Characteristics and Criteria of Good Research

1. CHARACTERISTICS AND
CRITERIA OF GOOD
RESEARCH

2. “The systematic process of collecting
and analyzing information (data) in
order to increase our understanding
of the phenomenon about which we
are concerned or interested.”
What is Research ?

3. 1. Originates with aquestion orproblem.
2. Requiresclear articulation of agoal.
3. Follows aspecific plan or procedure.
4. Often divides main problem intosub problems.
5. Guided by specific problem, question, orhypothesis.
6. Accepts certain critical assumptions.
7. Requirescollection and interpretation ofdata.
8. Cyclical (helical) in nature.
Characteristics of Good Research

4. RESEARCHBEGINSWITH APROBLEM.
Identifying this problem canactually be
thehardest part of research.
In general, good research projects should:
◦ Address an important question.
◦ Advance knowledge.
RESEARCH PROJECTS

5. GOODRESEARCHREQUIRES:
◦ The scope and limitations of the work to be clearly defined.
◦ Theprocess to be clearly explained sothat itcan be
reproduced and verified by other researchers.
◦ Athoroughly planned design that is asobjective aspossible.
HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH

6. Good research requires:
◦ Highly ethical standards be applied.
◦ All limitations bedocumented.
◦ Data be adequately analyzed and explained.
◦ All findings be presented unambiguously andall
conclusions be justified by sufficient evidence.
HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH

7. Researchis an extremely cyclic process.
Thisisn’t aweaknessof the process but is part ofthe
built-in error correctionmachinery.
Because of the cyclic nature of research, it can be
difficult to determine where to start and when to
stop.
CRITERIA FOR A GOOD RESEARCH PROCESS

8. Raisinga Question.
SuggestHypothesis.
Literature Review.
Literature Evaluation.
Acquire Data.
DataAnalysis.
Data Interpretation.
Hypothesis Support.
STEPS FOR MAKING A GOOD RESEARCH

9. Aquestion occurs to or is posed to the researcherfor
which that researcher hasnoanswer.
Thequestion needs to be converted to an
appropriate problem statement like that
documented in aresearchproposal.
STEP 1: A QUESTION IS RAISED

10. THERESEARCHERGENERATESINTERMEDIATE HYPOTHESES TO
DESCRIBEASOLUTION TO THEPROBLEM.
◦ Thisis at best atemporary solution since there is asyetno
evidence to support either the acceptance or rejection of
these hypothesis.

11. THEAVAILABLELITERATURE ISREVIEWEDTO DETERMINEIF
THERE ISALREADYASOLUTION TO THEPROBLEM.
◦ Existing solutions do not always explain newobservations.
◦ Theexisting solution might require some revision oreven
be discarded.

12. It’s possible that the literature review hasyieldeda
solution to the proposedproblem.
On the other hand, if the literature review turns up
nothing, then additional research activities are
justified.

13. THERESEARCHERNOW BEGINSTO GATHERDATARELATINGTO THE
RESEARCHPROBLEM.
Themeans of data acquisition will oftenchange
based on the type of the researchproblem.

14. THEDATATHAT WEREGATHEREDIN THE PREVIOUSSTEPARE
ANALYZEDASAFIRST STEPIN ASCERTAININGTHEIR MEANING.
Asbefore, the analysis of the data doesnot
constitute research.

15. ◦This can be difficult.
◦Keep in mind that data analysis that suggests a
correlation between two variables can’t
automatically be interpreted as suggesting
causality between those variables.
THERESEARCHER INTERPRETS THE NEWLY
ANALYZEDDATA ANDSUGGESTSA
CONCLUSION.

16. THEDATA WILL EITHER SUPPORT THE
HYPOTHESES ORTHEY WON’T.
◦ Thismay lead the researcher to cycle back toan earlier
step in the processand begin again with anew
hypothesis.
◦ Thisis one of the self-correcting mechanisms
associated
with the scientificmethod.

17. THANK YOU…