By Mekonnen K.
Research Methods
Chapter I: Introduction to Research Methods
Meaning of Research
Research in common refers to a search for knowledge.
It is a scientific and systematic search for pertinent
information on a specific topic.
It is an art of scientific investigation.
It is a careful investigation or inquiry specially through
search for new facts in any branch of knowledge”.
It is A systematized effort to gain new knowledge .
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Meaning of Research
Some people consider it as a movement from the known
to the unknown.
It is actually a voyage of discovery.
Research is an academic activity and as such the term
should be used in a technical sense.
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The meaning of Research
Research’ refers to the systematic method consisting of
enunciating the problem, formulating a hypothesis, collecting
the facts or data, analyzing the facts and reaching certain
conclusions either in the form of solutions(s) towards the
concerned problem or in certain generalizations for some
theoretical formulation.
The systematic approach concerning generalization and the
formulation of a theory is also research.
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Objectives of Research
The purpose of research is to discover answers to
questions through the application of scientific
procedures.
The main aim of research is to find out the truth which
is hidden and which has not been discovered as yet.
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Motivation in Research
What makes people to undertake research?
This is a question of fundamental importance.
The possible motives for doing research may be either one or
more of the following:
✓ Desire to get a research degree;
✓ Desire to face the challenge in solving the problems;
✓ Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some work;
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Motivation in Research
✓ Desire to be of service to society;
✓ Desire to get respectability;
✓ Directives of government;
✓ Employment conditions;
✓ Curiosity about new things;
✓ Desire to understand casual relationships, social thinking and
awakening;
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Types of Research
The basic types of research are as follows:
➢Descriptive vs. Analytical
➢Applied vs. Fundamental
➢Quantitative vs. Qualitative
➢Conceptual vs. Empirical
➢Others
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Types of Research
Descriptive Vs. Analytical research
Descriptive research includes surveys and fact finding
enquiries of different kinds.
Its major purpose is a description of the state of affairs as
it exists at present.
In this research type the researcher has no control over
the variables(Ex post facto).
E.g.: Frequency of shopping, preferences of
people, or similar data
The survey methods of all kinds, including
comparative and correlational methods are utilized in this
type.
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Types of Research
➢ In Analytical research type, the researcher
has to use facts or information already available,
and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of
the material.
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Types of Research
Research can either be:
❖ Applied (or action)research or
❖ Fundamental (to basic or pure) research.
Applied research aims at finding a solution for an
immediate problem facing a society or an industry, whereas
fundamental research is mainly concerned with
generalizations and with the formulation of a theory.
“Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake” is termed ‘pure’ or
‘basic’ research.
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Types of Research
Research concerning some natural phenomenon or relating to
pure mathematics are examples of fundamental research.
Research studies concerning human behavior carried on with a
view to make generalizations about human behavior, are also
examples of fundamental research.
Research aimed at certain conclusions (say, a solution) facing a
concrete social or business problem is an example of applied
research.
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Types of Research
Research to identify social, economic or political trends
that may affect a particular institution or the marketing
research or evaluation research are examples of applied
research.
The central aim of applied research is to discover a
solution for some pressing practical problem, whereas
basic research is directed towards finding information
that has a broad base of applications and thus, adds to the
already existing organized body of scientific knowledge.
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Types of Research
Quantitative vs. Qualitative:
Quantitative research is based on the measurement of quantity.
It is applicable to phenomena that be expressed in quantity.
Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomenon, i.e.,
phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind.
For instance, when we are interested in investigating the reasons for human
behavior (i.e., why people think or do certain things), we quite often talk of
‘Motivation Research’, an important type of qualitative research.
This type of research aims at discovering the underlying motives and
desires, using in depth interviews for the purpose.
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Types of Research
Attitude or opinion research i.e., research designed to find out
how people feel or what they think about a particular subject or
institution is also qualitative research.
Qualitative research is especially important in discovering the motives
of human behavior; through such research we can analyze the various
factors which motivate people to behave in a particular manner or
people like or dislike a particular thing.
It may be stated, however, that to apply qualitative research in practice
is relatively a difficult job and therefore, while doing such research, one
should seek guidance from experimental psychologists.
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Types of Research
* Conceptual vs. Empirical:
Conceptual research is that related to some abstract
idea(s) or theory.
It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers to
develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.
On the other hand, empirical research relies on
experience or observation alone, often without due
regard for system and theory.
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Types of Research
It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions
which are capable of being verified by observation or
experiment; thus we can also call it as experimental type
of research.
In such a research, it is necessary to get at facts firsthand,
at their source, and actively to go about doing certain
things to stimulate the production of desired information.
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Types of Research
Some Other Types of Research:
All other types of research are variations of one or more of
the above stated approaches, based on either the purpose of
research, or the time required to accomplish research, on
the environment in which research is done, or on the basis
of some other similar factor.
From the point of view of time, we can think of research
either as one-time research or longitudinal research.
In one-time research case, research is confined to a single
time-period, whereas in the longitudinal case, the research
is carried on over several time-periods.
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Types of Research
Research can be field setting research or laboratory research
or simulation research, depending upon the environment in which
it is to be carried out.
Research can as well be understood as clinical or diagnostic
research; such research follow case-study methods or in-depth
approaches to reach the basic causal relations.
The research may be exploratory or it may be formalized.
The objective of exploratory research is the development of
hypotheses rather than their testing, whereas formalized
research studies are those with substantial structure and with
specific hypotheses to be tested.
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Types of Research
Historical research is that which utilizes historical sources like
documents, remains, etc. to study events or ideas of the past,
including the philosophy of persons and groups at any remote
point of time.
Research an also be classified as conclusion-oriented and
decision-oriented.
In doing conclusion-oriented research, a researcher is free to
pick up a problem, redesign the enquiry as he proceeds and is
prepared to conceptualize as he wishes.
Decision-oriented research is always for the need of a decision
maker and the researcher in this case is not free to embark
upon research according to his own inclination(e.g.:
Operations research).
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Research Approaches
There are two basic approaches to research:
1. Quantitative approach and
2. Qualitative approach.
1. Quantitative approach
It involves the generation of data in quantitative form
which can be subjected to rigorous quantitative .
This approach can be further sub-classified into
inferential, experimental and simulation approaches.
*Inferential Approach
The purpose of inferential approach is to form a data base
from which to infer characteristics or relationships of
population.
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Research Approaches
*Experimental approach
It is characterized by much greater control over the research
environment and in this case some variables are manipulated to
observe their effect on other variables.
*Simulation approach
It involves the construction of an artificial environment in which
relevant information can be generated.
Simulation approach permits an observation of the dynamic
behavior of a system under controlled conditions. .
Simulation approach can also be useful in building models for
understanding future conditions.
(e.g. Testing Classical Algorithms in Quantum computer)
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Research Approaches
2. Qualitative approach:
It is concerned with subjective assessment of attitudes,
opinions and behavior; is a function of researcher’s
insights and impressions.
This approach generates results either in non-quantitative
form or in the form which are not subjected to rigorous
quantitative analysis.
Generally, the techniques of focus group interviews,
projective techniques and depth interviews are used.
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Significance of Research
“All progress is born of inquiry. Doubt is often better than
overconfidence, for it leads to inquiry, and inquiry leads to
invention”
Research inculcates scientific and inductive thinking and it
promotes the development of logical habits of thinking and
organization.
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.
Research has its special significance in solving various
operational and planning problems different industry.
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Significance of Research
Research is equally important for social scientists in studying
social relationships and in seeking answers to various social
problems.
➢ It provides the intellectual satisfaction.
➢ To students who are writing master’s or Ph.D. thesis
research may mean careerism.
➢ To professionals, research may mean a source of livelihood.
➢ To philosophers, research may mean the outlet for new
ideas.
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Significance of Research
➢ To literary people, research may mean the development
of new styles and creative work.
➢ To analysts and intellectuals, research may mean the
generalizations of new theories.
Thus, research is the fountain of knowledge for the sake of
knowledge and an important source of providing guidelines
for solving different business, governmental and social
problems.
It is a sort of formal training which enables one to understand
the new developments in one’s field in a better way.
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Research Methods vs Research Methodology
Research methods may be understood as all methods/
techniques that are used for conduction of research.
Research methods or techniques*, thus, refer to the
methods the researchers use in performing research
operations.
Research methods can be put into the following three
groups:
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Research Methods vs. Research Methodology
1) The methods which are concerned with the collection of data;
these methods will be used where the data already available are not
sufficient to arrive at the required solution.
2) The methods which consists of those statistical techniques which
are used for establishing relationships between the data and the
unknowns.
3) The methods that consists of those techniques which are used to
evaluate the accuracy of the results obtained.
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Research Methods vs. Research Methodology
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the
research problem.
It may be understood as a science of studying how research is
done scientifically.
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.
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Research Methods vs. Research Methodology
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Research and Scientific Method
Research involves scientific method.
The scientific method is a systematic step-by-step procedure following the
logical processes of reasoning.
Scientific method is a means for gaining knowledge of the
universe.
It does not belong to any particular body of knowledge; it is
universal.
It does not refer to a field of specific subject of matter, but rather
to a procedure or mode of investigation.
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Research and Scientific Method
The scientific method is based on certain “articles of faith.” These
are:
❖ Reliance on Empirical Evidence
❖ Use of Relevant Concepts
❖ Commitment of Objectivity(forming judgment upon facts unbiased by
personal impressions. )
❖ Ethical Neutrality(Science does not pass normal judgment on
facts. Science never imposes rather states)
❖ Generalization(Avoid the danger of committing the particularistic fallacy,
which arises through an inclination to generalize on insufficient o
incomplete and unrelated data. )
❖ Verifiability(The conclusions arrived at by a scientist should be verifiable)
❖ Logical Reasoning Process
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Importance of Knowing How Research is
Done
Discuss or Read!!
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Research Process
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Criteria of Good Research
Good research is:
Systematic
Logical
Empirical
Replicable
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