Electronic Documents and Records Management System - IT Assignment Help

Assignment Task

METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This section details the specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select, process, and analyze information about electronic documents and records management system. It allows the reader to learn about how the researchers systematically design a study to ensure valid and reliable results that address the research aims and objectives (Jansen & Warren, 2020). This chapter depicts all the methods, strategies, and justification for these methods, the data analysis process and chosen method to be used in developing the desired system.
 

Data Collection Methods
The data collection methods used were qualitative with quantitative measurements. Qualitative methods were chosen due to being able to allow a special depth into the framework that is troublesome to pick up from closed question techniques. The quantitative measurements helped us with the perspectives of the data that ought to be measured to fully understand the magnitude of the issue. The studies were conducted on a small sample of the population due to the time-consuming nature of subjective research (Patton, 1990). The collection methods used are questionnaires, observation, and interviews. Each of these methods is explained below:

Questionnaires
They are data collection methods used to collect important information about the population. It is designed and developed to meet the goals, research questions, or hypotheses of the study. The researcher needs to consider the above when designing a questionnaire and must also know how information obtained was analyzed (Mugenda, 1999). They contain open-ended questions that collect the staff’s views on the systems in place and changes they would like to see. Closed-ended questions were also to assess the satisfaction of the staff members with the system. Questionnaires were distributed to a small number of CUT staff that make use of the record system. The total number of respondents selected to fill the questionnaires for this study was 30 (thirty). They were selected because they interact with the system always in their day-to-day activities. However, only 25 filled and returned the questionnaires. The benefits of using a structured questionnaire are that the researcher gets easier time to analyze data since they are in an immediately usable form, it is easier to administer because each item is followed by alternative answers, lastly, it is economical to use in terms of time and money.

Interviews
According to Myers and Newman (2006), defined qualitative interview as it grants us to see that, which is not customarily on view and examines them which is looked at but rarely seen. As Kvale (1996) contends, the qualitative research interview looks to describe the implications of central subjects within the life world of the subjects. The most reason for interviewing was to get the meaning of what the interviewees said. Researchers as interviewers managed to come with in-depth data around the topic. Interviews were utilized since they are valuable as follow-ups to certain respondents to questionnaires. Interviews make it possible for the researcher to obtain information required to meet specific objectives of the study and it guards the researcher against confusing the questions since the interviewer can clarify the questions thereby helping the respondent give relevant responses. Within the current study, semi-structured in-person interviews were used. This choice was taken after considering the need to develop a system that is user-friendly and provides every module that the EDRMS can possess. The group of participants was randomly selected within CUT.
The interviews were recorded after the permission that was taken from the participants according to the informed consent form that was given to them to sign. We recorded them with a mobile phone and then used the recordings and after listening to them we transcribed the material to keep them in paper form. To ensure the research does not take too much time and effort, a small sample of the staff that works directly with the records system took part in the research. The group of participants consists of four individuals that are using the EDRMS at CUT. Dr. Chihota, (chief records officer), Mrs. Kiwa (lecturer), Kudzaishe Munemo (student), and Engines Dean. In addition, a maximum of 20 students was interviewed to check for feedback on the system. There were no specific criteria for the selection of the sample but it was necessary to examine persons that use the current EDRMS to present integrated opinions. The interviews' duration was about 15-20 minutes and the procedure took place in their working environment. Sampling users from both students and staff allowed the researchers to observe the parties that are most affected by the shortcomings in the system.

Observations
The supplementary method that was also used as a method to collect data is observation. Observation is another qualitative method that allows the researcher to get a better understanding of the situation that is examined. Through the perception, the researcher can interact with the members by observing the case. Participant observation implies the strategy in which the spectator partakes within the existence of the individuals under study, either transparently, within the part of the researcher or secretively in few disguised duties, watching things that happen, tuning in to what is said and addressing individuals, over a few lengths of time (Becker 1957). In observation, the researcher acts as an observer or as a participant. In this way, during the normal regular work of the workers, the convenience of an overhauled EDRMS was observed. It was observed the way that the administration encourages their work and it moreover observed how the system works.
The difference that exists in observation is that as an observer, the researcher remains outside of the case and only observes and documents the situation while when he acts as a participant, he takes an active role in the process and he participates. The observational method involves the researchers taking part in the data collection process by observing the system and how it affects us and our usage of it. We were able to give detailed views of the system from the user end. In the specific observation, we acted as an observer. The observation took place at CUT where we observed Dr. Chihota. The procedure lasted three days, 6 hours each day. We observed how he behaved at those hours and how the current EDRMS affected his activities. It was tried to avoid influence on his working activities. Our attitude was neutral to avoid manipulating him. The participant was encouraged to act as it was a simple and usual day to get true and clear results. During the process, notes were taken to record the whole situation and to have a detailed observation. After the procedure, a narrative was created to expand the notes and to offer a better understanding of the process and the examined situation. The two factors that are examined in the data collection section are the efficiency and how it is affected by an EDRMS and the costs that are decreased by the adoption of an updated EDRMS. As it is rational, in observation of 3 days it is not possible to observe the impact on the costs but we observed to what extent the efficiency is affected.

Case Study
A Case study is a technique where the researcher is doing an experimental request to investigate a phenomenon in its characteristic setting by utilizing numerous sources of evidence. For the most part, a case study is an observational examination that investigates a current phenomenon in profundity and inside its genuine life setting particularly when the boundaries between phenomenon and setting are not apparent (Yin, 2009, p.18). A case study answers research questions such as "How" and "Why". The choice was taken because, for instance, the grounded hypothesis could be a strategy that is supportive of profundity examination. The reason behind using a case study was because we aim to induce a more profound understanding of the concept of the current EDRMS and our purpose is to add strength to the existing research and to present the desired system. Our study is an experimental request and investigates the application and the impacts of EDRMS. We looked at the case study of 4 individuals that are users of the system at CUT and the experiences were examined and presented. The intention to examine a specific group of persons and to get a better understanding of the concept of EDRMS lead us to conduct qualitative research to interpret the experiences of the participants and not to present only numerical data.

Chosen Methodology
As researchers, we chose to make use of design science methodology. This method will be explained below:

Design Science Methodology
Design science research is a focal point or set of engineered and explanatory methods and viewpoints (complementing positivist, interpretive and basic viewpoints) for performing an investigation. This method ordinarily includes the creation of an artifact and or design hypothesis as a means to make strides in the current state of practice, as well as existing, research information (Baskerville, 2018). Design science research that centers on the advancement of artifacts includes two essential activities to progress and understand the behavior of viewpoint: the creation of modern information through the design of inventive artifacts (things or forms) and the examination of the artifacts utilized and or execution with reflection and abstraction. We chose design science because it allows us to come up with great designs which move forward our lives through inventive, maintainable items and services and diminish the negative unintended results of innovative deployment. In design science, product and system plan is tended to by combining investigation and blend and drawing from numerous logical disciplines.
Design science methodology consists of different architectures but based on our project we mainly focused on the development of the electronic document management system.
 

Development
There are numerous shapes of artifacts that can be created that run from design speculations to concepts, models, or instantiations (Gregor and Jones, 2007). The procedures for usage will, of course, shift depending on the artifact to be created. An algorithm may require the development of a formal confirmation to show its rightness. An expert system exemplifying novel suspicious about human cognition in a zone of intrigued will require software development, likely employing a high-level bundle or device. The execution itself can be exceptionally pedestrian and require not to include oddity beyond the state of practice for the given artifact; the novelty is basically within the plan, not the development of the artifact.
The development of the software took the processes outlined in the software development cycle. According to Elliott (2004), the systems development life cycle (SDLC) can be considered to be the oldest formalized methodology framework for building information systems.

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