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Contact details

Registration queries please contact the FEBE faculty officer febehd@uj.ac.za

ULink Learning guide (2017)
Dr Annliz Marnewick (amarnewick@uj.ac.za)
Individual supervisor contact details on list published on ULink.

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Agenda

Administration supervisor allocation

Professional Communication
Time management
Where are you? Still on track?
Research Design

General

All students supervised or co-supervised by Dr A Marnewick or Prof JHC Pretorius workshops

is mandatory
If you agree with your supervisor a different approach i.e. have only meetings with supervisor it is
no problem
Have you uploaded your proposal on ULink? Else no supervisor will be allocated

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Supervisor allocation

Preregistration step: Submission of proposal

Prerequisites: All six lectured modules must be completed
Deliverable Submission requirements Submission due date Important notes
Research Submissions to be send via email: 3 January 2017 Document format: pdf
proposal amarnewick@uj.ac.za Document naming convention:
Surname Initial Student number
Proposal (e.g. Marnewick AL
91287723 Proposal.pdf)

Registration step
Prerequisites: Student proposal approved by the Postgraduate School of Engineering Management.
Research Students can proceed to register on Online registration
proposal approval receipt of approval email. available from
9 January 2017

Post registration step

Prerequisites: Student have registered
Research Submissions to be done on ULink 10 February 2017 If module do not display on ULink contact
proposal submit ULink student helpdesk uhelp@uj.ac.za
on ULink to start
supervision
allocation

Library training

Use of database (online modules)

Reworks (Training schedules)

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Professional Communication Principles

Individual touch: No prescriptive layout as each research topic and selected research process is
different.
Consistency: Apply a consistent heading structure throughout the document. Choose a font
and font size for the body text and apply consistently throughout the document.
Auto population: Auto populate headings, reference data, figure and table numbering

Additional reflection:

Workshop notes > Research Proposal > Research Proposal notes (session 1) > Refer to slide:
RUBRIC: Written communication (Validate own submission)

Time management

YouTube

Jar of Life - Put IMPORTANT Things FIRST!

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Project plan check list

Do you have a plan?

Does the plan have a deadline when the minor-dissertation will be completed?
Does the plan have a deadline when the article will be completed?
Does the plan cater for each step in the research process (i.e. Define research problem,
literature review, research design and methodology, data collection, data analysis, reporting
writing and conclusions)?
Does the plan cater for review meetings after each step in the research process?
Does the plan provide time for review for the supervisor?
Does the plan cater for rework after review?
Does the plan cater for proof reading ad language editing?
Have you been using the plan and adjust?
Are you monitoring progress on plan?
Your supervisor did not respond what do you do? Follow up with mail? Phone? SMS?

2017 Schedule

Week
Month
W1 W2 W3 W4 W5
13Feb17 20Feb17
February Refineresearchproblemand
statement Initialmeetingwithsupervisor
27Feb17 06Mar17 13Mar17 20Mar17 27Mar17
March SubmitLiteraturereviewfor
Rework Literaturereview Literaturereview Literaturereview feedback
03Apr17 10Apr17 17Apr17 24Apr17
April
Rework Research methods Research methods Research methods
01May17 08May17 15May17 22May17 29May17
May SubmitResearchmethods
reviewforfeedback Rework Datacollection Datacollection Datacollection
05Jun17 12Jun17 19Jun17 26Jun17
June Submit"workinprogress"to
supervisorforreview Rework Dataanalysis Dataanalysis
03Jul17 10Jul17 17Jul17 24Jul17
July
Dataanalysis Dataanalysis Dataanalysis Dataanalysis
31Jul17 07Aug17 14Aug17 21Aug17 28Aug17
August Writeupofminor Review:Reviewandrework Submitminordissertationto
dissertation Writeupofminordissertation minordissertation supervisor WriteArticle
04Sep17 11Sep17 18Sep17 25Sep17
September Minordissertation:Rework Minordissertation:Reworkfeedback
WriteArticle WriteArticle feedbackfromsupervisor fromsupervisor
02Oct17 09Oct17 16Oct17 23Oct17
October Article:Reworkfeedbackfrom
Submitarticletosupervisor waitingforfeedback waitingforfeedback supervisor
30Oct17 06Nov17 13Nov17 20Nov17 27Nov17
3Nov2017:
November
Article:Reworkfeedback Submitminordissertation& Panelreviewpresentation:
fromsupervisor article 10Nov17

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How will the examiners mark the research?

Engineering report Examiner process:

Is a report/discussion what others What is the problem the research
have done. has set-out to resolve?
Has the researcher generate
Research problem: questions or hypotheses that link to
Research is to select a problem the problems in order to focus the
and deriving a solution for the research?
problem. Has a rigid systematic approach
been followed during the research
process resulting in data that can
be trusted?
Has the research questions been
answered in the conclusion of the
research?
Has the problem set-out been
addressed?

Where are you?

I know what I will research (Topic)

I have defined the problem this research will resolve (Research problem)
I have read at least 20 journal articles about this research area (preliminary literature review)
Literature confirm that this problem exist and provided me with validation to proof to my reader
I have written a focused sentence defining the research problem
I have derived research questions/ research hypothesis, if answered or proofed it will solve the
research problem (RQ/Hypothesis)
Why does this research need to be conducted? (Who will benefit what?)
(Aim/Objectives/Contribution)
Have you read your supervisors articles? The previous students supervised by your supervisor?
(Google Scholar & UJ Repository)

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"Main objective of the research

What is the aim and objectives of your research?

It is usually good to think of a research questions / hypothesis.
What is your vision and what do you hope to bring to the engineering management discipline
Define the aim/goal of the research
List 3, 4 or 5 objectives or steps to realise the goal.
I recommend that you may follow the following ways of defining the project aim.
a. The research aim of this project is to test the hypothesis H or answer RQ 1, 2, 3
b. The research aim of this project is to measure parameter P with accuracy A
c. The research aim of this project is to prove conjecture C
d. The research aim of this project is to apply method M from field X to solve problem Q in field
Y

ProfessorPaulMativenga

Research Design

The research design refers to the overall strategy that you choose to integrate the different
components of the study in a coherent and logical way, thereby, ensuring you will effectively
address the research problem;

it constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data.

De Vaus, D. A. Research Design in Social Research. London: SAGE, 2001; Trochim, William M.K. Research Methods Knowledge Base. 2006

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strategy = a plan of action designed to achieve the research objectives

What structure will best facilitate your argument ?

What data do you require to answer the RQs or proof the research hypothesis?
How will you collect the data to ensure the data is trustworthy, reliability?
How do you need to measure the data to answer or proof the research hypothesis?
How do you need to analyse the data to answer or proof the research hypothesis?

you choose how to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent
and logical ensuring you effectively address the research problem;

Be different
No suggested layout - tailor to suite the research topic and research process.
Fundamental principle - choose a structure that is appropriate to your research.
Different structures for dissertations are available.

Alternative structures are discussed in literature (CHANNELL, J. 2008. Writing Your Thesis. In: HALL,
G. & LONGMAN, J. (eds.) The Postgraduate's Companion. London: SAGE.) This section provides
guidelines of what should be covered in different chapters within the dissertation using a classical
pattern.

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What is your Research Design ?

Design Research Design

Construction Research process

process / or Research
Methods and methodology
tools

How will you achieve this? Research design

Research Design
What type of study will
best answer your
research question?
A plan how you intent
conducting the research

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Research design vs. Research methodology

ResearchDesign Researchmethodology

Focusontheendproduct: Focussesontheresearchprocessand
Whatkindofstudyisplannedandwhat thekindoftoolsandprocedures tobe
kindofresultsisaimedfor? used.

Pointofdeparture=Researchproblem Pointofdeparture=Specific taskssuch

orquestions asdatacollectionetc.

Focusonthelogicoftheresearch: Focusontheindividual(notleaner)
Whatkindofevidenceisrequiredto stepsintheresearchprocess
addresstheresearchquestions
adequately?

Howtosucceedinyourmaster'sanddoctoralstudiesASouthAfricanguideandresourcebook(Mouton,2001.)

Research Design

Typesofstudy

Nonempiricalstudies
(Philosophicalanalysis,conceptual Empiricalstudies
analysis,theorybuilding,literature
reviews)

Usingprimarydata Analysingexisting
(Surveys,experiments,casestudies, data
programmeevaluation,ethnographic
studies)

Textdata Numericdata
(Secondarydataanalysis,
(Discourseanalysis,contentanalysis,
statisticalmodelling)
textualcriticism,historicalstudies)

Howtosucceedinyourmaster'sanddoctoralstudiesASouthAfricanguideandresourcebook(Mouton,2001.)

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Research Design RUBRIC

Verypoor Poor Reasonable Good

Fairlygiven
Inadequate
Description Cleartheoreticalframework,
Unclear Gooddescriptionand
Justification wellarguedandproperly
Inappropriate justification
Appropriate justified
Unjustified
Notexhaustive

Researchdesignnot Thereisaweaklink
statedor,readerdonot betweentheresearch Adescriptionofhowthe Theresearchdesignrefersthe
clearlyunderstandhow designandresearch researchwillbeexecuted overallstrategythatyouhave
theresearchwillbe problem.Noargumentationhasbeengiven.Basic choosetoexecutetheresearch
Researchdesign executed. providedwhytheresearch (adequate)argument coherentlystatedandwordedin
designisappropriate. presentedtoarguethe awaythatmakesitclearhowit
suitabilityofresearch relateandaresuitablefor
design. research.

Inadditiontoa
Aclearstrategyforlayoutof
descriptionajustification
Adescriptionofthe researchispresentedina
Researchdocument hasbeenprovidedhow
Nocleardescription proposedstructurehasbeen coherentandlogicalway
structure thisstructureis
provided ensuringyoueffectivelyaddress
appropriatetothis
theresearchproblem
research

My expectation as a supervisor

Student now rework proposal into a good draft of chapter 1 ready for review (receive chapter 1 in Feb
17):
Professional communication: Comply to professional communication guidelines.
Validation problem exist: Background and a description of the problem area
Importance of the Research & Research objectives: Why the research is necessary and what is
the research contribution.
The Problem: Problem statement. This is a substantiated description of the problem.
Research questions and/or research hypothesis: This detail how the problem will be resolved.
Research Design: High level plan how research process will be conducted.
Research document layout: A description how you will structure your research document

Must be substantiated with facts, figures and trends by using references.

Project plan how will I finish the research by your personal goal date?

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Goals for 2017

Minor-dissertation complete
Break it into pieces

Life long learners

iTunes U
Ted talks Google: ted talks research methods
YouTube

http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/researchdesigns

When to use what research design (Vogt, W. Paul, 2012)

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