Research Methodology: Introduction to Basics Components

1. Dr Jayashree Shinde
Head,
Dept of Educational Technology
SNDT Women’s University
Research Process

2. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 2
 Formulate a research problem
 Extensive literature study
 Designing research title
 State hypotheses
 Prepare research design
 Determine sample/ its design
 Data collection
 Data analysis
 Interpretation of data
 Findings and Conclusion
Research: Steps

3. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 3
A research problem is a topic or phenomena a
researcher wishes to address, investigate or study.
Research Topic should be specific, clearly defined.
Needs to be limited enough to make a definite
conclusion possible.
Should reflect Researcher’s query about relations
between variables
Research Problem

4. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 4
Characteristics:
 Specific,
 Clear,
 Refer to the problem or phenomenon,
 Reflect the intervention in experimental
research
 Note the target group of participants
Research Title
Boudah Daniel, 2011

5. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 5
Characteristics:
Informative
Identify one or two main points
Specific
Accurate
Truthful about the contents
Not overpromising the results
Clear
Concise
Research Title
Lipton 1998

6. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 6
How to write a correct title?
1. Answer the questions: What is my paper about?
What techniques/ designs were used? Who/what
is studied? What were the results?
2. Use your answers to list key words.
3. Build a sentence with these key words
4. Delete all unnecessary words
5. Delete non-essential information and reword.
Research Title
Cactus (2015) ‘Editage Insights Global’
http://www.editage.com/insights/how-to-write-an-effective-title-and-abstract-and-choose-
appropriate-keywords#

7. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 7
Title of the study:
“Visual Communication in Weblogs”
The study is conducted on websites as well.
The study aimed at studying only Science related blogs.
Both the terms “Website” and “Science education”
should have been included in the title.
Research Title

8. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 8
Title of the study:
“Assessing Effectiveness of Information and
Communication Technology Enabled Higher Education”
It is ICT enabled Distance education and not whole of Higher
Education.
One of the objectives is to develop a questionnaire to assess
extent of ICT Use.
If that is so, then the same should be reflected in the title as
well.
Research Title

9. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 9
Operational / Functional Definitions are how the
researcher…
 decides to measure the variables of
his/her study
 limits meaning / scope of research
variables by assigning specific method of
measurement.
 defines a concept solely in terms of the
operations (or methods) used to produce
and measure it
Operational Definitions

10. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 10
However, once we decide on a particular
operational definition for our study,
no one can argue about the definition of
the concept for our study.
Operational definitions help researchers
to communicate about their concepts.
Operational Definitions
ualr.edu/lcpearson/research/research/week09/files/opdefofvar.doc
Read more…
http://www.philender.com/courses/intro/notes/opdef.html

11. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 11
Research objectives are
 the goals that a researcher sets in the study, that s/he
want to achieve through the study.
 It informs the readers what a researcher want to
research and how far s/he want to go.
 It also informs the readers about the scope and extent
of the study.
Objectives
http://readingcraze.com/index.php/category/researchwriting/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6k5TvYRpAQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BmjujlZExQ
http://betterthesis.dk/getting-started/short-synopsis
Read more…

12. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 12
Hypothesis is a specific statement of prediction.
It describes what we expect will happen in our
study.
It is an educated guess.
It is a tentative statement or a prediction made in
order to draw out and test its logical or empirical
consequences.
It could be a statement of a relationship between
two or more variables in the study.
Hypothesis

13. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 13
A Research Hypothesis is an affirmative
statement, which states some relationship
between the variables.
A Null Hypothesis is a non-directional hypothesis.
Hypothesis

14. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 14
The null hypothesis (H0) is a hypothesis which
the researcher tries to disprove, reject or nullify.
… Prediction that there is NO interaction between
variables
Hypothesis
H0: There is no difference between
Motivation level of a learner and his/her
Achievement

15. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 15
The alternative hypothesis (H1) is a research
hypothesis which the researcher tries to test if it
proves or not.
… Prediction that there is measurable interaction
between variables
Hypothesis
H1: There is significant difference between
Motivation level of a learner and his/her
Achievement

16. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 16
If the prediction specifies a direction in the
alternative hypothesis, it will be a one-tailed
hypothesis.
Hypothesis
H1: Increase in motivation level will lead to
significant increase in learner’s achievement
H1: As a result of learning through developed
package, there will be significant increase in
scientific attitude of learners.

17. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 17
If the prediction specifies only change, but no
specific direction in the alternative hypothesis, it
will be a two-tailed hypothesis.
Hypothesis
H1: Increase in motivation level will lead to
significant difference in learner’s
achievement
H1: As a result of learning through developed
package, there will be significant difference
in scientific attitude of learners.

18. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 18
Hypotheses are written in…
Hypothesis
All Experimental Researches
All Causal Comparative Researches
Some types of Survey Researches

19. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 19
Variables
A condition or a characteristic that can take on
different values or categories.
Changeable aspects of a study those researcher
may want to manipulate
A property that takes on different values as the
situations or circumstances change.
Values are either magnitudes or categories

20. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 20
Variables
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Intervening Variable

21. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 21
Variables
Independent Variable Dependent Variable
presumed causal variable presumed effect variable
what researcher manipulates what is affected
antecedent consequent
x leads to y
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/variable.php
Read more…

22. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 22
Variables
There can be a study where Causal relation is not studied,
but may be association is studied. The relationships can be
varied, need not necessarily causal.
e.g. Relationship between Anxiety and Achievement can be
causal. (Anxiety can be CAUSE of Achievement)
But Achievement in Maths, Science can be associative
(need not be causal)

23. 7/21/2015 Dr Jayashree Shinde, DET SNDTWU 23
Assumptions are what the
researcher believes to be facts.
An assumption is an act of faith.
It is not be tested in the research.
Assumptions

24. Dr Jayashree Shinde
Dept of Educational Technology
SNDT Women’s University
det@sndt.ac.in
Thank you