Research Method
Research Method
LUCKNOW
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Acknowledgement 3
2. Introduction 4
3. Meaning of Fundamentals 5
10. Conclusion 15
11. References 16
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am using this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who supported me
throughout the course of this assignment. I am thankful for their aspiring guidance,
invaluably constructive criticism and friendly advice during the project work. I am sincerely
grateful to them for sharing their truthful and illuminating views on a number of issues
related to the topic.
I express my warm thanks to Dr. TAPAN CHANDOLA for his support and guidance.
Through this assignment I got to know more about this sensitive topic.
In the end, I would like to thank my family and friends who helped me in compiling my
work, thus giving it more meaning.
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INTRODUCTION
Research refers to a search for knowledge. Research is an art of 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”. Redman and Mory define
research as a,” Systematized effort to gain new knowledge”. Some people
consider 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; to determine whether they fit the
formulating hypothesis. According to a famous Hudson Maxim, “All progress is born
of inquiry. Doubt is often better than overconfidence, for it leads to inquiry, and
inquiry leads to invention”. It brings out the significance of research, increased
amount of which makes the progress possible.
The Research Process is a process of multiple scientific steps in conducting the
research work. Each step is interlinked with other steps. The process starts with the
research problem at first. Then it advances in the next steps sequentially. Generally, a
researcher conducts research work within seven steps. In research work, primarily,
you require a Research Proposal. It is because the proposal approves the research
project whether you achieve the ability to conduct research or not. So when you write
a research proposal, present the detailed plans and specific objectives of your research
correctly.
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2. OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it. (exploratory or
formulative research studies)
2. To describe accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a
group. (descriptive research)
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated
with something else. (studies with this object known as diagnostic research)
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables. (such studies are known
as hypothesis testing research}
3. TYPES OF RESEARCH
There are different types of research. The basic ones are as follows.
1. Descriptive Versus Analytical
Descriptive research consists of surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different types.
The main objective of descriptive research is describing the state of affairs as it prevails at
the time of study. The term ‘ex post facto research’ is quite often used for descriptive
research studies in social sciences and business research. The most distinguishing feature of
this method is that the researcher has no control over the variables here. He/she has to only
report what is happening or what has happened. Majority of the ex post facto research
projects are used for descriptive studies in which the researcher attempts to examine
phenomena, such as the consumers’ preferences, frequency of purchases, shopping,
etc. Despite the inability of the researchers to control the variables, ex post facto studies
may also comprise attempts by them to discover the causes of the selected problem. The
methods of research adopted in conducting descriptive research are survey methods of
all kinds, including correlational and comparative methods. Meanwhile in the Analytical
research, the researcher has to use the already available facts or information, and analyse
them to make a critical evaluation of the subject.
2. Applied Versus Fundamental
Research can also be applied or fundamental in nature. An attempt to find a solution to an
immediate problem encountered by a firm, an industry, a business organisation, or the
society is known as applied research. Researchers engaged in such researches aim at
drawing certain conclusions confronting a concrete social or business problem. On the
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other hand, fundamental research mainly concerns generalizations and formulation of a
theory. In other words, “Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake is termed ‘pure’
or ‘basic’ research” (Young in Kothari, 1988). Researches relating to pure mathematics
or concerning some natural phenomenon are instances of Fundamental Research.
Likewise, studies focusing on human behaviour also fall under the category of
fundamental research. Thus, while the principal objective of applied research is to find a
solution to some pressing practical problem, the objective of basic research is to find
information with a broad base of application and add to the already existing organized body
of scientific knowledge
3. Quantitative Versus Qualitative
Quantitative research relates to aspects that can be quantified or can be expressed in
terms of quantity. It involves the measurement of quantity or amount. Various
available statistical and econometric methods are adopted for analysis in such
research. Which includes correlation, regressions and time series analysis etc,. On the
other hand, Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomena, or more
specifically, the aspects related to or involving quality or kind. For example, an important
type of qualitative research is ‘Motivation Research’, which investigates into the reasons for
certain human behaviour. The main aim of this type of research is discovering the
underlying motives and desires of human beings by using 7 in-depth interviews. The other
techniques employed in such research are story completion tests, sentence completion
tests, word association tests, and other similar projective methods. Qualitative research
is particularly significant in the context of behavioural sciences, which aim at
discovering the underlying motives of human behaviour. Such research helps to analyse
the various factors that motivate human beings to behave in a certain manner, besides
contributing to an understanding of what makes individuals like or dislike a particular
thing. However, it is worth noting that conducting qualitative research in practice is
considerably a difficult task. Hence, while undertaking such research, seeking guidance
from experienced expert researchers is important.
4. Conceptual Versus Empirical
The research related to some abstract idea or theory is known as Conceptual
Research. Generally, philosophers and thinkers use it for developing new concepts or for
reinterpreting the existing ones. Empirical Research, on the other hand, exclusively relies on
the observation or experience with hardly any regard for theory and system. Such
research is data based, which often comes up with conclusions that can be verified
through experiments or observation. Empirical research is also known as experimental
type of research, in which it is important to first collect the facts and their sources, and
actively take steps to stimulate the production of desired information. In this type of
research, the researcher first formulates a working hypothesis, and then gathers
sufficient facts to prove or disprove the stated hypothesis. He/she formulates the
experimental design, which according to him/her would manipulate the variables, so as to
obtain the desired information. This type of research is thus characterized by the
researcher’s control over the variables under study. In simple term, empirical research is
most appropriate when an attempt is made to prove that certain variables influence the
other variables in some way. Therefore, the results obtained by using the experimental or
empirical studies are considered to be the most powerful evidences for a given hypothesis.
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4. STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Research process consists of series of actions or steps necessary to effectively carry out
research
and the desired sequencing of these steps. The chart shown in Figure well illustrates a research
process. The chart indicates that the research process consists of a number of closely related
activities.
The first step in the process is to identify a problem or develop a research question. The research
problem may be something the agency identifies as a problem, some knowledge or information
that is needed by the agency or the desire to identify a recreation trend nationally. However, the
research problem comes up with the ongoing phenomenon or issues. Formulate Your Question :
t or thesis.
Once the research problem is identified and defined, the next step is to review the existing
research. The researcher must learn more about the topic under investigation. To do this, the
researcher must review the literature related to the research problem. This step provides
foundational knowledge about the problem area. The review of literature also educates the
researcher about what studies have been conducted in the past, how these studies were
conducted, and the conclusions in the problem area.
In the obesity study, the review of literature enables the programmer to discover horrifying
statistics related to the long-term effects of childhood obesity in terms of health issues, death
rates, and projected medical costs. In addition, the programmer finds several articles and
information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that describe the benefits of
walking 10,000 steps a day.
The information discovered during this step helps the programmer fully understand the
magnitude of the problem, recognize the future consequences of obesity, and identify a strategy
to combat obesity (i.e., walking).
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Step 3. Formulating a HYPOTHESIS
Characteristics Of Hypothesis
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
Testing a hypothesis refers to verifying whether the hypothesis is valid or not. Hypothesis testing
attempts to check whether to accept or not to accept the null hypothesis. The procedure of
hypothesis testing includes all the steps that a researcher undertakes for making a choice between
the two alternative actions of rejecting or accepting a null hypothesis. The various steps involved
in hypothesis testing are as follows:
1. Making a Formal Statement: This step involves making a formal statement of the null
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hypothesis (H0) and the alternative hypothesis (Ha). This implies that the hypotheses should be
clearly stated within the purview of the research problem. For example, suppose a school teacher
wants to test the understanding capacity of the students which must be rated more than 90 per
cent in terms of marks, the hypotheses may be stated as follows: Null Hypothesis H0 : = 100
Alternative Hypothesis H1 : > 100
3. Deciding The Distribution To Use: After making decision on the level of significance for
hypothesis testing, the researcher has to next determine the appropriate sampling distribution.
The choice to be made generally relates to normal distribution and the t-distribution. The rules
governing the selection of the correct distribution are similar to the ones already discussed with
respect to estimation.
5. Calculation Of The Probability: The next step for the researcher is to calculate the
probability that the sample result would diverge as far as it can from expectations, under the
situation when the null hypothesis is actually true.
6. Comparing The Probability: Another step involved consists of making a comparison of the
probability calculated with the specified value of α, i.e. The significance level. If the calculated
probability works out to be equal to or smaller than the α value in case of one-tailed test, then the
null hypothesis is to be rejected. On the other hand, if the calculated probability is greater, then
the null hypothesis is to be accepted. In case the null hypothesis H0 is rejected, the researcher
runs the risk of committing the Type I error. But, if the null hypothesis H0 is accepted, then it
involves some risk (which cannot be specified in size as long as H0 is vague and not specific) of
committing the Type II error.
There are different types of research designs. They may be broadly categorized as:
Exploratory Research Design;
Descriptive and Diagnostic Research Design; and
Hypothesis-Testing Research Design.
The Exploratory Research Design is known as formulative research design. The main objective
of using such a research design is to formulate a research problem for an in-depth or more
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precise investigation, or for developing a working hypothesis from an operational aspect. The
major purpose of such studies is the discovery of ideas and insights. Therefore, such a research
design suitable for such a study should be flexible enough to provide opportunity for considering
different dimensions of the problem under study. The in-built flexibility in research design is
required as the initial research problem would be transformed into a more precise one in the
exploratory study, which in turn may necessitate changes in the research procedure for collecting
relevant data.
Usually, the following three methods are considered in the context of a research design for such
studies. They are
(a) a survey of related literature;
(b) experience survey; and
(c) analysis of ‘insight-stimulating’ instances.
Hypothesis-Testing Research Designs are those in which the researcher tests the hypothesis of
causal relationship between two or more variables. These studies require procedures that would
not only decrease bias and enhance reliability, but also facilitate deriving inferences about the
causality. Generally, experiments satisfy such requirements. Hence, when research design is
discussed in such studies, it often refers to the design of experiments.
A good research design often possesses the qualities of being flexible, suitable, efficient, economical
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and so on. Generally, a research design which minimizes bias and maximizes the reliability of the
data collected and analysed is considered a good design (Kothari 1988). A research design which
does not allow even the smallest experimental error is said to be the best design for investigation.
Further, a research design that yields maximum information and provides an opportunity of viewing
the various dimensions of a research problem is considered to be the most appropriate and efficient
design. Thus, the question of a good design relates to the purpose or objective and nature of the
research problem studied. While a research design may be good, it may not be equally suitable to all
studies. In other words, it may be lacking in one aspect or the other in the case of some other
research
problems. Therefore, no single research design can be applied to all types of research problems. A
research design suitable for a specific research problem would usually involve the following
considerations:
ii. The skills and availability of the researcher and his/her staff, if any;
iii. The objectives of the research problem being studied;
iv. The nature of the research problem being studied; and
v. The available monetary support and duration of time for the research work.
1. The Principle Of Replication: According to this principle, the experiment should be repeated
more than once. Thus, each treatment is applied in many experimental units instead of one. This
way the statistical accuracy of the experiments is increased. For example, suppose we are going
to examine the effect of two varieties of wheat. Accordingly, we divide the field into two parts
and grow one variety in one part and the other variety in the other. Then we compare the yield of
the two parts and draw conclusion on that basis. But if we are to apply the principle of
replication to this experiment, then we first divide the field into several parts, grow one variety in
half of these parts and the other variety in the remaining parts. Then we collect the data of yield
of the two varieties and draw conclusion by comparing the same. The result so obtained will be
more reliable in comparison to the conclusion we draw without applying the principle of
replication. The entire experiment can be repeated several times for better results.
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3. The Principle Of Local Control: This is another important principle of experimental designs.
Under this principle, the extraneous factor which is the known source of variability is made to
vary deliberately over as wide a range as necessary. This needs to be done in such a way that the
variability it causes can be measured and hence eliminated from the experimental error. The
experiment should be planned in such a way that the researcher can perform a two-way analysis
of variance, in which the total variability of the data is divided into three components attributed
to treatments (varieties of wheat in this case), the extraneous factor (soil fertility in this case) and
experimental error. In short, through the principle of local control we can eliminate the
variability due to extraneous factors from the experimental error.
The information collected through this method is normally more accurate because interviewer
can clear doubts of the informants about certain questions and thus obtain correct information. In
case the interviewer apprehends that the informant is not giving accurate information, he may
cross-examine him and thereby try to obtain the information.
SAMPLING DESIGN
A researcher should take into consideration the following aspects while developing a sample
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design:
1. Type Of Universe: The first step involved in developing sample design is to clearly define the
number of cases, technically known as the universe. A universe may be finite or infinite. In a
finite universe the number of items is certain, whereas in the case of an infinite universe the
number of items is infinite (i.e., there is no idea about the total number of items). For example,
while the population of a city or the number of workers in a factory comprise finite universes, the
number of stars in the sky, or throwing of a dice represent infinite universe.
2. Sampling Unit: Prior to selecting a sample, decision has to be made about the sampling unit.
A sampling unit may be a geographical area like a state, district, village, etc., or a social unit like
a family, religious community, school, etc., or it may also be an individual. At times, the
researcher would have to choose one or more of such units for his/her study.
3. Source List: Source list is also known as the ‘sampling frame’, from which the sample is to be
selected. The source list consists of names of all the items of a universe. The researcher has to
prepare a source list when it is not available. The source list must be reliable, comprehensive,
correct, and appropriate. It is important that the source list should be as representative of the
population as possible.
4. Size Of Sample: Size of the sample refers to the number of items to be chosen from the universe
to form a sample. For a researcher, this constitutes a major problem. The size of sample must be
optimum. An optimum sample may be defined as the one that satisfies the requirements of
representativeness, flexibility, efficiency, and reliability. While deciding the size of sample, a
researcher should determine the desired precision and the acceptable confidence level for
the
estimate. The size of the population variance should be considered, because in the case of a larger
variance generally a larger sample is required. The size of the population should be considered as it
also limits the sample size. The parameters of interest in a research study should also be considered,
while deciding the sample size. Besides, costs or budgetary constraint also plays a crucial role in
deciding the sample size [1].
(a) Parameters Of Interest: The specific population parameters of interest should also be
considered while determining the sample design. For example, the researcher may want to make an
estimate of the proportion of persons with certain characteristic in the population, or may
be
interested in knowing some average regarding the population. The population may also consist of
important sub-groups about whom the researcher would like to make estimates. All such factors
have
strong impact on the sample design the researcher selects.
(b) Budgetary Constraint: From the practical point of view, cost considerations exercise a major
influence on the decisions related to not only the sample size, but also on the type of sample
selected.
Thus, budgetary constraint could also lead to the adoption of a non-probability sample design.
(c) Sampling Procedure: Finally, the researcher should decide the type of sample or the technique
to be adopted for selecting the items for a sample. This technique or procedure itself may represent
the sample design. There are different sample designs from which a researcher should select one for
his/her study. It is clear that the researcher should select that design which, for a given sample size
and budget constraint, involves a smaller error.
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Types Of Sample Designs
Sample designs may be classified into different categories based on two factors, namely, the
representation basis and the element selection technique. Under the representation basis, the
sample may be classified as:
I. Non-probability sampling
II. Probability sampling While probability sampling is based on random selection, the
nonprobability sampling is based on ‘non-random’ selection of samples.
I. Non-Probability Sampling: Non-probability sampling is the sampling procedure that does not
afford any basis for estimating the probability that each item in the population would have an
equal chance of being included in the sample. Non-probability sampling is also known as
deliberate sampling, judgment sampling and purposive sampling. Under this type of sampling,
the items for the sample are deliberately chosen by the researcher; and his/her choice concerning
the choice of items remains supreme. In other words, under non-probability sampling the
researchers select a particular unit of the universe for forming a sample on the basis that the
small number that is thus selected out of a huge one would be typical or representative of the
whole population. For example, to study the economic conditions of people living in a state, a
few towns or village may be purposively selected for an intensive study based on the principle
that they are representative of the entire state. In such a case, the judgment of the researcher of
the study assumes prime importance in this sampling design. Quota Sampling: Quota sampling is
also an example of non-probability sampling. Under this sampling, the researchers simply
assume quotas to be filled from different strata, with certain restrictions imposed on how they
should be selected. This type of sampling is very convenient and is relatively less expensive.
However, the samples selected using this method certainly do not satisfy the characteristics of
random samples. They are essentially judgment samples and inferences drawn based on that,
would not be amenable to statistical treatment in a formal way [3].
II. Probability Sampling: Probability sampling is also known as ‘choice sampling’ or ‘random
sampling’. Under this sampling design, every item of the universe has an equal chance of being
included in the sample. In a way, it is a lottery method under which individual units are selected
from the whole group, not deliberately, but by using some mechanical process. Therefore, only
chance would determine whether an item or the other would be included in the sample or not.
The results obtained from probability or random sampling would be assured in terms of
probability. That is, the researcher can measure the errors of estimation or the significance of
results obtained from the random sample. This is the superiority of random sampling design over
the deliberate sampling design. Random sampling satisfies the law of statistical regularity,
according to which if on an average the sample chosen is random, then it would have the same
composition and characteristics of the universe. This is the reason why the random sampling
method is considered the best technique of choosing a representative sample.
While the research design is decided, then the researcher collects data, records information.
The researcher proceeds with the research. Practical difficulties may arise in this stage. For
example, the research method may not suit properly. The interviewer might be unwilling to let
carry out the research as planned. Moreover, a false interpretation could potentially bias the
result of the study. So, when you collect data, you need to know the effective techniques of data
collection in order to gather necessary and relevant information with regard to research [2].
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Step 7: Preparing Research Results
Now work out the implications of the data you gathered. Your challenges are not over yet.
Rather problems might just begin! It is hardly easy to clear out the implications of the gathered
materials. While it is possible to clarify the research questions, some investigations are less
conclusive. So, interpret your research results in order to report the findings.
No matter what kind of research you are doing, there comes a moment when your head is full of
ideas that originated from your analysis. Ideally, you’ll write them down as they come to you.
Now you need to convert the mass of those elements and ideas into a written text that makes
sense to the reader and can do justice to your quest.
The final step of the research proc*****ess outline is to report the research findings. Describe the
significance of the research study. Work out how do they relate to the previous research findings.
Usually, the research report published as a journal article or book. This is the last stage in terms
of the individual research project. Mostly, a research report discusses questions that remained
unanswered & suggest further research in the future in general.
This also signifies how do you write your research paper. You must write your research findings
in a proper way. So, I do suggest going through Research Report Writing Steps with Format.
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REFERENCES
1. www.google.com
2. www.shodhganga.com
3. www.gktoday.com
4. www.legalservicesindia.com
5. www.quora.com
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