In this part, the methodology for the study and the reasoning
for selecting a research design are verified. It is crucial to differentiate
research design and methodology since the two notions are independent, while
still interconnected. However, the relationship between the two concepts is
often difficult to establish. Holder (2008:5) notes that a research design is a
master plan that indicates how research has to be performed. Research design
and research methodology are two distinct dimensions of research, though many
people often confuse them (Babbie & Mouton, 2009:74).
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The following research design is set in order to achieve the
objectives of the study as mentioned in section 1.5:
The research is first build around a literature study to
provide a background related to the empirical part of the study. In this
section, a fundamental review of related concepts will be performed. A number
of research propositions will be carried out from the literature findings. This
research was built upon primary and secondary data, and the design is of a
quantitative nature. The element to assess in the study is «individuals
and individuals' behaviour. The research was performed using self-administered
survey questionnaires by respondents for the research. The questionnaires are
based upon the literature study and pretested with a small number of
individuals from the sample with attributes comparable to the respondents of
the research.
«A population for a research refers to a population
group where the study intends to draw conclusions from» (Babbie &
Mouton, 2009:100). The population for the intended research include all
existing patients of the military hospital in Libreville, Gabon,18 years or
older, males and females, who have experienced services at the military
hospital for at least one night. These population elements are chosen mainly
because during a telephone interview conducted on 4 February 2012, an employee
at the military hospital hospital stated that over 80 per cent of patients
attending the military hospital were overnight patients. These patients have
experienced a wider range of services provided such as quality of hospital
rooms, quality of care, quality of medical diagnosis and treatment.
This makes it easy for the researcher to investigate the
choice factors for selecting a military hospital in Libreville, Gabon.
Therefore, all day patients attending the military hospital will be excluded
from the study population. The probability sampling technique was used to
choose respondents in the study. Data gathered from the study will be coded and
recorded into a statistical software package. Findings will be evaluated using
advanced statistical techniques and a number of Tables. The methodology chapter
will provide a further view regarding the method, techniques and instruments
utilised.
In this study, the following statistical methods were chosen
for their suitability to examine the hypotheses in the study. These methods
encompass frequency Tables, measurement of the mean, measures of dispersion
that comprise standard deviation, and descriptive statistics. The research
instrument was verified for its validity and
13
reliability(Refer to Section 4.2.5.7). All evaluations were
performed by the University of Johannesburg's Statistical Consultation Service
(STATKON) and calculations were performed using SPSS.
