of Soft Systems Methodology within Farming Communities in Tanzania . These are only 11 words . I think this is tolerable ! Avoid putting adverbs like ‘ effectiveness ’, ‘ efficient ’ etc in the title !
2 ) Identify the study Problem : You need to show the ( sketchy ) state of the art concerning the problem area which you are planning to carry out the investigation . Justify your choice by indicating that the particular research problem area is not yet understood ( by who ? By scientists ? Decision makers ?) - or not yet completed [ unfinished / inconclusive findings ] ( what studies ? What model ? What theory ? What methods ? What questions / hypotheses ?), ignored by researchers ( protruding the epistemological gaps ), not recognized and / or less emphasized by scientists .
In this section you should also answer the following questions ; Are you finding the novel problem ? Are you trying to proceed ( extend ) from where other scientists have ended ? Are you correcting something ?
For example , Milanzi ( 2004 ) sets the research problem of his study at two levels namely at the level of application on the use of soft systems methodology ( SSM ) and at the theoretical level ( that is knowledge production ). He extended the works of Peter Checkland and Costas Tsouvalis by attempting to bridge the gaps that were noted during the application of SSM in Europe in the 1990s and early 2000s . The identification of research problem by Milanzi ( 2004 ) is described as follows : -
a . Practical / Application level : he claims that SSM ( as a western invention ) has never been used or applied by people / users in developing countries such as Tanzania . The majority of applications carried out so far were from the western and developed world . Therefore , it is worth testing or using the methodology in the receiving environment ( developing world ) which would probably come out with new results and insights about the methodology use that are different from the sending ( western ) world .
b . Theoretical / epistemological level : Milanzi ( 2004 ) noted that SSM as a methodology is interpretive ( qualitative ) and thus its use depends on the would-be participants ; interpretive factors . The SSM participants apply the methodology which is influenced by their culture ( s ), among other variables . These influences are social processes in which participants appreciate their actions and decisions . But this appreciation cannot be fully performed uncontrollably . I think something must be performed inside and among participants in addition to appreciation so that choices can be made to the very end . The new theoretical concept was proposed namely the Foucault ’ s ‘ subjectivisation .’ It is not a matter of objectifying decisions / choices , plans and actions through appreciation but actors using SSM should subjectivise themselves through problematisation .
3 ) Develop the objectives , research questions and / or hypotheses a . Prepare the central objective of your study ( Milanzi 2011 ). Identify the Empirical and / or non empirical objectives . b . Create the support objectives ( up to 3 questions ). These objectives must
Convocation Newsletter | 2017 26