fbpx

Merle Werbeloff

Merle is an experienced academic, working in research methodology and statistical data analysis. She has helped hundreds of students to finish their dissertations and theses, guiding them with infinite patience. Her PhD is on decision making under risk. She is also a registered industrial psychologist, with many years of consulting experience.

The Critical Role of the Research/Conceptual Framework

Leave a Comment / Theoretical/conceptual framework, Theory / By

The Scenario A student’s dissertation I recently reviewed raised an interesting research question. Assume it was: What drives employee engagement in virtual teams? The introduction laid out the research problem, purpose and questions, and the literature review explored relevant studies. But something important was missing. There was no mention of a research/conceptual framework in these …

The Critical Role of the Research/Conceptual Framework Read More »

Lesson 1 From My Students: Less is More

Leave a Comment / Data analysis, Results, Statistics, Tables / By

  Less is More – Consolidation is Key  The Scenario A recent dissertation I reviewed contained over 100 small tables and graphs, each presenting a single aspect of the student’s findings. Tables were presented per demographic and item, for example, the respondents’ level of education, years of experience, and age group (there were six such small …

Lesson 1 From My Students: Less is More Read More »

Are you Lost in a Research Maze?

1 Comment / Results, Statistics / By

Are you an academic or postgraduate student feeling overwhelmed by your research? Are you having trouble analyzing your data or interpreting your statistical results? One key concept that can assist you is understanding what statistical significance truly means and, more importantly, what it signifies for your research. What Is Statistical Significance Telling You? Statistical significance …

Are you Lost in a Research Maze? Read More »

Writing Your Methodology Chapter

Methodology, Methods, Writing the methodology / By

Is the methodology chapter of your dissertation your least favorite? In my experience, many students feel this way. They spend a disproportionate amount of time on their introduction and literature chapters, but things go awry in the methodology chapter. Either they present the minimum detail or copy copious pages from methodology texts on the methods …

Writing Your Methodology Chapter Read More »

Measuring Reliability: Cronbach’s Alpha

Cronbach's alpha, Results / By

If you are using a measurement scale in your dissertation, chances are that you have written about Cronbach’s alpha, or Coefficient alpha, in a section on reliability in your proposal or dissertation. Unfortunately, most students misapply the concept. I believe Cronbach’s alpha is one of the most misunderstood concepts in research involving measurement. There are …

Measuring Reliability: Cronbach’s Alpha Read More »

Avoiding the Traps of Questionnaire Design and Analysis in Your Dissertation

Cronbach's alpha, Data analysis, Methodology, Recent references / By

In preparation for our upcoming webinar on Avoiding the Traps of Questionnaire Design and Analysis in Your Dissertation at 6 pm (GMT+2:00) on 19th September, I’m writing about an issue of reliability that is often problematic for students. An old bathroom scale explains the concept of reliability of the measurement instrument in your dissertation. Here …

Avoiding the Traps of Questionnaire Design and Analysis in Your Dissertation Read More »

Use ELICIT To Find, Summarise, And Organise Papers For Your Literature Review

Literature Review, Recent references, Writing the literature review / By

  A few months ago, I discovered Elicit AI. Elicit’s superpowers of organisation and summary complement Google Scholar’s advanced searches as well as Research Rabbit’s networks and timelines. With these tools, my literature search toolkit is now complete. Join me on Thursday evening 6th June @6:00 (GMT+2:00) when I take you through some of the …

Use ELICIT To Find, Summarise, And Organise Papers For Your Literature Review Read More »

Reliability and Dependability in Your Dissertation

Methodology, Reliability / By

  The reliability and dependability of a beloved other is a privilege. In a dissertation, these qualities are required. Quantitative dissertations require you to describe reliability and qualitative dissertations require you to speak of dependability. There are two types of reliability. The first type is the reliability of the overall study; the other type is the …

Reliability and Dependability in Your Dissertation Read More »

How Strong are Your Statistical Results? The Concept of Effect Size

Data analysis, Methodology, Recent references, Statistics / By

In a previous post, I spoke about what a statistically significant result means and doesn’t mean. A significant result may mean very little, not necessarily anything to inspire you to throw a party or make a supportive parent proud. A significant result does not tell you how strong – or meaningful – your result is. …

How Strong are Your Statistical Results? The Concept of Effect Size Read More »