Research Ethics

According to the British Educational Research Association (2011), the confidential and anonymous treatment of participant data is considered as the norm for conducting research. All researchers require the consideration of ethical dimensions of the corresponding research carried out, particularly where human subjects are involved. The ethical consideration that should be taken into account in this study concerns the maintenance of confidentiality and anonymity, which the researcher will ensure by not asking for any contact information from respondents. Matters such as data storage and confidentiality of responses were considered.

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Ethical principles are important in research because ethical gaps can significantly harm students and the public. So, it is very important in the research involving humans to ensure that the potential participants fully understand what they are being asked to do, and that they are informed of any potentially negative consequences of such participation. In this study, the questionnaire first page has a short paragraph for informed consent. This includes a short introduction about the researcher

background and the purpose of the study. In addition, it stresses that respondents’ answers confidential and anonymous.

As for the focus group interviews (when piloting the survey), the interview’s time length should be agreed upon beforehand. The interviewer must stay away from questions that may belittle the interviewee or lead to any embarrassment. This could stress the participant and interfere with the interview’s purposes (Robson, 2002). The interviewee must also know that he has the right to abstain from answering any question that he finds inappropriate.

According to Staffordshire University guidelines (2014), research ethics is supported by the

commonly agreed principles of ethical research (Association of Research Ethics Committees, 2013, p. 5). The major five principles of ethical research are presented below:

1. Autonomy: People taking part in the research must be made aware of the purpose behind the research and be allowed to participate without any compulsion or penalty for not participating. Individuals ought to have the capacity to withdraw whenever they want without justification and without the risk of any negative consequences emerging from their withdrawal. A

paragraph was written on the questionnaire’s first page stating clearly the research purpose and that participation is completely voluntary with no penalties for skipping the questionnaire completion.

2. Beneficence: This concerns the results of the carried-out research and the added value

provided. In principle, valuable results must be provided by the research. In the current study, the beneficial outcomes are highlighted by the introduction of focused variables that would provide information concerning service quality and its contribution to students’ satisfaction. In addition, the study will form a basis for service quality assessment within the Lebanese higher education, in addition to setting guidelines for leaders and managers within the education field. 3. Non-maleficence: Any conceivable harm must be kept away. The researcher considered

whether there is any possibility for participants or potential participants to get harmed, attacked or abused, and didn’t found any.

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4. Confidentiality: Unless the participants agree or wish to have their voices heard and recognized, individual data must stay obscure to everyone except the researcher. The researcher considered the protection for participants’ information, identity and privacy as a priority. Thus, no personal information will be released.

5. Integrity: Actual or potential conflicts of interest must be recognized by the researcher, and the research should be conducted in a way that recognizes the integrity of research. No conflict of interest was recognized and highlighted in this study.

In this investigation, there was no need for the full ethics approval form to be completed. This is because the study does not include controversial or sensitive topics, does not include animals, children (under 18 years of age) or vulnerable groups, there are no illegal activities linked to the investigation and it didn’t receive any external funding. The fast track form was used instead.

3.13 Summary

This chapter provides a detailed research design, analysis and description aiming to develop a conceptual framework for a service quality model for quality evaluation within the Lebanese higher education sector. The research methodology is presented in detail with the corresponding

characteristics and specifications. The ontology of objectivism is adopted, considering the aims and deliverables of the current investigation. Thus, the researcher strives to isolate his views and beliefs during the investigation, so he could attain the objectives and see the reality in a clear and unbiased perspective. In addition, the 5 major research questions derived in this study are presented, dealing with the major investigation aims and deliverables.

In terms of the research philosophy, the current study will embrace a positivistic methodology, following a hypothesis testing approach and employing assumptions. This choice is built on the claim that positivism subscribes to objectivism. Furthermore, the deductive research approach is selected, as the researcher aims to design and develop a hypothesis to be later tested and thus accepted or rejected. Following a deductive research approach, the current study will be characterised by an exploratory, descriptive and explanatory process.

Moreover, a case study of a private Lebanese university is selected in this investigation to implement and assess the service quality assessment model conceptual framework developed in this study. The LIU university, with its 9 campuses across the Lebanese districts, will serve as a field of investigation, data collection and analysis. As the study will encompass quantitative data connected to multiple variables, it was highlighted that the appropriate time horizon is cross-section.

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Based on the study objectives and with the researcher aiming to draw generalized conclusions on the level of the holistic Lebanese higher education sector, a probability sampling technique was selected to collect data form respondents. The number of students’ sample to be targeted in this study was estimated to be around 1343, considering a 30% safety factor.

Considering the proposed service quality assessment model with the seven dimensions highlighted in the previous chapter, a questionnaire was developed to collect data from students and aid in

identifying and analysing the gap between the level of importance given by students to each service quality dimension proposed, and their perception of the current performance for each dimension. The questionnaire has 3 main sections, Section A with general questions regarding the respondent, Section B dealing mainly with students’ satisfaction and loyalty and Section C with the seven proposed service quality dimensions and a list of associated statements. A 7-point Likert scale, ranking from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), where a midpoint (neutral) was used in both sections B and C.

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