1. The document discusses the key aspects of research methodology including what constitutes research, its main characteristics, and the typical steps in the research process. 2. It describes research as a systematic, careful investigation aimed at establishing facts and principles through discovery or rediscovery. 3. The main stages of the research process covered are formulating the research problem, literature review, identifying variables and hypotheses, research design, data collection and analysis, and writing the research report.

1. Research Methodology
Prof. Piyadasa Ranasinghe
Department of Library and Information
Science, University of Kelaniya’
26/02/2011

2. What is research?
• “A careful, systematic , patient study and
investigation in some field of knowledge,
undertaken to establish facts or princilpes”
(Grinnell, 1993:4)
• It is a discovery (Rediscovery); A voyage from
the known to the unknown
• An effort to be closer to the truth

3. Characteristics
• It is controlled. In real life for an outcome
there could be many affecting factors. In a
study of cause and effect relationships one
has to link effects with causes and causes with
effects. Establishment of this linkage is
impossible unless it is a laboratory test.
Therefore instead of controlling external
factors we have to quantify the impact of such
factors.

4. Contd.,
• It is rigorous. Procedures followed to find
answers to a problem must be relevant,
appropriate and justifiable. Researcher needs to
be very careful about this.
• It is systematic. Procedures adopted for a
research should follow a logical sequence. Some
procedures must follow others.
• It should be valid and verifiable. Your research
conclusion based on findings should be correct
and can be verified by you as well as others.

5. Contd.,
• It is empirical. The conclusions of the research
should be based on evidence gathered from
information collected from real life
experiences/ observations
• It is critical. Research procedures and methods
applied should withstand critical scrutiny.
They must be foolproof and free from
drawbacks

6. Research process- Steps
• 1. Formulation a of a research problem
• 2. Creation of a research design
• 3. Constructing instruments for data collection
• 4. Selecting a sample
• 5.Writing the research proposal
• 6. Collecting data
• 7. Processing data
• 8. Writing the report

7. Formulating research problem
• Tasks:
• Literature review
• Formulating the research problem
• Identifying variables
• Constructing hypotheses

8. Literature review
• To make your research problem clear and
bring focus into it
• Develop your methodology
• To know where you are
• To have a broader knowledge in your area of
research

9. Contd.,
• Search and select literature pertaining to your
area
• Review selected literature
• Develop a theoretical framework (theories
and issues related your study)
• Develop a conceptual framework (aspects you
select from theoretical framework that form
the basis of your research)

10. Contd.,
• Sources:
• Books
• Journals
• Electronic resources: online and offline

11. How to write the literature review
• Write under themes
• Some may follow chronological order
• Highlight your arguments
• Provide references

12. Formulating research problem
• Any question that needs answer can be a
research problem. However, not all questions
can be transformed into research problems.
• What matters here:
• Your knowledge in research methodology
• Your knowledge of the subject area
• Your understanding of the issues to be
examined

13. Contd.,
• Formation of a research problem is the first
step in the research. Identify the destination
before you start the journey. It is the
foundation of your building.
• Sources of research problems:
• People (individuals, groups, organizations,
communities)
• Problems (Issues, situations, associations,,
needs, demographic)

14. Contd.,
• Programmes (contents, structure, outcomes,
attributes, satisfaction, users, consumers)
• Phenomenon (cause and effect relationships,
study of a phenomenon itself)
• Research problem is your topic.
• Consider the following when selecting a topic:
• Your interest
• Your level of expertise as well as of your
supervisor

15. Contd.,
• Use concepts that can be measured
• Topic should be relevant to your profession/
subject area
• Availability of data
• Ethical issues

16. Formulation of objectives
• Objectives are goals of your study
• Main objectives
• Secondary or sub-objectives
• They must be clear, complete and specific

17. Identifying variables
• A concept or perception that takes on
different values and that can be measured is a
variable. It is something that varies.
• Types:
• Independent variables (they are responsible
for bringing about change in a phenomenon,
situation)

18. Contd.,
• Dependent variables (effects of a change
variable, the outcome of the changes brought
about by changes in an independent variable)
• Extraneous variables (other factors that affect
the changes bring about by independent
variables)
• Intervening variables (those that link the
independent and dependent variables)

19. Constructing hypotheses
• It is an ‘anticipation of nature’ or a hunch,
assumption, assertion
• “a tentative statement about something, the
validity of which is usually unknown’ (Bailey,
1976:126)
• It may be right, partially right or wrong
• It should be simple, specific and conceptually
clear

20. Research design
• It is the plan, structure and strategy of
investigating the research problem
• It is an operational plan
• Procedures to be adopted
• Testing the design

21. Constructing an instrument for
data collection
• Data collection methods:
• Primary sources
• Observation
• Interview
• Questionnaire
• Use of secondary sources
• Establish the validity of the selected
instrument

22. Selecting a sample
• “Process of selecting a few from a bigger
group”
• Bigger group is the population and the
selected few is the sample
• Larger the sample size the more accurate will
be the findings

23. Sampling types
• Sampling strategies are numerous. They can
be categorized into three groups:
• Random/probability sampling
• Non-random/probability sampling
• Mixed sampling

24. Research proposal
• It is your plan of research
• It reveals what you are going to do, how you
plan to do and why you have selected the
proposed procedures
• It guides you as well as your supervisor
• It is an academic piece of writing
• It shows the strength of your proposed
research

25. Elements
• Introduction (an overview of the main area
under study, historical background,
philosophical issues etc., trends, major
theories, main issues under consideration
etc.)
• Importance (Why you do it? What are the
benefits?)
• Problem (Your research problem or the
research questions)
• Literature review

26. Contd.,
• Objectives ( main and secondary)
• Hypotheses
• Study design (population, sample, data
collection methods etc.)
• Setting (brief description of the community,
organization or agency in which you are going
to carry out the research)
• Analysis of data (methods you are going to
use)

27. Contd.,
• Structure of the report or chapterization
• Limitations and problems you may encounter
• Work plan or schedule
• Budget (optional)

28. Collection data
• Ethical issues relating to research participants
( their consent, incentives, sensitive
information, harm to participants etc.)
• Ethical issues relating to the researcher
(avoiding bias, using appropriate research
methodology, correct reporting etc.)

29. Processing data
• Editing data
• Coding data
• Verifying coded data
• Analyzing data
• Displaying data (charts, diagrams, tables)

30. Writing the report or thesis
• Follow standards (International standards or
departmental guidelines)
• Use appropriate referencing/citation system
• Preparation of a bibliography
• Avoid plagiarism

31. • Sources:
• Kumar, Ranjit (1999). Research methodology :
a step by step guide for beginners, 2nd. ed.,
Sage, London
• Kothari, C.R. (1990). Research methodology :
methods and techniques, 2nd. Ed., Wishwa
Prakashan, New Delhi

32. • Thank you!