WBC provides support in the following research tasks:
- Problem Identification
- Proposal writing and reviewing
- Data Collection
- Data coding and analysis
- Report Review, Editing, Formating and Compilation.
Proposal Writing Support
In Proposal Writing Support, WBC engages in the following:
- Offering guidance on identification of research topics,
- Gathering resources for building the background to the study,
- Guidance of research objectives/questions/hypotheses,
- Offering support in statement of research problem,
- Guidance on conceptual and theoretical frameworks.
- Gathering resources for literature review (journals, studies),
- Developing research design and methodology,
- Designing Data Collection Instruments,
- Reviewing proposals based on the supervisors’ or panel’s review.
Data Coding and Analysis Support
Data Coding
WBC assists clients in entering the data into the Computer: Data from questionnaires is coded and logged in the computer using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). This involves coding close ended items in order to run simple descriptive or inferential analysis to get reports on data status. The qualitative data is sorted, categorized and processed using word processing applications.
Data Analysis
After receiving data from the field, WBC screens it for accuracy so as to ensure no major errors. In screening, WBC research team seeks to establish whether: the data are legible, the major items have been answered and the responses are complete. WBC engages in both Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis.
Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative data analysis involves both descriptive and inferential analysis (where applicable). Descriptive analysis such as frequencies and percentages, means and standard deviation are used to present quantitative data. This is done in order to describe what the data shows. Inferential Analysis is used to test the hypothesis. This involves t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Chi-square, regression, factor analysis among other approaches used in inferential analysis.
Qualitative Analysis
Data from the interview guide or focus group discussion is analyzed qualitatively. This involves the process of transcribing if the data are recorded. The data are first transcribed into written form for closer investigation. After transcribing the recorded data, the team reads through to remove ambiguity and repeated items (to make sense), organizes into themes and patterns following the major research questions or objectives. In case the data from interview are not recorded, qualitative analysis is done by reading through all the items to get the emerging themes which are organized thematically according to the research objectives.