2. 2
Review of Ch 1
1. We looked into the ‘Why’ aspect of Research Methodology.
2. Then we looked into various classifications of types of Research
3. KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH
Five main characteristics to remember
1. Research should be systematic
To make your research systematic, start by laying out the specific procedure
you will follow in your work, such as an experiment, a survey, a case study, or
an analysis of an existing database.
Correspondingly, when you evaluate the work of other researchers, you should
look for a clearly outlined methodology section in their writing or presentation,
in which they explain the process they followed to get their results.
If there is no discussion of the methodology or if it seems very haphazard, that
is a sign that the research was not conducted systemically and doesn't
deserve your trust.
2. Research should be objective
Researchers must be neutral toward their study and remain objective
throughout the research process.
3. Research should be empirical
Evidence should be grounded in observations and data.
Research, fundamentally, is based on what you can observe in the world, not
what you hope or wish to be true about the world.
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4. KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH
4. Research should be cumulative
Research builds on what other researchers have already discovered and helps
build a scientific consensus.
Research is an incremental process. Research requires you to assess,
critique. and build on previous work.
If you don't acknowledge and build on earlier findings, your work will not be
taken seriously.
And it is only by replicating and confirming previously published work that you
can really come to a consensus about how the world works; a single study is
not enough.
5. Research should be transparent
You need to be open and transparent about all aspects of your research:-
the systematic methods you follow,
any conflicts of interest,
the empirical nature of your data, and
how the work builds on and relates to other findings.
Typically, this entails writing up your specific methodology and making your
data available to others.
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5. DETERMINING WHETHER GOOD RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE
Make sure that the author has consistently and accurately cited his or her
sources of evidence
Consider the reliability of the author’s sources of evidence.
Evaluate the nature of any experts that the author relies on.
Check the author’s research to see how fairly it treats alternative claims and
findings.
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6. 6
Preparations for the next Lecture
Come prepared for discussion on
‘Why Ethics is Important to us, especially in
conducting Research’
Bring your idea/s or thought/s in a written form
containing just a sentence of 2 to 3 lines only.
Don’t forget to write your Name and Stu ID on it
so that I may consider this as an indicator of your
class participation.
