It's all about research

1. SIGNIFICANCE OF
RESEARCH
REPORTED BY: SHEINA MAE A. CASEM

2. INTRODUCTION
• Research refers to a search for knowledge. Research is an art of scientific
investigation. The Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary of Current English lays down the
meaning of research as, “a careful investigation or inquiry specially through
search for new facts in any branch of knowledge”.
• Redman and Mory define research as a,” Systematized effort to gain new
knowledge”. Some people consider research as a movement, a movement from
the known to the unknown

3. INTRODUCTION
• According to Clifford woody, research comprises defining and redefining
problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions collecting, organising
and evaluating data, making deductions and reaching conclusions; to determine
whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.
• According to a famous Hudson Maxim, “All progress is born of inquiry. Doubt is
often better than overconfidence, for it leads to inquiry, and inquiry leads to
invention”. It brings out the significance of research, increased amount of which
makes the progress possible.

4. INTRODUCTION
• The Research Process is a process of multiple scientific steps in conducting the
research work. Each step is interlinked with other steps. The process starts with
the research problem at first. Then it advances in the next steps sequentially.

5. OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
• 1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it.
(exploratory or formulative research studies)
• 2. To describe accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or
a group. (descriptive research)
• 3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is
associated with something else. (studies with this object known as diagnostic
research)
• 4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables. (such studies
are known as hypothesis testing research}

6. TYPES OF RESEARCH
• 1. Descriptive Versus Analytical
• Descriptive research consists of surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different
types. The main objective of descriptive research is describing the state of affairs
as it prevails at the time of study. The term ‘ex post facto research’ is quite often
used for descriptive research studies in social sciences and business research. The
most distinguishing feature of this method is that the researcher has no control
over the variables here.
• Meanwhile in the Analytical research, the researcher has to use the already
available facts or information, and analyse them to make a critical evaluation of
the subject.

7. TYPES OF RESEARCH
• 2. Applied Versus Fundamental
• Research can also be applied or fundamental in nature. An attempt to find a
solution to an immediate problem encountered by a firm, an industry, a business
organisation, or the society is known as applied research.
• On the other hand, fundamental research mainly concerns generalizations and
formulation of a theory. In other words, “Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s
sake is termed ‘pure’ or ‘basic’ research” (Young in Kothari, 1988). Researches
relating to pure mathematics or concerning some natural phenomenon are
instances of Fundamental Research.

8. TYPES OF RESEARCH
• 3. Quantitative Versus Qualitative
• Quantitative research relates to aspects that can be quantified or can be
expressed in terms of quantity. It involves the measurement of quantity or
amount.
• On the other hand, Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomena,
or more specifically, the aspects related to or involving quality or kind. Qualitative
research is particularly significant in the context of behavioural sciences, which
aim at discovering the underlying motives of human behaviour

9. TYPES OF RESEARCH
• 4. Conceptual Versus Empirical
• The research related to some abstract idea or theory is known as Conceptual
Research. Generally, philosophers and thinkers use it for developing new
concepts or for reinterpreting the existing ones.
• Empirical Research, on the other hand, exclusively relies on the observation or
experience with hardly any regard for theory and system. Such research is data
based, which often comes up with conclusions that can be verified through
experiments or observation.

10. STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
• Step 1: Identify and defining the Research Problem
• Step 2: Review the Literature
• Step 3. Formulating a HYPOTHESIS
• Step 4. RESEARCH DESIGN
• Step 5. Primary Data Collection Method
• Step 6: Carry out the Research Process
• Step 7: Preparing Research Results
• Step 8: Reporting Research Findings

11. STEP 1: IDENTIFY AND DEFINING THE RESEARCH
PROBLEM
• The first step in the process is to identify a problem or develop a research
question. The research problem may be something the agency identifies as a
problem, some knowledge or information that is needed by the agency or the
desire to identify a recreation trend nationally.
• A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be
improved, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in
scholarly literature, in theory, or in practice that points to the need for meaningful
understanding and deliberate investigation. In some social science disciplines the
research problem is typically posed in the form of a question.

12. STEP 2: REVIEW THE LITERATURE
• Once the research problem is identified and defined, the next step is to review
the existing research. The researcher must learn more about the topic under
investigation. To do this, the researcher must review the literature related to the
research problem.

13. STEP 2: REVIEW THE LITERATURE
• Get Background Information
• Read about your topic using websites or encyclopedias.
• It introduces you to the topic, helps you to focus on its key elements and can
help you decide to broaden or narrow your focus.
• These sources often include bibliographies that you can “piggyback” to find
more sources on your topic.

14. STEP 3. FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS
• “Hypothesis may be defined as a proposition or a set of propositions set forth as
an explanation for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena either
asserted merely as a provisional conjecture to guide some investigation in the
light of established facts” (Kothari, 1988).
• A research hypothesis is quite often a predictive statement, which is capable of
being tested using scientific methods that involve an independent and some
dependent variables.

15. CHARACTERISTICS OF HYPOTHESIS
• A hypothesis must be precise and clear.
• A hypothesis must be capable of being put to test.
• A hypothesis must state relationship between two variables, in the case of relational hypotheses.
• A hypothesis must be specific and limited in scope.
• As far as possible, a hypothesis must be stated in the simplest language, so as to make it
understood by all concerned.
• A hypothesis must be consistent and derived from the most known facts.
• A hypothesis must be amenable to testing within a stipulated or reasonable period of time.

16. HYPOTHESIS TESTING
• The various steps involved in hypothesis testing are as follows:
• 1. Making a Formal Statement
• 2. Selecting A Significance Level
• 3. Deciding The Distribution To Use
• 4. Selection Of A Random Sample And Computing An Appropriate Value
• 5. Calculation Of The Probability
• 6. Comparing The Probability

17. STEP 4. RESEARCH DESIGN
• There are different types of research designs. They may be broadly categorized as:
• Exploratory Research Design;
• Descriptive and Diagnostic Research Design; and
• Hypothesis-Testing Research Design.

18. 1. EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN
• The Exploratory Research Design is known as formulative research design.
• Usually, the following three methods are considered in the context of a research
design for such studies. They are:
• (a) a survey of related literature;
• (b) experience survey; and
• (c) analysis of ‘insight-stimulating’ instances.

19. 2. DESCRIPTIVE AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH
DESIGN
• A Descriptive Research Design is concerned with describing the characteristics of a particular
individual or a group. The research design in such studies should be rigid and not flexible.
Besides, it must also focus attention on the following:
• a) Formulation of the objectives of the study
• b) Proper designing of the methods of data collection
• c) Sample selection
• d) Data collection
• e) Processing and analysis of the collected data, and
• f) Reporting the findings.

20. 3. HYPOTHESIS-TESTING RESEARCH DESIGN
• Hypothesis-Testing Research Designs are those in which the researcher tests the
hypothesis of causal relationship between two or more variables.

21. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH DESIGN
• A research design suitable for a specific research problem would usually involve
the following considerations:
• i. The methods of gathering the information;
• ii. The skills and availability of the researcher and his/her staff, if any;
• iii. The objectives of the research problem being studied;
• iv. The nature of the research problem being studied; and
• v. The available monetary support and duration of time for the research work.

22. VARIOUS PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH DESIGN
• The Principle of Replication
• The Principle of Randomization
• The Principle of Local Control

23. STEP 5. PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHOD
• Primary data may be obtained by applying any of the following methods:
• 1. Direct Personal Interviews. 2. Indirect Oral Interviews.
• 3. Information from Correspondents.
• 4. Mailed Questionnaire Methods.
• 5. Schedule Sent Through Enumerators.

24. STEP 6: CARRY OUT THE RESEARCH PROCESS
• While the research design is decided, then the researcher collects data, records
information.

25. STEP 7: PREPARING RESEARCH RESULTS
• Now work out the implications of the data you gathered. It is hardly easy to clear
out the implications of the gathered materials. While it is possible to clarify the
research questions, some investigations are less conclusive. So, interpret your
research results in order to report the findings.

26. STEP 8: REPORTING RESEARCH FINDINGS
• The final step of the research process outline is to report the research findings.
Describe the significance of the research study. Work out how do they relate to
the previous research findings. Usually, the research report published as a journal
article or book. This is the last stage in terms of the individual research project.

27. THANK YOU!