Old questions for new researchers

1. OLD QUESTIONS FOR NEW
RESEARCHERS
Dr Amruth g Kumar
Assistant Professor
School of Education
Pondicherry University

2. What is Research
• “Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think
what nobody else has thought”( Albert Szent-Gyorgyi)
• “To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism, to steal ideas from
many is research.“( Wilson Mizner)
• First get your facts; then you can distort them at your leisure."
(Mark Twain)
• "Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing."
(Wernher Von Braun)
• Do not put your faith in what statistics say until you have carefully
considered what they do not say."
(William W. Watt)

3. Some difficulties
• Feel difficulty in getting (not selecting) problem
• No idea about technicalities of research
• How to state problem
• Review (sources)
• Tools (Availability & construction)
• Statistics (Technical knowledge)
• Writing( Language problem)

4. Some queries of new researchers
• Is it necessary to select more than two variables in a study?
• How many reviews are needed?
• Can we include review of a book?
• Can review be on some different areas but about same variables?
• From where do we get reviews?
• Is it possible to prepare a tool within a short time?
• Did there any thing wrong in adopting a tool?
• Is it Compulsory to make a tool?

5. Some modern trends
• Interdisciplinary
• Qualitative Vs Quantitative
• Focus on methodology
• Need oriented
• Social applicability
• Implementation oriented
• Researcher Centered
• Digital dependency (ERIC, Scopus, Science Direct, UGC
INFLIBNET, Open access publications, etc..)

6. • Are you really interested in your problem?
• How many times you reflected on your problem?
• Do you have a plan for research (What, how, when…)
• You have time frame?
• Is it practical?
• How do you collect review?
• Have you located tools?
• Tools are suited to your socio cultural background of the sample?
• Do you know how to develop a tool?
• Will your tool consume a whale of time?
• What is your sample size? Is it practical?

7. Cont…
• Have you stratified your sample?
• What are the sub samples?
• How many days you need for data collection?
• Have you located sample?
• Did there any formality in collecting data?
• How will you consolidate collected data?
• What kind of statistics you are planning to do?
• How will you interpret?
• Materials are ready for text writing?
• Have you typed materials simultaneously?
• Have you uploaded them?
• How many times you will read the corrected text?
• Have you corrected grammar and spelling with the help of expert?

8. Check list
• Is your research question interesting and
important to you?
• Does your research question have
important educational implications?
• Does your research question have
important theoretical implications?
• Is it possible to address your research
question with empirical evidence?

9. Check list
• Does your research method allow you to
answer your research question?
• Are you able to conduct the study in
reasonable time?
• Is your research design as uncomplicated
as possible?

10. Check list
• Does your research method allow you to
answer your research question?
• Are you able to conduct the study in
reasonable time?
• Is your research design as uncomplicated
as possible?