By
Dr. Wahied Khawar Balwan
All the progress in the society is born of inquiry. Doubt is often better than over confidence, for it leads to inquiry and inquiry leads to invention. Thus an increased amount of inquiry makes research possible. Research inculcates scientific and inductive thinking. Research also promotes the development of habits of logical thinking and organization. It provides the basis for nearly all government policies in our economic system. As a matter of fact, the role of research in several fields of applied economics, whether related to business or to economy as a whole, has greatly increased. Research has its special significance in solving various operational and planning problems of business and industry. Research is equally important for social scientists in studying social relationships and in seeking answers to various social problems. Likewise, in every field of science, the research plays a significant role in providing the intellectual satisfaction of knowing a few things just for the sake of knowledge and also has practical utility for the scientists and engineers to know for the sake of being able to do something better or in a more efficient manner.
On account of the afore-mentioned facts, authors have given their contributions in order to improve the concepts of research methodology. Researchers have laid emphasis on the challenges which the present research methodology is faced with towards the maintenance and sustenance of its
quality , implementation aspect of any research by way of proposing a heuristic and working taxonomy of eight conceptually distinct implementation outcomes such as acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, implementation cost, penetration and sustainability, multiple qualitative studies for enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of quality research by way of
generating new theoretical and conceptual models.
Research is an academic activity that comprises defining and redefining problems; formulating hypotheses; collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and reaching conclusions; and at least carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypotheses. They have defined research as manipulation of things, concepts or symbols for the purpose of generalising to extend, correct or verify knowledge. Research is thus an original contribution to the existing treasure of knowledge. It is the pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation, comparison and experiment. 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 in the form of solutions towards the concerned problem. In fact, research is an art of scientific investigation leading to a systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic.
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
The purpose of any research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific procedures. The main objective of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered as yet. The main objectives of the research fall into the following groupings:
1. Exploratory or Formulative Research Studies: The main objective of this kind of research is to gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it.
2. Descriptive Research Studies: The main objective of this kind of research is to portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or group.
3. Diagnostic Research Studies: The main objective of this kind of research is to determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else.
4. Hypothesis – Testing Research Studies: The main objective is to test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables.
MOTIVATION IN RESEARCH
The motivation behind any research is of fundamental significance. Some of the motives for doing research may be one or more of the following:
1. Desire to get a research along with its consequential benefits
2. Desire to face the challenges in solving the unsolved problems
3. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work
4. Desire to be of service to society
5. Desire to get respectability
6. Directives of the government
7. Employment conditions
8. Curiosity about new things
9. Desire to understand causal relationships, social thinking and awakening.
However, this is not an exhaustive list of motives to undertake research, there may be many more such motives which may motivate or at times compel people to undertake research.
TYPES OF RESEARCH
The basic types of research are:
i) Descriptive Vs. Analytical
Descriptive research includes surveys and fact finding enquires of different kinds. The main objective of a descriptive research is the description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. The main characteristic of this kind of research is that the researcher has no control over the variables. The researcher can only report as to what has happened or what is happening. This kind of research is also called Expostfacto research in social science or business research. In this kind of research, the researchers also try to find the causes even when they cannot control the variables. In descriptive research, the researchers use survey methods of all kinds, including comparative and correlational methods. In analytical research, on the contrary, the researcher has to use facts or information already available. The researcher analyses the information to do a critical evaluation of the material.
(ii)Applied Vs. Fundamental
The research can either be applied or fundamental. An applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society or industrial/business organization. The fundamental research, on the other hand, is mainly concerned with the formulation of theory. The fundamental research is also called 'pure' or 'basic' research. According to the researcher gathers knowledge for knowledge's sake. Research concerning some natural phenomenon or relating to pure mathematics are examples of fundamental research. The research studies concerning human behaviour to make generalizations about human behaviour are also the examples of fundamental research. The research aimed at certain conclusions or solutions facing a concrete social or business problem is an example of applied research.
(iii)Quantitative Vs. Qualitative
The quantitative research is based on the measurement of quantity or amount. It is applicable to phenomenon that can be expressed in terms of quantity. Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned with qualitative phenomena e.g. reasons for human behaviour, motivation research, etc. Motivation research aims at discovering the underlying motives and desires. This kind of research uses in-depth interviews, word association tests, sentences completion tests, story completion tests and similar other projective techniques. The qualitative research is specially important in the behavioural sciences where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human behaviour. The qualitative research is relatively a difficult job and therefore one should seek guidance from experimental psychologists while doing research.
(iv) Conceptual Vs. Empirical
The conceptual research is related to some abstract ideas or theory. It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to interpret existing ones. On the other hand, empirical research relies on experience and observation alone. This does not give due regard for the system or theory. It is a data-base research. This research comes up with conclusions verifiable by observations and experiments. This is infact an experimental type of research in which it is necessary to get at facts first hand, at their source, and actively to go about doing certain things to stimulate the production of desired information. Empirical research, on the other hand, is appropriate when proof is sought that certain variables affect other variables in some way. Evidence gathered through experiments or empirical studies is today considered to be the most powerful support possible for a given hypothesis.
RESEARCH APPROACHES
The afore-mentioned types of research bring to light the fact that there are two basic approaches to research, viz., quantitative approach and qualitative approach. The former involves the data in quantitative form which can be subjected to rigourous quantitative analysis in a formal and rigid fashion. This approach can further be classified into inferential, experimental, and simulation approaches to research. The purpose of inferential approach to research is to form a database from which to infer characteristics or relationships between various parameters affecting the quality of the product, process and service. Experimental approach is characterized by much greater control over the research environment, and in this case some variables are manipulated to observe their affect on other variables. The analytical approach is used specially in science and engineering to find out 6 solutions of the problems. Simulation approach involves the construction of an artificial environment within which relevant information and data can be generated. This permits an observation of the dynamic behaviour of the system under controlled conditions. Simulation approach can also be useful in building models for understanding future conditions. Qualitative approach to research is concerned with subjective assessment of attitudes, opinions and behaviour. Research in this situation is a function of researcher's insights and impressions. Such an approach to research generates results either in non-qualitative form or in the form which are not subjected to rigorous quantitative analysis. In qualitative approach, the techniques of focus group interviews, projective techniques and depth interviews are used.
CRITERIA OF GOOD RESEARCH
Whatever may be the types of research works and studies, one thing that is important is that they all meet on the common ground of scientific methodology employed by them. One expects 7 scientific research to satisfy the following criteria.
(i) The purpose of the research should be clearly defined and common concepts be used.
(ii) The research procedure should be defined in sufficient detail.
(iii) The procedural design of the research should be carefully planned to yield results that are as objective as possible.
(iv) The analysis of the data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its significance and the methods of analysis should be appropriate. The validity and reliability of the data should be checked carefully.
(v) Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the data of the research and limited to those for which the data provide an adequate basis.
In other words, the qualities of a good research are as under:
(i) Good research is Systematic: It means that the research is structured with specified steps to be taken in a specified sequence in accordance with the well-defined set of rules.
(ii) Good research is Logical: This implies that the research is guided by the rules of logical reasoning and logical process of induction and deduction are of great value in carrying out research. Induction is the process of reasoning from a part to the whole whereas deduction is the process of reasoning from some premise to a conclusion which follows from that very premise. In fact, logical reasoning makes research more meaningful in the context of decision making.
(iii) Good research is Empirical: It means that the research is related basically to one or more aspects of a real situation and deals with concrete data that provides a basis for external validity to research results.
(iv) Good research is Replicable: This characteristic allows research results to be verified by replicating the study and thereby building a sound basis for decisions.
CONCLUSION
Researchers in India are facing several problems while pursuing their research. The lack of scientific training in the methodology of research is a great impediment for researchers in our country. There is a paucity of competent researchers in our country. Many researchers take a loop in the dark without knowing the research methods. Also there is an insufficient interaction between the university research departments on one side and industrial/business/government departments and research institutions on the other side. So, efforts should be made to develop satisfactory liaison among all concerned for better and realistic researches. The library management and functioning is not satisfactory at many places and much of the time and energy of researchers are spent in tracing out books, journals, reports, etc. So, for quality research, all these problems are required to be eliminated from our research organizations.
“Any error in this document is silent testimony of the fact that it was a Human Effort.
Dr. Wahied Khawar Balwan
Assistant Professor
Department of Zoology
Govt. Degree College Khilotran, Doda.
E-mail: [email protected]
Mob. No.: 9419369557