REVIEW OF LITERATURE

HYPOTHESIS AND
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

• The most important reason for doing research is to

produce new knowledge and understanding, and
to distribute it to make it available to everyone.
When planning a research project, it is essential to
know what the current state of knowledge is in
your chosen subject as it is obviously a waste of
time to spend months producing knowledge that is
already freely available
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• Therefore, one of the first steps in planning a

research project is to do a literature review: that is,
to trawl through all the available information
sources in order to track down the latest
knowledge, and to assess it for relevance, quality,
controversy and gaps. The last two will indicate
where additional research is required – to try to
resolve a controversy or to fill a gap. This chapter
explains where to find the necessary information
and how to analyse it and present it so that you
can devise a solid basis for your research project.
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• We are in an age of radical information expansion.
Whatever your subject, there can be no excuse that
you are faced with a lack of information. The problem
lies in where to find relevant information of the right
quality. Any trawl through the Internet will
demonstrate what a lot of rubbish there is on every
subject under the sun. Even a visit to the library or a
good bookshop can be a daunting experience. Luckily,
you can easily learn how to use sophisticated methods
of trawling for the information you need. No need to
spend hours in dusty archives, no need to buy lots of
expensive books, but there is a need to get skilled in
search-and-find techniques and in methods of
appraisal.
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• Where you look will depend on the subject you
have chosen. Some sources cover most subjects,
others are specialized in a narrow range, and will
hence provide more detail. Here is a list of places
you can search.
• LIBRARIES
• INFORMATION SERVICES
• MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES – NATIONAL AND LOCAL
• PEOPLE
• INTRANETS
• THE INTERNET
• EVALUATING WEB SOURCES
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• LIBRARIES
Your university or college library – this should be your
first choice. There are also specialist libraries, such as
subject libraries in university departments, professional
libraries in professional institutions, technical libraries
in technical (research) establishments. Local libraries
sometimes have special collections of local interest. Try
to get the latest publications, unless you have special
reasons not to, e.g. historical studies. The information
in fast moving subjects, such as management, business,
science and technology will become rapidly obsolete,
but in the humanities older publications can have
lasting value.
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Here are some of the facilities you should
investigate:

• 􀁸 Library catalogue. Most libraries now have an

electronic catalogue accessed through their
computer terminals, often accessible online from
elsewhere too via the Intra- and/or Internet.
• 􀁸 Journals and newspapers. These are often
catalogued and stored separately to the books and
may be available online. As they appear regularly,
they tend to be very up to date.
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• 􀁸 Electronic databases. These are computer-based
lists of publications, on CD-ROM or on the university
Intranet or the Internet. They contain huge numbers of
sources, usually searched by using keywords. Some
provide only titles, publication details and abstracts,
others provide the full text. Citation indexes list the
publications in which certain books, articles, have been
used as a reference.
• 􀁸 Librarians. There are often Subject Librarians who
have specialist knowledge in specific subject areas –
they will be able to help you explore more elusive
sources. University libraries usually run free training
sessions on all aspects of searching for information
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• INFORMATION SERVICES
Government departments such as Standards
Institutes, Records Offices, Statistical Offices
provide information for the public. Pressure
groups and voluntary organizations often
produce publications about their work.
Research establishments, professional and
trade organizations also release details about
latest research.
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• MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES – NATIONAL AND
LOCAL
Apart from the exhibits, museums and galleries
usually produce a range of printed and electronic
information. They may also have many artefacts
that are in store and only accessible by
arrangement. Private collections of historical
records and artefacts might be found.
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• PEOPLE
There are experts in every field. Some will be willing
to advise you. Try the members of your own
university staff at first, many of whom will be
involved in research. Your library will contain guides
to professionals and experts. In some cases, local
knowledge will be needed – search out the relevant
local experts (e.g. local historians, social workers,
ornithologists etc.).
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• INTRANETS
Your own university or organization’s Intranet.
These often provide lecture and presentation
notes as well as other specialist information
produced by their staff e.g. research papers,
professorial lectures
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• THE INTERNET
The full gamut of the World Wide Web. With thousands
of pages being added every day, the World Wide Web
(WWW) is the biggest single source of information in
the world. However, the content is of extremely
variable quality, and the biggest challenge when using it
is to track down good quality material. You can easily
waste hours trawling through rubbish in search of the
goodies. Careful use of search terms helps to eliminate
the trash. Usually, the more precise your search
parameters, the more manageable the search results
will be.
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• EVALUATING WEB SOURCES
1. Is it accurate?
2. What authority is it based on?
3. Is it biased?
4. How detailed is the information?
5. Is it out of date?
6. Have you cross-checked?
 HYPOTHESES

• A supposition or proposed explanation made

on the basis of limited evidence as a starting
point for further investigation.
 HYPOTHESES
HYPOTHESES

• The research problem in research projects that use

the hypothetico-deductive method is expressed in
terms of the testing of a particular hypothesis.
Hypotheses are nothing unusual; we make them
all the time. If something happens in our everyday
life, we tend to suggest a reason for its occurrence
by making rational guesses. These reasonable
guesses can be expressed in the form of
statement. This is a hypothesis. If, on further
examination, a particular hypothesis is found to be
supported,
 HYPOTHESES
HYPOTHESES
HYPOTHESES
• i.e. the reasons for its occurrence seem to be
correct, we have got a good chance that we can
predict what will happen in the same situation in
the future, or can devise actions to prevent it
happening again. If the investigation shows that
the guess was wrong, then it can be rejected as
false. Many of the greatest discoveries in science
were based on hypotheses: Newton’s theory of
gravity, Einstein’s general theory of relativity and a
host of others.
 HYPOTHESES
• A good hypothesis is a very useful aid to organizing
the research effort, but it must have certain
qualities. It must be a statement that can be put to
the test. It must specifically limit the enquiry to
the interaction of certain factors (usually called
variables) and suggest the methods appropriate
for collecting, analyzing and interpreting the data,
and the resultant confirmation or rejection of the
hypothesis through empirical or experimental
testing must give a clear indication of the extent of
knowledge gained.
 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• The researcher must pay attention to the following
points in constructing an appropriate and effective
questionnaire or a schedule:

• 1.The researcher must keep in view the problem he

is to study for it provides the starting point for
developing the Questionnaire/Schedule. He must
be clear about the various aspects of his research
problem to be dealt with in the course of his
research project.
 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• 2. Appropriate form of questions depends on the
nature of information sought, the sampled
respondents and the kind of analysis intended. The
researcher must decide whether to use closed or
open-ended question. Questions should be simple
and must be constructed with a view to their
forming a logical part of a well thought out
tabulation plan. The units of enumeration should
also be defined precisely so that they can ensure
accurate and full information.
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• 3. Rough draft of the Questionnaire/Schedule be
prepared, giving due thought to the appropriate
sequence of putting questions. Questionnaires or
schedules previously drafted (if available) may as
well be looked into at this stage.

• 4. Researcher must invariably re-examine, and in

case of need may revise the rough draft for a better
one. Technical defects must be minutely scrutinized
and removed.
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• 5. Pilot study should be undertaken for pre-testing

the questionnaire. The questionnaire may be edited
in the light of the results of the pilot study.

• 6. Questionnaire must contain simple but straight

forward directions for the respondents so that they
may not feel any difficulty in answering the
questions.