Unité Méthodologique

Course Description

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental principles, concepts, and procedures of scientific research. It aims to guide second-year license students through the main stages of the research process, from identifying a research topic and formulating a research problem to developing clear research questions or hypotheses.

The course places particular emphasis on critical reading, literature review skills, and the selection of appropriate qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches. Students will also be introduced to essential data collection tools, basic techniques of data analysis and interpretation, and the principles required to produce valid, reliable, and academically sound research findings.

In addition, the course highlights the importance of research ethics, academic integrity, proper citation practices, and responsible use of sources. It also seeks to strengthen students’ academic writing, critical thinking, and presentation skills, enabling them to prepare and present a simple research proposal in English.

General Objective
To equip students with the essential knowledge, methodological tools, and academic skills required to design, conduct, and communicate rigorous and impactful scientific research.

Specific Objectives

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Define the fundamental concepts of research and research methodology.
• Explain the importance of research in academic and professional contexts.
• Identify the main stages of the research process.
• Differentiate between qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research.
• Formulate a clear research problem, research question, and hypothesis.
• Select appropriate data collection tools for a simple research topic.
• Analyze basic research situations and choose suitable methodological procedures.
• Prepare a short research proposal using appropriate academic language.

Section 1: Course Contact Sheet / Fiche-contact

1.1 Course Teacher

Name: Dr. Houda BOUMEDIENE
Email: h.boumediene@lagh-univ.dz
Department: Department of English
Faculty: Faculty of Letters and Languages 
Institution: University of Laghouat

1.2 Availability

Office hours: Tuesday from 9Am-21PM
Place: Department of English
Online availability: via Moodle forum, or email :h.boumediene@lagh-univ.dz

1.4 Course Information

Course title: An Introduction to Research Methodology
Level: Second Year Licence Degree
Coefficient: 3
Credits: 3
Total hourly volume: 48
Required personal workload: Approximately 4 hours per week

1.5 Assessment Method

The course assessment will be based on:

• Continuous assessment activities
• Online quizzes
• Assignments
• Participation in forums or collaborative tasks
• Final written examination / final online test, depending on institutional regulations

1.6 Follow-up Method

Students will be followed through:

• Weekly online activities
• Scheduled tutoring sessions
• Forum discussions
• Feedback on assignments
• Progress tracking through the e-learning platform

Tutoring calendar:
A tutoring calendar will be published on the platform indicating the dates of online meetings, assignment deadlines, quiz periods, and feedback sessions.

Section 2: General Learning Objectives

Course: An Introduction to Research Methodology

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify the concepts of research methodology, including research, method, methodology, data, sample, validity, reliability, and ethics.
• Define the main stages of the research process, from selecting a topic to presenting findings.
• Formulate a clear research problem, research questions, and simple hypotheses.
• Distinguish between qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research approaches.
• Select an appropriate research design according to the nature of the research topic.
• Choose suitable data collection tools, such as questionnaires, interviews, observation, tests, or document analysis.
• Explain the importance of sampling and identify common sampling techniques.
• Analyze and interpret simple quantitative and qualitative data.
• Apply basic principles of research ethics, academic integrity, citation, and avoidance of plagiarism.
• Prepare a simple research proposal including title, problem, questions, methodology, data collection tool, and references.

Section 3: Prerequisites

3.1 Required Prerequisites

Before starting this course, students are expected to have basic knowledge of:

• Academic reading
• Academic writing
• Paragraph and essay structure
• Basic English grammar
• Using digital learning platforms
• Searching for information online

3.2 Prerequisite Test

A short diagnostic test will be provided at the beginning of the course to evaluate students’ initial knowledge of:

• Academic vocabulary
• Research terminology
• Difference between topic, problem, and question
• Basic understanding of academic sources

The results of this test will help the teacher adapt the course activities to students’ needs.

Section 4: Global Teaching Plan

4.1 General Course Plan

4.2 Detailed Teaching Plan

A detailed teaching plan will be inserted as a Page Resource on the platform.
It will include:

• Weekly course objectives
• Required readings
• Learning activities
• Assignments
• Evaluation dates
• Online interaction schedule

Hyperlink to detailed teaching plan:

Section 5: Live Communication Space

To support direct interaction with students, the following synchronous communication tools will be used:

5.1 Videoconference

A regular online meeting will be organized through one of the following platforms:

• Google Meet
• Jitsi Meet
• Webex
• Zoom, if authorized by the institution

Videoconference link:
Students can join the live online sessions through the following Jitsi Meet link:
https://meet.jit.si/ResearchMethodology-L2-DrHoudaBoumediene

5.2 Chat Space

A chat space will be created for short live interventions, urgent questions, and direct communication during scheduled sessions.

Chat availability:
Thursday afternoon 14-16 PM