UNIT-I: INTRODUCTION Nature and importance of research - aims, objective, principles and problems - selection of research problem - survey of scientific literature - primary and secondary sources - citation index for scientific papers and journals - patents.

1. Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK
HEAD, P G & RESEARCH DEPT. OF CHEMISTRY
SHANMUGA INDUSTRIES ARTS & SCIENCE COLLEGE,
TIRUVANNAMALAI-606603.
dineshkarthik2008@gmail.com.

2. UNIT-I: INTRODUCTION
PART A
2017 -2018 / 2020 – 2021
REGULATION
PCH 34 A / MCH 34 A / DCH 34A

3. UNIT-I: INTRODUCTION
• Nature and importance of research -
aims, objective, principles and
problems - selection of research
problem - survey of scientific
literature - primary and secondary
sources - citation index for
scientific papers and journals -
patents.

4. First things first
1. Basics
2. Topic ideas
3. Typical methodologies
4. Common pitfalls
5. Getting started and putting it all together
6. Questions/discussion
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

5. Basic steps of a research project
• Find a topic→What, When
• Formulate questions→What, Why
• Define population→Who, When
• Select design & measurement→How
• Gather evidence→How
• Interpret evidence→Why
• Tell about what you did and found out
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

6. 7
What is Research ?
• Research is an Original Contribution
to Knowledge.
• You must show two things
–Identification of an unanswered
question
–The Answer !
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

7. What is research?
• “A careful, systematic , patient study and
investigation in some field of knowledge,
undertaken to establish facts or princilpes”
(Grinnell, 1993:4)
• It is a discovery (Rediscovery); A voyage from
the known to the unknown
• An effort to be closer to the truth
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

8. Research is defined as human activity based on intellectual
application in the investigation of matter. The primary aim for
applied research is discovering, interpreting, and the development
of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge
on a wide variety of scientific matters of our world and the
universe. Research can use the scientific method, but need not do
so.
• Scientific research relies on the application of the scientific
method, a harnessing of curiosity. This research provides scientific
information and theories for the explanation of the nature and the
properties of the world around us. It makes practical applications
possible. Scientific research is funded by public authorities, by
charitable organisations and by private groups, including many
companies. Scientific research can be subdivided into different
classifications according to their academic and application
disciplines.
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

9. Topic ideas
• Online chat reference
–Types of questions
• Subject? Type?
• # of turnaways*
–Difference in discourse
• In-person vs. chat
–Partnership studies
• Similar libraries with same software
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

10. Topic Ideas
• E-book usage
• Usability studies of
–Online tutorial(s)
–‘My Library” portals
• Analysis of library web sites or library
instruction sites or pathfinders by best practices
• Student learning outcomes in LI programs
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

11. Types of methodologies
• QuaLitative Measures
–Descriptive
–Numbers not the primary focus
–Interpretive, ethnographic,
naturalistic
• QuaNtitative Measures
–N for numbers
–Statistical
–Quantifiable Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

12. Characteristics
• It is controlled. In real life for an outcome
there could be many affecting factors. In a
study of cause and effect relationships one has
to link effects with causes and causes with
effects. Establishment of this linkage is
impossible unless it is a laboratory test.
Therefore instead of controlling external
factors we have to quantify the impact of such
factors.
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

13. • It is rigorous. Procedures followed to find
answers to a problem must be relevant,
appropriate and justifiable. Researcher
needs to be very careful about this.
• It is systematic. Procedures adopted for a
research should follow a logical sequence.
Some procedures must follow others.
• It should be valid and verifiable. Your
research conclusion based on findings
should be correct and can be verified by
you as well as others. Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

14. • It is empirical. The conclusions of the
research should be based on evidence
gathered from information collected
from real life experiences/ observations
• It is critical. Research procedures and
methods applied should withstand
critical scrutiny. They must be
foolproof and free from drawbacks
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

15. Stages in the Research Process
Define
Problem
Planning a
Research Design
Planning
a Sample
Gathering
the Data
Processing and
Analysing the Data
Conclusions
and Report
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

16. Flowcharting the Research Process (2)
Survey (Interview, Questionnaire)
Experiment (Laboratory, Field)
Secondary Data Study
Observation
Sample Design
Probability
Sampling
Non-Probability
Sampling
Collection of Data (Fieldwork)
Editing and Coding Data
Data Processing and Analysis
Interpretation of Findings
Report
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

17. Research process- Steps
• 1. Formulation a of a research problem
• 2. Creation of a research design
• 3. Constructing instruments for data
collection
• 4. Selecting a sample
• 5.Writing the research proposal
• 6. Collecting data
• 7. Processing data
• 8. Writing the report
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

18. Formulating research problem
• Tasks:
• Literature review
• Formulating the research
problem
• Identifying variables
• Constructing hypotheses
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

19. Literature review
• To make your research problem
clear and bring focus into it
• Develop your methodology
• To know where you are
• To have a broader knowledge in
your area of research
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

20. • Search and select literature pertaining to
your area
• Review selected literature
• Develop a theoretical framework
(theories and issues related your study)
• Develop a conceptual framework (aspects
you select from theoretical framework
that form the basis of your research)
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

21. • Sources:
• Books
• Journals
• Electronic resources: online
and offline
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

22. How to write the literature review
• Write under themes
• Some may follow chronological
order
• Highlight your arguments
• Provide references
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

23. Formulating research problem
• Any question that needs answer can be a
research problem. However, not all
questions can be transformed into research
problems.
• What matters here:
• Your knowledge in research methodology
• Your knowledge of the subject area
• Your understanding of the issues to be
examined Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

24. • Formation of a research problem is the
first step in the research. Identify the
destination before you start the
journey. It is the foundation of your
building.
• Sources of research problems:
• People (individuals, groups,
organizations, communities)
• Problems (Issues, situations,
associations,, needs, demographic)
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

25. • Programmes (contents, structure, outcomes,
attributes, satisfaction, users, consumers)
• Phenomenon (cause and effect relationships,
study of a phenomenon itself)
• Research problem is your topic.
• Consider the following when selecting a topic:
• Your interest
• Your level of expertise as well as of your
supervisor
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

26. • Use concepts that can be measured
• Topic should be relevant to your profession/
subject area
• Availability of data
• Ethical issues
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

27. • My understanding of the various kinds of research
advanced when I identified various dimensions
(components) of research.
– A former colleague regarded such analysis as a trivial
pursuit.
• If you find a better way to understand research, let me know.
– Meanwhile consider these dimensions:
• topic: physical–biological–psychological–sociological
• novelty: create new vs review published data or info
• technology: develop new vs use existing methods
• scope: study a single case vs a sample
• mode: observe vs intervene
• methodology: qualitative vs quantitative (info vs numbers)
• ideology: objective vs subjective (positivist vs interpretivist)
• politics: neutral vs partisan
• utility: pure vs applied
• reassembling the dimensions
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

28. Formulation of objectives
• Objectives are goals of your
study
• Main objectives
• Secondary or sub-objectives
• They must be clear, complete
and specific
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

29. QuaLitative measures
• Content Analysis
–Analyzed course syllabi of library use
through discipline and level (Rambler)
–Studied online tutorials, applying best
practices recommendations (Tancheva)
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

30. Qualitative analysis is what.
Quantitative analysis is how much.
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

31. QuaLitative Measures
• Discourse Analysis
–Analyzed student responses in writing and
discussions to a short film & compared
findings to parallel study with LIS grad Ss
(Vandergrift)
• Focus Groups
–Discussed how participants experience & use
the library (Von Seggern & Young)
–Studied why students use the Internet and how
much time they use it (Wilson)
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

32. QuaLitative Measures
• Interviews
– Studied 25 HS students’ web use for research
assignments (Lorenzen)
– Looked at what type of information first year
students need and how they go about acquiring it
(Seamans)
• Observation (obtrusive)
– Observed students as they conducted online research
& noted their activities (Dunn)
• Observation (Unobtrusive)
– Retrieval of discarded cheat sheets to analyze
academic misconduct (Pullen et. al.)
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

33. QuaLitative Measures
• Think Aloud Protocols
–Studied how users navigate a
library web site (Cockrell & Jayne)
• Usability testing
–Examined students’ mental models
of online tutorials (Veldof &
Beavers)
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

34. Quantitative measures
• Compare Things
• Count Things
• Survey People About Things
• Comparison studies
–Experimental and control groups
–Instructional methodologies (Colaric;
Cudiner & Harmon)
–Program assessment using before/after
analysis of research papers(Emmons &
Martin) Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

35. Ready Made Data Sets
• National Survey of Student Engagement
(Whitmire)
• College Student Experiences
Questionnaire (Kuh and Gonyea)
• The Web
–Internet Archive (Ryan, Field & Olfman)
–Electronic journals (Dellavalle)
• Library server logs
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

36. Common Pitfalls
•Problems with population
–Sampling?
•Representativeness?
•Self-selection?
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

37. Keep In Mind That
• No study is perfect
• “All data is dirty is some way or
another; research is what you do
with that dirty data” (Manuel)
• Measurement involves making
choices
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

38. Research proposal
• It is your plan of research
• It reveals what you are going to do, how you
plan to do and why you have selected the
proposed procedures
• It guides you as well as your supervisor
• It is an academic piece of writing
• It shows the strength of your proposed
research
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

39. Elements
• Introduction (an overview of the main area
under study, historical background,
philosophical issues etc., trends, major
theories, main issues under consideration etc.)
• Importance (Why you do it? What are the
benefits?)
• Problem (Your research problem or the
research questions)
• Literature review
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

40. • Objectives ( main and secondary)
• Hypotheses
• Study design (population, sample, data
collection methods etc.)
• Setting (brief description of the community,
organization or agency in which you are
going to carry out the research)
• Analysis of data (methods you are going to
use)
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

41. • Sources:
• Kumar, Ranjit (1999). Research
methodology : a step by step guide for
beginners, 2nd. ed., Sage, London
• Kothari, C.R. (1990). Research methodology
: methods and techniques, 2nd. Ed., Wishwa
Prakashan, New Delhi
Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK

43. Dr.A.DINESH KARTHIK
dineshkarthik2008@gmail.com