Introduction and Overview of

Research
 1.1 What is Research and not Research?

The popular understanding of the term “research” is incorrect

and somewhat misleading.
 It is quite common to assume that the word refers to gathering
information—browsing through the Internet or books in
search for information about the topic.
Research is much more than copying and pasting information.
 it involves the human mind and requires much thought,
organization and method.
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Research is how individuals and businesses collect and
analyze data.
Accurate and relevant research guides key business
decisions, including marketing plans, staffing decisions
and expansions.
Determining what data is most useful and the most
effective ways to obtain it can help your company make
the most successful long-term decisions.
Research is: “…the systematic process of collecting and
analyzing information (data) in order to increase our
understanding of the phenomenon about which we are
concerned or interested.”
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 A clear understanding of what research is (and what it is not) is
crucial to the success of the researcher.
 When research is approached from its ideal starting point-the
question or problem-and is carried through to completion based
on the scientific method, drawing on the human mind to
critically analyze and interpret the data gathered during the
process, the researcher will be one step closer to answering the
question or solving the problem.
 The answer or solution may not be completely satisfying or
definite and final, but it will have taken humans further
towards a more complete and thorough knowledge of the world
they live in.
 1.2 Scientific Research
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) defines research as systematic and
creative actions taken to increase knowledge about humans,
culture, and society and to apply it in new areas of interest.
Scientific research is the research performed by applying
systematic and constructed scientific methods to obtain,
analyze, and interpret data.
Scientific research is the neutral, systematic, planned, and
multiple-step process that uses previously discovered facts to
advance knowledge that does not exist in the literature.
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Scientific Research can be classified as
observational or experimental with respect to data
collection techniques.
descriptive or analytical with respect to causality.
Prospective/view/, retrospective, or cross-sectional with
respect to time.
 1.3 Objectives, Motivations and Significance of Research
1.3.1 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 yet.
 In general, research objectives describe what we expect to
achieve by a project.
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new
insights into it.
2. To portray/explain/ accurately the characteristics of a particular
individual, situation or a group.
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or
with which it is associated with something else
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables
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1.3.2 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:
1. Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential
benefits;
2. Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved
problems, i.e., concern over practical problems initiates
research;
3. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work;
4. Desire to be of service to society;
5. Desire to get respectability.
1.3.3 What is the Significance of the Study?
The significance of the study is a section in the introduction
of your thesis or paper.
It’s purpose is to make clear why your study was needed and
the specific contribution your research made to furthering
academic knowledge in your field.
The significance of the study is a written statement that
explains why your research was needed.
It’s a justification of the importance of your work and impact
it has on your research field, it’s contribution to new
knowledge and how others will benefit from it.
1.4 Requirements and Characteristics of Research
 Features or characteristics of Research
1. Empirical - based on observations and experimentation on
theories.
2. Systematic - follows orderly and sequential procedure.
3. Controlled - all variables except those that are
tested/experimented upon are kept constant.
4. Employs hypothesis - guides the investigation process
5. Analytical - There is critical analysis of all data used so that
there is no error in their interpretation
6. Objective, Unbiased, & Logical - all findings are logically
based on empirical
7. Employs quantitative or statistical methods - data are
transformed into numerical measures and are treated
statistically.
1.5 Types and Approaches of Research
What are types of research?
Types of research are the different methodologies used to
conduct research. Based on research goals, timelines and
purposes, different types of research are better suited for
certain studies.
The first part of designing research is to determine what
you want to study and what your goals are.
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Here are different types of research you may consider as
you design your research methodology:
1. Fundamental research
Fundamental or basic, research is designed to help
researchers better understand certain phenomena in the
world; it looks at how things work.
This research attempts to broaden your understanding
and expand scientific theories and explanations.
For example, fundamental research could include a
company's study of how different product placements
affect product sales.
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2. Applied research
Applied research is designed to identify solutions to
specific problems or find answers to specific questions.
The research is meant to offer knowledge that is
applicable and implementable. For instance, applied
research may include a study on ways to increase student
involvement in the classroom.
This research focuses on a defined problem and is
solution-based.
Fundamental and applied research are the two main
research categories. Most research can be defined as
fundamental or applied, depending on the goals of the
study.
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3. Qualitative research
Qualitative research involves no numerical data, such as
opinions and literature.
 Examples of qualitative data may include:
 Focus groups
 Surveys
 Participant comments
 Observations
 Interviews
Businesses often use qualitative research to determine
consumer opinions and reactions.
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4. Quantitative research
Quantitative research depends on numerical data, such
as statistics and measurements.
 For example, a car manufacturer may compare the
number of sales of red sedans compared to white sedans.
The research uses objective data—the sales figures for red
and white sedans—to draw conclusions.
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5. Mixed research
 Mixed research includes both qualitative and quantitative data.
Consider the car manufacturer comparing sedan sales. The
company could also ask car buyers to complete a survey after
buying a red or white sedan that asks how much the color
impacted their decision and other opinion-based questions.
6. Exploratory research
 Exploratory research is designed to examine what is already
known about a topic and what additional information may be
relevant. It rarely answers a specific question, but rather
presents the foundational knowledge of a subject as a precursor
to additional research. Often, exploratory research applies to
lesser known issues and phenomena.
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7. Longitudinal research
Longitudinal research focuses on how certain measurements
change over time without manipulating any variables. For
instance, a researcher may examine if and how employee
satisfaction changes in the same employees after one year,
three years and five years with the same company.
8. Cross-sectional research
Cross-sectional research studies a group or subgroup at one
point in time. Participants are generally chosen based on
certain shared characteristics, such as age, gender or income,
and researchers examine the similarities and differences
within groups and between groups. The group is often used as
a representation of a larger population.
Similar to longitudinal research, researchers observe
participants without altering variables.
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9. Laboratory research
 Laboratory research takes place in a controlled laboratory
setting rather than in the field. Often, the study demands strict
adherence to certain conditions, such as elimination of
variables or timing conditions. Laboratory research includes
chemical experimentation and pharmacological research.
10. Field research
 Field research takes place wherever the participants or
subjects are, or "on location." This type of research requires
onsite observation and data collection. For instance, a
manufacturing plant may hire an environmental engineering
firm to test the air quality at the plant to ensure it complies with
all health and safety requirements. The researchers would
travel to the plant to collect samples.
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11. Fixed research
12. Flexible research
13. Action research
14. Policy research
15. Classification research Reading
16. Comparative research assignment
17. Causal research
18. Inductive research
19. Deductive research
1.6 Research Methods and Problem Solving
 Research methods are specific procedures for collecting and
analyzing data. Developing your research methods is an
integral part of your research design.
 When planning your methods, there are two key decisions you
will make.
1. First, decide how you will collect data. Your methods depend
on what type of data you need to answer your research
question:
 Qualitative vs. quantitative: Will your data take the form of
words or numbers?
 Primary vs. secondary: Will you collect original data
yourself, or will you use data that has already been collected by
someone else?
 Descriptive vs. experimental: Will you take measurements of
something as it is, or will you perform an experiment?
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2. Second, decide how you will analyze the data.
 For quantitative data, you can use statistical analysis
methods to test relationships between variables.
 For qualitative data, you can use methods such as
thematic analysis to interpret patterns and meanings in the
data
1.6.1 What is Problem Solving?
Problem solving is the act of defining a problem;
determining the cause of the problem; identifying,
prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and
implementing a solution.

Problem Solving Chart

1.7 Effective Report Writing Principles
and Criteria for Good Research
An effective report can be written going through the
following steps.
1. Determine the objective of the report, i.e., identify the
problem.
2. Collect the required material (facts) for the report.
3. Study and examine the facts gathered.
4. Plan the facts for the report.
5. Prepare an outline for the report, i.e., draft the report.
6. Edit the drafted report.
7. Distribute the draft report to the advisory team and ask
for feedback and recommendations
The essentials of good/effective report
writing are as follows-
1. Know your objective, i.e., be focused.
2. Analyze the niche audience, i.e., make an analysis of the
target audience, the purpose for which audience requires
the report, kind of data audience is looking for in the
report, the implications of report reading, etc.
3. Decide the length of report.
4. Disclose correct and true information in a report.
Remove Bad word in research
5. Discuss all sides of the problem reasonably and
impartially. Include all relevant facts in a report.
6. Concentrate on the report structure and matter. Pre-
decide the report writing style. Use vivid structure of
sentences.
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7. The report should be neatly presented and should be
carefully documented.
8. Highlight and recap the main message in a report.
9. Encourage feedback on the report from the critics. The
feedback, if negative, might be useful if properly
supported with reasons by the critics. The report can be
modified based on such feedback.
10. Use graphs, pie-charts, etc to show the numerical data
records over years.
11. Decide on the margins on a report. Ideally, the top and the
side margins should be the same (minimum 1 inch broad),
but the lower/bottom margins can be one and a half times
as broad as others.
12. Attempt to generate reader’s interest by making
appropriate paragraphs, giving bold headings for each
paragraph, using bullets wherever required, etc
1.8 Evaluating and Reviewing Research Results
The last step in a research, after rigor and extensive
research processes, includes stepping back, evaluating
what has been research and then reporting the findings.
Research evaluation is the process in which the purpose
of research, the methodology used and methods, such as
data collection and analysis, are rated to ascertain their
relevance, value and their ability to achieve research
objectives, and to ascertain the significance of a
research. In want to infer that though final evaluation of
research is by far very important, all procedures of
research including data collection and analysis should be
concurrent with evaluation.
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For example, the purpose, design and availability of
resources need evaluation. Also, preliminary steps of data
analysis involves careful evaluation of data collected to
ensure that the data is suitable for analysis.
There is usually no formalized system of evaluation
especially in qualitative research. This is because, most
evaluation methods can be emergent based on research
purposes and design.
General measures, such as peer review evaluation and
transparency, however, should be taken into account to
enhance rigor of research.
Mostly, evaluation in research includes intra-disciplinary
and interdisciplinary reviews.
1.8.1 Reviewing the Research Literature
 Reviewing the research literature means finding, reading,
and summarizing the published research relevant to your
question. An empirical research report written in American
Psychological Association (APA) style always includes a
written literature review, but it is important to review the
literature early in the research process for several reasons.
 It can help you turn a research idea into an interesting research
question.
 It can tell you if a research question has already been answered.
 It can help you evaluate the interestingness of a research
question.
 It can give you ideas for how to conduct your own study.
 It can tell you how your study fits into the research literature
1.8.1 Reviewing the Research Literature
 Reviewing the research literature means finding, reading,
and summarizing the published research relevant to your
question. An empirical research report written in American
Psychological Association (APA) style always includes a
written literature review, but it is important to review the
literature early in the research process for several reasons.
 It can help you turn a research idea into an interesting research
question.
 It can tell you if a research question has already been answered.
 It can help you evaluate the interestingness of a research
question.
 It can give you ideas for how to conduct your own study.
 It can tell you how your study fits into the research literature
Thank You ...