Provides various elements for clarifying research project elements and developing a research concept with group of experts using a web platform called 'Research Concept Writer'

1. SK Soam
ICAR- National Academy of Agricultural Research
Management (NAARM), Hyderabad
soam@naarm.org.in
sudhir.soam@icar.gov.in

2. Generating Research Questions and
Formulation of Testable Hypotheses
Why?
Researchers fail to narrow a topic
sufficiently
Jump from a broad topic or problem
itself directly into a research project
To make research more analytical and
reliable, a process needs to be followed

3. SK Soam-NAARM
Rank -Problems Identify/ Prioritize
Research Options
Identify Research
Topic
Generate Research
Question
Develop Project
Proposal
Formulate
Hypotheses
List res.& non-res’ble
Problems
Identify Problems
Problem to Project- Dev approach

4. SK Soam-NAARM
S.K. Soam- soam@naarm.ernet.in
Ind
Var Ind
HYP1.
1
Var Ind HYP1.1
Var RQ
1
HYP1.
2
Var Ind HYP1.2
Var Var Ind Concl
Topic Var Var Ind Reco
m
Var RQ
2
HYP2.
1
Var Ind HYP2.1 Concl
HYP2.
2
Var Ind HYP2.2
Var Ind
Ind
Res. Topic to Project- Funnel Approach

5. SK Soam-NAARM
Five Aspects
The universe [boundary, to which the results would be applicable]
The unit of analysis [individual, farm-household, geographical unit]
The variables
Quantitative or qualitative characteristics
Construct of mind
Defined at an abstract, conceptual level
Can not be observed as such in the real world
The nature of relationship
Cause-effect relationship, where causal or independent variable (X) have an effect
on a dependent variable (Y)
The indicators
Proxies for the variables are called indicators
Measure the variables
Many times a variable is measured by more than one indicator

6. SK Soam-NAARM
Two cases
Aspects First case Second case
Unit of analysis Participant of this
training
Excursion
Independent
variable
Money, weather,
time
Money, weather,
time
Dependent variable Excursion frequency Participant of this
training
Relationship Directional Directional
Indicator Rainfall, no. of visit/
month
No. of persons
The Universe ? ?

7. SK Soam-NAARM
Selecting a Research Topic-sources
• Personal experience
• Curiosity based on something in media
• State of knowledge
• Problem solving
• Social premium
• Personal values
• Every day life

8. SK Soam-NAARM
Topic to Research Question
1Examine the literature: Replicate previous project exactly or with
variations, explore unexpected findings discovered in previous
projects, follow suggestions an author gives for future research,
challenge findings, study intervention process and consider linking
relationships. Patent databases (thomson analyst, USPTO, EPO),
Literature databases (Web of Science, EBASCO, Proquest)
2Talk with knowledgeable people: Various stakeholders like
scientists, development officials, NGO"s and farmers
3Apply to specific context: Focus topic onto a specific time period,
farm types, farmer categories and geographic units
4Define the aim or desired outcome of the study: Will the research
question be for an exploratory, explanatory, or descriptive study?
Will the study involve applied or basic research?

9. SK Soam-NAARM
Topic to RQ- hints & checklist
• Relationship with topic?
• Variables-nature of relationship?
• Did you specify the universe?
• Did you define unit of analysis?
• Is it too broad or too narrow?
• Are these questions more focused, concrete and
disaggregate?
• Your limitations?
• How do we phrase?

10. SK Soam-NAARM
Good or bad RQ
• What causes water scarcity?
• Is cropping pattern adopted by large farmers
causes water scarcity?
– Suggest two variables- cropping pattern
(independent) and water scarcity (dependent)-
these have relationship
– Specify the universe/boundary (large farmers)
to which answer to the question can be
generalized

11. SK Soam-NAARM
Bad Research Question Good Research Question
Not Testable, Non scientific-
"Is it right not to allow Free
Range Grazing (FRG) in
forests?"
Exploratory Questions-
"Has the incidence of Free
Range Grazing (FRG) by small
farmers of Bundelkhand
changed in the past ten years?"
General Topics, Set of Variables,
Not Question-
"Land degradation and Free
Range Grazing"
Descriptive Questions-
"Is FRG in Bundelkhand, more
common in farm households that
have higher number,but non
productive cattle than those
farm households who have less
number, but high productive
cattle?"
Too Vague, Ambiguous-
"What can be done to prevent
Free Range Grazing?"
Explanatory Questions-
"Are the Government policies
responsible for high grazing
intensity in Bundelkhand ?"
Need of more specificity-
"Has the incidence of Free
Range Grazing risen?"

12. FAO: Few good research
questions in NRM
• Can payments for ecosystem services (e.g. carbon sequestration, green
water credits, biodiversity enrichment) lead to adoption of
recommended land-use and management practices by resource-poor
farmers in developing countries?
• What are the best options for agriculture increasing food production
while simultaneously reducing its contribution to greenhouse gas
emissions?
• What is the relationship between productivity and biodiversity (and/or
other ecosystem services) and how does this vary between agricultural
systems and as a function of the spatial scale at which land is devoted
mostly to food production?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of organic production
systems in terms of biodiversity, ecosystem services, yield and human
health, particularly in resource-poor developing countries?
SK Soam-NAARM

13. ICAR Reg. Committee Meeting, Kolkatta [June
2014]. Some RQ documented by SK Soam
• 1. How can we increase the productivity of Rice-Fallow production
system [about 15 m ha land] through introduction of millets/ pulses/
fodder sorghum?
• 4. Whether cultivation of hybrid rice is more profitable over traditional
rice grown by the small and medium farmers in Telangana and AP?
– Indicators- yield advantage, input use cost, input use efficiency, quality advantage,
duration requirement, cropping systems requirement
• 7. How can PPP initiatives include hybrid seed production as farmers’
led enterprise in seed production hub of Telangana?
– Indicators- seed producers, stakeholder requirements, seed demand-supply, seed
deficit
• 9. It is often perceived that innovative farmers are not able to expand
their technologies among the fellow farmers in the similar niche, how
can we improve the knowledge networks for multiplier effect of
creativity of innovative farmers?
SK Soam-NAARM

14. SK Soam-NAARM
RQ to Research Hypotheses- Why & How?
• Forces to state detailed expectations
• Precisely indicate what you foresee
• Easy leap from a well formulated RQ to res
project
• Opportunity to test tentative answers by formal
methods
• Hypo are tentative answers to RQ, which are
embedded within good RQ, turn RQ into
assertions (affirmations)

15. SK Soam-NAARM
RQ to Research Hypotheses- steps
• Find out tentative answer
• Find out variables (independent/dependent)
and establish their relationship
• Find out indicators
• Specify the universe and unit of analysis

16. SK Soam-NAARM
S.K. Soam- soam@naarm.ernet.in
Topic to hypotheses
• Topic- Carrying Firearms for Protection
• Research Question- "To what degree do
people carry firearms when away from home
do so out of a fear of crime“
• Hypotheses- "Whether people who fear
crime the most and who believe that a gun
will protect them are most likely to carry a
firearm, when away from home"

17. SK Soam-NAARM
S.K. Soam- soam@naarm.ernet.in
Components of hypotheses
• Independent variable
– fear of crime
• Intervening variable
– a belief that gun provide protection
• Dependent variable
– how often a person carried a gun when away from
home
• Universe
– whites in other areas of southern United States
• The unit of analysis
– individual.

18. SK Soam-NAARM
Annapratha in Bundelkhand-FRG
• Research Topic- Identification of Free Range Grazing (FRG) systems
in Bundelkhand and opportunities for conversion to Managed Feeding
(MF) system
• Research Question 1- “What are the advantages and disadvantages of
‘Annapratha’ and how does this vary between various types of farm
households in Bundelkhand region?"
• Variables- Animal feeding systems, implications of feeding systems,
types of farm households
• Hypotheses 1(For Research Question 1) -In Bundelkhand the FRG is
mostly practiced by the farm households who have high number but
less productive cattle, and its economical to them but it is not efficient
production system.

19. SK Soam-NAARM
Annapratha in Bundelkhand-FRG
• Research Topic- Identification of Free Range Grazing (FRG) systems
in Bundelkhand and opportunities for conversion to Managed Feeding
(MF) system
• Research Question 2- "Can silvipasture developments on community
lands provide opportunities of conversion from FRG to MF systems to
those farmers of Bundelkhand , who own low productivity cattle?"
• Variables- Animal feeding systems, agroecology, type of animals,
types of farm households, suitable plant species
• Hypotheses 2(For Research Question 2) -"More the Cenchrus ciliaris,
Stylosanthes hamata and Albizzia amara based silvipasture on
community lands, bigger the chances that the farm households, who
own low productivity cattle are converted to MF system"

20. SK Soam-NAARM
Annapratha in Bundelkhand-FRG
• Hypotheses 1(For Research Question 1) -In Bundelkhand the FRG is
mostly practiced by the farm households who have high number but
less productive cattle, and its economical to them but it is not efficient
production system.
• Hypotheses 2(For Research Question 2) -"More the Cenchrus ciliaris,
Stylosanthes hamata and Albizzia amara based silvipasture on
community lands, bigger the chances that the farm households, who
own low productivity cattle are converted to MF system"
• We can combine two and make only one hypotheses also

21. SK Soam-NAARM
S.K. Soam- soam@naarm.ernet.in
Observation
Case studies
Exploratory
survey
Resource
persons
Secondary
information
Terms of
Reference
Definition
of
Indicators
Identifica
tion of
Variables
Formu
lating
Hypot
heses
Generating
research
Question
Problem,
Topic
Identification
Source
Who Helps?

22. • First Step: Develop a Research Concept
• For this what is the Rationale
• How your concept is justified?
• Go to Open Access ‘Research Concept Writer’-
https://naarm.org.in/dwrp/
• Second Step: Develop Research Project Plan
through a Process called ‘Project Logical
Framework
• Go to Open Access ‘Project Logframe Writer’-
https://naarm.org.in/logframe/
SK Soam-NAARM