RM

1. Objectives of Research
• To discuss new facts
• To verify and test important facts
• To analyze an event or processor
phenomenon to identify the cause and effect
relationship
• To develop new scientific tools, concepts and
theories to solve and understand scientific
and nonscientific problem
• To find solutions to scientific, non-scientific
and social problems
• To solve problems occurring in our everyday
life

2. Purposes of Research
• To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to
achieve new insights into it (Exploratory or
Formative Research Studies)
• To portray accurately the characteristics of a
particular individual or a group or situation
(Descriptive Research Studies)
• To determine the frequency with which something
occurs or with which it is associated (Diagnostic
Research Studies)
• To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship
between variables (Hypothesis – Testing
Research Studies)

3. Definitions of research
•Research is a tool that is building a block and a
sustaining pillar of every discipline – scientific or
otherwise that one knows.
•Research refers to the systematic method consisting of
enunciating the problem, formulating a hypothesis,
collecting the facts or data, analyzing the fact and
reaching certain conclusions either in the form
solutions(s) towards the concerned problem or in certain
generalizations for some theoretical formulation.

4. Research = Re + Search
‘Re’ means again and again and ‘search’ means to find out something. The following is
the process,

5. Objectives of research: broad grouping (studies with
the object in view):
•Exploratory or Formulative Research – to gain
familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights
into it
•Descriptive Research – to portray accurately the
characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a
group (simulation in all disciplines)
•Diagnostic Research – to determine the frequency with
which comething occurs or with which it is associated
with something else (Health Science).
•Hypothesis-Testing Research – to test a hypothesis of
a causal relationship between variables by forming
suitable hypotheses (model assisted studies).

6. Types of research and its goals:
1. Fundamental Research –basic or pure research
• Research concerning some natural phenomenon or relating
to pure mathematics are examples
2. Descriptive Research – Ex post facto research
• Mostly involves primary data – the researcher has no
control over the variable – he can only report what has
happened or what is happening. E.g. Number of days lost
because of industrial action.
3. Correlation Research – constructing models
• To establish the existence of relationships between two or
more aspects of a situation

7. 4. Exploratory research – development of hypotheses
rather than their testing
• To develop, refine and test in new disciplines.
5. Explanatory research – in social science
• Relationship between different aspects in different
situations.
6.Overt and Covert research – open and closed
research
• Over research means that it is out in the open.
Everyone knows who the researcher is and what
researcher is doing.
• Covert research means that it is under – cover
work. Nobody knows who the researcher is and
what researcher is doing.

8. Stages of Research
• Selection of a Research Topic
• Definition of a Research Problem
• Literature Survey and Reference Collection
• Assessment of Current status of the topic chosen
• Formulation of hypothesis
• Materials and Methods (Research Design)
• Conduct of Experiments (Actual Investigations)
• Data Analysis
• Interpretation of the Results
• Findings and conclusions

9. Basic Research
Basic research is pure or fundamental
research. Thesis no immediate need but
theories can be added to knowledge cluster.
Example: Theories in Basic Sciences and
Mathematics

10. Applied Research
Applied Research tries to solve an immediate
specific problem faced by industry or society. The
data obtained can be deployed to solve the problem.
The duration of applied research is shutter as a
quick solution is expected. The outcome of the
applied research either address the unsolved
problem or improve the existing solution.
Example: (i) An optimized search problem on the
Internet (Computer Engineering Domain)
(ii) Analysis of cell / body organ behavior in
caner Hybrid Research (Data Analysis,
Image processing, Algorithm and
Knowledge of Medical Industry)

11. Distinction between Basic
Research and Applied Research

12. Scientific enquiry
✔ The scientific enquiry is a body of techniques for
investigating phenomena, acquiring new
knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous
knowledge.
✔ To be termed scientific, a method of enquiry must
be systematic, controlled and based on empirical
and measurable evidence.
✔ The goal of a scientific enquiry is to obtain
knowledge in the form of testable explanations
that can predict the results of future experiments.

13. Objectives of scientific enquiry:
✔ Identify a problem that defines the goal of research
✔ Make a prediction that, if confirmed, resolves the
problem
✔ Gather data relevant to this prediction
✔ Analyze and interpret the data to see if it supports
the prediction and resolves the question that
initiated the research.

14. Elements of Scientific enquiry:
✔ Characterizations (Observations, definitions, and
measurements of the subject of inquiry)
✔ Hypotheses (theoretical, hypothetical explanations
of observations and measurements of the subject)
✔ Predictions (reasoning including logical deduction
from the hypothesis or theory)
✔ Experiments (tests of all of the above)

15. Steps in scientific enquiry:
The needs:
Explication, Understanding, Prediction
Observation of the
Phenomenon
Modeling New Theories Using Existing Models
Constructing
Hypothesis
Obtaining Experimental Data
Testing for Confirmation
Or
Attempt of Refutation
Extension
s
Unificatio
n

16. 1. Select information
2. Respond/ideas
3. Prediction
4. Observing
5. Fair testing
6. Measures
7. Repeating observations
8. Recording observations and measurements
9. Reviewing / evaluating
0. Explaining results

17. Critical thinking
o Critical thinking is thinking about thinking in order
to make it better
o Critical thinking is a self-directed, self-disciplined,
self-monitored and self-corrective thinking
process by which we take deliberate steps to
think at the highest level of quality.
o The purposeful and reflective judgment about
what to believe and what to do in response to the
observations, experience, verbal or written
expressions or arguments.

18. •Evaluating
•Synthesizing
•Analyzing
•Applying
•Conceptualizing
•Researching

19. Involve effective communication and problem solving
and requires constant analyzing, reasoning and
evaluating.

20. Figure : Critical thinking lens
These are the thinking tools (questions) that together make critical thinking lens
The moon is made of green cheese
When was it
discovered?
•No one has
discovered it
•.
How was it
discovered?
•It has not been
discovered.
Who discovered it?
•No one has
discovered it
•.
What evidence
supports it?
•No evidence
supports it
•.
What evidence does
not support it?
•Rock samples taken
from the moon are
not made of green
cheese.
Is the explanation
consistent with the
data?
•No
Is the conclusion
substantiated by
observations?
•No
Is his a scientifically
valid claim?
•No

21. Techniques involved in designing a questionnaire
(i) Designing questionnaire:
• Questionnaire – indirect enquiry
o A questionnaire is form containing series of
questions and providing space for reply to be filled
in by the respondent itself.
o A questionnaire is a formalized set of questions to
generate the data necessary for a accomplishing a
research project’s objectives.

22. Schedule:
• A schedule is the name usually given to a set of
questions which are asked and filled by a
interviewer in a face to face to situations

23. Ten points to be considered in designing
questionnaire:
•Must be initially related to final objectives of
the investigations
oSpecify the information needed
•Questions must follow logical sequences
oArrange the questions in proper order
•Specify the type of interviewing method
oBiased questions should be avoided
•Proper structuring of the question is must
oDecide on the question structure
•Should be brief, clear and simple
oDetermine the content of individual
questions
oDetermine the question wording

24. • Reproduce the questionnaire
o Question should have appropriate and to it
• Eliminate bugs by pretesting
o Conflict between interviewer and respondent
should be avoided
• Questions outside the respondents experience should
not ask
o To overcome the respondent’s unwillingness to
answer
• Questions should not touch memory of the
respondent
o To overcome the respondent’s inability to answer
• Identify the form and layout
o To gather factual data

25. Techniques for generating research topics
• Research problem refers to some difficulty /
need which a researcher experiences in the
context of either theoretical or practical situation
and wants to obtain a solution for the same
• The first step in the research process –
Identification / selection and formulation of the
research problem

26. Every research study has two aspects:
o Study population – they provide information or researcher
collect information about them
❑ People – Individuals, organizations, groups,
communities
o Subject area – information that researcher need to
collect to find answers to research question
❑Problems – issues, situations, associations, needs,
profiles
❑Program – content, structure, outcome, attributes,
satisfactions, consumers, service providers, etc.
❑Phenomenon – cause and effect relationships, they study
of phenomenon itself

27. Topic selection criteria
• Internal / Personal criteria –Researcher’s
interest and inclination must be matched by
competence before researcher can decide the
area of research.
o Competence can be cultivated and learning
new techniques is a part of any research
program
• External criteria or factors – Researchability
of the problem, Importance and urgency,
Novelty of the Problem, Feasibility, Facilities,
Usefulness and Social Relevance, Research
Personnel
• Rational thinking and Creative thinking are

28. Points to be considered in Topic Selection
1. Once the main area of research is decided upon
the next step is to narrow down the topic
2. Research supervisor has a greater role to play
3. Acquaintance with the field – books /
dissertations, journal, papers, etc.
4. Reading dissertations to avoid duplication of
work
5. Sincere efforts to be made for a general survey
of literature before narrowing down the topic
6. Well informed research supervisor can afford
real guidance to the researcher

29. Research problem formulation – Steps
1. Statement of the problem in a general way
2. Understanding the nature of the problem
3. Surveying the available literature
4. Developing ideas through discussions
5. Rephrasing the research problem

30. Justification of Research Topic
• Explain what is not known about the problem
• Why does the problem matter?
• Provide documentation that this is actually a problem
Process of Justifying a Research Problem
Research Problem
How do I justify the need to study this problem?
Personal
Experiences
Experiences in the
Workplace
Suggestions Made by
Other Researchers
Used in qualitative
research, such as
narrative research
Used in both
quantitative and
qualitative research,
such as action
research
Used in both quantitative
and qualitative research,
such as experiments,
surveys, correlational
studies, grounded theory
studies

31. HYPOTHESIS
MEANING
A hypothesis is written in such a way that it can be
proven or disproven by valid reliable data
….Griennell & Stothers
A tentative statement about something, the validity of
which is usually unknown.
….Black & Champion
CHARACTERISTICS OF A HYPOTHESIS
– It is a tentative preposition
– Its validity is unknown
– In most cases, it specifies a relationship between two or
more variables.

32. IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF A HYPOTHESIS
• A hypothesis should be simple, specific and
conceptually clean
• A hypothesis should be capable of verification
• A hypothesis should be related to the existing
body of knowledge
• A hypothesis should be operation able

33. NULL Hypothesis
• It is denoted by H0.
• It is a hypothesis of no difference.
“There is no significant difference
between the population parameter and
sample statistic”
Alternative Hypothesis
• It is denoted by H1
“There is significant difference between
the population parameter and sample
statistic”

34. CRITERIA IN FORMULATING
HYPOTHESIS
1. A hypothesis must be formulated in simple,
clear and declarative form
2. A hypothesis must be empirically testable
3. A hypothesis must be measurable and
quantifiable so that statistical anther city can be
established

35. ..Cont.
• The validation of hypothesis would necessarily
involve testing the statistical significance
(α=0.05/α=0.01) of the hypothesized relation
• Level of significance (α): In testing a given
hypothesis the maximum probability with which we
would be willing to take risk is called the level of
significance of the test
• The researcher should be very careful in
interpreting the results after applying tests of
significance
• The success of the statistical test depends on the
availability of correct and reliable data

36. Hypothesis Testing
Procedure
1) Set up the hypothesis (H0/H1)
2) Select the significance level (α=0.05/α=0.01)
3) Identifying the test statistic that can be used to test the
null Hypothesis (Large sample n>30, small sample
n<30)
4) Obtain the observed value / calculated value based on
the data using the test statistic
5) Obtain the expected value (tabulated value ) from the
designated table
6) Inference
i. If the calculated value / observed value is greater than
the tabulated value, null hypothesis is rejected
ii. If the calculated value / observed value is less than the
tabulated value, null hypothesis is accepted.