Research is a systematic process aimed at obtaining reliable knowledge and is essential for advancing scientific disciplines. It can be classified into different types, including exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, and predictive, while also being categorized as primary or secondary, theoretical or applied. Understanding research involves engaging with existing literature and developing skills to conduct effective investigations.

1. Research and its types

2. Research Defined and Described
“Research is the systematic approach to obtaining
and confirming new and reliable knowledge”
– Systematic and orderly (following a series of
steps)
– Purpose is new knowledge, which must be reliable
This is a general definition which applies to all
disciplines
Any honest attempt to study a problem systematically or
to add to man’s knowledge of a problem may be regarded
as research.
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3. Quality research is the lifeblood of any
scientific discipline. Without it, disciplines
would stagnate, failing to advance past their
current limits and understanding.

4. WHY UNDERTAKE RESEARCH?
 To investigate some existing situation or
problem.
 To provide solutions to a problem.
 To explore and analyse more general issues.
 To construct or create a new procedure or
system.
 To explain a new phenomenon.
 To generate new knowledge.
 A combination of two or more of any of the
above.

5. WHY UNDERTAKE RESEARCH?
 To discover new facts
 To verify and test important facts
 To analyze an events (apoptosis) or process,
phenomenon to identify the cause and effect
relationship.
 To develop new/scientific tools, concept, theories to
solve and understanding scientific and non scientific
problems.
 To find solutions to scientific, non scientific, social
problems.
 To overcome or solve the problems occurring in our
every day life.
 To improve the quality of human life.

6. Significance of research
 Research provides understanding and solution of
different new problems, events, phenomena and
process
 Helps us to identify the applications of theories and
concepts
 It is the source of knowledge and provides guidelines
for solving problems
 Provides the basis of Govt. policies (needs/availability
relationship)
 In industry and business for higher gain and to
improve the quality of products
 It leads to the identification and characterization of
new materials, new living things, new products

7. Significance of research
 To make inventories
 Social research …. To find out answers to social
problems
 Leads to new style of life and makes it delightful and
glorious.

8. Research is not
Accidental discovery :
 Accidental discovery may occur in structured
research process
 Usually takes the form of a phenomenon not
previously noticed
 May lead to a structured research process to
verify or understand the observation
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9. Research is not … cont.
Data Collection
• an intermediate step to gain reliable knowledge
• collecting reliable data is part of the research
process
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10. Research is not … cont.
Searching out published research results in
libraries (or the internet)
• This is an important early step of research
• The research process always includes synthesis
and analysis
• But, just reviewing of literature is not research
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11. Research is…
1. Searching for explanation of events, phenomena,
relationships and causes
– What, how and why things occur
– Are there interactions?
2. A process
– Planned and managed – to make the
information generated credible
– The process is creative
– It is circular – always leads to more questions
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12.  All well designed and conducted research has potential
application.
 Failure to see applications can be due to:
 Users not trained or experienced in the specialized
methods of economic research and reasoning
 Researchers often do not provide adequate
interpretations and guidance on applications of the
research
o Researchers are responsible to help users to understand
research implications
(How?)
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13. Development of Research Skills
 Learning how to conduct good research:
 New skills (that many people do not
have)
 Better understanding and interpretation
of the literature
 Recognize new questions that need
investigation
 Objectivity is the key element of research

14. Search for Truth
 Five sources of evidence in the pursuit of
truth:
1. Custom and tradition
2. Authority
3. Personal experience
4. Deductive reasoning
5. Scientific inquiry

15. Deductive Reasoning
 Logic.
 In deductive reasoning, thinking proceeds from general
assumption to specific application
 GENERAL  SPECIFIC
 Aristotle and other early philosophers
 Drawing conclusions through categorical syllogism.
 All philosophers are moral. Socrates is a philosopher.
Therefore, Socrates is moral.
 Resistance training makes one big and bulky by
increasing body mass. Sandi is resistance training.
Therefore, Sandi will become big and bulky.
 Not sufficient as a source of new truth

16. Inductive Reasoning
 Conclusions about events (general) are based on
information generated through many individual and
direct observations (specific).
 SPECIFIC  GENERAL
 Researchers observe an individual or group of
individuals from a larger population  based on
these observations, generalizations are made
back to the larger population.

17. Inductive Reasoning
 Two kinds of induction:
 Perfect
 Conclusions based on observations made from
ALL members of a group or population
 Imperfect
 Conclusions based on observations made from
a random sample of members of a population

18. Deductive vs. Inductive Reasoning
 Deductive:
 Every mammal has lungs. All rabbits are
mammals. Therefore, every rabbit has lungs.
 Inductive:
 Every rabbit that has been observed has lungs.
Therefore, every rabbit has lungs.

19. Classification of Research
 Different criteria are used to classify research types
(All of these are somewhat arbitrary and artificial)
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20. Many kinds of research
LOGICAL (mathematics, philosophy)
EVALUATION (judging, appraising)
INVESTIGATIVE (law, government hearings,
journalism)
DEMOGRAPHIC (economics, census, polling)
MODUS OPERANDI (forensics, medical diagnosis)
EMPIRICAL/SCIENTIFIC (social science, education,
physical science)

21. TYPES OF RESEARCH
Exploratory research
Takes place where there is little or no prior
knowledge of a phenomenon.
This type of research attempts to gain some
familiarity with the appropriate concepts and
looks for patterns or ideas without any
preconceived ideas or explanation.

22. Descriptive research
Describes a particular phenomenon, focusing
upon the issue of what is happening, or how
much of it has happened, rather than why it is
happening.

23. Explanatory research
This type of research is involved in explaining
why something happens, and assessing causal
relationships between variables.

24. Predictive research
Forecasts future phenomena, based on the
interpretations suggested by explanatory
research.

25. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH
Primary research
Refers to research that has involved the collection
of original data specific to that particular research
project, for example through using research
methods such as questionnaires or interviews.
Secondary research
Refers to research where no such original data is
collected, but the research project uses existing
(or secondary) sources of data, for example
census or archive data.

26. THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
Theoretical research generally uses the
findings from existing works to develop new
ideas through analysing existing theory and
explanations. These new ideas are not tested
through collecting evidence in the form of
primary data.
Empirical research supports the development
of new ideas through the collection of data
(empirical = observation or measurement
rather than theoretical reasoning).

27. PURE AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Pure research takes place to explore a particular
concept, or issue, without regard for a specific
problem, and may be carried out to simply gain a
better understanding of the overall concepts.
Applied research is undertaken to solve a
specific problem or provide a solution to a practical
question.

28. WHAT IS RESEARCH - SUMMARY
1. There are a number of definitions of research.
Defining research is less important than
understanding its nature.
2. Research is important for the advancement of
any academic field or discipline.
3. Research can be classified as exploratory,
descriptive, explanatory or predictive depending
upon its purpose. It can also be classified as
either theoretical or applied depending upon the
level of application of the findings to ‘real life’
situations.

29. SUMMARY II
4. Research may involve the collection of new
data (primary research) or the use of existing
data (secondary research).
5. The best way to begin to develop your
understanding of research, its role, and the
types of research is to undertake some
reading. Choose some appropriate articles,
and begin to read!

30. HOW TO READ RESEARCH
Locate and read a few articles from within a field you
are comfortable with.
Read studies that are of interest to you.
1. Read the abstract first.
2. Identify the research question and objectives.
3. Why did the researcher(s) choose a particular
sample?
4. What were the methods chosen to collect data?
5. What were the most important findings?
6. Do not be over-concerned with statistical analysis.
7. Be critical but objective.