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Centre for Policy Research (CPR)  |  Main Campus  |   USM Apex W 

SEMESTER I, ACADEMIC SESSION 2025/2026

INTRODUCTION

This course aims to develop student research and analytical skills. Students are introduced to the research strategies and philosophies, the theory and logic of research, the ethics that guide the research process, and the range of research methods generally employed in the social sciences. Emphasis will be given to knowledge related to research design, data collection, elementary data analysis, and report writing. The course includes discussions of specific methodological approaches. The course also gives special attention to practical knowledge of the research process and prepares students to conduct their basic research projects. Students will leave the course with a better understanding of conducting research in various fields. This foundational course will prepare students for advanced research methods courses in their chosen fields.​

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students are expected to be able to demonstrate the following skill set and knowledge:

  • Ability to develop a suitable research problem accompanied by a set of research questions based on relevant and critical literature review.
  • Ability to present their research proposal at the foundational postgraduate level.
  • Ability to propose a viable design to begin their planned post-graduate research while upholding professional research ethics.
  • Ability to comprehend the importance of synthesising research findings and relating them to the relevant theories and works vis-à-vis the research objectives and sustainability issues.

Course Content 

Duration Period : 6.10.2025 - 15.2.2026

  • Course Title
    Research Methodology
  • Time
    Wednesday, 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm
  • Course Code
    POL500
  • Credit
    3
  • Semester 
    I, Academic Session 2025/2026

  • Class will be conduct via Online (Please check your e-learning portal for class link)

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  • Assessment
    The assessments* for this course are as follows:

CPR Academic Staff

Dr. Dayang Haszelinna Abang Ali
Coordinator POL500

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tang Chor Foon
Coordinator POL500

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk

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Dr. Sazlina Salleh

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Goh Soo Khoon

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Reevany Bustami

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Dr. Illisriyani Ismail

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Learning Unit

Week 1- Week 11

Week 1 [10.10.2025] 3-5 pm

By Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sazlina Md Salleh
Sustainability & Futures Episteme and Multidisciplinary Research

SDGs and Sustainability-related research
Objectives, workload and significance of this course;

Week 2 [15.10.2025]

By : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Reevany Bustami

Introduction to Research, Research Philosophies & Strategies

Understanding the philosophies and strategies of research: Inductive, Deductive, Retroductive and Abductive Research

Week 3 [22.10.2025]

By : Dr. Illisriyani binti Ismail

Research Problem

Logical, Reasonable research problem; identifying and developing Resolvable problems.

Week 4 [29.10.2025]

By : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Goh Soo Khoon

Literature Review

Past review, recent review, gaps in literature. Essences of Literature review.

Week 5 [5.11.2025]

By : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Goh Soo Khon

References and Citation

Library Session + Mendeley

Week 6 [12.11.2025]

By: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk

Research Framework

Theoretical / Conceptual framework; Theory-building Research.

Week 7 [19.11.2025]

By : Dr. Dayang Haszelinna Abang Ali

Part 1: Quantitative Research Design

Descriptive, Correlational, Causal- Comparative/Quasi
Experimental, and Experimental Research, Software skills, SPSS; Sampling methods, Design of Questionnaire

Week 8 [24.11.2025-30.11.2025]

MID-TERM BREAK

Week 9 [3.12.2025]

By: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tang Chor Foon

Part 2: Quantitative Research Design and Quantitative Data Analysis

Descriptive, Correlational, Causal - Comparative/Quasi-Experimental, and Experimental Research, Software skills, Characteristics of data, Modelling, and Regression Analysis

Week 10 [10.12.2025]

By: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk

Plagiarism, Ethics and Decolonizing Social Research

Research ethics, plagiarism, paraphrasing, the difference between reference and plagiarizing. The importance of Decolonizing knowledge and Indigenous knowledge.


+ Research Ethics

Week 11 [17.12.2025]

By:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Reevany Bustami

Qualitative Research Design

Understanding resign-design and selected qualitative methods, e.g. ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, and case study

Week 12- Week 15

REMINDER:

THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL, PROPOSAL PRESENTATION AND OTHER ACTIVITIES FROM WEEK 12 – 15 WILL BE ORGANISED BY AND REFERRED TO THE STUDENT’S RESPECTIVE SCHOOL / CENTRE

Week 12 [24.12.2025]

Respective Schools/ Centres

Findings Writing, Overall Report Writing

Findings, Comparison with prior studies, Limitations of your work, The difference between findings and conclusions, major / key findings, conclusion and implications.

Week 13 [31.12.2025]

Respective Schools/ Centres

Issues and Realities in Research

Problems with Implementation in the field. Access to data, emerging issues   

Week 14 [7.1.2026]

Respective Schools/ Centres

Writing citation, Academic publication

APA, MLA/ Turabian, Chicago; Book, journal, indexed, ISI, SCOPUS, ESCI, peer review, predatory journal, mass media, popular writings, referencing Style, Citation Databases, Impact Factors, and H-Index 

Week 15 [14.1.2026]

Respective Schools/ Centres

Presentation to respective supervisors / schools

Respective Schools/ Centres

  1. Centre for Policy Research [ Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sazlina Salleh, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tang Chor Foon; Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
  2. Centre for Global Archaeological Research [ Suresh Narayanen; Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
  3. Center for Islamic Development Management Studies  (ISDEV) [ Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Syakir Bin Mohd Rosdi; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
  4. Centre for Instructional Technology & Multimedia [ Ts. Dr. Mageswaran Sanmugam ; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
  5. National Higher Education Research Institute [ Dr. Devisakti Annamali;Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
  6. School of Distance Education [ Prof.  Dr. Wan Afezah Wan Abdul Rahman ; Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
  7. School of Languages, Literacies & Translation  [ Prof. Dr. Malini Ng Ganapathy; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
  8. School of Humanities  [ Prof. Dr Asyirah Abdul Rahim; Email :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  9. School of Management  [ Dr. Hasliza Abdul Halim; Email :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  10. School of Social Sciences  [ Prof. Dr. Radin Firdaus Radin Baharuddin; Email :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  11. School of Communication  [ Dr. Kamaruzzaman Bin Abdul Manan Email :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  12. School of Arts  [ Dr. Fara Dayana binti Mohd Jufry ;Email :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  13. School of Educational Studies  [ Dr Mageswary Karpudewan;Email :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)