Speaker 1: Good day class, welcome to the fourth session. In this session, we will briefly look at how to conduct basic research and analyze and present findings. Research is the collection of information on a specific topic and the use of the information to serve a specific purpose. In order for you to get information on a certain topic, you need to do basic research on it. Research will help with identifying and solving problems, which in turn will improve your ability to make responsible decisions. There are many ways to gather information, the most challenging part of it all is deciding what information to use from the different sources. Using multiple sources of information is advisable since you get to verify the authenticity of the information, but that also depends on the amount of time you have available. Very often, it is necessary to deliver research reports within a limited time. Research reports require attention to detail, specific research strategies, and at least basic knowledge of access to a range of resources. The research process involves identifying and evaluating sources for your research and applying the correct methodology, using the correct research tools, and looking for new sources. There are different types of research methodologies. They are divided into two main categories, which either use statistics or numbers to answer a question or to provide a point. The second category is research that uses words to express findings. Both these categories use three main steps during the research process, which starts off with collection of information. The second step is the analysis of the information, and the last step is the interpretation of the information. The way you process each step will be determined by the type of research. In order for research to be successful, good planning is required because it is crucial to know what, when, how, why, and with whom you are about to do a research project. There are a few factors you have to bear in mind when doing research planning, which include a clear problem definition, a well-defined context, good documentation, and good management. Once you have decided on the methodology of your research, whether it is qualitative, quantitative, or a combination of both, depending on the research project, you will have to decide on the research tools you will use to acquire information. There are a number of different tools that one can use, depending on the nature of the research, for example, surveys, focus groups, literature survey, desktop study, or a simulation. When choosing your research tool, you have to consider your area of research, your research objectives, the context, resources available, your limitations, and the research team. Before one can decide what is useful for the purpose of your research, you need to capture data, code the information, and edit the information. Capturing data involves a collection of information from various sources, writing notes on what you read and capturing the relevant information to write a report on the topic. Coding information involves sorting the information into corresponding categories. Editing information involves reviewing what you have gathered and ensuring that the correct information for the specific report was collected and included. Editing also involves correction of information or documentation to ensure accuracy and consistency. After gathering all the relevant information you need to analyze it to ensure that it answers the original research question, which requires understanding the information and knowing what is relevant and irrelevant while taking the original research questions and objectives into consideration. The analysis and evaluation of research information requires reading through the data to determine which sources are applicable, then summarizing the notes gathered during reading of information before including the findings from surveys, focus groups, and other relevant sources in the research report. Once that is completed, you need to write and present the findings in a research report. The research findings are presented in the final report and provides the opportunity for other parties to give feedback on the research, which might require further research to be conducted if problems or questions are discovered. You should be able to provide evidence for all your statements and findings from a research report. A research report needs to be presented in a format that is useful and acceptable to its audience. A written report is often followed by an oral presentation, and this also has to be done in a format applicable to the relevant people. In most cases, the presentation will include PowerPoint slides, but this will depend on the technology available and the circumstances of the presentation. We have come to an end of our thought session. Please ensure to go through your learner guide to cover everything in more detail. We will continue with the first session after the break.