RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research is defined as a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic.
Rerearch is an academic activiby and as Such the term should be used in in technical Sense.
According to clitlord woody research Compromises defining and
redefining problems, formulating hypotheses or Suggested solutions, collecting. organising and evaluating data, making deductions and reading Conclusion, and at last carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit tke formulating hypothesis.Research is thus, an original Contribution to the existing knowledge.
In short, the search for knowledge through objective and Systematic method of finding solution to a a problem in research.
Objective of research
The purpose of researcg is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific procedure. The main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered yet.
Though each research Study has his own
Specific purpose, we may think of research objectives a falling into a number of followng broad groupings:
(1) To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it (studies with this objective in view are termed as exploration or formulative research studies).
(2) To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular induviduals, situation or a group (studies with this object in view are known as descriptive research studies).
(3) To determine frequency with which Something occur or with which it is associated with Something else (studies with this object in view are Known as diagnostic
research studies).
(4) To test a hypothesis of a casual relationship between variables (Such studies are known as hypothesis testing research studies).
Motivation in research
The possible motives for doing research may be either one or more of the followings:
1. Desire to get a reseanch degree
along with its consequential benefits.
2. Desire to face challenges in Solving the unsolved problem, i.e Concern over practical
problem initiate research.
3. Desure to get intellectual Joy of doing some creative work.
4.Desire to be of service to Society.
5. Desire to be well respected among scholars.
However, this is not an exhaistive exhaistive list of factors motivating people to undertake research studies.
Types of Research
The basic types of research are as follows:
1. Descriptive VS Analytical: Descriptive research includes survey and fact-finding enquires of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exist at present. In social science and bussiness research we often use the term Ex post facto
research for descriptive research studies. The main characteristics of this method is that the researchers has no control over the variables; he can only report what has happened or what is happening. Most ex post facto research projects are used for descriptive studies in which the researcher seeks tfo measure such items as, for example frequency of shopping, preferences of people. or similar data. Ex post facto studies also include attempts by researchers to discover causes even when they cannot control the variables. The methods of research utilized in descriptive research are survey methods of all kinds, including comparative and correlational methods. In analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to use facts or information already available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.
2. Applied vs. Fundamental: Research can either be applied (or action) research or
fundamental (to basic or pure) research. Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society of an industrial/business organisation, whereas fundamental research is mainly concerned with generalisations and with the formulation of a theory. "Gathering knowledge for knowledge's sake is termed 'pure' or 'basic' research."Research concerning some natural phenomenon or relating to pure mathematics are examples of fundamental research. Similarly, research studies, concerning human behaviour carried on with a view to make generalisations about human behaviour, are also examples of fundamental rescarch, but research aimed at certain conclusions (say, a solution) facing a
concrete social or business problem is an example of applied rescarch, Research to identify social, economic or political trends that may affect a particular institution or the copy research (research to find out whether certain communications will be read and understood) or the marketing research or evaluation research are examples of applied research. Thus, the central aim of applied research is to discover a solution for some pressing practical problem, whereas basic research applications and thus, adds to the already existing organized body of scientific knowledge.
3. Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Quantitative rescarch is based on the measurement of quantity or amount. It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity. Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned with qualitative phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind. For instance, when we are interested in investigating the reasons for human behaviour (i.e., why people think or do certain things), we quite often talk of 'Motivation Research', an important type of qualitative research. This type of research aims at discovering the underlying motives and desires, using in depth interviews for the purpose. Other techniques of such research are word association tests, sentence completion tests, story completion tests and similar other projective techniques. Attitude or opinion research i.e., research designed to find out how people feel or what they think about a particular subject or institution is also qualitative research. Qualitative
rescarch is specially important in the behavioural sciences where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human behaviour. Through such research we can analyse the various factors which motivate people to behave in a particular manner or which make people like or dislike a particular thing. It may be stated, however, that to apply qualitative research in practice is relatively a difficult job and therefore, while doing such research, one should seek guidance from experimental psychologists.
4. Conceptual vs. Empirical: Conceptual research is that related to some abstract idea(s) or theory. It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones. On the other hand, empirical research relies on experience or observation alone, often without due regard for system and theory. It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified by observation or experiment.
can also call it as experimental type of research. In such a research it is necessary to get at facts firsthand, at their source, and actively to go about doing certain things to
stimulate the production of desired information. In such a research, the researcher must first provide himself with a working hypothesis or guess as to the probable results. He then to get enough facts (data) to prove or disprove his hypothesis. He then sets up experimental designs which he thinks will manipulate the persons or the materials concerned so as to bring forth the desired information. Such research is thus characterised by the experimenter's control over the variables under study and his deliberate manipulation of one of them to study its effects. Empirical research is appropriate when proof is sought that
certain variables affect other variables in some way. Evidence gathered through experiments or empirical studies is today considered to be the most powerful support possible for a given hypothesis.
5. Some Other Types of Research: All other types of research are variations of one or more of the above stated approaches, based on either the purpose of research, or the time
required to accomplish research, on the environment in which research is done, or on the basis of some other similar factor. Form the point of view of time, we can think of research either as one-time research or longitudinal research. In the former case the research is confined to a single time-period, whereas in the latter case the research is carried on over several time-periods. Research can be field-setting research or lahoratory research or simulation research, depending upon the environment in which it is to be carried out. Research can as well be understood as clinical or diagnostic research. Such research follow case-study methods or indepth approaches to reach the basic causal relations. Such studies usually go deep into the causes of things or events that interest us, using very small samples and very deep probing data gathering devices. The research may be exploratory
or it may be formalized. The objective of exploratory research is the development of
hypotheses rather than their testing, whereas formalized research studies are those with
substantial structure and with specific hypotheses to be tested. Historical research is that which utilizes historical sources like documents, remains, etc. to study events or ideas of the past, including the philosophy of persons and groups at any remote point of time. Research can also be classified as conclusion-oriented and decision-oriented. While doing conclusion-oriented research, a researcher is free to pick up a problem, redesign the enquiry as he proceeds and is prepared to conceptualize as he wishes. Decision-oriented research is always for the need of a decision maker and the researcher in this case is not free to embark upon research according to his own inclination. Operations research is an example of decision oriented research since it is a scientific method of providing executive departments with a quantitative basis for decisions regarding operations under their control.
Significance of Research
Research is the foundation of and an important source of Providing guidelines for solving different social, business and government problems.
It is a sort of formal training which enables one to understand new developments in one's field in a better way. The significance of research can also be understood keeping in view the following points:
a). To those student who are to write a degree (H.N.D, B.S.C, M.S.C, P.H.D) thesis, research may mean careerism or a way to attain a high position in the social structure.
b). To professionals in research methodology, research may mean a source of livelihood.
c). To philosophers and thinkers, research may mean the outlets of new ideas and insights.
d). To analyst and intellectuals, research may mean the generalization of new theories.
e). To literary men and women, research may mean development of new styles and creative works.
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