Unit Code: FPM702
Unit Name: Forestry Research Methodology
Description: The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to research and the selection of a research approach, motivation, utility and characteristics, the three approaches to research, philosophical worldviews, research designs and methods, criteria for selecting a research approach, review of literature, use of theory, writing strategies, ethical considerations, designing research, research questions and hypotheses, qualities of a good hypothesis, null and alternative hypothesis, qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods, and hypothesis testing. The course further provides information about research methods, surveys and experiments, survey design, sampling types and techniques, data analysis through classification, tabulation and graphical representation, box-plot, descriptive statistics, and Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), theory of probability, random variable and mathematical expectation, discrete and continuous probability distribution, binomial, poisson, normal, chi-square, t and F distribution, tests of significance based on normal, chi-square, t and F distributions, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), large sample theory, introduction to theory of estimation, confidence interval, correlation and regression, simple and multiple linear regression model, estimation of parameters, predicted values and residuals, correlation, partial correlation coefficient, correlation coefficient, regression coefficients and coefficient of determination, multiple and polynomial regression. The students will be taught non parametric tests such as sign test, wilcoxen test, kruskal-wallis test, mann-whitney U-test, run test, friedman two-way ANOVA by ranks, kendall?s coefficient of concordance, multivariate analysis techniques, components of qualitative methods, mixed methods procedures and data interpretation, types of mixed methods designs, choosing a mixed methods design, interpretation and report writing.
Learning Target Outcomes:
Prerequisite: N/A
Prerequisite Sentence: Student must be enrolled in the programme.
Credit Point: 15
Offered In: Semester 2