Research Methodologies introduction

1. A BASIC
EXPLANATION OF
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

2. OUTLINE
▶ What is Research ?
▶ Why Research?
▶ Terms used in Research
▶ What do you mean by Research Methodology?
▶ Exposure to Research Methodology
▶ What is a Research Problem?
▶ Selecting a Research Problem
▶ Considerations in selecting a Research Problem
▶ Types of Research and Scope
▶ Steps in formulating a Research Problem
▶ Conclusions

3. WHATISRESEARCH ?
▶ Pursuit of truth with the help of
experiment, study, observation and
comparison.
▶ The search for knowledge through
objective and systematic method of
finding solution to a problem.
3

4. WHATISRESEARCH?
▶ An original contribution to the existing
stock of knowledge making for its
advancement.
▶ The manipulation of things, concepts
or symbols
generalising
for the
to extend,
purpose of
correct or
verify knowledge.
4

5. WHY RESEARCH ?
▶ To solve a problem
▶ To face a challenge
▶ To get intellectual joy
▶ To serve society
▶ To get recognition
▶ To get a degree
5

6. TERMS USED IN RESEARCH
▶ RESEARCH TECHNIQUE
 Behaviour and instruments used
in research operations
 Examples: Scales, recording
techniques, content analysis,
longitudinal / cross sectional
collection of data, etc.
6

7. TERMS USED IN RESEARCH
▶ RESEARCH METHOD
 Behaviour and instruments used in
selecting and constructing technique
(a range of approaches used to
gather data)
 Examples: Observation, questionnaire,
interview, analysis of records etc.
 Methods are more general than
techniques.
7

8. TERMS USED IN RESEARCH
▶ Methods & Techniques are used in
performing research operations, i.e..,
Collection
processing
of data, Statistical
& analysis (tests) to
evaluate the accuracy of the results
obtained
8

9. WHATDO YOU MEAN BY
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY?
▶ A science of studying how research
is done scientifically .
▶ A way to systematically solve the
research problem by logically
adopting various steps.
▶ Methodology helps to understand
not only the products of scientific
inquiry but the process itself .
9

10. EXPOSURE TO
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
▶ Advancement of wealth of
human knowledge
▶ ‘Tools of the trade’ to carry out
research; Provides tools to
look at things in life objectively
10

11. EXPOSURE TO RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY (Continued…..)
▶ Develops a critical and
scientific attitude, disciplined
thinking or a ‘bent of mind’ to
observe objectively (scientific
deduction & inductive
thinking);
11

12. EXPOSURE TO RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
▶ Enriches practitioner and his
practices;
▶ Provides chance to study a
subject in depth; Enable us to
make intelligent decisions;
▶ Understand the material
which no other kind of work
can match
12

13. EXPOSURE TO RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY (Continued…..)
▶ Helps to inculcate the ability to
evaluate and use results of
earlier
reasonable
research with
confidence and
take rational decisions
▶ Doing research is the best way
to learn to read and think
critically
13

14. WHATISA RESEARCH PROBLEM?
▶ A research problem, in
general, refers to some
challenge which a researcher
experiences in the context of
either a theoretical or
practical situation and wants
to obtain a solution for the
same.
14

15. SELECTING A RESEARCH PROBLEM
▶ The selection of a problem must be
preceded by a preliminary study. This
may not be necessary when the
problem requires the conduct of a
research closely similar to one that has
already been done.
15

16. SELECTING A RESEARCH PROBLEM
(Continued…..)
▶ When the field of inquiry is relatively
new and does not have available set
of well developed techniques, a brief
feasibility study must always be
undertaken
16

17. SELECTING A RESEARCH PROBLEM
(Continued…..)
▶ The importance of the subject, the
qualifications and the training of a
researcher, the costs involved, the time
factor are few other criteria that must
also be considered in selecting a
problem.
17

18. SELECTING A RESEARCH PROBLEM
(Continued…..)
▶ Whether he is well equipped in
terms of his background to carry
out the research?
▶ Whether the study falls within the
budget he can afford?
18

19. SELECTING A RESEARCH PROBLEM
(Continued…..)
▶ Whether the necessary cooperation can
be obtained from those who must
participate in research as subjects?
▶ If the answers to all these questions are in
the affirmative, one may become sure so
far as the practicability of the study is
concerned
19

20. CONSIDERATIONS IN SELECTING A
RESEARCH PROBLEM
▶ Interest
▶ Magnitude
▶ Measurement of Concepts
▶ Level of expertise
▶ Relevance
▶ Availability of Data
20

21. TYPES OF RESEARCH
▶ Fundamental or Basic R
esearch
 Seeks generalization
 Aims at basic processes
 Attempts to explain why things happen
 Tries to get all the facts
 Reports in technical language of the
topic
21

22. TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Applied Research
 Studies individual or specific cases
without the objective to generalize
 Aims at any variable which makes the
desired difference
 Tries to say how things can be changed
which are
 Tries to correct the facts
problematic
 Reports in common language
22

23. TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Quantitative research
 It is numerical, non-descriptive, applies
statistics or mathematics and uses
numbers.
 It is an iterative process whereby
evidence is evaluated.
 The results are often presented in tables
and graphs.
 Itis conclusive.
 It investigates the what, where and when
of decision making.
23

24. TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Qualitative research
 I
t is non-numerical, descriptive, applies
reasoning and uses words.
 I
ts aim is to get the meaning, feeling and
describe the situation.
 Qualitative data cannot be graphed.
 I
tisexploratory.
 I
t investigates the why and how
of decision making.
24

25. TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Mixed research
 Mixed research- research that involves
the mixing of quantitative and qualitative
methods or paradigm characteristics.
 Nature of data ismixture of variables,
words and images.
25

26. OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH
▶ Exploratory Research
 Might involve a literature search or
conducting focus group interviews.
 Exploratory research is broad in focus and
rarely providesdefinite answers to specific
research issues.
 T
he objective of exploratory research is to
identify key issues and key variables.
26

27. OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Descriptive Research
 The descriptive research is directed towards
studying “what” and how many off this
“what”.
 Itis directed toward answering questions
such as, “What is this?”.
27

28. OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Explanatory research
 I
tsprimary goal isto understand or to
explain relationships.
 I
tuses correlations to study relationships
between dimensions or characteristics off
individuals, groups, situations, or events.
 Explanatory research explains - Howthe
parts of a phenomenon are related to each
other.
 Explanatory research asks the “Why”
question.
28

29. OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Longitudinal Research
 Involves data collection at multiple points
in time. Longitudinal studies may take the
form of :
 Trend study : looks atpopulation
characteristics over time
 Cohort study:traces a sub-population
over time
 Panel study: traces the same sample over
time
29

30. OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Cross-sectional Research
 Data isgathered once, during a period of
days, weeks or months.
 Many cross-sectional studies are
exploratory or descriptive in purpose.
 They are designed to look at how things are
now, without any sense of whether there is
a history ortrend at work.
30

31. OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Action research
 Factfindings to improve the quality of
action in the social world
31

32. OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH (Continued…..)
▶ Policy-Oriented Research
 Reportsemploying thistype of research
focus on the question ‘Howcan problem ‘X’
be solved or prevented ?’
32

33. ▶ Comparative research
 T
o identify similaritiesand differences
between unitsatall levels
▶ Causal research
 I
taimsatestablishing cause and effect
relationship among variable
CLASSFICATION OF RESEARCH (Continued…..) 33

34. CLASSFICATION OF RESEARCH
▶ T
heory-testing research
 I
taimsattesting validity of a unit
▶ Theory-building research
 T
o establish and formulate the theory
34

35. ▶ I
nterdisciplinary Research
 I
ntegrates information, data, techniques,
tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or
theories from two or more disciplines to
advance fundamental understanding
 to solve problems whose solutions are
beyond the scope of a single discipline or
area of research practice.
CLASSFICATION OF RESEARCH (Continued…..) 35

36. ▶ Multi-disciplinary Research
 Drawson knowledge from different
disciplines but stays withintheir boundaries
▶ Trans-disciplinary Research
 I
ntegrates the natural, social and health
sciences in a humanitiescontext, and
transcends their traditional boundaries."
CLASSFICATION OF RESEARCH (Continued…..) 36

37. S
T
EPSINFORMULAT
ING T
HE RESEARCH PROBLEM: 37
1. Identify a broad field or subject area of interest to you
2. Dissect the broad area into subareas
3. Select what is of most interest to you
4. Raise research questions
5. Formulate objectives
6. Assess your objectives
7. Double-check