Geography & History Notes | KCSE, NECTA, ZIMSEC & GCSE

  We are going through a time of profound change in our understanding of the ethics of applied social research. From the time immediately after World War II until the early 1990s, there was a gradually developing consensus about the key ethical principles that should underlie the research endeavor. Two marker events stand out (among many others) as symbolic of this consensus. The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial following World War II brought to public view the ways German scientists had used captive human subjects as subjects in oftentimes gruesome experiments. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study involved the withholding of known effective treatment for syphilis from African-American participants who were infected. Events like these forced the reexamination of ethical standards and the gradual development of a consensus that potential human subjects needed to be protected from being used as 'guinea pigs' in scientific research. By the 1990s, the dynamics of the situa...

Observation offers the researcher a distinct way of collecting data. It does not rely on what people say they do, or what they say they think. It is more direct than that. Instead, it draws on the direct evidence of the eye to witness events first-hand. It is a more natural way of gathering data. Whenever direct observation is possible it is the preferable method to use.  The observation method is a technique in which the behaviour of research subjects is watched and recorded without any direct contact. It involves the systematic recording of observable phenomena or behaviour in a natural setting.  The purpose of observation techniques are: To collect data directly. To collect substantial amount of data in short time span. To get eye witness first hand data in real like situation. To collect data in a natural setting. Characteristics of observation as a data collection tool : It is necessary to make a distinction between observation as a scientific tool and the casual obser...

  Questionnaire is form containing set of questions, especially one addresses to statistically significant number of subjects as the way of gathering information for research or survey. In other words questionnaire is research instrument  consisting of series of questions for the purpose of gathering information from respondent. The following are advantages of questionnaire as data collection tool in research: Questionnaire has standardized answers that make them simple to analyze and compile. Questionnaire permit wide coverage as researcher will just post questionnaire to respondent in different geographical areas. It helps in conducting in depth study as respondent may be asked open ended questions to solicit in depth information. They do not require much effort from questioner as in the case of interview. Questionnaire are flexible and adoptable to variety of research design, population and purposes. The following are disadvantages of questionnaire as data collection...

  Observation is the active acquisition of information from a primary source.  In science, observation can also involve the recording of data via the use of instruments. The term may also refer to any data collected during the scientific activity. Observations can be qualitative, that is, only the absence or presence of a property is noted, or quantitative if a numerical value is attached to the observed phenomenon by counting or measuring. The limitations of observation as data collection tool in research are Establishing validity is difficult.   Subjectivity is also there.   It is a slow and laborious process.   It is costly both in terms of time and money.   The data may be unmanageable.   There is possibility of bias. These limitations can be minimized by systematic observation as it provides a framework for observation which all observes will use. We hope that you have found this article useful. what other limitation of observation as da...

  Observation is the action or process of observing something or someone carefully in order to gain information about them. Observation in research can be classified as participant and non participant. In participant observation, the observer or researcher becomes more or less member of the group under observation and shares the situation as visiting stranger, an attentive listener, an eager learner or as a complete participant observer registering, recording and interpreting the behavior of the group. In other hand in the non participant observation the observer or researcher observe through one way screen and hidden microphone. The researcher remain at distance and look, register and record what is going on. he keeps his observation as inconspicuous as possible. The purpose of non participant observation is to observe the behaviour in the natural setting. The subject will not shift his behavior or the respondent will not be conscious that someone is observing his behavior. The a...

  what is observation in research? Observation is the active acquisition of information from a primary source. In living beings, observation employs the senses. In science, observation can also involve the recording of data via the use of instruments. The term may also refer to any data collected during the scientific activity. Observations can be qualitative, that is, only the absence or presence of a property is noted, or quantitative if a numerical value is attached to the observed phenomenon by counting or measuring. Observation offers the researcher a distinct way of collecting data. It does not rely on what people say they do, or what they say they think. It is more direct than that. Instead, it draws on the direct evidence of the eye to witness events first-hand. It is a more natural way of gathering data. Whenever direct observation is possible it is the preferable method to use. The observation method is a technique in which the behavior of research subjects is watched ...