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0 Chapter One: CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK OF RESEARCH

CONTENT

1.1 The Concept of Research

1.2 Characteristics of Research

1.3 Types of Research

1.4 Purpose of Research

1.1 The Concept of Research

To search is to find something while‘re’ means doing it again. Research literally means looking
for something over and over again. It was derived from the French word “recercier” which
means “to go about seeking”. It is the way in which we acquire dependable and useful
information about everyday life process. Research may be broadly described as any systematic
endeavors or striving towards the understanding, on perceiving certain complex situational
problem of more than immediate personal concern and stated in a problematic form. Travers
(1969) has described research as an activity directed towards the development of an organized
body of scientific knowledge about the events with which human 6 beings are concerned. The
goal is to discover general principles or interpretations of behaviour, to explain, predict and
control events in everyday life situations. Going further, Leedy (1997) defines research as the
systematic process of collecting and analyzing information (data) in order to increase our
understanding of the phenomenon with which we are concerned or interested.

Characteristics of Research Process

a) Research originates with a question or problem: Research starts with a curious mind
observing the world, sparking questions and inquiries. This curiosity initiates a chain
reaction that drives the research process.
b) Research requires a clear articulation of a goal: A clear and precise problem statement
is essential for intellectual honesty, outlining the research goals in a grammatically
complete sentence.
 c) Research requires a specific plan of procedure: Data necessary to solve the problem
should not be left to chance; a well-planned search-and-discover mission is required in
advance.
d) Research usually divides the principal problem into more manageable sub-
problems: A whole is made up of parts. This is a natural law universally accepted. So
when you think about your principal goal in research, try to observe this goal precept.
e) Research is guided by specific research questions, problems or hypothesis: These
guide you and direct you on what to do and how to do it in order to arrive at the solution
to the problem.
f) Research accepts certain critical assumptions: These must be self-evident truths. These
assumptions must be valid in order to make the research to proceed. You must let others
know what you assume with respect to your study.
g) Research requires the collection and interpretation of data: You need to collect
appropriate data, organize them in a meaningful way so that they can be analyzed and
interpreted.
h) Research is cyclical or helical: The process of research follows a cycle. It begins simply
and follows logical developmental steps.

The definition of Best and kalin (1995) gives a more comprehensive and operational definition of
research as the systematic and objective analysis and recording of controlled observations that
may lead to the development of generalizations, principles or theories, resulting in prediction and
possibly ultimate control of events. From this definition, the following characteristics can be
derived; That

i. Research emphasizes the development of generalizations, principles or theories that

will be helpful in predicting future occurrences.
ii. Research is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence.
iii. Research demands accurate observation and description.
iv. Research involves gathering new data from primary or firsthand sources or using
existing data for a new purpose.
v. Research is often characterized by carefully designed procedures that apply rigorous
analysis.
 vi. Research requires expertise.
vii. Research strives to be objective and logical, applying every possible test to validate
the procedures employed, the data collected and the conclusions reached.
viii. Research involves the quest for answers to unresolved problems.
ix. Research is characterized by patient and unhurried activity.
x. Research is carefully recorded and reported.
xi. Research requires courage sometimes.

1.2 Major Characteristics of Research

The major characteristics of any research are; Objectivity, precision, design and verifiability.

1.2.1 Objectivity: In an ideal situation, a research is beyond the subjective bias of the researcher.
As a researcher, you have to make deliberate efforts to eliminate all personal preferences. You
should resist the temptation to seek only such data which support your hypotheses or your line of
taught. In a scientific research, emphasis is on testing the hypothesis not to prove it. You have to
willingly suspend your personal judgment in order to allow the data and logic to lead
independently to a sound conclusion. If you want to achieve objectivity in your investigation,
you have to use standardized research instruments, choose appropriate research design and
analytical tools and also ensure the dependability of data.

1.2.2 Precision: When you conduct a good research and write the report but your readers do not
understand what you have done, you may have succeeded in wasting your time and efforts.
Every research should use a technical language in order to convey the exact meaning to the
readers. Such research languages include validity, reliability, random sampling variables etc. The
most precise expression in quantitative research is the mathematical equation or statistical
finding which explains or represents the truth. But in qualitative research, precision is achieved
through words rather than numbers. So you have to use a very precise language to describe your
study accurately. This is done so that the study can be replicated or the results correctly used.

1.2.3 Design: If you want to have a good research, you must have a very good and systematic
design. This implies that every scientific inquiry will generally undergo such steps as: -
Definition of the problem Statement of the hypothesis Collection and analysis of data Testing
and confirmation or rejection of hypothesis. Reporting of the results. Any research, which has no
orderly design, cannot be replicated for verification.

1.2.4 Verifiability: When you conduct a research, you write your report. This presents the
research design and the findings to the professional community. From this point other researchers
and scholars will study 10 the report, analyze it in order to confirm or reject the outcomes. This
tells you that research is a social enterprise. Its information is open for public scrutiny.
Verification is related to objectivity and precision. It is only through further investigation or
replication of the study can the results of any study be confirmed, revised or rejected. It is also
through this process that a body of new knowledge is developed and new questions identified.

Verifiability can be achieved through two different approaches.

a) Analyzing the same data on the same sample through alternative analytical tools or
statistical methods.
b) Replicating the study on a different sample.

1.3. TYPES OF RESEARCH

esearch in general can be classified in many different ways. However, If we want to classify
research based on its goal or objective, then we think of two major types. These are fundamental
or basic research and applied research.

1.3.1. Fundamental Research: The main purpose of these types of research is to obtain
empirical data which can be used to formulate, expand or evaluate a theory. It is not actually
directed in design or purpose towards the solution of practical problems. The main aim is to
expand the frontiers of knowledge without the intention of having practical applications.
However, the results may be applied eventually to practical problems that have social values. The
primary concern of basic research is to create knowledge solely for the sake of knowledge.

1.3.2. Applied Research: Unlike basic research, this type is directed towards the solution to an
immediate, specific and practical problem. It is the type of research which you can conduct in
relation to actual problems and under the conditions in which they are found in practice. You can
use the applied research to solve problems at the appropriate level of complexity. Take for
instance in the area of business management, or administration or even your own area of
specialization, you can depend on basic research for discovering the more general laws of
management or administration, but you have to employ applied research to determine how these
laws operate in the real situation if scientific changes are to be affected in our lives, this approach
will continue to be very essential.

According to methodology, Creswell (1994) classified research into two broad areas. These are
quantitative and qualitative approaches.

1.3.3. Quantitative and Qualitative Research:

Quantitative Research: According to Leedy (1995) Quantitative research is an inquiry into a

social or human problem, based on testing a theory composed of variables measured with
numbers or figures and analyzed with statistical procedures in order to determine whether the
predictive generalizations of the theory hold true. Quantitative research is sometimes referred to
as the traditional, the positivist, the experimental or the empiricist approach, is typically used to
answer questions about the relationships among measured variables with the purpose of
explaining, predicting and controlling phenomena.

Qualitative research: Leedy also posits that it is an enquiry process of understanding a social or
human problem, based on building a complex, holistic picture formed with words reporting
detailed views of information, and conducted in a natural setting. The qualitative research is used
to an answer questions about the nature of phenomena with the purpose of describing and
understanding the phenomena from the participant’s points of view. It is sometimes referred to as
the interpretative, the naturalistic, the constructivist or the postpositive approach.

3.3.4. Other Categorizations: These are other classifications of research based mainly on their
specific method and goals. The different types of research are:-

Action research: - A type of applied research that focuses on finding a solution to local problem
in a local setting.

Case and field study research: - A type of qualitative research in which data are gathered
directly from individual or social or community groups in their natural environment for the
purpose of studying interactions, attitudes or characteristics of individuals or groups.
Correlational research: - A statistical investigation of the relationship between one factor and
one or more other factors. It looks at the surface relationship but does not necessarily probe for
casual reasons underlying them

Descriptive or Normative Survey: - A survey method used to describe the incidence, frequency
and distribution of certain characteristics of a population.

Ethnography: - A type of qualitative inquiry that involves an in-depth study of an intact cultural
group in a natural setting.

Ex-post facto or Evaluation research: - A type of research which observes existing causal
comparative searches back research and through the data for plausible causal factors.

Grounded theory research: - A type of qualitative research studies that aim at deriving theory
through the use of multiple stages of data collection and interpretation.

Historical research: - A type of research that attempts to solve certain problems arising out of
historical context through gathering and examining of relevant data.

Phenomenological research: - A type of qualitative research method that attempts to understand

participants‟ perspectives and views of social realities.

Quasi-experimental research: - An experimental research that is not based on randomization

and control. True-experimental research: - An experimental study based a random assignment of
subjects to groups and the administration of possibly different treatments followed by
observations or measurements to assess the effect of the treatments. (Leedy. 1995)

1.4. PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

1.4.1 Training in Research: By going through this course, you are subjecting yourself to be
trained on how to conduct researches. Training takes different shapes. It depends on whether the
project you are undertaking is for the award of degree of Bachelors, Masters or Doctoral in
research methodology. Many of you who are taking this course or taking any Bachelors degree
programme are not trained on how to conduct research. You may have been working in
educational institutions or even outside the educational system, you may be working as a
business consultant, a producer, a marketer, an advertiser, a tourism guide or an hotelier, you
need to have this training. If you want to conduct a research project in a scientific 14 manner,
you need training in research methods. This course is meant to provide you with the theoretical
background for year project. It will help you to make the right choice of research designs, tools
and techniques for your research. Therefore, training in research methodology is an integral
purpose of research in this programme. But if you have had any training already in research, this
course can still help to refine your skills.

1.4.2 Problem solving: This involves diagnosing and solving the problems in the system. You
know your own system, banking and finance, tourism, Business management, hotel management
among others. While we talk of problem solving, it is necessary you develop a more
comprehensive view of it. It means a realistic understanding of a situation on the basis of data
and statistics.

1.4.3 Search for Truth: This is the biggest challenge in research. A research in search of truth is
most of the times classified as pure research. It is the ability to generalize and create knowledge.
Such generalizations are derived from occurrences in repeated instances. Generalizations are
drawn primarily on two bases. These are repeated observations in various possible situations and
applications of statistical designs where the variables are statistically controlled. 15
Generalizations are drawn through tests of significance, level of confidence and such others
types of analyses. Have you heard about statements like significant at 0.05 or 0.01 levels? These
are typical research statements, which basically promise that such and such instance, will happen
in 95% or 99% of the cases, and to that extent the phenomenon is generalizable.

Assignment.

How can you define research in your own words?

Explain the characteristics of research

Describe the purposes of research