CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND TRAINING COLLEGE (CRTC)

Samuel Kamanga. B, Soc.Sc. Dip Law.

Contact details: +265 991 916 291
Email Address: sammykay339@gmail.com

MODULE 1: RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

Introduction
Research generally refers to a systematic study of material and investigation in order to establish
facts and reach new conclusion. Research is the careful investigation or inquiry especially
through search for new facts in a branch of knowledge. In research you move from the known
things to the unknown. Research is an academic activity hence then term is used in technical
sense as it has to follow some procedure when carrying out the research. Hence, within such an
understanding, it is important to look at various types research, objectives of research,
philosophical underpinnings, research methodologies and Relationship between methodology
and method.

Objectives of research
 To gain familiarity with a phenomenon to achieve new insights
This type of research under is called exploratory or formative research
 To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or group
This type of research is known as descriptive research
 To determine the frequency of occurrence of particular thing
This type of research is called diagnostic research
 To test hypothesis
A statement that will predict the results of your research and an object of research that deals with
testing relationship between variables

Significance of Research
 Research inculcates scientific and inductive thinking and it promotes the development of
logical habits of thinking and organisations.

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  The role of research in several fields of applied economics, whether related to business or
to the economy as a whole, has greatly increased in modern times. The increasingly
complex nature of business and government has focused attention on the use of research
in solving operational problems. Research, as an aid to economic policy, has gained
added importance, both for government and business.
 Research provides the basis for nearly all government policies in our economic system.
For instance, government’s budgets rest in part on an analysis of the needs and desires of
the people and on the availability of revenues to meet these needs. The cost of needs has
to be equated to probable revenues and this is a field where research is most needed.
 Research is equally important for social scientists in studying social relationships and in
seeking answers to various social problems. It provides the intellectual satisfaction of
knowing a few things just for the sake of knowledge and also has practical utility for the
social scientist to know for the sake of being able to do something better or in a more
efficient manner

In addition to what has been stated above, the significance of research can also be understood
keeping in view the following points:
 To those students who are to write a master’s or Ph.D. thesis, research may mean a
careerism or a way to attain a high position in the social structure
 To professionals in research methodology, research may mean a source of livelihood
 To philosophers and thinkers, research may mean the outlet for new ideas and insights
 To literary men and women, research may mean the development of new styles and
creative work
 (To analysts and intellectuals, research may mean the generalizations of new theories.

Research Methods
Research methods may be understood as all those methods/techniques that are used
for conduction of research
Research methods are more general. It is the methods that generate techniques.
However, in practice, the two terms are taken as interchangeable and when we talk of research
methods we do, by implication, include research techniques within their compass. Research

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methods or techniques, thus, refer to the methods the researchers use in performing research
operations. In other words, all those methods which are used by the
researcher during the course of studying his research problem are termed as research methods.
Since the object of research, particularly the applied research, it to arrive at a solution for a given
problem, the available data and the unknown aspects of the problem have to be related to each
other to make a solution possible.

Research Methodology
Research methodology is a way to systematically solving 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.
Researchers also need to understand the assumptions underlying various techniques and they
need to know the criteria by which they can decide that certain techniques and procedures will be
applicable to certain problems and others will not. All this means that it is necessary for the
researcher to design his methodology for his problem as the same may differ from problem to
problem. For example, an architect, who designs a building, has to consciously evaluate the basis
of his decisions, i.e., he has to evaluate why and on what basis he selects particular size, number
and location of doors, windows and ventilators, uses particular materials and not others and the
like. Similarly, in research the scientist has to expose the research decisions to evaluation before
they are implemented.
From what has been stated above, we can say that research methodology has many dimensions
and research methods do constitute a part of the research methodology. The scope of research
methodology is wider than that of research methods. Thus, when we talk of research
methodology
we not only talk of the research methods but also consider the logic behind the methods we use
in the context of our research study and explain why we are using a particular method or
technique and why we are not using others so that research results are capable of being
evaluated either by the researcher himself or by others.

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Summary Conclusion
In a nutshell, it is imperative to understand the importance of research, types and its
methodologies. When one knows how research is done, then one may have the satisfaction of
acquiring a new intellectual tool which can become a way of looking at the world and of judging
every day experience. Accordingly, it enables us to make intelligent decisions concerning
problems facing us in practical life at different points of time. Thus, the knowledge of research
methodology provides tools to look at things in life objectively.

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