Unit –One

Research Methodology
Meaning & Objectives:
 Research has become an integral part, not only of academic pursuits but of
all areas of human activity.
 Research is composed of two words i.e. "re" and "search" which means to
search again or to search for new facts;' or to modify older ones in any
branch of knowledge.
 According to Webster's International Dictionary research implies a careful
critical inquiry or examination in seeking facts or principles diligent
investigation in order to ascertain some thing.
 However, the obvious function of research is to add new knowledge to the
existing store.
 In simple words research can be defined as any scholarly investigation in
search for truths, for facts, or for certainties.

Need for Research

 The 20th century has witnessed a rapid growth in size and complexities of
human organisation.
 Industrial and economic activities in India, in the later half of the century
have achieved unprecedented dimensions.
 Thus taking account the magnitude of modern business in mind, mistake can
be tremendously costly and a single wrong decision can be tremendously
costly and a single wrong decision may take years of rectification.
 Human beings do not operate under controlled dimension, they are under
diverse influences such as environmental, psychological and social and these
influences intervene freely with each other and seldom operate in isolation.
 The complexity is further intensified by the uniqueness of each individual's
behaviour.
 Trial and error methods can no longer be appreciated and decisions has to be
accurate and timely and should be based on facts and relates.
 It is in this context that business decisions are now tremendously influenced
by research and research findings.

Objectives:
 The objectives of social research may broadly be classified into two parts viz.
academic objectives and secondly utilitarian objectives.

Academic Objectives:
 As of any other research, the academic purpose of research is the acquisition
of knowledge.
 An urge for knowledge was the basic ingredient of academic research even
when no material incentive was present in the past.
 Thus, the primary objective of the social research is to get true and intimate
knowledge of human society and its functioning's; to know and understand
the laws that are operating behind various social activities of men/human
beings.

Utilitarian Objectives:
 The other purpose of social research is utilitarian in nature.
 According to P.V.Young the primary goal of research, immediate or distant is
to understand social life and thereby gain a greater measure of control over
social behaviour.
 Human society suffers from a number of social evils like murders, suicides,
theft, robbery, quarrels, wars etc. It has not been conclusively proved that all

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 these evils or at least most of them have their resist once in the organisation
of human society and its working. They are not simply casual, and could be
dismissed as stray cases. A robber, a thief, a murder is not simply born. He is
created and as such if their grounds where these evils germinate and if they
could be destroyed the society would be cured of them and ever lasting
human happiness might be secured.
 Social researches have proved that no amount of remedial measures, patch
work or a make shift arrangements can cure the society of its evils. Inspite of
the jails, police and the punishment, the crimes have continued and would
continue unabated.
 There is a need for going into the root cause of these social evils and destroy
those grounds where the germs of crime are born and flourish. All this
requires a vehicle perfect understanding of human society and its various
activities. More and more social research is being directed for this purpose.
 One thing should be made clear at this stage. The utilitarian view should not
lead us to conclude that the purpose of social research is to find a remedy for
all social evils.
 Social research, on the other hand, is concerned with the pathological
problems only insofar and they throw light on the fundamental social process
on human behaviour and the development or dis-organisation of personality.
 Social research is not concerned with practical and immediate social planning
or social engineering nor with ameliorative or therapeutic measure, it is not
concerned with administrative charges and refinements, administrative
procedures nor with social reform.

Characteristics of Research
 Research provides an analytical framework for the subject matter of
investigation.

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 It establishes the relationship between different variables, especially between
the dependent variables and the independent variables.
 The cause effect relationship between different variables can also be
identified, leading to valuable observations, generate sections and
conclusions.
 Induction and deduction are also possible in a systematic research.
 Induction is the process of inferring a general law from particular instances.
 Deduction, on the other hand, is a way of making a particular inference from
a generalization.
 Research involves collection of data from primary and secondary sources and
expresses them in quantitative terms.
 The research should be objective and logical applying every possible test to
verify the data collected and the procedures employed.
 The purpose of research is to solve the main's problems. Researches, which
do not serve the mankind, are of no use.
 Research should never be treated a piece of competition work, Research is
always expected to be some thing original or a piece of work that advances
human knowledge.
 The main thing, the researcher should select is a field of operation that offers
possibilities of inquisition or quest.
 A researcher must be clear in his mind as to what he is looking for.
 The research investigations whose domain is not specified always remain
inconclusive.
 It is always useful to elect a smaller area of investigation and study it more
intensively, micro level analysis are more precisely researchable then macro-
level studies.
 Formulation of hypothesis is equally important for meaningful research
Hypothesis is an assertion that is sought to be proved or disproved. If there is
no hypothesis, what a researcher is to prove or disprove, remains a big
question.

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 Research must be based on facts, observable data form sound basis of
research, Inductive investigations land greater support to research findings.
 For analysing facts scientific methodology of analysis must be developed and
results interpreted logically.
Classification of Research
 There are two broad basis classifications of research in physical or natural
sciences.
 Research in social or human sciences.
 Physical sciences deal with things, which can be put to laboratory tests under
guided conditions. The researcher deals with physical phenomenon upon
which man has complete control.
 Researches in social sciences are based on human behaviour, which is
influenced by many factors such as physical, social, psychological, economic
etc. and can never be put on to laboratory tests.
Social Research
 Social research is a part of research, which studies human behaviour or a part
of society.
 The purpose of social research is to find an explanation for unexplained social
phenomena, to clarify doubts and correct the misconceived facts of social life.
 To have knowledge for the sake of knowledge is termed as pure research,
but gathering knowledge that could be used for the betterment of human
destiny is known as applied research. However, it is very difficult to draw a
demarcation between two types of research, as each is dependent on the
other.
Characteristics of Social Research:
Some of the Major characteristics are:
 Social research deals with social phenomena. It their studies the behaviour of
human beings as a member of a society and feelings, responses and attitudes
under different circumstances.

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 It must be objective Researchers should not take has own interest because
any personal bias vitiates the universality criterion of a scientific preposition.
 It is inter relationship between variables under study.
 It is of a dynamic nature, therefore, what was true of past might not be true
of present.
 It requires deep knowledge and minute investigation of the topic concerned.
 It tells us that social events are also governed by rules and regulation as
physical events.
Motivating factors of Social Research
 Curiosity about unknown.
 Curiosity is an intrinsic trait of human mind and a compelling drive in the
exploration of man's surroundings, It is a natural instinct in the making.
 Desire to understand the cause and effect relationship of social problems.
 People want not only the results of the events but also want to know how
they have happened. What was their cause and what was their effect.
 Appearance of new and unexpected situations- in the modern complex and
dynamic world a man is often faced with many acute and difficult problems.
It is the duty of the social scientist to find out their real cause and suggest
solution to such problems.
 Desire to discover new and test old scientific procedures.
 It concerns with the techniques or methods used in social research. Social
scientists have been busy in devising and developing new methods and
techniques in place of old ones for dealing with social problems. In order to
make the research results more definite and precise, the use of quantitative
or statistical methods is increasing day by day. In this connection, it is said
that social scientists are professional trouble makes, they must challenge old
beliefs, create new ones and then turn to challenge the new ones.
Importance of Social Research

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 Social research has a crucial role to play in guiding social planning. Adequate
social planning depends for its success on a systematic knowledge of the
social resources and liabilities of the people and their culture, of the
similarities and differences, of organisations and operative controls of their
needs, hopes and problems etc.
 Some knowledge is a particular kind of power, social research, by affording
first hand knowledge about an organisation and working of society and its
institutions, gives us a greater power of control over social phenomena. Thus,
social research has practical implications for formal and informal types of
leaderships, pattern of influence and reform in different phases of society.
 Knowledge is enlightenment. It depicts the thrust of outcome assumptions,
superstitions and stereo types. Social research is expected to at least afford a
more solid basis for people to hold whatever opinions they do.
 The significance of social research in developing countries which are
controlled with complex socio-economic problems is much more than the
developed countries. The planned growth under the developed economics
has opened up a large scope of research in social sciences.
 Research is charged with the responsibility of ascertaining some order among
fact. Thus, it affords a considerable sound basis for prediction. Despite the
admittedly low predictive potential of social research, social research has the
effect of initiating and guiding social growth on proper lines and towards the
charisher goals.
Limitations of Social Research
 Complexity of social data.
 Problems interpreting relationship between cause and effect.
 Problems of concepts.
 Dynamic nature of social phenomena.
 Problem of maintaining objectivity.
 Unpredictability.