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RACHID ADOU

Introduction to research
NB:

This pamphlet was taken from the mensioned website belew and other
variety sources ,also Belhourma's courses.break a leg dear classmates.

What is research ?

 is a process of seeking out knowledge. This knowledge can be new, or it can

support an already known fact. The purpose of research is to inform and is
based on collected and analyzed data

 In an academic context, research refers to the activity of a diligent and

systematic inquiry or investigation in an area, with the objective of discovering
or revising facts, theories, applications etc. The goal is to discover and
disseminate new knowledge.

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.
Though each research study has its own specific purpose, we may think
of research objectives as falling into a number of following broad
groupings:
  To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights
into it (studies with this object in view are termed as exploratory or
formulative research studies);
 . To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual,
situation or a group (studies with this object in view are known as
descriptive research studies);
 To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with
which it is associated with something else (studies with this object
in view are known as diagnostic research studies);
 To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables
(such studies are known as hypothesis-testing research studies)

CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH:
Research is a process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting
information to answer questions.
But to qualify as research, the process must have certain characteristics:
it must, as far as possible, be controlled, rigorous, systematic, valid and
verifiable, empirical and critical.
-Controlled- in real life there are many factors that affect an outcome.
The concept of control implies that, in exploring causality in relation to
two variables (factors), you set up your study in a way that minimizes the
effects of other factors affecting the relationship.
This can be achieved to a large extent in the physical sciences (cookery,
bakery), as most of the research is done in a laboratory. However, in the
social sciences (Hospitality and Tourism) it is extremely difficult as
research is carried out on issues related to human beings living in
society, where such controls are not possible. Therefore in Hospitality
and Tourism, as you cannot control external factors, you attempt to
quantify their impact.
-Rigorous-you must be scrupulous in ensuring that the procedures
followed to find answers to questions are relevant, appropriate and
justified. Again, the degree of rigor varies markedly between the
physical and social sciences and within the social sciences.
-Systematic-this implies that the procedure adopted to undertake an
investigation follow a certain logical sequence. The different steps
cannot be taken in a haphazard way. Some procedures must follow
others.
-Valid and verifiable-this concept implies that whatever you conclude on
the basis of your findings is correct and can be verified by you and
others.
 -Empirical-this means that any conclusion drawn are based upon hard
evidence gathered from information collected from real life
experiences or observations.
-Critical-critical scrutiny of the procedures used and the methods
employed is crucial to a research enquiry. The process of
investigation must be foolproof and free from drawbacks. The
process adopted and the procedures used must be able to withstand
critical scrutiny.
For a process to be called research, it is imperative that it has the
above characteristics

TYPES OF RESEARCH
Research can be classified from three perspectives:
1. application of research study
2. objectives in undertaking the research
3. inquiry mode employed
Application:
In term of application, there are two broad categories of research:
- pure research

- applied research.
Pure research involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses
that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but may or may not
have practical application at the present time or in the future. The
knowledge produced through pure research is sought in order to add to
the existing body of research methods.
Applied research is done to solve specific, practical questions; for policy
formulation, administration and understanding of a phenomenon. It can
be exploratory, but is usually descriptive. It is almost always done on the
basis of
basic research. Applied research can be carried out by academic or
industrial institutions. Often, an academic institution such as a university
will have a specific applied research program funded by an industrial
partner interested in that program.
Objectives:
From the viewpoint of objectives, a research can be classified as
-descriptive

-correlational

-explanatory

-exploratory
Descriptive research attempts to describe systematically a situation,
problem, phenomenon, service or programme, or provides information
about , say, living condition of a community, or describes attitudes
towards an issue.
Correlational research attempts to discover or establish the existence of
a relationship/ interdependence between two or more aspects of a
situation.
Explanatory research attempts to clarify why and how there is a
relationship between two or more aspects of a situation or phenomenon.
Exploratory research is undertaken to explore an area where little is
known or to investigate the possibilities of undertaking a particular
research study (feasibility study / pilot study).
In practice most studies are a combination of the first three categories.
Inquiry Mode:

From the process adopted to find answer to research questions – the

two approaches are:
Quantitative Research: The emphasis of Quantitative research is on collecting
and analysing numerical data; it concentrates on measuring the scale, range,
frequency etc. of phenomena. This type of research, although harder to design
initially, is usually highly detailed and structured and results can be easily collated
and presented statistically.
Qualitative Research: Qualitative research is more subjective in nature than
Quantitative research and involves examining and reflecting on the less tangible
aspects of a research subject, e.g. values, attitudes, perceptions. Although this type
of research can be easier to start, it can be often difficult to interpret and present
the findings; the findings can also be challenged more easily
steps for writing reasearch paper

 select the topic

 norrow the topic

 state objectives/thesis

 form prelimanary bibliography

 prepare working outline

 starting taking notes

 outline the paper

 write rough draft

 edit your paper

 write the final draft

literature review
literature review in a research paper is a survey of scholarly sources on a
specific topic that provides an overview of the current state of
knowledge, identifies relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing
research, and positions the research paper, thesis within the broader
context of the field.

Functions of literature review :

 It demonstrates the author's familiarity with the topic and its scholarly
context, showing that they have conducted a thorough and critical search
of the relevant literature.

 It develops a theoretical framework and methodology for the research

paper, explaining the key concepts, models, and approaches that inform
the research question or hypothesis.

 It positions the research paper in relation to other researchers and

theorists, highlighting the similarities and differences, agreements and
disagreements, and strengths and weaknesses of various perspectives.

 It shows how the research paper addresses a gap or contributes to a

debate in the literature, indicating the originality and significance of the
research paper.

 It evaluates the current state of research and demonstrates the

author's knowledge of the scholarly debates around the topic, pointing
out the limitations, implications, and directions for future research.

steps to write a literature review

To write a literature review in a research paper, the author should follow

these steps:

 Search for relevant literature using keywords, databases, and other

sources,

and select the most pertinent and authoritative sources for the topic.

 Evaluate and analyze the sources, summarizing the main points,

arguments, and findings of each source, and assessing their credibility,

validity, and quality.

 Identify themes, debates, and gaps in the literature, grouping the

sources

into categories based on common topics, issues, or problems, and

noting the

areas of controversy and consensus, as well as the gaps or flaws in the

existing

research.
 Outline the structure of the literature review, organizing the sources
into

sections that present themes, debates, or gaps in a logical and coherent

manner, and showing the connections and transitions between the

sections.

 Write the literature review, synthesizing and integrating the sources into
a

clear and concise narrative that supports the research question or

hypothesis

of the research paper, and using proper citations and references to

acknowledge the sources.

The sources of a literature review can have different sources depending

on the purpose and scope of your research. Some possible sources are:

Books Journals Magazines Newspapers

The citation of a literature review

The citation of a literature review in a research paper depends on the

citation style that you are using. Different citation styles have different
rules and formats for citing sources, such as books, journals, magazines,
newspapers, online articles, etc. You should always follow the guidelines
and examples of the citation style that is required or preferred by your
instructor, journal, or institution.

Some of the most common citation styles are MLA, APA, Chicago, and
NLM. Here are some brief descriptions and links to more information
about each style:

 MLA: (Modern Language Association) style is widely used in the

humanities, especially in language and literature. It uses parenthetical

citations within the text and a works cited list at the end of the paper. For
more details and examples, see [MLA Formatting and Style Guide].

 APA: (American Psychological Association) style is commonly used in

the

social and behavioural sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and

education. It uses parenthetical citations within the text and a reference

list

at the end of the paper. For more details and examples, see [APA

Formatting and Style Guide].

 Chicago: style is a versatile citation style that can accommodate

different

types of sources and disciplines. It has two main variants: the notes and

bibliography system, which uses footnotes or endnotes and a

bibliography,

and the author-date system, which uses parenthetical citations and a

reference list. For more details and examples, see [Chicago Manual of

Style].

 NLM: (National Library of Medicine) style is the standard citation style

for biomedical and health sciences. It uses superscript numbers within

the text and a numbered reference list at the end of the paper. For more
details and examples, see [NLM Citation Quick Guide].

These are some of the major citation styles, but there are many others
that you might encounter in your research. You should always check the
specific requirements and preferences of your field, instructor, journal, or
institution before citing your sources. You can also use online citation
generators or tools to help you format your citations correctly, such as
[Scribbr Citation Generator]. However, you should always double-check
the accuracy and completeness of the generated citations before using
them in your paper.
The structure of a literature

The structure of a literature review can vary depending on the length,

purpose, and scope of your research project.

However, a typical literature review consists of the following elements:

Introduction: Introduce your topic, define your research question or

thesis statement, explain the significance and scope of your research,
and provide an overview of the main themes and issues that you will
address in your literature review.

Body: Organize your literature review into sections that present themes,
debates, or gaps in the literature. For each section, summarize, analyze,
synthesize, and critically evaluate the relevant sources. Compare and
contrast different perspectives, methods, and findings, and show how
they relate to your research question or thesis statement.

Conclusion: Summarize the main findings and contributions of your

literature review. Highlight the gaps, limitations, and implications of the
existing literature, and suggest directions for future research

REFERENCES

- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ; METHODS & TECHNIQUES (C.R.KOTHARI, 2004)

- Https://www.academia.edu/basic_concepts _of_research_methodology.