Research is the systematic study of a topic to establish facts and reach new conclusions. It has key characteristics of being systematic, valid/verifiable, and empirical. Research can be classified by its application (pure or applied), objectives (descriptive, correlational, explanatory, exploratory), or inquiry mode (structured or unstructured). Descriptive research aims to describe data while correlational examines relationships between variables.

1. Computational
Research Methodology
Lecture No. 1

2. Recommended Readings
• Dawson, Catherine, 2002, Practical Research
Methods, New Delhi, UBS Publishers’
Distributors.
• Kothari, C.R.,1985, Research Methodology-
Methods and Techniques, New Delhi, Wiley
Eastern Limited.
• Kumar, Ranjit, 2005, Research Methodology-A
Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners,
(2nd.ed.),Singapore, Pearson Education.
• Lecture notes.

3. What is Research?
• Re + Search
• Re = Again, Anew or Over again
• Search = To examine closely and carefully
• Research is a careful, systematic, patient study and
investigation in some field of knowledge, undertaken
to establish facts or principles.
• Research is a structured enquiry that utilizes
acceptable scientific methodology to solve problems
and create new knowledge that is generally applicable.
• Research is a process of collecting, analyzing and
interpreting information to answer questions.

4. Characteristics of Research
• Systematic (A logical sequence of steps)
• Valid and Verifiable (Your findings are correct
and may be verified by you and others)
• Empirical (Conclusion drawn are based on
evidence collected from real life experiences
or observations)
• Critical (The process of investigation must be
foolproof and free from drawbacks)

5. Types of Research
• Research can be classified from three
perspectives:
– application of research study
– objectives in undertaking the research
– inquiry mode employed
• Classification based on application:
– Pure research
– Applied research

6. Types of Research (Con’d)
• Pure research, basic research, or fundamental
research is a research carried out to increase
understanding of fundamental principles.
• Pure research explain how this world operates, what
makes things happen, why social relations are a certain
way, and why society changes.
• Pure research is the source of most new scientific
ideas and ways of thinking about the world.
• Pure research generates new ideas, principles and
theories, which may not be immediately utilized;
though are the foundations of modern progress and
development in different fields.

7. Types of Research (Con’d)
• Applied research is done to solve specific,
practical questions and understanding of a
phenomenon.
• Applied research can be exploratory, but is
usually descriptive.
• Applied research can be carried out by academic
or industrial institutions.
• Often, an academic institution such as a
university will have a specific applied research
program funded by an industrial partner
interested in that program.

8. Types of Research (Con’d)
• Classification based on objectives:
– Descriptive
– Correlational
– Explanatory
– Exploratory
• Descriptive research also known as statistical research,
describes data and characteristics about the population or
phenomenon being studied.
• Often the best approach, prior to writing descriptive
research, is to conduct a survey investigation.
• Descriptive research deals with everything that can be
counted and must have an impact to the lives of the people
around you.

9. Types of Research (Con’d)
• Correlational research tests for statistical
relationships between variables.
• The researcher begins with the idea that there
might be a relationship between two
variables.
• She or he then measures both variables for
each of a large number of cases and checks to
see if they are in fact related.

10. Types of Research (Cont'd)
• For example, imagine that a health
psychologist is interested in testing the claim
that people with more friends tend to be
healthier. She surveys 500 people in her
community, asking them how many friends
they have and getting some measure of their
overall health.
• He or she then makes a graph showing the
correlation between these two variables.

11. Types of Research (Cont'd)
• Explanatory research attempts to clarify why
and how there is a relationship between two
or more aspects of a situation or
phenomenon.
• Explanatory research attempts to identify the
actual reasons a phenomenon occurs.
• An example of explanatory research would be
a study that finds that Christian couples are
twice as likely to divorce as Jewish couples.

12. Types of Research (Con’d)
• Exploratory research is conducted into an
issue or problem where there are few or no
earlier studies to refer to.
• The focus is on gaining insights and familiarity
for later investigation.
• Here data is often quantitative and statistics
applies.
• It is used to identify and obtain information on
a particular problem or issue.

13. Types of Research (Con’d)
• Classification based on inquiry mode:
– Structured approach
– Unstructured approach
• The structured approach to inquiry is usually
classified as quantitative research.
• Here everything that forms the research
process- objectives, design, sample, and the
questions that you plan to ask of respondents-
is predetermined.

14. Types of Research (Con’d)
• The structured approach is appropriate to
determine the extent of a problem, issue or
phenomenon.
• The structured approach addresses the
problems such as:
– how many people have a particular problem?
– How many people hold a particular attitude?
• The unstructured approach to inquiry is
usually classified as qualitative research.

15. Types of Research (Con’d)
• The unstructured approach is more
appropriate to explore the nature of a
problem, issue or phenomenon without
quantifying it.
• Common examples include:
– An account of different opinions different people
have about a product or an issue.
– description of working condition in a particular
industry.