! Or,
(b) If the working research concept or conceptual scheme is useful to elicit themes using a
qualitative research approach, then write them down.

We have referred to the relationship between variables but what does this mean once you have
measured your variables? Read the resource on <Relationship between variables> in Tutorial
Letter 104 and Chapter 13: Quantitative data analysis and interpretation. This serves as an
introduction to the sections on data analysis where one works with values or numbers after having
measured the variables. (Note that you are not expected to do the calculations in part 2 of this
resource topic.) For qualitative research refer to the relevant chapters in Section D of the
prescribed textbook by Fouché et al. (2021).

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Remember:
○ Continuously update your Research and Course Journal by logging the actions and reflecting
on your experiences in this section.
○ File all your drafts and notes carefully in your Documentation Centre or Archive. Indicate in
your Journal which materials will go into your Learning and Research Portfolio. Use this
thinking to complete a reflective insert in your Journal, referring to the reflective questions in
the <Portfolio> and <Research and Course Journal> sections.
○ Update your Internet Security and anti-virus software.
○ Perform your data backups to the Internet, external devices, and/or via email.

51 .
 Design a feasible research project
Learning Activity 06

Title
Design a feasible research project

Outcome product
Description
A design plan for the project
Standards
The project addresses a psychological research issue or interest. The researcher is free to
choose any real-world issue that is manageable by an individual researcher. The research
design is selected by the researcher from a range of designs offered in the prescribed resource
material.
Assessment criteria
You are competent to write a design plan for a research project if:
1. the research question or statement is stated clearly
2. a research design is selected that is appropriate in light of the stated research question
3. the selected research design is used to indicate how the research issue or interest is to
be researched, and the indicated process is practically feasible
4. the selected research design provides the necessary information about the method,
subjects, the procedures to be used for data collection and data analysis, and the financial
costs implicated in the execution of the project
5. the selected research design satisfies the ethical requirements associated with
psychological research studies
6. the design plan is structured logically and is presented in clear and precise language.

Method
Action 01: Decide what you want to do
Action 02: Decide what you have to observe
Action 03: Decide how you want to observe
Action 04: Assess the feasibility of your project
Action 05: Write the design plan for your project

Resources
From Tutorial Letter 104
<Research design (Introduction)>, <Ethics>
From Sections B. “Introduction to the research interest, issue or problem”, C. “Use of literature
in the literature review” and D. “The research method: How will the research question be
investigated?”
Resource material: Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3)

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From the prescribed book: “Research at grass roots”

Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 in Fouché et al. (2021)

Introduction
You need a research question to execute the following actions. If you do not have a research
question you must work through the Learning Activity: Formulate a research question or
statement.

Study Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of the textbook.

Action 01: Decide what you want to do

Research involves doing things. The researcher has to execute particular activities to conduct
his/her study. Outlining these activities gives one an idea of the study’s design. There are
guidelines and conventions as to how a research study should be structured and conducted. The
design of the study is a function of the research question. In other words, the nature of the issue
determines what has to be done and how these activities have to be structured. The nature of
these activities can vary, ranging from passive observations to complex interventions.
Researchers can choose to merely observe what happens, or they can decide to intervene in
situations and then observe the effects of their interventions. A researcher may even plan a series
of interventions and observations in an attempt to actively change a situation.

Consider your research question. Is it your intention to observe and to describe your observation
without making an intervention, or does investigating (or solving) your research issue (or problem)
involve some form of treatment or intervening action? For example, watching kids' behaviour on
the playgrounds, or asking people for their opinions about something (even if you use a
questionnaire) would be observation and description without intervention. Intervention, on the
other hand, refers to any planned attempt aimed at changing things. For example, placing new
apparatuses in the playgrounds and watching kids' behaviour around these objects would be
called "observation after intervention".

Write down what you plan to do. Remember, your answer would be provisional. You may have to
revisit and rewrite your activities as you progress through the following actions.

You have now provisionally formulated what you want to do, but as you know, research is a
process of continual compromise. So before going on, read the resource on <Ethics> and pay
close attention to the types of research you are allowed to do. Does your provisional formulation
of what you want to do imply actions that are not allowed – such as performing some kind of
intervention? If so, reformulate your provisional research plan so that it fits within the allowed
parameters. If you find it impossible to reformulate your plan so that it conforms to the ethical
criteria then go back to your previous Learning Activities and reformulate your research question.
Consider what the broad topic is that interests you, and then try formulating as many different
research questions as you can. You are sure to find at least one question that leads to an
acceptable type of research project.

53 .
Dr Cecile Badenhorst has many excellent presentations on research. She notes that “research
conceptualization doesn’t just happen at the beginning of a project. It needs to be tweaked and
refined all the way through a project and then written into the thesis. Research conceptualization
is written into problem statements, research proposals and introduction sections of
papers/theses.” (Badenhorst, 2021, para 4) Her “Problem Purpose Statements and Questions”
(PPS&Q) approach to developing a research question can help you in the process of dine-tuning
your research project.

Study the following four online videos by Dr Cecile Badenhorst and use them to fine-tune your
research concept and question:
1. Research basics and conceptualizing research: https://youtu.be/T2oH_IRxUU4
2. Problem purpose statements and questions (PPS&Q): https://youtu.be/GfuCj_usXO4
3. Problem formulation and gap setting Conceptualizing research:
https://youtu.be/tRuVumjxmPU
4. Problem Purpose Statement & Questions (PPS&Q) tips Conceptualizing research:
https://youtu.be/FNzkm3bHEbk, (Badenhorst, 2021).

REFERENCE

Badenhorst, C. (2021, Aug 25) The link between research conceptualization and writing. A
research and writing go-to site for post/graduate students and academics blog.
https://cecilebadenhorst.wordpress.com/2021/08/25/the-link-between-research-
conceptualization-and-writing/

Action 02: Decide what you have to observe

The question to ask is: Where will the information that I plan to use in my research project come
from? Who or what will be observed? For example, do you plan to observe people, study written
texts, or analyse video clips?

The next question is: Exactly what kind of information are you interested in? In other words, what
kind of information do you want to record? One needs to be fairly concrete in this answer. Are
you going to record words, sentences, articles, sounds, visual images, etcetera? Do you plan to
count or measure things, or is the information you require of a qualitative kind? Consider your
project and write down some preliminary ideas.

The kind of data one deals with varies in origin (e.g., intra-personal, inter-individual, societal, etc.),
in nature (e.g., physiological, cognitive, emotional, etc.), and in kind of measurement (e.g.,
quantitative and qualitative/categorical). Read the chapters in the prescribed book on ways to
obtain data in chapters 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 of Fouché et al. (2021). This
may seem like a lot of reading, however, at this stage, it is unnecessary to read every page. The
idea is to get an overview of the different types of data that can be elicited from subjects and other
sources. Decide what type of data would best suit your purposes, and consider how you would
elicit the appropriate information from your data sources. Jot down preliminary ideas, together
with relevant page numbers from the prescribed book.

Action 03: Decide how you want to observe

The next step is to plan your observations. Do you need a single observation, or perhaps a series
of observations? Do you plan intervention-observation cycles? Will you observe one group or
more than one group? Write down some preliminary ideas.
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Now tackle the question about your observation plan in more detail. Read <Research design
(Introduction)>. Consider references to research design in your prescribed book, specifically
chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 20 and 23 in Fouché et al. (2021). If you
plan to observe people, how many groups would be required to ensure the internal validity of your
study? Refine the ideas you have written down before about who or what you want to observe,
how many groups you need for your observations, and whether or not your study requires
interventions of any kind. See whether you can come up with a good design for your project. First,
write down general ideas, then fill in the details.

A last issue concerns the idea of sampling. You have decided already who or what you plan to
observe. Just take a moment and consider the following question: Where will your data come
from? Now consider the next issue: Once you have done your study and obtained your results
you would want to make certain statements based on these findings. The question is: Who will
you be talking about? To whom will you be able to apply your findings? In other words, who or
what is the target group - the group to whom you wish to generalise your research findings? Will
the target group be the subjects of the research project only, or will the subjects partaking in your
study be a sample representing a more general target population? It is often the case that one
cannot observe, test, or evaluate everyone in one’s target population. One needs a sample or a
particular focus group. Do you need a sample? How will you select the sample? Remember, even
if you plan a single case study, the single subject still constitutes a sample. Study the sections on
sampling in the prescribed book, specifically chapters 12 and 18 in Fouché et al. (2021) and
indicate how you plan to constitute your sample.

Again, check that your data sources conform to guidelines on the types of research you may do
(See <Ethics>).

Action 04: Assess the feasibility of your project

You should have a good idea of what you want to do and how you want to do this if you have
successfully completed the above activities. However, it pays to take a moment to consider the
feasibility of these ideas. There are two broad domains to consider when assessing the feasibility
of a research project, namely the domain of practical implications and the domain of ethics. (Refer
to the sections on research design in the prescribed book that you have studied for Action 03.)
Consider your proposed project and compile a list of actions for each of the tasks mentioned in
the tables below.

Main tasks (practical and ethical What I must do in my research project

issues)

Access subjects (or other data sources) for -

the research project -
-

Use equipment and materials to obtain the -

required research information from subjects -
(or other data sources) -

55 .
 Analyse the information gathered for the -
research -
-

Determine the costs of the research project -

-
-

Draw up a schedule/timetable for the -

research project -
-

Provide potential participants (and -

committed participants) with information -
about the research project -

Protect participants and consider their -

welfare during the research project -
-

Protect the right of subjects to withdraw -

from the research project -
-

Protect the privacy of subjects -

-
-

Ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of -

data -
-

Debrief subjects after the research -

-
-

Consider the actions listed for each task to assess the feasibility of the task in the context of your
research project. Tick (√) if you are convinced that none of the actions required for performing the
task in question will cause any problems. Tick (x) if one or more of the actions listed for that task
will cause problems, and use (?) to indicate that one or more of the actions listed for a task could
cause problems, but you are not sure whether this would be the case. Read the section on
<Ethics>.

The practical and ethical feasibility of the proposed project x ? √

Access to subjects (or other data sources) required for the research

Use of equipment and materials to obtain the required information

Analysis of information

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Costs incurred by the research project

Time required for the research project

Informed consent and non-deception of participants

Protection and welfare of participants during the research

The right of subjects to withdraw from the research

The privacy of research subjects

The confidentiality and anonymity of research data

Debriefing of subjects

The (√) tasks are in order, but you must revisit the (x) and (?) tasks. See whether you can obtain
certainty about those actions causing (?) ticks, if not try to get contingency plans in place. These
could serve as a backup if something goes wrong. The tasks marked with (x) must be reformulated
to make them practically/ethically feasible. Unfortunately, this could sometimes mean having to
rethink the entire project. If this is the case, try to simplify the research project as much as
possible. Many complex and advanced studies can be broken down into a number of smaller and
simpler studies. You nevertheless need to carefully consider that you have indeed met each of
the ethical criteria. In this module, you will only develop a research proposal. You may plan
your research, but you may not go ahead and perform the actual research without proper
ethical clearance! For this module, you will not be expected and may not perform empirical
research and data collection. The practical process of data collection, analysis, and interpretation
is dealt with fully in another module (HRPYC81).

Action 05: Write the design plan for your project

Once you have executed the previous actions and formulated a feasible research study, it is a
simple matter to write the design plan for your project. All you have to do is to string together the
outcomes of the actions executed in this learning activity. Write a short essay describing the
design plan for your project. The main headings in your essay should be:
Research question: Describe what you want to know or accomplish.
Primary approach: Indicate whether answering your research question requires
observations only or whether interventions would be necessary as
well.
Observations: Indicate what entities (who or what) would be observed.
Observational method: Describe how these entities would be observed.
Feasibility: Justify the practical and ethical feasibility of the study.

Also, note that in further learning activities, we refer to data gathering techniques such as
questionnaires and interviews. Bear in mind, however, that there are ethical considerations when
using such techniques. (See <Ethics>).

57 .
 Remember:

○ Continuously update your Research and Course Journal by logging the actions and reflecting
on your experiences in this section.
○ File all your drafts and notes carefully in your Documentation Centre or Archive. Indicate in
your Journal which materials will go into your Learning and Research Portfolio. Use this
thinking to complete a reflective insert in your Journal, referring to the reflective questions in
the <Portfolio> and <Research and Course Journal> sections.
○ Update your Internet Security and anti-virus software.
○ Perform your data backups to the Internet, external devices, and/or via email.

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Assignment 04

Title
Assignment 04: Combined qualitative and quantitative research and Tutorial Letter 104

NOTE The assignment must be submitted online. (You cannot submit the assignment
via the postal system or as a hard copy.) This assignment is very important as
each assignment contributes to your final mark in this module.
There is no exam in this module and combined assignment marks will constitute
your final mark. This is guided by the principle of continuous assessment.
According to the university rules regarding "continuous assessment", there will be
no exam or supplementary examinations. Therefore, it is very important that you
aim to complete every assignment. A minimum of two-thirds of the assessments
must be completed to qualify for completion in the module - this means that you
must submit at least 4 assignments, submit the compulsory Assignment 06, and
attain a combined assignment mark of at least 50% to pass this module.

Project: Study chapters 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 of the prescribed textbook, and study
Tutorial Letter 104. Then answer the multiple-choice questions on myUnisa for
this assignment and select the correct answer for each question.

Resource Tutorial letters 102 and 104, and the prescribed book for HMPYC80.
material:

Time 2 weeks
required:

Final due 2024-06-19 and closes at 17h00! [Important notice: Please submit your
date: assignment early to avoid disappointment due to ICT, loadshedding, or other
issues.]

Year mark: Contribution to final mark: 10%

Unique 745285
number:

59 .
Online This assignment consists of multiple-choice questions and must be submitted
submission electronically via the myUnisa assessments tool.

How to submit assignments:

1. To complete the assignment, go to myUnisa
2. Log in with your student number and password and select myModules 2024
3. Select the module HMPYC80
4. Select the assessment in the menu: Assessment 04
5. Follow the instructions

Please ensure that you submit your assignment timeously and before the due
date!
As the items are drawn from an item pool each student will receive a different
assignment, therefore a feedback tutorial letter will not be provided for this
assignment.

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Resource material 01
The Research Review Inventory, version 3 (R.R.I.3)

This resource contains the following information:

• HOW TO USE THE RESEARCH REVIEW INVENTORY
• THE ITEMS OF THE RESEARCH REVIEW INVENTORY

HOW TO USE THE revised “RESEARCH VIEW INVENTORY”

The Unisa Psychology Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3) was designed specifically for the
module HMPYC80 as a research learning and research project review tool. As a generic research
inventory, the R.R.I.3 caters to a variety of research methods and approaches. Therefore, the
research outcomes are simplified, and every attempt has been made to make every item univocal
and unidimensional, to the best of the teaching team’s abilities. Valuable student input and
suggestions have been incorporated in the fine-tuning of the instrument. The Unisa R.R.I.3 is a
teaching and learning tool that provides a systematic and objective approach to research
reviewing and research development. Feedback to continue to refine the instrument is most
welcome!

The review inventory consists of a number of items, numbered sequentially from 1 up to 58. The
first part (items 1 to 45) of the research review inventory is used to evaluate and rate a
RESEARCH PROPOSAL. The second part (items 45 to 58) is also completed to evaluate and
rate a completed research project (ARTICLE).

RATING SCALE OF THE “RESEARCH REVIEW INVENTORY (R.R.I.3)”

Items should be reviewed and rated on a three-point rating scale from 1 to 3.

The ratings are defined as follows:
1 or A: Absent, incorrect, or completely wrong.
2 or B: Only partially addressed. It does not attain the item requirement or criteria.
3 or C: Sufficiently up to standard in terms of the item criteria.

Every relevant item should be reviewed and rated on this three-point scale (1 to 3) or (A to C).

KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR ANSWERS

Use the “R.R.I.3: Review Log” at the end of this tutorial letter (see Resource material 2) to
document and keep a record of your ratings.

REVIEWER COMMENTS AND THE FEEDBACK REPORT

The review inventory can be used to compile a feedback report for proposals and assignments.
A feedback report consists of the comments that are offered by the reviewer. These comments
are linked to the ratings that the reviewer provides. Each rating is associated with general
comments and each general comment is supported by a rational for the rating.

61 .
For example, suppose a reviewer reviews a particular proposal and gives a rating of “3” for the
clarification of the proposed study. The general comment would be: “The research question is
formulated. A research question is derived from the research issue.” This general comment needs
to be supported by content references. Therefore, the reviewer needs to add: “The research
question is. <<insert the research question that is indicated in the research proposal>> and the
research question derived from this research issue is <<insert the research question indicated in
the research proposal>>. It is vital that relevant comments for every review item are provided to
produce a good review.

IMPORTANT NOTES

* If the item criterion is not explicitly addressed then allocate a low rating. We do not want a
situation where the reviewer has to guess or infer that the criterion was attained. The required
information is either stated clearly (allocate a 3 or C), or to a limited degree (allocate a 2 or B),
or not at all (allocate a 1 or A).

* If there is only limited evidence of plagiarism here and there (less than 15% plagiarised) -- use
only the relevant items on plagiarism (items 25 and 41) to indicate this. Give a rating of 1 or a
for these items. Highlight the shortcomings in the comments.

* For Research proposals use only the first 45 ratings to perform the review. For research
articles and completed research reports use all 58 ratings of the Research Review Inventory.

Remember, where the item criterion is not explicitly addressed then allocate a low rating. Good
academic writing is clear and transparent. If a reader needs to guess whether an issue has been
implemented and addressed or not, then the writing is neither clear nor transparent. Only give a
high rating if the item criteria have been explicitly addressed.

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The Unisa Psychology Research Review Inventory 03 (R.R.I. 03)

Rating Scale: 1 = Absent or incorrect; 2 = Only partially addressed; 3 = Sufficiently up to standard.

A. THE TITLE
01. The title contains at least one central psychological concept or construct from the
research proposal or study.

02. The title indicates the research setting or demographic information of the sample
population. Any one of the following is sufficient: where, who, when, under what
circumstances, or the phenomenon that is being investigated.

03. The title points to or refers to, the research method, design, or paradigm. This may be
signalled by a keyword or phrase such as: “lived experiences”, “perceptions”, “attitudes”,
“constructions”, “discourses”, “quasi-experimental”, “critical study”, “psychometric
properties”, “correlational study”, “inferential study”, and so on.

B. THE ABSTRACT OR SUMMARY (in HMPYC80 for both articles and proposals)

Proposals do not always require an abstract, but HMPYC80 students are expected to develop
one.

04. The abstract indicates the research interest, issue, or problem.

05. The abstract indicates the setting, demographic, or circumstances pertaining to the
research interest or question. Any one of the following is sufficient: where, who, when, under
what circumstances, or the phenomenon that is being investigated.

06. The abstract contains the specific research question or research statement.

07. The abstract indicates the key theoretical perspective(s) that is (are) used in the
literature.

08. The abstract specifies the (proposed) research method, study type, or research design.

09. The abstract indicates the (proposed) data collection method.

10. The abstract describes the (proposed) population sample, and sampling strategy or
approach.

11. The abstract indicates the (proposed) data analysis method or technique.

12. For completed research projects only -- the abstract briefly mentions the actual findings
of the study, and states how the study answers, addresses, or illuminates the research issue
or question. (Proposals will receive a “1” for this item as the actual research has not yet been
performed. Note that proposals are written in future tense as the research will be
implemented after ethic and institutional review boards have given the go-ahead to the
project.)

63 .
C. THE KEYWORDS (in HMPYC80 for both articles and proposals)

Although proposals do not typically require this, HMPYC80 students are expected to produce a
list of keywords.

13. The list of keywords contains at least (a) one key psychological concept or construct
and (b) one key reference to a psychological theory.

14. The list of keywords indicates the research setting and demographic information of the
sample. Any two of the following is sufficient: where, when, who, under what circumstances,
or the phenomenon that is being investigated.

15. The list of keywords indicates the research method, study type, or research design.
(This may be indicated directly or indirectly by phrases such as: “lived experiences”,
“perceptions”, “attitudes”, “constructions”, “discourses”, “quasi-experimental”, “critical
study”, “psychometric properties”, “correlational study”, “inferential study”, and so on.).

D. THE BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH INTEREST, ISSUE OR PROBLEM

16. The background and context of the research setting and research issue(s) are clearly
described. Why, who, what, where, when, under what circumstances, how, how come,
etcetera.)

(Note that this rating issue can be addressed anywhere in the proposal or article, including
the introduction and the conclusion.)

17. The key concepts of the study have been defined or delineated. Key concepts include the
core ideas that are indicated in the title and in the research question (such as biographic
concepts, demographic concepts, psychological constructs, etc.) An adequate reference is
provided for each key concept (e.g., a psychological reference, a legal reference, an
encylcopedia, or an official dictionary).

[This item has been changed from the previous version of the Research Review Inventory.
See item 19 for the merged criteria for items 17 and 19 from the previous version of the
R.R.I.]

18. The research issue or problem is firmly located within the discipline of psychology as
indicated by appropriate psychological terms and constructs. (For example: perception,
attitude, cognition, emotion, experience, behaviour, discourse, identity, community,
ideology, belonging, exclusion, etcetera.)

19. The interest in the problem, issue, or phenomenon is clarified. Is there a gap in the existing
literature? Who are the relevant role-players, affected parties, or interest groups with
regard to the research issue or problem, and why would this research be of interest to them?

Role-players, affected parties and interest groups can include: the researcher, individuals,
clients, students, beneficiaries, patients, families, households, communities, practitioners,
professionals, businesses, organisations, institutions, funders, legislators, the environment
--- ecologies such as a river, watershed, plant/tree/insect/animal species, or a natural
landmark; and cultural, ceremonial, or historic practices and sites.

[This item has been slightly revised and incorporates the old items 17 from the previous
version of the R.R.I.]

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E. THE LITERATURE REVIEW (AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS)

Note that the rating issue can be addressed anywhere in the proposal or article. The order and
structure of the document may differ from the order in which the rating items are sequenced in
the R.R.I.3. For example, literature may also be discussed in the introduction, discussion or
conclusion sections – this will still be considered relevant to the literature review ratings.

A literature review of more than 4 pages in HMPYC80 is considered a minimum standard

for proposal development in HMPYC80.

20. For research proposals, at least 12 references from relevant scientific and disciplinary
literature are provided in the literature review. For research articles, at least 24 references
are used in the introduction, literature review, discussion and results sections. (This is a
minimum standard. Note that the next 2 items explore the comprehensiveness and currency
of the literature review.)

21. A minimum of three relevant theoretical perspectives are discussed, compared,

evaluated, and integrated -- to understand, describe or explain the psychological dynamics
of the research issue, phenomenon and context. (Theoretical triangulation). Note that older
publications of seminal theorists (for example Freud, Skinner, Jung, etcetera) are or may
still be relevant. Recent and current updates of theories, debates and contestations, and
findings must also be presented. One over-arching theory may be used, but should be
discussed in conjunction of other theoretical inputs.

22. At least two relevant empirical research results are incorporated and discussed in the
literature review -- to further understand, describe or explain the psychological dynamics,
occurrence, incidence or prevalence (i.e., census data, surveys, epidemiological studies,
experiments, programme evaluations, population or client data) of the research issue or
phenomenon.

23. The literature discussion continues the scientific, academic, and disciplinary dialogue with
the published bodies of knowledge and expertise. For proposals, a preliminary but
comprehensive overview of the literature is provided, with indications of key studies,
theories, and theorists that inform the proposal. (For Master’s or Doctoral dissertation/thesis
a brief history of the theories, ideas, contestations, findings, and debates in the field should
also be provided.) The literature sources are not discussed in peacemeal fashion (one after
the other). An integrated discussion is presented by the author, in the author’s own words,
where findings and perspectives are summarised, compared, discussed, and reviewed.

24. The literature review is relevant to the topic, without unnecessary digressions or detours.
The literature review speaks directly to the research issue that is investigated or explored in
this study.

25. The author(s) wrote the literature review section with academic integrity. It appears or
has been confirmed to be their own unique work, written in their own words and style. The
literature review is plagiarism-free. All authors and literature sources are acknowledged in
some way (even if the citation style is incorrect or imperfectly used.)

[Unisa will use plagiarism-checking software to establish if this criterion has been adhered

65 .
 to. In the case of peer-reviewed published articles you should assume that the work has
been thoroughly checked and vetted for academic integrity and that it is plagiarism-free.
Please provide a rating of 3 for this item in the absence of the exact Turnitin Report.]

Also see Item 45.

26. All authors and sources in the literature review are cited correctly and follow the
prescribed in-text citation style. (APA7 style for HMPYC80, or in the case of published
journal articles use the prescribed referencing style of the specific journal.)

F. THE RESEARCH APPROACH, METHOD, AND DESIGN

A methodology or research methods discussion of more than 4 pages is considered a

minimum standard for proposal development in HMPYC80.

27. The research ontology, (or) paradigm, or approach is clearly both (a) specified and
defined, and (b) substantiated. In the discussion, it is made evident and clear (a) which
specific approach, paradigm or ontology was selected and what this entails, and (b) why this
was done. Some examples: The Positivistic, Post-positivistic, Interpretive, Qualitative,
Constructivist, Social Constructionist, Phenomenological, Realist, Pragmatic, Ecological
Systems, Critical, Transformative, Feminist, Womanist, Critical Race, Indigenous, Africanist,
Decolonial, Hermeneutic, Participatory, and Action research ontology, paradigm, or
approach.

28. The research question or research statement is clearly formulated and demarcated. The
following two constructs are indicated in the research question or statement: (a)
demographic or contextual information of the population or setting of the inquiry; and (b) a
relevant psychological keyword or construct. (a) Demographic and contextual information of
human participants will comprise: population, group, setting, or participant characteristics
such as: age, biological sex, gender identity, gender role, ethnicity, race, home language,
education, religion, employment status, geographical location, marital status,
profession/occupation, household income, socio-economic status, household size, number
of dependents, geographical location, urban/suburban/peri-urban/small town /township
/informal settlement/rural, citizenship or nationality. Contextual information for archival or
review studies may include: publications, key constructs, methods, designs,
theories/theorists, samples, interventions, etcetera. And (b) a relevant psychological
keyword or construct.

29. An appropriate (proposed) method and (proposed) research design (will be) were chosen
to research the question or issue. The research method and design are indicated. A
rationale for the selected method is provided. (Research design refers to a specific plan
and structure of the investigation that is used to obtain evidence to answer or illuminate the
research question or interest).

(Note that hypothesis testing applies primarily to randomised clinical trials, experimental
and quasi-experimental designs. Hypothesis testing may also apply to correlational studies
where correlation or regressions are used; or in designs that test for group or sub-group
difference with the aid of t-tests, Anova, F-tests, Manova, or other inferential statistics.)

30. The data or evidence that was (will be) collected to investigate the research themes or
variables appears to be appropriate and legitimate. Data can include tests, questionnaires,
interviews and transcripts of interviews, video recordings and transcripts, observations,

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documents or media such as theories, personal diary entries, dreams, poems, songs,
reflections, novels, films, photographs, social media entries, journals, magazines,
newspapers, or other cultural and personal artefacts.

31. The (proposed) sampling strategy, sample population, and sample size are discussed in
detail and appear to be appropriate. (The strengths and limitations of the sampling strategy
must be indicated for academic research projects and proposals but are not required for
peer-reviewed articles.)

32. The (proposed) data collection, coding, and analysis method(s) are reliable; or
dependable and credible.

* For a study that uses quantitative research techniques the reliability is demonstrated
through consistency, replicability, and accuracy. Any one of the following must be reported:
correlation statistics provide evidence of the reliability of an instrument or technique, such
as: internal item-test and scale reliability coefficients, test-retest correlations, parallel test-
form correlation, inter-coder or inter-observer correlations. The data collection, coding,
and analysis methods/techniques are also clearly explained, and sufficient information
is provided to the reader to follow the procedures.

* In qualitative research techniques, credibility, dependability, and consistency can be

achieved through various practices. Any two of the following must be reported: thick rich
descriptions (in-depth illustration that explicates culturally situated meanings and abundant
concrete detail), triangulation or crystallization, reasoned consensus, multi-vocality
(different perspectives, nuances and voices are articulated), and via inter-observer or inter-
coder agreement. Transparency and verifiability are established via: extensive written field
research notes; member checks by participants; peer review and an audit trail. Reflexivity
is used by the researchers to make the biases, values, and experiences that they bring to
the research explicit. Any changes to the study or unexpected occurrences are
documented. The data collection, coding and analysis methods/techniques are clearly
explained, and sufficient information is provided to the reader to follow the procedures.
(For more detailed method-specific criteria see Creswell, 2007; and other relevant
sources).

33. The (proposed) data collection, coding, and analysis method(s) are trustworthy and
valid.

* For a study that uses quantitative research techniques, any two of the following sub-aspects
must be reported. Internal validity of measures refers to:
(i) face validity or content validity (questions or statements should be appropriate to the
research question);
(ii) criterion validity (appropriate criterion variables or instruments are selected); and
(iii) construct validity (constructs selected for the study should be congruent with each
other; this also includes convergent validity and discriminating validity). In quantitative
research, correlation and other statistical techniques are used to investigate these
validities.

External validity relates to the degree to which the findings of the research can be
transferred to other contexts. The results can be generalisable and applied to other similar
settings, populations, and situations. The statistical power and adequacy of the sampling
strategy influence the generalisability of findings.

67 .
 Objectivity: The researcher demonstrates objectivity by remaining neutral, uninvolved,
and scientifically objective. This can be shown by: acknowledging the study’s limitations;
meticulous data management and recording; verbatim transcriptions; clear notes on
theoretical and methodological decisions; and accurate records of contacts and data
collection.

(From the positivistic/ post-positivist paradigm human experiences in the world are assumed
to be observable and measurable in the form of a selection of variables and their statistical
inter-relations via standardised tests, psychometric instruments, and procedures.)

* In qualitative research techniques the concept of “validity” (from quantitative designs) is not
a single, fixed, or universal concept, but “rather a contingent construct, inescapably
grounded in the processes and intentions of particular research methodologies and projects”
(Winter, 2000, p.1). Any two of the following concepts that are either underlined or in italics
must be reported, even if there is overlap with the previous rating item:

The believability and trustworthiness of the findings (called “internal validity” in

quantitative approaches) are dependent on the richness of the data. The participants of the
study are the only ones who decide if the results actually reflect the phenomena being
studied. Triangulation is a commonly used method to verify accuracy and involves cross-
checking information from multiple perspectives and multiple methods of data collection.
Triangulation may involve the involvement of multiple researchers, multiple data sources or
types of data, multiple methods of design and analysis, and multiple theoretical lenses. The
processes and procedures of the method and technique are sequentially and logically
presented. This is done so that findings and conclusions about data interpretations are made
explicit and rendered credible and believable. Disconfirming cases are used to test the
findings and interpretations.

Transferability refers to the degree in which the findings of the research can be transferred
to other contexts by the readers (called “external validity” in quantitative approaches).
However, researchers bring their own unique perspectives to the research process and data
interpretation as a subjective or inter-subjective aspect in qualitative research. Reflexivity is
used to make the subjective biases, values, and experiences of the researcher explicit.
Transferability, therefore, refers to dense descriptions of processes and procedures used in
the study to try and answer the research question.

Confirmability as inter-subjective agreement refers to the degree to which the results could
be confirmed or corroborated by other researchers. The researcher demonstrates
confirmability by indicating: the study’s limitations, meticulous data management and
recording, verbatim transcription of interviews, clear notes on theoretical and methodological
decisions, and accurate records of contacts and interviews. If findings are corroborated or
confirmed by others who examine the data, then no inappropriate biases impacted the data
analysis. (Qualitative researchers seek illumination, understanding, and extrapolation to
similar situations. For more detailed method-specific criteria see Creswell, 2007; and other
sources.)

34. The (proposed) procedures whereby the data are (to be) professionally and ethically
managed are explained in sufficient detail. Any one of the following is sufficient: the
information is appropriately recorded, stored, and secured with a password or under lock
and key.

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G. RESEARCH ETHICS

A discussion of the research ethics should be more than 2 pages as a minimum standard
for proposal development in HMPYC80. The specifics of how each criterion will be achieved
should be explained in detail for every research project.
35. The ethical prescription of non-malevolence (non-maleficence) and avoidance of harm
are complied with. (The rights and needs of vulnerable and minority groups are adhered to
by prescribed ethical and legal frameworks.) (If deception is a legitimate part of the study
design, this is dealt with in an ethical and professional manner.)
36. The ethical directive of informed consent is adhered to. (Vulnerable and minority groups
are treated within the prescribed parameters of relevant ethical and legal frameworks.)
37. The ethical mandate of voluntary participation is adhered to, and participants have the
right to withdraw from the research study. Refusal of consent, however, must be accepted
and respected (Fouché at al, 2021, p.132 -133).
38. The ethical imperatives of privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity are not violated.
Privacy implies the element of personal privacy, and refers to the physical setting in which
data is collected. Confidentiality implies the collection, analysing, storing and reporting of
data in such a way that the data cannot be traced back to the person who provided the
information (Mertens & Wilson, 2012., p. 415). Anonymity refers to not being asked to give
personal information that will enable others to recognise the participant, and not reporting
information that will enable others to recognise the participant. Therefore, there will be o
identifiable information is attached to the data and no one can trace anything to a specific
individual. Mertens and Wilson (2012: 415). Researchers wishing to conduct secondary
analysis on existing data must ensure that they obtain a permission letter from the primary
researcher or the organisation that collected the data before proceeding, and must receive
the data in anonymised or de-identified format. This also depends on the sensitivity and the
privacy of the information that is/was gathered (Fouché at al, 2021,pp.132 -133).)###

39. The ethical imperative of ethical oversight is fulfilled. The research proposal or project
adheres to institutional research policies, guidelines, and procedures. The research
proposal was (or will be) submitted to all appropriate institutional ethics review panels for
ethical oversight, and official written permission was (will be) obtained to perform the
research.

[Note: There are many other ethical concerns. According to Fouché at al (2021) these include:
beneficence of the study, transparency, access to services, compensation, debriefing of
participants and/or the researcher, the dissemination and publication of findings, social and
cultural sensitivity, and conflict of interest. Other ethical concerns include the safety of the
researcher; a paper trail for audit purposes; methods to ensure the security and confidentiality of
participant’s personal information and data; the rights and needs of vulnerable groups are
considered -- such as minors/ orphans/ institutionalised or incarcerated populations/ victims of
crime/ persons living with HIV and AIDS/ persons with terminal diseases; consent of relevant legal
guardians and organisations; the use of field notes and a research journal or diary; a referral
mechanism for participants if there is the potential for psychological distress; and so on. All
potential and actual conflicts of interest must be declared! All sources of funding and grants
must be disclosed. An appropriate informed consent procedure and form must be signed, and
a participant invitation and information leaflet or brochure must be provided.]

69 .
H. PRESENTATION

40. The grammar and spelling in the research document are at least 95% correct. Minor issues
with spelling and grammar will not be penalised. (There may only be very minor grammar
and spelling errors, and the text should have been thoroughly edited and proof-read!)

We do not recommend that students use Grammarly or other writing aids to edit their text
as the individual style of the student-author may be lost and Turnitin may flag for possible
presence of A.I. writing.

The use of A.I. programs, such as Quilbot, ChaptGPT, and other similar chatbot software is
prohibited. Note that Turnitin will flag the presence of A.I. assisted or A.I. produced writing
and this may invalidate your research submission.

We prefer to see the original and authentic writing of our students, with warts and all.

41. The entire document from beginning to end is plagiarism-free. All the important works,
ideas, theories, authors, facts, and statements that were used in the proposal/article are
acknowledged in some way (even if the citation style is incorrect or imperfectly used.) The
authors(s) wrote the text with academic integrity; it appears or is confirmed to be their own
and unique work.

[Unisa will use plagiarism-checking software to establish if this criterion has been adhered
to. In the case of peer-reviewed published articles you should assume that the work has
been thoroughly checked and vetted for academic integrity and that it is plagiarism-free.
Please provide a rating of 3 for this item in the absence of the exact Turnitin Report.]
Also, see Item 25.

42. The various authors and sources in the proposal or article (the entire document) are cited
correctly and follow the prescribed in-text citation style. This should be correct for the entire
document. (APA7 style for HMPYC80, or the prescribed referencing style of the specific
journal.) Was the correct citation method used? Also, see Item 26.

43. A complete list of all references that were cited is provided at the end of the document. Is
it complete?

44. The reference list at the end of the document adheres to the required standard and format.
(APA7 style for HMPYC80, or in the case of published journal articles the prescribed
referencing style of the specific journal.)

45. The work is of overall acceptable academic standard, and it is written using an
appropriate academic/scientific style suitable to the research paradigm and approach (and
journal in the case of published articles).

A note on appendices for proposals

Proposals should ideally include the following appendices at the end of the document:
(i) Information brochure for participants (if any) with contact details of the researcher and
sponsoring institution where applicable;
(ii) Informed consent form that participants (if any) will sign and complete where applicable;
(iii) Proposed budget;
(iv) Proposed project timeline.

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The PROPOSAL should also contain a signed declaration page by the researcher that the
document is the independent and authentic work of the researcher and does not contain any
plagiarism or instances of academic dishonesty.

End of the RESEARCH PROPOSAL REVIEW (45 items).

For a completed research project, such as an ARTICLE or a completed RESEARCH REPORT

continue with the following ratings for items 46 to 58 as provided on the following pages.

I. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS (for completed research projects & articles)

46. The data collection, coding, and analysis method(s) were performed reliably; or
dependably and credibly. (Apply the criteria as discussed in item 32.)

47. The way in which the data were analysed and interpreted is explained in sufficient detail
and provides sufficient information for a reader to be able to follow the procedures.

48. The data collection, coding, and analysis method(s) were applied in a correct and
substantiated manner and appeared trustworthy and valid. (Apply the criteria as discussed
in item 33.)

49. The data analysis and interpretation were performed ethically. (Refer to RESEARCH
ETHICS: items 35 to 39.)

50. The results are presented appropriately and correctly.

51. The results are clearly structured, well presented, and easy to follow.

J. DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION

52. A discussion is presented which interprets or explains the results and their implications for
the research question or issue.

53. The discussion links and explains the results to the existing bodies of literature as
discussed in the literature review. It links to existing theoretical perspectives, and where
relevant to existing empirical literature findings.

54. The research paradigm, theoretical perspectives in the literature, research methods, data
gathering techniques, data coding and analysis, and interpretations that were employed are
in line with the research question and aim of the study. There is a “golden thread” that runs
through the document and connects each subsection and section to the whole.

55. The possibility of alternative explanations/interpretations of the results is considered.

56. The possibility or need for further research is raised.

57. The strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of the study are presented.

58. A final conclusion is presented that succinctly reiterates the main research findings or
results.
71 .
Caveat and warning

The Unisa Psychology Research Review Inventory (revised, 2024) provides a simplified method
to review research proposals and articles. It is therefore more useful for novice researchers than
for seasoned and experienced researchers. Some of the criteria are slightly arbitrary as they are
specific to the context of Honours students in Psychology at Unisa. Some criteria could be made
more stringent, for example, the number of references required or the construction of a suitable
title (Badenhorst, 2024).

The Unisa Psychology Research Review Inventory (revised, 2024) is ideally used as a research
development tool for learners in the field of psychological, psycho-social and social sciences
research. However, it should not be used wholesale as an absolute benchmark in high stakes
reviews of research quality, for example in Master’s and Doctoral proposal development and
completion.

References

Creswell, J. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five approaches.
(2nd Ed.). London: Sage.

Badenhorst, C. (2024) Dr Cecile Badenhorst’s research channel on Youtube. [Youtube channel]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDXlZhpn7iJcw9BdgzUXWbA/videos

Fouché, C. B., Strydom, H., & Roestenburg, W. J. H. (2021). Research at grass roots: For the
social sciences and human service professions (5th Ed.). Van Schaik.

Winter, G. (2000). A comparative discussion of the notion of validity in qualitative and quantitative
research. The Qualitative Report, 4 (3&4). URL http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR4-
3/winter.html

Use the Review Log on the following page to keep a record of your ratings, your comments,
and your reasoning or explanation for each rating (see Resource Material 03).

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Resource material 02
Research Review Inventory (R.R.I.3): Review Log

The Research Review Inventory version 3 (R.R.I.3) is provided in Resource Material 01 in this
Tutorial Letter 102. All 58 items of the R.R.I.3 are used to review an article or completed
research report. However, only the first 45 items of the R.R.I.3 are used to review a proposal.

Items should be reviewed and rated on a three-point rating scale from 1 to 3. The ratings are
defined as follows:
1 (or A): Absent, incorrect, or completely wrong.
2 (or B): Only partially addressed. It does not attain the item requirement(s) or criterion/criteria.
3 (or C): Sufficiently up to standard in terms of the item criteria.

Each item should be reviewed and rated on the above three-point scale (1 to 3) or (A to C).

Remember, if the item criterion is not explicitly addressed then you may not allocate the
highest rating of 3. Good academic writing is clear and transparent. When a reader needs to
guess whether an issue has been implemented and addressed or not, then the writing is neither
clear nor transparent! Only give the highest rating if the item criteria have been explicitly satisfied.

Review Log for the Research Review Inventory 3 (R.R.I.3)

Title of document (proposal/article/manuscript): …
Author(s) surname and initials or student number: …
Rated by (your details as a reviewer): …
.
m
Date of the review: …
Item Rate Rating item (R.R.I.3) Justification of
1/2/3 your rating

01 1, 2, 01. The title contains at least one central psychological concept or … explain the
or 3? concept or construct from the research proposal or study. rating that you
allocated for this
criterion.

02 . 02. The title indicates the research setting or demographic

information of the sample population. Any one of the following is
sufficient: where, who, when, under what circumstances, or the .

phenomenon that is being investigated.

03 . 03. The title points to, or refers to, the research method, design, or
paradigm. This may be signalled by a keyword or phrase such as:
.
“lived experiences”, “perceptions”, “attitudes”, “constructions”,
“discourses”, “quasi-experimental”, “critical study”, “psychometric
properties”, “correlational study”, “inferential study”, and so on.

04 . 04. The abstract indicates the research interest, issue, or problem. .

73 .
 05 . 05. The abstract indicates the setting, demographic, or .
circumstances pertaining to the research interest or question. Any
one of the following is sufficient: where, who, when, under what
circumstances, or the phenomenon that is being investigated.

06 . 06. The abstract contains the specific research question or .

research statement.

07 . 07. The abstract indicates the key theoretical perspective(s) that is .

(are) used in the literature.

08 .. 08. The abstract specifies the (proposed) research method, study .

type, or research design.

09 . 09. The abstract indicates the (proposed) data collection method. .

10 . 10. The abstract describes the (proposed) population sample, and .

sampling strategy or approach.

11 . 11. The abstract indicates the (proposed) data analysis method or .

technique.

12 . 12. For completed research projects only: the abstract succinctly .

lists the actual findings of the study, and states how the study
answers, addresses, or illuminates the research issue or question.
(Proposals will receive a “1” for this item as the actual research has
not yet been performed.)

13 . 13. The list of keywords contains at least (a) one key psychological .
concept or construct and (b) one key reference to a psychological
theory.

14 . 14. The list of keywords indicates the research setting and .

demographic information of the sample.

Any two of the following is sufficient: where, when, who, under what
circumstances, or the phenomenon that is being investigated.

15 . 15. The list of keywords indicates the research method, study .

type, or research design. (This may be indicated directly or indirectly
by phrases such as: “lived experiences”, “perceptions”, “attitudes”,
“constructions”, “discourses”, “quasi-experimental”, “critical study”,
“psychometric properties”, “correlational study”, “inferential study”,
and so on.)

16 . 16. The context (who, what, where, how, how come, when) of the .
research issue is clearly described.

(Note that this rating issue can be addressed anywhere in the

proposal or article, including the conclusion.)

17 . 17. The key concepts of the study have been defined or delineated. .
Key concepts include the core ideas that are indicated in the title
and in the research question (such as biographic concepts,
demographic concepts, psychological constructs, etc.). An
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adequate reference is provided for each key concept (e.g., a

psychological reference, a legal reference, an encylcopedia, or an
official dictionary).
[NOTE: This item has been changed from the previous version of
the Research Review Inventory. See item 19 for the merged criteria
for items 17 and 19 from the previous version of the R.R.I.].

18 . 18. The research issue or problem is firmly located within the .

discipline of psychology as indicated by appropriate
psychological terms and constructs. (For example: perception,
attitude, cognition, emotion, experience, behaviour, discourse,
identity, community, ideology, etcetera.)

19 . 19. The interest in the problem, issue, or phenomenon is clarified. .

Is there a gap in the existing literature? Who are the relevant role-
players, affected parties, or interest groups with regard to the
research issue or problem, and why would this research be of
interest to them? Role-players, affected parties and interest groups
can include: the researcher, individuals, clients, students,
beneficiaries, patients, families, households, communities,
practitioners, professionals, businesses, organisations, institutions,
funders, legislators, the environment --- ecologies such as a river,
watershed, plant/tree/insect/animal species, or a natural landmark;
and cultural, ceremonial, or historic practices and sites.
[[NOTE: This item has been slightly revised and incorporates the
old items 17 from the previous version of the R.R.I.]

20 . 20. For research proposals at least 12 references from relevant .

scientific and disciplinary literature are provided in the literature
review. For research articles at least 24 references are used in
the introduction, literature review, results, and discussion sections.
(This is a minimum standard. Note that the next 2 items explore the
comprehensiveness and currency of the literature review.)

21 . 21. A minimum of three relevant theoretical perspectives are .

discussed, compared, evaluated, and integrated -- to understand,
describe or explain the psychological dynamics of the research
issue, phenomenon, and context literature are provided in the
literature review. (Theoretical triangulation). Note that older
publications of seminal theorists (for example Freud, Skinner, Jung,
etcetera) are (or may still be) relevant. Recent and current updates
of theories, debates and contestations, and findings must also
be presented.

22 . 22. At least two relevant empirical research results are .

incorporated and discussed in the literature review -- to further
understand, describe or explain the psychological dynamics,
occurrence, incidence, or prevalence (i.e., census data, surveys,
epidemiological studies, experiments, programme evaluations,
population or client data) of the research issue or phenomenon.

75 .
 23 . 23. The literature review discussion continues the scientific, .
academic, and disciplinary dialogue with published bodies of
knowledge and expertise.
(For proposals a preliminary but comprehensive overview of
literature is provided, with indications of key studies, theories, and
theorists that inform the proposal.)
(For Master’s or Doctoral dissertation/thesis a brief history of the
theories, ideas, contestations, findings, and debates in the field
should also be provided.)

24 . 24. The literature review is relevant to the topic, without .

unnecessary digressions or detours. The literature review speaks
directly to the research issue that is investigated or explored in this
study. The literature sources are not discussed in peacemeal
fashion, one after the other. An integrated discussion is presented
by the author, in the author’s own words, where findings and
perspectives are summarised, compared, discussed, and reviewed.

25 . 25. The author(s) wrote the literature review section with .

academic integrity. It appears or has been confirmed to be their
own unique work, written in their own words and style. The
literature review is plagiarism-free. All authors and literature
sources are acknowledged in some way (even if the citation style is
incorrect or imperfectly used.) [Unisa will use plagiarism-checking
software to establish if this criterion has been adhered to. In the
case of peer-reviewed published articles you should assume that
the work has been thoroughly checked and vetted for academic
integrity and that it is plagiarism-free. Please provide a rating of 3
for this item in the absence of the exact Turnitin Report.]
26 . 26. All author(s) and sources in the literature review are cited .
correctly and follow the prescribed in-text citation style. (APA7
style for HMPYC80, or in the case of published journal articles -- the
prescribed referencing style of the specific journal was adhered to.)

27 . 27. Research method: The research ontology, (or) paradigm, or .

approach is clearly (a) specified and defined, and (b) substantiated.
In the discussion, it is made evident and clear (a) which specific
approach, paradigm, or ontology was selected and what this entails,
and (b) why this was done. Some examples: The Positivistic, Post-
positivistic, Interpretive, Qualitative, Constructivist, Social
Constructionist, Phenomenological, Realist, Pragmatic, Ecological
Systems, Critical, Transformative, Feminist, Womanist, Critical
Race, Indigenous, Africanist, Decolonial, Hermeneutic,
Participatory, Action research ontology, paradigm, or approach.

28 . 28. Research method: The research question or research .

statement is clearly formulated and demarcated. The following two
constructs are indicated in the research question or statement: (a)
demographic or contextual information of the population or setting
of the inquiry; and (b) a relevant psychological keyword or construct.
(Demographic and contextual information of human participants will

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comprise: population, group, setting or participant characteristics

such as: age, biological sex, gender identity, gender role, ethnicity,
race, home language, education, religion, employment status,
geographical location, marital status, profession/occupation,
household income, socio-economic status, household size, number
of dependents, geographical location, urban/suburban/peri-
urban/small town /township /informal settlement/rural, citizenship or
nationality. Contextual information for archival or review studies
may include: publications, key constructs, methods, designs,
theories/theorists, samples, interventions, etcetera.)
29 . 29. Research method: An appropriate (proposed) method and .
(proposed) research design (will be) were chosen to research the
question or issue. The research method and design are indicated.
A rationale for the selected method is provided.

(Research design refers to a specific plan and structure of the

investigation that is used to obtain evidence in order to answer or
illuminate the research question).

(Note that hypothesis testing applies primarily to randomised

clinical trials, experimental and quasi-experimental designs.
Hypothesis testing may also apply to correlational studies where
correlation or regressions are used; or in designs that test for group
or sub-group difference with the aid of t-tests, Anova, F-tests,
Manova, or other inferential statistics.)

30 . 30. Research method: The data or evidence that was (will be) .
collected to investigate the research themes or variables appears to
be appropriate and legitimate. Data can include: tests,
questionnaires, interviews and transcripts of interviews, video
recordings and transcripts, observations, documents or media such
as: theories, personal diary entries, dreams, poems, songs,
reflections, novels, films, photographs, social media entries,
journals, magazines, newspapers, or other cultural artefacts.

31 . 31. Research method: The (proposed) sampling strategy, .

sample population, and sample size are discussed in detail, and
appear to be appropriate. (The strengths and limitations of the
sampling strategy must be indicated for academic research projects
and proposals but are not required for peer reviewed articles.)

32 . 32. Research method: The (proposed) data collection, coding, .

and analysis method(s) are reliable; or dependable, and credible.

* For a study that uses quantitative research techniques the

reliability is demonstrated through consistency, replicability, and
accuracy. Any one of the following must be reported: correlation
statistics providing evidence of the reliability of an instrument or
technique, such as internal item-test and scale reliability
coefficients, test-retest correlations, parallel test-form correlation,
inter-coder, or inter-observer correlations.

77 .
 The data collection, coding, and analysis methods/techniques
are clearly explained, and sufficient information is provided to the
reader to follow the procedures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* In qualitative research techniques credibility, dependability, and

consistency can be achieved through various practices. Any two
of the following must be reported: thick rich descriptions (in-depth
illustration that explicates culturally situated meanings and
abundant concrete detail), triangulation or crystallization, reasoned
consensus, multi-vocality (different perspectives, nuances, and
voices are articulated), and via inter-observer or inter-coder
agreement. Transparency and verifiability are established via
extensive written field research notes, member checks by
participants, peer review, and an audit trail. Reflexivity is used by
the researchers to make the biases, values, and experiences that
they bring to the research explicit. Any changes to the study or
unexpected occurrences are documented. (For more detailed
method-specific criteria see Creswell, 2007; and other sources).
The data collection, coding, and analysis methods/techniques
are clearly explained, and sufficient information is provided to the
reader to follow the procedures.

33 . 33. Research method: The (proposed) data collection, coding, and .

analysis method(s) are trustworthy and valid.

For a study that uses quantitative research techniques any two of

the following sub-aspects must be reported. The internal validity of
measures refers to:

(i) face validity or content validity (questions or statements should

be appropriate to the research question);

(ii) criterion validity (appropriate criterion variables or instruments

are selected); and

(iii) construct validity (constructs selected for the study should be

congruent with each other; this also includes convergent validity and
discriminating validity.
External validity relates to the degree in which the findings of the
research can be transferred to other contexts. The results can be
generalisable and applied to other similar settings, populations, and
situations. The statistical power and adequacy of the sampling
strategy influence the generalisability of findings.
Objectivity: The researcher demonstrates objectivity by
remaining neutral, uninvolved, and scientifically objective. This can
be shown by: acknowledging the study’s limitations, meticulous data
management and recording, verbatim transcriptions, clear notes on
theoretical and methodological decisions, and accurate records of
contacts and data collection. (Human experiences in the world are

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assumed to be observable and measurable in the form of a

selection of variables and their statistical inter-relations via
standardised tests, psychometric instruments, and procedures in
the positivistic/ post-positivist paradigm.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* In qualitative research techniques the concept of “validity” (from

quantitative designs) is not a single, fixed, or universal concept, but
“rather a contingent construct, inescapably grounded in the
processes and intentions of particular research methodologies and
projects” (Winter, 2000, p.1). Any two of the following concepts that
are either underlined or in italics must be reported, even if there is
overlap with the previous rating item:

The believability and trustworthiness of the findings (called

“internal validity” in quantitative approaches) are dependent on the
richness of the data. The participants of the study are the only ones
that decide if the results actually reflect the phenomena being
studied. Triangulation is a commonly used method to verify
accuracy and involves cross-checking information from multiple
perspectives and multiple methods of data collection. Triangulation
may involve the involvement of multiple researchers, multiple data
sources or types of data, multiple methods of design and analysis,
and multiple theoretical lenses. The processes and procedures of
the method and technique are sequentially and logically presented.
This is done so that findings and conclusions about data
interpretations are made explicit and rendered credible and
believable. Disconfirming cases are used to test the findings and
interpretations.

Transferability refers to the degree that the findings of the research

can be transferred to other contexts by the readers (called “external
validity” in quantitative approaches). However, researchers bring
their own unique perspectives to the research process and data
interpretation as a subjective or inter-subjective aspect in qualitative
research. Reflexivity is used to make the subjective biases, values,
and experiences of the researcher explicit. Transferability,
therefore, refers to dense descriptions of processes and procedures
used in the study to try and answer the research question.

Confirmability as inter-subjective agreement refers to the degree

to which the results could be confirmed or corroborated by other
researchers.

The researcher demonstrates confirmability by indicating: the

study’s limitations, meticulous data management and recording,
verbatim transcription of interviews, clear notes on theoretical and
methodological decisions, and accurate records of contacts and
interviews. If findings are corroborated or confirmed by others who

79 .
 examine the data, then no inappropriate biases impacted the data
analysis. (Qualitative researchers seek illumination, understanding,
and extrapolation to similar situations. For more detailed method-
specific criteria see Creswell, 2007; and other sources.)

34 . 34. Research method: The (proposed) procedures whereby the .

data are (to be) professionally and ethically managed are
explained in sufficient detail. Any one of the following is sufficient:
the information is appropriately recorded, stored, and secured with
a password or under lock and key.

35 . 35. The ethical prescription of non-malevolence and avoidance .

of harm are complied with.
(The rights and needs of vulnerable and minority groups are
adhered to by prescribed ethical and legal frameworks.)
(If deception is a legitimate part of the study design, this is dealt with
in an ethical and professional manner.)

36 . 36. The ethical directive of informed consent is adhered to. .

(Vulnerable and minority groups are treated within the prescribed
parameters of relevant ethical and legal frameworks.)

37 . 37. The ethical mandate of voluntary participation is adhered to, .

and participants have the right to withdraw from the research study.

38 . 38. The ethical imperatives of privacy, confidentiality, and .

anonymity are not violated.

39 . 39. The ethical imperative of ethical oversight is fulfilled. The .

research proposal or project adheres to institutional research
policies, guidelines, and procedures.
The research proposal was (or will be) submitted to all appropriate
institutional ethics review panels for ethical oversight, and
official written permission was (will be) obtained to perform the
research.

40 . 40. Presentation: The grammar and spelling in the research .

document are at least 95% correct.

41 . 41. The entire document from beginning to end is plagiarism-free. .

All the important works, ideas, theories, authors, facts, and
statements are acknowledged in some way (even if the citation
style is incorrect or imperfectly used.) The authors(s) wrote the
text with academic integrity, and it appears or is confirmed to be
their own and unique work.] [Unisa will use plagiarism-checking
software to establish if this criterion has been adhered to. In the
case of peer-reviewed published articles you should assume that
the work has been thoroughly checked and vetted for academic
integrity and that it is plagiarism-free. Please provide a rating of 3
for this item in the absence of the exact Turnitin Report.] Also, see
Item 25.
42 . 42. The various authors and sources in the proposal or article (the .
entire document) are cited correctly and follow the prescribed in-

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text citation style. This should be correct for the entire document.
(APA7 style for HMPYC80 proposals, or the prescribed referencing
style of the specific journal.) Was the correct citation method used?
Also, see Item 26.

43 . 43. A complete list of all references that were cited is provided .

at the end of the document. Is it complete?

44 . 44. The reference list at the end of the document adheres to the .
required standard and format. (APA7 style for HMPYC80 for
proposals, or in the case of published journal articles -- the
prescribed referencing style of the specific journal was adhered to.)

45 . 45. The work is of overall acceptable academic standard, and it .

is written using an appropriate academic/scientific style suitable
to the research paradigm, approach, and journal (in the case of
published articles).

1/2/3 End of proposal review. The following items pertain to the review of an
? article.

46 46. The actual data collection, coding, and analysis method(s) .

were performed reliably; or dependably and credibly. (Apply the
criteria as discussed in item 32.)

47 . 47. The way in which the data were analysed and interpreted is .
explained in sufficient detail and provides sufficient information for
a reader to be able to follow the procedures.

48 . 48. The data collection, coding, and analysis method(s) were .

applied in a correct and substantiated manner and appeared
trustworthy and valid. (Apply the criteria as discussed in item 33.)

49 . 49. The data analysis and interpretation were performed .

ethically. (Refer to "research ethics": items 35 to 39.)

50 . 50. The results are presented appropriately and correctly. .

51 . 51. The results are clearly structured, well presented, and easy .
to follow.

52 . 52. A discussion is presented which interprets or explains the .

results and their implications for the research question or issue.

53 . 53. The discussion links and explains the results to the existing .
bodies of literature as discussed in the literature review. It links
to existing theoretical perspectives, and where relevant to existing
empirical findings.

54 . 54. The research paradigm, theoretical perspectives in the .

literature, research methods, data gathering techniques, data
coding and analysis, and interpretations that were employed are in
81 .
 line with the research question and aim of the study. There is a
“golden thread” that runs through the document and connects each
subsection and section to the whole.

55 . 55. The possibility of alternative explanations or interpretations .

of the results is considered.

56 . 56. The possibility or need for further research is raised. .

57 . 57. The strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of the study are .

presented.

58 . 58. A conclusion is presented that succinctly reiterates the main .

research findings or results.

Rating Scale: 1 = Absent or incorrect. 2 = Only partially addressed; 3 = Sufficiently up to standard. (Indicate
your rating in the appropriate above column and provide substantiating comments to justify your rating.)

A NOTE ON APPENDICES FOR PROPOSALS

Each PROPOSAL should ideally include the following APPENDICES at the end of the
document:
(i) Information brochure for participants (if any) with contact details of the researcher and
sponsoring institution where applicable;
(iii) Informed consent form that participants (if any) will sign and complete where applicable;
(iii) Proposed budget;
(iv) Proposed project timeline.

The PROPOSAL should also ideally contain a signed declaration page by the researcher that
the document is the independent and authentic work of the researcher and does not contain any
plagiarism or instances of academic dishonesty.

CONCLUSION

In this tutorial letter, Tutorial Letter 102, you were guided to identify and develop a research issue
and concept. This was used to start developing a research outline and a draft research proposal.
The outcome of these learning activities is a research concept and the draft of a research proposal
on a topic of your own choice.

In Tutorial Letter 103 you will be guided to complete the research proposal and perform a self
evaluation of your own proposal.

2024 © Unisa

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