UNIT - I

Meaning of Your Research

Outcomes
 To understand – Your Research.
 Scientific Method.
 Why are You doing Research ?
 What are Characteristics/Criteria of Your Research,
Justify It.
 What is the Type of Research you have selected &
Why ?
 Your Research Objectives.
 How Society will be benefitted by your Research ?
 What will be your Research Process.
 Considerations (errors ?) in selecting
Research Problem.
Understanding the Research
 1 Mr Bean.mp4
 A way of examining your practice.
 It is a way of thinking: examining critically the
various aspects of your professional work.
 It is a habit of questioning what you do, and a
systematic examination of the observed
information to find answers with a view to
instituting appropriate changes for a more
effective professional service.
Understanding the Research
 2 Research.mp4
 1. A process being undertaken within a framework of a set of
philosophies (approaches);
qualitative, quantitative and the academic discipline in which
you have been trained.
 2. It uses procedures, methods and techniques that have
been tested for their validity and reliability
validity - correct procedures have been applied to find
answers to a question.
reliability - quality of a measurement procedure that
provides repeatability and accuracy.
 3. It is designed to be unbiased and objective .
drawn each conclusion to the best of your ability and without
introducing your own interest.
Understanding the Research
 Describing a careful, systematic, patient study
and investigation in some field of knowledge,
undertaken to establish facts or principles.
 Research is a structured enquiry that utilizes
acceptable scientific methodology to solve
problems and create new knowledge that is
generally applicable.
 Scientific methods consist of systematic
observation, classification and interpretation
of data.
Standard Definitions
 “Research is a careful investigation or inquiry
specially through search for new facts in any
branch of knowledge.”
- Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English.
 “Research is the manipulation of things, concepts or
symbols for the purpose of generalizing to extend,
correct or verify knowledge, whether that
knowledge aids in construction of theory or in the
practice of an art.”
– D. Slesinger & M. Stephenson.
(Encyclopedia of Social Sciences).
Standard Definitions
 “Research is a systematized effort to get new
knowledge.”
– Redman and
Mory.
 “Research comprises defining and redefining
problems, formulating hypothesis or
suggested solutions; collecting, organizing
and evaluating data; making deductions and
reaching conclusions; and at last carefully
testing the conclusions to determine whether
they fit the formulating hypothesis.”
- Clifford Woody.
Standard Definitions
 “Research is a systematic, controlled,
empirical and critical investigation of
hypothetical propositions about the presumed
relationships among natural phenomenon.”
– Kerlinger.
Why we need Scientific Method ?
 Birds are Dying……
 Intuition/belief
 Consensus/majority
 Authority
 Casual Observation
 Informal Logic
Scientific Method
 The Scientific Method is about ordinary people
doing ordinary things.

 It is a process or steps taken to produce

reliable results to answer a specific question.
Scientific Method

Share the Results

Observation
Conclusion

Research
2nd Experiment
Hypothesis
More Research

Experiment
2nd Observation
Scientific Method
 Empirically Testable
 Physical evidence
 Observation or data
 Replicable
 Repeat the original study
 Objective
 Concepts, procedure and assumptions to be clear
 Transparent
 Replicable by anyone
 Also by critics
 Publically shared
 Falsifiable
 Finding observations that are contradictory
 Can’t be disproved
 Why are You doing Research ?

Face the Challenges

Research degree -
consequential benefits Service to the Society.

Intellectual joy - Creative

Work
 Why are You doing Research ?
• Others
 Directives of government
 Employment conditions
 Curiosity about new things.
 Desire to understand causal
relationships.
 Social thinking and awakening.
Characteristics/Criteria of Research
 Controlled
 Effect of variables reduced by other variables.
 Rigorous
 Procedures should be relevant, appropriate and justified.
 Systematic
 Relevant, appropriate and justified
 Valid and verifiable
 Can be verified by you and others.
 Empirical
Conclusion drawn are based upon hard evidence gathered from
information collected from real life experiences or observations.
 Critical
Investigation must be foolproof and free from drawbacks. The
process adopted and the procedures used must be able to
withstand critical scrutiny.
Characteristics/Criteria of Research
 Purpose/Objective must be clearly defined.
 Thesis CDs\Thesis_1_.pdf
 Research procedure should be described in
detail.
 Planning of research design.
 Analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate
to reveal its significance. The validity and
reliability of the data should be checked
carefully.
 Conclusions should be confined to those
justified by the data of the research and
limited.
Types of Research
 Based on different aspects such as:
 Purpose/Objective,
 Process
 Outcome
 Based on purpose/objective:
 Descriptive research
 Analytical research
 Exploratory research
 Predictive research
 Based on process:
 Qualitative research
 Quantitative research
 Based on Outcome:
 Applied or Action research
 Fundamental or Basic or pure research
Descriptive Research
 Fact-finding enquiries of different kinds such as
what, why, when, who, how and all.
 The aim - description of the characteristics of a
phenomena at present.
 No control over the variable, only have to report
what is happening or what has happened
 For description researchers use frequencies,
averages and other statistical calculations.
 The methods - survey method of all kind
including comparative and correlational method
 The periodic table categorizes the elements is an
example of descriptive research
Analytical Research
 Analysis on a phenomena and secondary data.
 The aim - to understand phenomena by
discovering and measuring causal relations
among them.
 Use facts or information’s readily available to
them in order to analyse to make a critical
evaluation of the context.
 It work within the constraints variables. It also
tries to explain existing state of affairs from
available data.
 How can the absentee rate among employees
be reduced? an example
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
 Research problem - when there are few or no
earlier studies to refer to.
 The focus is on gaining insights and familiarity
for later investigation when problem are in a
preliminary stage of investigation.
 Gathers preliminary information that will help
to define a problem and suggest a hypothesis.
 It involves generation of new ideas and
assumption, development of tentative
theories or hypothesis but conclusions cannot
be drawn even though it provide direction for
future research and techniques
PREDICTIVE/DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH
 It studies determine the frequency with which
something occurs.
 Researcher must be able to define clearly,
what he wants to measure and must find
adequate method for measuring along with
clear cut definition of ‘population’ he wants to
study.
 Statistical tools - regression, linear regression
and logistic regression
 The major areas include: business, marketing,
clinical setting etc.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
 It is handled with qualitative phenomena that
involves quality or kind.
 The research designed to find out how people
feel or what people often think are coming
under this research.
 it is important in behavioural sciences.
 Its aim is to discover the underlying motives
of human behaviour through detailed
description.
 The data - words, pictures or objects.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
 Measurement of quantity or amount.
 Tools - questionnaire or equipment to collect
data and all aspect of the study are carefully
designated before data is collected.
 Data - numbers or statistics and this data is
more efficient and able to test.
APPLIED/ACTION RESEARCH
 Research - used to answer a specific question,
solve a specific problem or to gain better
understanding.
 Aim - finding solution for an immediate problem
facing in society or an organization through
systematic inquiry involving practical application
of science, based on the level and type of
involvement
 Designed to solve problem of modern world than
acquire knowledge. The main goal of applied
scientist is to improve the human condition for
example: treat or cure a specific disease
FUNDAMENTAL OR BASIC OR PURE
RESEARCH
 Generalization and formulation of theory.
 It is done for the intellectual pleasure on
learning and it has no commercial value
attached to the discoveries that result from
basic research.
 Limited direct applications but in which
researcher has careful control over the
research setting.
 It involves collection and analysis of data to
develop or enhances theory and have an
understanding of theoretical relationship
between variables
Examples
 Pure Research
 How did the Universe Begin ?
 What are protons, Neutrons & Electrons composed
of ?
 What is he specific generic code of the fruit fly ?
 Applied Research
 Improve agricultural crop production
 Treat or cure a specific disease
 Improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices or
modes of transportation.
 Some other types of researchers are
also there

Longitudinal Research Simulation Research Clinical Research

Conceptual Research
Historical Research
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
SCOPE / SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH

 Throws light on risks and uncertainty

 Identify alternative courses of action
 Helps in
 economic use of resources
 project identification
 Solves
 investment problems
 pricing problems
 allocation problems
 decision making issues in HR
 various operational and planning
 problems of business and industry
SCOPE / SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH

 Basis for all government policies in our economic

system.
 Social scientists - studying social relationships and
in seeking answers to various social problems.
 Students - careerism or a way to attain a high
position in the social structure.
 Professionals in research - source of livelihood.
 Philosophers and thinkers - outlet for new ideas and
insights.
 Literary men and women - development of new
styles and creative work.
 Analysts and intellectuals - generalizations of new
theories.
 Research Process

Defining the
Selecting a Objective of Review of
Research
topic Research Literature
Problem

Preparing
Data Sample Working
Research
Collection Design Hypothesis
Design

Data Generalizati
Execution of Analysis and on and
Report
project Hypothesis Interpretatio
testing n
Research Process
 Research Process.mp4
Plan schedule.docx
Thesis CDs\Thesis_1_.pdf
 Videos
Step 1. Selecting a Research
Problem:
 1. Interest: Time consuming, and involves hard work and
possibly unforeseen problems. Select topic of great interest to
sustain the required motivation.
 2. Magnitude: You can manage within the time and resources at
your disposal. Narrow the topic down to something manageable,
specific and clear.
 3. Measurement of concepts: You are clear about the indicators
and measurement of concepts (if used) in your study.
 4. Level of expertise: You have adequate level of expertise for
the task you are proposing since you need to do the work yourself.
 5. Relevance: Ensure that your study adds to the existing body of
knowledge, bridges current gaps and is useful in policy
formulation. This will help you to sustain interest in the study.
 6. Availability of data: Before finalizing the topic, make sure that
data are available.
 7. Ethical issues: How ethical issues can affect the study
population and how ethical problems can be overcome should be
thoroughly examined at the problem formulating stage.
Step 2. Reviewing the literature:
 Bring clarity and focus to your research
problem;
 Improve your methodology;
 Broaden your knowledge;
 Contextualize your findings.
 Academic Journals, conference proceedings,
Government reports, books etc.
Step 3 The formulation of
objectives/working hypotheses:
 Goals you set out to attain in your study.
 What you want to attain through the study.
 To word them clearly and specifically.
 Logical or empirical consequences based on
tentative assumptions which is to be tested.
Step 4. PREPARING THE RESEARCH
DESIGN
 Research design is the conceptual structure
within which research would be conducted.
 consideration of the following :
1. Objectives of the research study.
2. Method of Data Collection to be adopted
3. Source of information—Sample Design
4. Tool for Data collection
5. Data Analysis-- qualitative and quantitative
6. Time available for research
7. Cost factor.
5. Sample Design

 All items in any field of inquiry constitute a

‘Universe’ or ‘population’
 Complete enumeration of all items in the
population is known as the ‘census’ inquiry
 Involves great deal of time , money and energy
 Leads to selection of few respondents
 Selected respondents constitute ‘sample’
 Selection process is ‘sampling technique’
 Survey conducted on the sample is called
‘sample survey’
 Methods of sampling – probability and non
probability sampling
6. Data Collection
 Primary data
 Originally collected
 By observation
 Personal interviews
 Telephonic interviews
 Through Internet
 Questionnaires
 Schedules
 Secondary data
 Already available and compiled
7) Project Execution
 Systematic manner
 If data collected through structured
questionnaires, can be machine processed,
coded
 In time
 Accuracy to maintain
 Engineering project
 Corrective actions
 With the help of instruction manuals or direct
instructions
 With lack of alertness, results may be wrong
8) Analysis of Data
 Data coding, tabulation, drawing statistical
inferences. Critical examination of assembled
and grouped data
 Percentage coefficients.
 Regression analysis
 Error analysis
 Task requiring maximum skill
 Selection of tools of analysis
 Irrelevant analysis should be avoided
 Computer aided research analysis of great
help
9) Hypothesis testing
 Chi square test
 T-test
 F-test
 Accepting or rejecting hypothesis.
10) Generalization and interpretation
 Build a theory
 Using some theory – interpretation
 Further research is possible
 Hypothesis is tested and upheld several times
 Leads to generalization
 Real value of research is to arrive at
generalizations
 If research started with no hypothesis,
findings may be related to some existing
theory-Interpretation
11) Report preparation
 Layout of the report
 Preliminary pages
 Title
 Acknowledgements
 Table of contents
 List of tables
 List of graphs and charts, figs etc.
 Main text
 Introduction
 Summary of findings
 Main report
 Conclusion
 End part of report
 Appendices
 bibliography
Considerations (errors ?) in selecting
Research Problem
 Own interest
 Help from Guide
 Saturated topic should not be selected
 Controversial subject
 Vague problems
 Feasible research sources in all the fronts
 Techniques and ideas from literature
 Must discuss your topic of research with others
 Importance of the subject
 Cost involved
 Time required
 Preliminary study must be executed (new)
References
 1. ‘Research methodology: an introduction for science
& engineering students’,
by Stuart Melville and Wayne Goddard
 2. ‘Research Methodology: An Introduction’
by Wayne Goddard and Stuart Melville
 3. ‘Research Methodology: A Step by Step Guide for
Beginners’,
by Ranjit Kumar, 2 Edition
nd

 4. ‘Research Methodology: Methods and Trends’,

by Dr. C. R. Kothari
 5. ‘Operational Research’
by Dr. S.D. Sharma, Kedar Nath Ram Nath
& co.
 Thanks for Sustaining Patience !!!