By: Dr.

Preeti Jindal

Research Methodology
Meaning of Research

 The word Research is composed of syllables

“re” and “search”. “Re” means again and
“search” means to examine closely and
carefully, or to probe or to test.
 Together these words “Re+search” describe a
careful, systematic, patient study and
investigation in some field of knowledge,
undertaken to establish facts or principles.
Definition of Research

 According to Grinnell “research is a structured

inquiry that utilizes acceptable scientific
methodology to solve problem and creates new
knowledge that is generally applicable”.
 Burns defines research “as a systematic
investigation to find answer to a problem”.
 In short, search for knowledge through objective
and systematic method of finding solution to a
problem is research. Research is, thus, an original
contribution to the existing stock of knowledge.
Why Research ? : Reasons of doing
Research.

What makes people to undertake research.

The possible motives for doing research are
as follows:
 As a student: Desire to get intellectual joy of
doing some creative work.
 Or desire to get a research degree along with
its consequential benefits.
Why Research ? : Reasons of doing
Research.
 In addition to educational field, research is undertaken within
most professions.
Let us take some disciplines as examples:
Suppose you are working as sales manager. Following
questions may come to your mind:
 What is the best strategy to promote the sales of a particular
product?
 How satisfied are the consumers with this product?
 How much are consumers prepared to spend on this product?
 What do consumers like or dislike about this product?
 What type of packaging do consumers prefer for this product?
 What training do salespersons need to promote the sales of this
product?
Why Research ? : Reasons of doing
Research.

To take a different example, let us assume that you

work a psychologist, counsellor or social worker.
Following questions may come to your mind:
 What are my client’s most common presenting
problems?
 What is socioeconomic background of my clients?
 What resources are available in the community to
help a client with particular need?
 How satisfied are my clients with services?
Why Research ? : Reasons of doing
Research.
 Research is one of the ways to help you
answer such questions objectively.
 Research is the process of collecting,
analyzing and interpreting information to
discover answers to questions.
Characteristics of Good Research
 As beginners in research you should understand that
research is not all technical, complex, statistics and
computers.
 It is a very simple activity designed to provide answers to
very simple questions relating to day-to-day activities.
 For a process to be called research, it is important that it
meets certain requirements and possesses certain
characteristics.
 It must, as far as, possible be controlled, rigorous,
systematic, valid and verifiable, reliable and empirical.
Characteristics of Good Research

Let us examine these characteristics:

 Controlled: In the study of cause and effect relationship. It is
important to establish link between cause and effect. To
achieve this you should set up your study in a way that
minimizes effects of other factors affecting the relationship.
 This can be achieved to a large extent in the physical sciences,
as most of the research is done in laboratory.
 However, in social sciences it is extremely difficult to ensure
such controls because social science research is carried out on
the issues relating to human beings living in society where you
cannot control external factors affecting relationship between
two variables. You, just attempt to quantify their impact.
Characteristics of Research

 Rigorous: you must ensure that the research

procedure followed to find answers to
questions should be relevant, appropriate
and justified. Again the degree of rigour
varies between the physical and social
sciences and within the social sciences.
 Systematic: This implies that the research
procedure adopted should certain logical
sequence.
Characteristics of Good Research

 Valid and Verifiable: This concept implies that

whatever you conclude on the basis of your
findings should be correct and verifiable by you,
and others.
 Reliable: This implies that measurement tool used
in research should have the quality of repeatability
and accuracy.
 Empirical: This means that conclusions drawn
should be based upon the information collected
from the real-life experiences or observations.
SCOPE OF BUSINESS RESEARCH

 Production Management: The research performs an important

function in product development, diversification, introducing a new
product, product improvement, process technologies, choosing a
site, new investment etc.
 Personnel Management: Research works well for job redesign,
organization restructuring, development of motivational strategies
and organizational development.
 Marketing Management: Research performs an important
function in selecting target market, studying consumer behavior
with regard to their attitudes, life style, and preferences. It is the
primary tool in determining price policy, selection of channel of
distribution and development of sales strategies, product mix,
promotional strategies, etc.
SCOPE OF BUSINESS RESEARCH

 Financial Management: Research can be

useful for portfolio management, distribution
of dividend, capital raising, and designing
capital structure
 General Management: It contributes greatly
in developing the standards, objectives, long-
term goals, and growth strategies.
Types of Research

 From the perspective of :

 Pure Research
 Application
 Applied Research
 Descriptive Research
 Objectives Correlation Research

 Explanatory Research
 Exploratory Research
Types of Research

Quantitative Research
 Enquire mode
Qualitative Research
Types of Research
If you examine a research study from the perspective of its
application, there are two broad categories: Pure Research and
Applied Research.

 Pure Research: It is concerned with development, examination,

verification and refinement of research methods, procedures,
techniques, tools that form the body of research methodology.
 Examples: Developing a sampling technique that can be applied to a
particular situation.
 Developing an instrument, say, to measure stress level in the people.
 Finding best way of measuring people’s attitudes.
 Pure Research aims at adding knowledge to the existing body of
knowledge of research methods.
Types of Research

 Applied Research: In applied research, research

techniques, procedures , methods that form the
body of research methodology are applied to
the collection of information about various
aspects of a situation, issue, problem so that the
information gathered can be used in other
ways---such as for policy formulation,
administration, and the enhancement of
understanding of a phenomenon.
Types of Research

From the objective perspective a research study can be

classified as follows:
 Descriptive Research: It aims at describing what is
prevalent with respect to issue /problem under study.
This type of research is also known as’ Ex post facto
research’. In this research, researcher only reports what
is happening. For example, it may attempt to describe
the attitude of employee’s towards management,
frequency of shopping, customer’s likes and dislikes
with regard to a product or how a child feels in a house
with domestic violence.
Types of Research

 Correlational Research: This type of research

examines whether there is relationship between
two or more aspects of situation, phenomenon.
For example: what is impact of advertisement
campaign on the sale of product? What is
relationship between stressful living and the
incidence of heart attack ? What is relationship
between technology and unemployment?
 What is effect of home environment on
educational achievement?
Types of Research

 Explanatory Research: This type of research

attempts to clarify why and how there is
relationship between two aspects of situation and
phenomenon.
For example: why stressful livings results in heart
attack?
 How the home environment affects children’s
level of academic achievement?
 How does technology create unemployment/
employment?
Types of Research
 Exploratory Research: This type of research attempts to explore or investigate a
problem which is not clearly defined. It is usually carried out when a researcher
wants to explore the area about which he/she has little or no knowledge.
 Exploratory research explores the problem but does not offer final or
conclusive solution to the problem.
 It is conducted at the preliminary stage.
 This research provides in-depth knowledge of the research problem on which
little or no previous research has been done.
 For example: ‘a study into the implication of COVID-19 pandemic into the
global economy’ is an exploratory research that provides initial knowledge
about the economic implication of the phenomenon.
 Exploratory study creates the scope of future research. On the basis of the
findings of exploratory research, a follow up study can be undertaken, say, ‘a
study into the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on tourism revenues in India’ . The
findings of second research can be of particular use for decision-making.
Types of Research
 From the enquiry perspective, research can be classified as
follows:
 Qualitative Research: It is used to understand concepts,
thoughts and experience. This type of research enables you to
gather in-depth insights on the topic that is comparatively
new. For example, if you want to study problems
experienced by the people living in a community, or different
views people hold towards an issue. Then these are better
explored by unstructured enquiries and thus, classified as
qualitative research.
 In qualitative research data is collected using interviews with
open-ended question, or observation described in words.
Types of Research
 Quantitative Research: It is used to test or confirm
theories or assumptions. If you want to study how many
people have particular perspective, how many people
have particular problem, you need to have structured
approach. Structured approach of enquiry is classified as
quantitative research.
 In quantitative research data is collected using survey
with close-ended question, observation recorded as
numbers, experiments.
 In this type of research data is statistically analyzed.
 It employs objective approach.