This Presentation was given in Guru Kashi University Talwandi Sabo (2013) at the inaugural ceremony of Ph.D. program. Bibliography is added for sake of References.

1. RESEARCH & ITS METHODOLOGY
Hardev Singh VIRK
Visiting Professor, SGGS World
University, Fatehgarh Sahib ( Punjab)
Ex-Director Research, GNDU Amritsar

2. Old Indian Tradition
• Guru Chela Prampra.
• Seminaries, Madrassas, Pathshalas follow this
tradition even today in India.
• It is a life long learning process in Classics.
• Aristotle followed this tradition in his
Academy started in Greece.
• Most of the Universities in Europe followed
Greek Academy tradition.

3. Modern Tradition
• Research Methodology as a Theory Course has
been made compulsory by the UGC.
• This is an inter-disciplinary programme.
• Rudiments of basic tools of research are
taught at entry level.
• Selection of Research Guide follows after
completion of this course.
• Allotment of Research Topic follows it.

4. What is Research?
• Objective: To advance existing knowledge
• How to do Research: solve a problem, publish
• Dissecting the Dimensions of Research:
topic, novelty, technology, scope, mode, methods, i
deology, politics, utility
• Reassembling the Dimensions: quantitative vs
qualitative research

5. How to do Research
• Research is all about addressing an issue or asking
and answering a question or solving a
problem, so…
• Identify an issue, question, or problem.
– Talk with people who want or need your study.
• Find out what's already known about it.
– Talk with experts and/or read their reviews and the
original research on the topic.
• Plan, cost, and do your study accordingly.
• Write it up and submit it for assessment.
– Better still, do a good job on it and submit it for
publication.
• Your work will benefit more people if you publish it.
• Rule No. 1 in academia is publish or perish.

6. Topic: what are you researching?
physical
Technological
• Examples
– Physical: the effect of a variable on a system.
– Chemical: synthesis and factors affecting it.
– Mathematical: developing an algorithm or computation
technique to solve a problem; Mathematical modeling.
– Technological: developing a new device; improving device
performance; reliability studies and its redundancy factor.
– Social: effect of technology on society and risk-management.
• Finding a good question/problem to address can be hard.
– It helps to have a good supervisor, good colleagues, and/or
knowledge or practical experience of and affinity for a topic.
– You must read journal articles to find out what's already known.

7. Creating new or reviewing published info?
create
review
• Most research projects are so-called original
investigations.
– You obtain new data or information about a phenomenon.
– You reach a conclusion and try to publish it.
• Some research projects are reviews of the literature.
– You use other researchers' published data or info about a
phenomenon.
• A quantitative statistical review is called a meta-analysis.
– You should "earn your spurs" doing original research before
taking on a stand-alone review.
– But a write-up of an original investigation always has to
include a short review of literature.

8. Technology: develop new or use existing
method(s)?
develop new
use existing
• Sometimes a legitimate topic for study is methodological.
• For example, development or novel investigation of…
–
–
–
–
–
a measuring device
a psychometric instrument (questionnaire or inventory)
a protocol for a physical performance test
a diagnostic test
a method of analysis.
• You usually include or focus on a reliability and/or validity
study of the measure provided by the method.
– Validity = the relationship between observed and true values.
– Reliability = reproducibility of observed values.

9. Scope: case or sample?
case
sample
• Are you solving a single case of something, or is it a sample
that will allow you to generalize to a population?
• In a case study…
–
–
–
–
–
You are interested in "what happened or will happen here".
Your finding applies only locally: to the case you studied.
The quest for an answer can be like that in a court case.
Qualitative methods are often required.
You reach an answer by applying logic (= common sense?) and
skepticism to your knowledge and to the information you
gather.
• Be wary of conventional wisdom and your own prejudices.
– It may be possible to estimate probabilities of benefit or truth
of various answers.

10. Mode of Enquiry: observational/interventionist?
observational
or non-experimental
or descriptive
interventionist
or experimental
• In an observational study…
– The aim is to gather data or information about the world
as it is.
– So you hope the act of studying doesn't substantially
modify the thing you are interested in.
• In an interventionist study…
– You do something to the world and see what happens.
– You gather data or information almost always before and
after the intervention, then look for changes.

11. Outline of Research Process
• Phase 1: essential first steps
• Phase 2: data collection
• Phase 3: analysis and interpretation

12. Phase 1
• Clarify the issue to be
researched and select research method(s).
• Essential because a question that is unclear or
too broad cannot be answered.
• The research method allows the research to be
conducted according to a plan or design.
• Clarifying the question and method enables the
researcher to be clearer about the data reqd.
• Therefore to make a decision about what sample
size, or the amount of data, is needed.

13. Phase 2
• Collecting the data
– Research surveys, interviews, literature
review, participant observation, etc…..
– attending the subject conferences and making copious
notes throughout
• Summarising and organising the data
– Excerpts from and summaries of transcripts
– Thoughts arising from notes on conference

14. Phase 3
•
•
•
•
Analysis, interpretation
Relating the data to the research question
Drawing conclusions
Assessing the limitations of the study

15. Reporting and Writing up
• Writing up occurs after the
research is done
• Not everything that is done
is reported
• Have to leave some stuff out!!
• The research report summarises the activities
in such a way that they are clear to the
reader, and so the reader could repeat the
research.

16. A Research Report
• A Research Report should generally include:
– Statement of problem
– review of relevant literature
– statement of hypothesis or research objectives
– description of research design
– selection and operationalization of variables
– description of sample selection procedure
– description of how data was collected
– data presented and summarised in words
– conclusion, limitations, and implications
– bibliography or references cited
– appendices

17. Some Useful Hints for Research
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Select a Competent Research Supervisor.
Select a challenging problem in thrust areas.
Generate experimental data, theory follows.
Computation & model making is helpful.
Criticism by peers is always helpful.
Publication of research work is a MUST.
Proper environment at home and work place
is conducive to research.

18. Literature References
• 1. Dawson, Catherine, 2002, Practical
Research Methods, New Delhi, UBS Publishers’
Distributors.
• 2. Kothari, C.R.,1985, Research MethodologyMethods and Techniques, New Delhi, Wiley
Eastern Limited.
• 3.Kumar, Ranjit, 2005, Research MethodologyA Step-by-Step Guide for
Beginners,(2nd.ed.), Singapore, Pearson
Education.

19. My Personal Experience
• Advised by my teachers and Dr Bhagat Singh to
undertake research studies.
• I chose Elementary particles/ cosmic rays as topic
of my research study.
• Visited Punjab University Chandigarh in search of
a research supervisor (Prof. MS Swamy) & then
Prof. Yog Prakash of Jammu university.
• Later on decided to go abroad for Ph.D. under
Indo-Russian (1969) & then Indo-French (1970)
Exchange Programme of MHRD.

20. Marie Curie University, Paris (1970)
• Helped by an Indian Scientist, Dr Sham Lal
Malick, in Paris University, which saved my one
year.
• Prof. Max Morand was my Supervisor and Tsai
Chu, my research guide.
• Started work on my research problem after 2
weeks; scanning of nuclear emulsion plates to
find nuclear interactions for study.
• Data analysis started after 6 months; first results
reported after one year.
• Results of my study rejected hypothesis of my
own guide; my thesis went against his findings!

21. Reception to French Boursiers(1970)

22. Ph.D. viva in Paris University

23. Researchers in Paris University

24. My Viva Examiners

25. Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam in GNDU
Amritsar (26 Jan. 1981)

26. A Visit to ICTP, Trieste, Italy (1985)

27. My Connection with God Particle

28. Nuclear Reactor Training in Budapest

29. Radon Field Work in Palampur (HP)

30. Among Hippies of Florence, Italy