Research Methodology On Women constitute an integral segment of the Nigerian population.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0     Introduction

          This chapter focuses on the description of the procedure used in answering the research questions. It also deals with information on the research design, population of the study, sampling technique, sampling size, research instrument, method of data collection, as well as method of data analysis.

3.1     Research Design

          This study adopted the survey design because it involved the study of a sample taken from a population in order to know their major characteristics which can be generalized to the whole population.(Ihejirika and Omego,2011). Also, Nnayelugo (2001) posited that survey methods are useful in the measuring of public opinion, attitudes and orientation which are dominant among a large population at a particular period. Therefore, since the study deals with analyzing the impact of Nigerian broadcast media in motivating women for leadership positions in politics, the survey design has been found appropriate. 

1.2            Research Population

          Population of study, according to Nwosu (2006) is the total number of elements within a given environment which a research is set to study (p.49). Therefore, the population of the study consists of all the women in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State within age 25-60. The total population has been reached at an estimated 16,874. 

3.3     Sample and sampling technique

          Sampling is a process of selecting a subset of people or social phenomena to be studied from the larger universe to which they belong.( Payne and Payne ,2004). A sample is therefore, a number of individual cases that are drawn from a larger population.

          The sampling technique that will be adopted is the stratified random sampling technique. This method entails separating the population elements into non-overlapping groups called strata and then selecting a simple random sample from within each stratum. The women in Obio-Akpor Local Government ranging from age 25-60 form the strata for which the researcher will randomly distribute the copies of the questionnaire to. The sample size of this research work is derived using the Taro Yamane’s formula that states;

n        =          N

                   1+N(e)²

Where         n       =       Sample size

                   N       =       Population of the Study

                   e        =       Tolerable error (0.05).

n        =           16,874

                   1+16,874 (0.05)²

n        =                 16,874

                             42.1875

Therefore, n          =       399.97631 approximately 400

         

          The sample size chosen for this study was 400. According to Ohaja (2003), most student researches, especially at the undergraduate level do not exceed a sample size of 400.

3.4     Research Instrument

          The instrument that will be used in the collection of data for this study is the questionnaire. It will be used to elicit information from the respondents for quantitative data. Since quantitative data is what is required for this study, the questionnaire is considered the best research instrument to tackle the research problem. The questionnaire will comprise both open ended and close ended questions which will be divided into two sections- Section A and Section B, Section A will be bothering on respondents’ bio data while section B will consist of questions with relevance to the framework of the study. The open ended questions will give the respondents the freedom to air their opinions freely while the close-ended questions  requires the respondents to express their feelings in a sealed form.

3.5     Validity of instrument

          The research instrument will be validated by the research supervisor who will vet the items in the instrument critically. In addition, the items contained in the instrument will be coherent, comprehensive, and sequential, therefore capable of testing what the study set out to achieve. Moreover, the instrument will not only be streamlined to one variable but will take cognizance of other variables such as sex, age, status, and so on.

3.6     Method of Data collection

          The researcher will administer the questionnaire to women in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

          The questionnaire will be administered on a person-to-person basis. In effect, the completed   questionnaire will be collected on the spot after administration. This will ensure that the total number of questionnaire administered is the same or nearly the same with the number retrieved. Also, the researcher will be present to answer any oral questions from the respondents and give guidance on how the questionnaire should be filled. The researcher will also make sure to inquire the age range of each respondent before administering the questionnaire.

3.7     Method of data analysis

          The simple percentage analysis will be used in analyzing the data in the study, with the help of tables and graphs. The simple percentage analysis will enable the researcher to fully explore and explain the data collected and collated from the questionnaire without the use of complex mathematical models. The formula for the simple percentage is shown below;

Percentage = actual response   x   100

                    Total sample size                1

Where; actual response  =       number of respondents

Total sample size           =       total number of respondents.