TEN YEARS ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES USED IN DISSERTATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN

摘要

A study was conducted in Departmental Library of the Institute of Agricultural Extension and RuralDevelopment, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during the year 2014, using contentanalysis methodology. The objective was to analyse citations of research methodologies usedin M.Sc. dissertations submitted to the Department. The library contained more than 360 M.Sc.(Hons.) dissertations on various field related topics. Dissertations submitted to the Departmentof Agricultural Extension from the year 2000-2009 (10 years) were studied and analyzedcarefully. Based on identified units of analysis, each selected dissertation was evaluated. Thecontent analysis sheet was developed keeping in view the objective of study. The data collectionsheet so prepared was pre-tested on five dissertations to check the suitability. The sheet wasfinalized after making amendments in the illumination of pre-testing experience. The data werecollected with the help of data collection sheet. The data were obtained by reading certain partsof the each dissertation selected for the study. The data thus collected, were entered in SPSS inorder to develop data spreadsheet. Computer software SPSS used for data analysis. The datawere tabulated and simple percentages were worked out for interpretation, discussion, drawingconclusions and suggest appropriate recommendations. Most of the dissertations (36.7%) werebased on effectiveness/role /impact of the agricultural social aspects followed by assessingadoption level (13.9%). Moreover majority (77.2%) of the dissertations used simple randomsampling for selection of respondents followed by systematic random sampling (8.9 %). It issuggested that newly emerging research themes based on field oriented problems should beaddressed. As far as sampling techniques are concerned, it is proposed that other than simplerandom sampling techniques; cluster sampling nominal group etc. should also be used foreffective description of data.