RESEARC

H
TECHNIQUE AND
METHODOLOGY
Mohammed Ali Arshad Chowdhury Phd
Professor
Department of Accounting
University of Chittagong
Contact No. +88-01815664590
E-mail: arshad@cu.ac.bd
Whatsup: +88-01815664590
 Introductions

Research is a scientific and systematic search for pertinent

information on a specific topic. It also called as scientific
investigation. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English
lays down the meaning of research as “a careful investigation or
inquiry specially through search for new facts in any branch of
knowledge.” Therefore, research is a systematic process that includes
identifying a problem, developing a hypothesis, gathering and
analyzing data, and drawing conclusions that provide either solutions
to the problem or theoretical generalizations.
 Purpose

Depth of Scope

Type of Data Used

Degree of Manipulation of
Types of Research
Variables

Type of Inference

Time

Source
Types of Research

Purpose

Theoretical Research Applied Research

involves creating and a type of research that aims to

improving theories without solve practical problems and
doing practical experiments or improve real-world situations.
observations.
Types of Research

Depth of Scope

Correlational
Exploratory Research Descriptive Research Explanatory Research
Research

Investigates a Aims to describe Aims to explain the Examines the

problem or issue and understand the reasons behind a relationship
that is not well- characteristics of a phenomenon or between two or
defined specific group, how things work more variables to
situation, or see if they are
phenomenon related or
connected.
Types of Research

Type of Data Used

Quantitative Research Qualitative Research

Focuses on gathering and Focuses on understanding

analyzing numerical data to people's thoughts, feelings, and
understand patterns and experiences in depth.
relationships.
Types of Research

Degree of Manipulation of
Variables

Experimental Research Non-Experimental Research Quasi-Experimental Research

The researcher actively The researcher does not Examines the effects of an
manipulates one or more manipulate variables or intervention or treatment
variables to observe their conduct controlled without random assignment
effects on other variables. experiments. of participants to different
groups.
Types of Research

Type of Inference

Deductive Research Hypothetical-Deductive

Inductive Research
Research

The researcher actively Inductive research is a type Hypothetical-Deductive

manipulates one or more of research where specific research is a scientific
variables to observe their observations or data and use method where a researcher
effects on other variables. them to develop broader starts with a hypothesis and
theories or generalizations. then tests this hypothesis by
making specific predictions.
Types of Research

Time

Longitudinal Research Cross Sectional Research

Where the same group of A cross-sectional study is a

people is studied over a long type of research that looks at a
period of time. group of people at a single
point in time
Types of Research

Sources of Information

Primary Research Secondary Research

Primary research is when a Secondary research involves

researcher collect new, original using information that has
data directly from sources for already been collected and
the first time. published by other people.
 Problem Statements

A research problem statement is a clear, concise,

and specific statement that describes the issue or
problem that the research project addresses. It
should be written in a way that is easily
understandable to both experts and non-experts
in the field.
 Steps of Writing a Research
Problem Statement

Identify the general area of

1
interest

Define the specific problem 2

Explain the significance of the
3 problem
Provide a clear and concise
4
statement
Use a scientific and objective
5
tone
 Literature Review
The literature review is a summary of all the reviews
from various research literatures related to the current
study carried out by a researcher. It helps to discover
what is already known about the research problem and
what more has to be done. Therefore, a literature
reviews can be defined as the overview of the
previously published works on a specific topic.
 A good literature review must be
1
comprehensive.

2 It should include up to date references.

Characteristics of a Good It should be systematic, reproducible,

3
Literature Review free from bias, and well written.

It should be in the form of sum of its parts, and

4
clearly searched and selected.

Accurate references should be given in

5
the research.
 Types of Literature Review

Traditional Literature Systematic Literature

Meta Analysis Meta-Synthesis
Review Review
 Having a well-defined research topic and a
clear hypothesis

Ensuring transparency

Qualities of a Good Research

Using appropriate research methods

Assessing limitations and the possible impact of

systematic bias

Conducting accurate reporting

 Objectives of a Research

1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it;

2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation
or a group;
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it
is associated with something else;
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables.
 Hypothesis

Hypothesis may be defined as a proposition or a set of proposition set forth as

an explanation for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena either
asserted merely as a provisional conjecture to guide some investigation or
accepted as highly probable in the light of established facts.

For example, “Students who receive counselling will show a greater increase in
creativity than students not receiving counselling.”
 Characteristics of
Hypothesis

1. Hypothesis should be clear and precise. If the hypothesis is not clear and precise,
the inferences drawn on its basis cannot be taken as reliable.
2. Hypothesis should be capable of being tested. In a swamp of untestable hypotheses,
many a time the research programmes have bogged down. Some prior study may be
done by researcher in order to make hypothesis a testable one. A hypothesis “is
testable if other deductions can be made from it which, in turn, can be confirmed or
disproved by observation.”
3. Hypothesis should state relationship between variables, if it happens to be a
relational hypothesis.
4. Hypothesis should be limited in scope and must be specific. A researcher must
remember that narrower hypotheses are generally more testable and he should
develop such hypotheses.
 Characteristics of
Hypothesis
5. Hypothesis should be stated as far as possible in most simple terms so that the
same is easily understandable by all concerned. But one must remember that
simplicity of hypothesis has nothing to do with its significance.
6. Hypothesis should be consistent with most known facts i.e., it must be consistent
with a substantial body of established facts. In other words, it should be one which
judges accept as being the most likely.
7. Hypothesis should be amenable to testing within a reasonable time. One should
not use even an excellent hypothesis, if the same cannot be tested in reasonable
time for one cannot spend a life-time collecting data to test it.
8. Hypothesis must explain the facts that gave rise to the need for explanation. This
means that by using the hypothesis plus other known and accepted generalizations,
one should be able to deduce the original problem condition. Thus hypothesis
must actually explain what it claims to explain; it should have empirical reference.
 Testing of Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis and Type I and Type II Two Tailed and One
Level of Significance
Alternative Hypothesis Errors Tailed Test
 Making a formal statement

Selecting a significance level

Deciding the distribution to use

Procedure for Testing Selecting a random sample and computing

Hypothesis an appropriate value

Calculation of the probability

Comparing the probability

 Research Methodology

Research Design Sample Design Data Collection Data Analysis

Research design is a Sample design is the Data collection is the This section should
plan that guides how to plan used to select a systematic process of outline the general
collect and analyze group of individuals or gathering information statistical methods
data in a study. It items to be studied from various sources used in the study, but
outlines the steps and from a larger to use in research. the information
methods to be used to population. presented here should
answer the research not overlap with what
question. is presented in the
results section.
 Data Analysis

Data analysis is the process of examining, cleaning, and transforming

collected data to discover useful information, draw conclusions, and
support decision-making. It involves applying statistical or logical
techniques to identify patterns, relationships, and trends within the data.
 Findings

The results section should make up the bulk of the report and should
present, in some logical order, those findings of the project that bear
on the objectives. The results should be organized as a continuous
narrative, designed to be convincing but not to oversell the project.
Summary tables and charts should be used to aid the discussion.
 Report Writing

Report is the visible output of the research. The common outline for a
research report as follows:
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Background
a. Literature Review
b. Hypotheses
4. Research Methods
5. Results
6. Discussion
7. Conclusions
8. References
9. Appendices