OVERVIEW OF PPT

 WHAT IS RESEARCH?
 OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH
 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
 METHODOLOGY AND METHODS/TECHNIQUE
 RESEARCH TOPIC SELECTION
 LIMITATION ENCOUNTERED IN RESEARCH
 MEANING OF RESEARCH
1. Research in common parlance refers to a search
for knowledge
2. A scientific and systematic search for pertinent
information on a specific topic.
3. An art of scientific investigation
4. Dictionary meaning “a careful investigation or
inquiry specially through search for new facts in
any branch of knowledge”
5. Redman and Mory define research as a
“systematized effort to gain new knowledge.”
6. Research as a movement, a movement from the
known to the unknown.
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; and at last carefully
testing the conclusions to determine whether
they fit the formulating hypothesis.
FINALLY

“The inquisitiveness is the mother of

all knowledge and the method,
which man employs for obtaining
the knowledge of whatever the
unknown, can be termed as
research.”
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH

 The purpose of research is to discover answers to

questions through the application of scientific
procedures. The main aim of research is to find
out the truth which is hidden and which has not
been discovered as yet. Though each research
study has its own specific purpose, we may think
of research objectives as falling into a number of
following broad groupings:
 1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new
insights into it (studies with this object in view are termed as
exploratory or formulative research studies.);
 2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular
individual, situation or a group (studies with this object in
view are known as descriptive research studies);
 3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs
or with which it is associated with something else (studies
with this object in view are known as diagnostic research
studies);
 4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between
variables (such studies are known as hypothesis-testing
research studies).
MOTIVATION IN RESEARCH
 The possible motives for doing research may be either
one or more of the following:
1. curiosity about new things,
2. desire to understand causal relationships
3. Desire to get a research degree along with its
consequential benefits;
4. Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved
problems, i.e., concern over practical
problems initiates research;
5. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative
work;
6. Desire to be of service to society;
7. Desire to get respectability.
SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH

 Thus, research is the fountain of knowledge

for the sake of knowledge and an important
source of providing guidelines for solving
different business, governmental and social
problems. It is a sort of formal training which
enables one to understand the new
developments in one’s field in a better way.
One expects scientific
research to satisfy the
following criteria:
 1. The purpose of the research should be
clearly defined and common concepts be
used.
 2. The research procedure used should be
described in sufficient detail to permit
another researcher to repeat the research for
further advancement, keeping the continuity
of what has already been attained.
 3. The procedural design of the research should be
carefully planned to yield results that are as
objective as possible.
 4. The researcher should report with complete
frankness, flaws in procedural design and estimate
their effects upon the findings.
 5. The analysis of data should be sufficiently
adequate to reveal its significance and the methods
of analysis used should be appropriate. The validity
and reliability of the data should be checked
carefully.
 6. Conclusions should be confined to those justified
by the data of the research and limited to those for
which the data provide an adequate basis.
a good research

 1. Good research is systematic:

 2. Good research is logical:
 3. Good research is empirical:
 4. Good research is replicable: This
characteristic allows research results to be
verified by replicating the study and thereby
building a sound basis for decisions.
Research Methods versus
Methodology
 Research methods may be understood as all
those methods/techniques that are used for
conduction of research.
Research methods or techniques thus, refer to
the methods the researchers use in performing
research operations.
Research methodology

 Research methodology is a way to systematically

solve the research problem. It may be
understood as a science of studying how
research is done scientifically. In it we study the
various steps that are generally adopted by a
researcher in studying his research problem
along with the logic behind them. It is necessary
for the researcher to know not only the research
methods/techniques but also the methodology.
 TYPES OF RESEARCH
 (i) Descriptive vs. Analytical: Descriptive research includes surveys and
fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive
research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. In
social science and business research we quite often use the term Ex post
facto research for descriptive research studies. The main characteristic of
this method is that the researcher has no control over the variables; he
can only report what has happened or what is happening. Most ex post
facto research projects are used for descriptive studies in which the
researcher seeks to measure such items as, for example, frequency of
shopping, preferences of people, or similar data. Ex post facto studies
also include attempts by researchers to discover causes even when they
cannot control the variables. The methods of research utilized in
descriptive research are survey methods of all kinds, including
comparative and correlational methods. In analytical research, on the
other hand, the researcher has to use facts or information already
available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.
 (ii) Applied vs. Fundamental: Research can either be applied
(or action) research or fundamental (to basic or pure)
research. Applied research aims at finding a solution for an
immediate problem facing a society or an industrial/business
organisation, whereas fundamental research is mainly
concerned with generalisations and with the formulation of a
theory. “Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake is
termed ‘pure’ or ‘basic’ research.”4 Research concerning
some natural phenomenon or relating to pure mathematics
are examples of fundamental research. Similarly, research
studies, concerning human behaviour carried on with a view
to make generalizations about human behavior, are also
examples of fundamental research, but research aimed at
certain conclusions (say, a solution) facing a concrete social
or business problem is an example of applied research.
 (iii) Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Quantitative
research is based on the measurement of quantity
or amount. It is applicable to phenomena that can
be expressed in terms of quantity. Qualitative
research, on the other hand, is concerned with
qualitative phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating
to or involving quality or kind. For instance, when
we are interested in investigating the reasons for
human behaviour (i.e., why people think or do
certain things), we quite often talk of ‘Motivation
Research’, an important type of qualitative
research.
 (iv) Conceptual vs. Empirical: Conceptual research is
that related to some abstract idea(s) or theory. It is
generally used by philosophers and thinkers to
develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing
ones. On the other hand, empirical research relies
on experience or observation alone, often without
due regard for system and theory. It is data-based
research, coming up with conclusions which are
capable of being verified by observation or
experiment.
 Importance of Knowing How
Research is Done
 1. Formulating the research problem:
 2. Extensive literature survey:
 3. Development of working hypotheses:
 4. Preparing the research design:
 5. Determining sample design:
 6. Collecting the data:
 7. Execution of the project:
 8. Analysis of data:
 9. Hypothesis-testing:
 10. Generalizations and interpretation:
 11. Preparation of the report or the thesis:
Thank You