Introduction to Research:

Meaning of Research:
When people faces problems, he or she sooner or
later seeks a solution. Research is born of these
problems and of people's determination to solve
them. People's progress over the years has depend
on research.
Today virtually every field of life has been touched
by the research process- Mathematics, Astronomy,
Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Biology, Medicine,
Space Exploration, Nuclear Welfare, the Social fields
and many others.
 Introduction to Research:
What is Research?
Research is “ a process of scientific thinking that
leads to the discovery or establishment of new
knowledge or truth, which is not a subjective
expression of ideas or opinion.”
According to various scientist, scientific thinking
has four common characteristics, such as:
It is based on facts,

It starts from a complex of problems,

It is free from personal bias or opinion, and

It uses objective measurements…

Kerlinger (1973) defines:
Research as “a systematic, controlled,
empirical and critical investigation of
hypothetical propositions about the presumed
relations among natural phenomena.”

Parel (1973) defines:

Research is “a systematic study or
investigation of something for the purpose of
answering questions posed by the
researcher.”
 What is good research?
Generates dependable data that are derived
by professionally conducted practices and
that can be used reliably for decision making:
Criteria's of good research :
 Purpose clearly defined
 Research process detailed

 Research design thoroughly planned

 High ethical standards applied

 Limitations frankly revealed

 Analysis adequate for decision maker’s needs

 Findings presented with integrity

 Conclusion justified

 Researcher’s experience reflected

 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);…
 Objectives of Research
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).
 Motivation of 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 along with its
consequential benefits;
 Desire to face the challenge in solving the
unsolved problems, i.e., concern over practical
problems initiates research;
 Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some
creative work;
 Desire to be of service to society;

 Desire to get respectability.

 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.
The role of research in several fields of
applied economics, whether related to
business or to the economy as a whole, has
greatly increased in modern times.
Research is equally important for social
scientists in studying social relationships and
in seeking answers to various social
problems.

In addition the significance of research can

also be understood keeping in view the
following points:
(a) To those students who are to write a
master’s or Ph.D. thesis, research may mean
a careerism or a way to attain a high position
in the social structure;
(b) To professionals in research methodology,
research may mean a source of livelihood;
(c) To philosophers and thinkers, research
may mean the outlet for new ideas and
insights;
(d) To literary men and women, research may
mean the development of new styles and
creative work;
(e) To analysts and intellectuals, research
may mean the generalizations of new
theories.
 Business Research?

Business research is a systematic and

organized effort to investigate a specific
problem encountered in the work setting
that needs a solution.

The business research provides the

needed information that guides
managers to make informed decisions to
successfully deal with problems.
 Scientific Business Researchers
Operate at Two Levels

Abstract level of concepts (proposal)

Propositions are statements concerned
with the relationships among concepts.
Explain the logical linkage among
certain concepts.
Empirical level of variables (hypotheses)
Empirical means verifiable by
observation, experimentation, or
experiences.
 Types of Research (Schematically)
from the view point

Application Objectives Inquiry mode

Basic or Descriptive Exploratory Quantitative

Pure Research Research Research
Research

Applied Causal Qualitative

Research Research
Research
 Types of Research

Research can be classified from three

perspectives:

Application of the research study

Objective in understanding the
research
Inquiry mode employed
 APPLICATION
Examine a research endeavor from the
perspective of its application with two broad
categories.
1. Basic or Pure research
and
2. Applied research
Basic or 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.
Pure research is also concerned with the
development, examination, verification, and
refinement of research methods, procedures,
techniques and tools that from the body of research
methodology.
Example: include
Developing a sampling technique to a particular
situation
Developing methodology to assess the validity
Developing an instrument to measure stress level
Finding the best way of measuring peoples attitudes
Most of the research in the social sciences is
applied. In other words the research
techniques, procedures and methods that
form the body of research methodology are
applied to the collection of information about
various aspects of a situation, issue, problem
or phenomena so that information gathered
can be used in other ways-such as for policy
formulation, administration and the
enhancement of understanding of a
phenomena.
 OBJECTIVE

Business research classified as

1. Descriptive research (DR)

2. Exploratory research (ER)
3. Causal Research (CR)
 Descriptive Research

DR describe systematically a situation,

problem, phenomena, service, or
program or provides information about,
say, the living conditions of a community
or describes towards about attitudes.

Determine answers to: who, what, where,

and how questions. Conduct in the form
of current population survey.
 Exploratory Research
ER usually conducted during the initial stage of the
research process.
Management may have discovered general problems
but research is needed to gain better understanding
of the dimensions of the problems.
ER provides information to use in analyzing a
situation. Usually is conducted with the expectation
that subsequent research will be required to provide
conclusive evidence.
When a study is carried out to determine the
feasibility it is also called a feasibility study or a
pilot study.
 Causal Research
The main goal of causal research is to identify
Cause
and
Effect
relationship among variables.
DR and ER normally lead cause and effect
relationship studies.
CR predicts about the price, packaging,
advertising and the like of sales but a casual
relationship is impossible to prove.
Research study from the view point
of objectives
Descriptive research:
Aim: To describe what is prevalent or
established regarding:
 a group of people

 a community

 a phenomena

 a situation

 a program

 an outcome

Main theme: To describe what is prevalent?

Example:
Socio-economic characteristics of a community
Attitudes of students towards quality of teaching

Types of service provided by an agency

Needs of a community

Sale of a product

Attitude of nurses towards death and dying

Attitude of workers towards management

Problem faced by new comers

Consumers’ likes - dislikes with regard to product

Effects of living in a house with domestic violence

Strategies put in place by a company to increase

productivity of workers.
 Exploratory research
Aim: To explain:
Why a relationship, association or
interdependence exists?
Why a particular even occurs?
Main theme:
To explain why the relationship is formed?
Example:
 Why does stressful living result in heart
attacks?
 How does technology create
unemployment?
How do maternal and child health services
affect infant mortality?
How do some people have a positive
attitude towards an issue while others do not?
How does a particular intervention work for
some people and not for others?
Why do some people use a product while
others do not?
Why do some people migrate another
country while others do not?
Why do some people adopt a program while
others do not?
 Causal Research
Aim: To establish or explore:
A relationship

An association

An interdependence

Main theme: To conduct research if there is a

relationship
Example:
Impact of a program

Relationship between stressful living

and incident of heart attacks
Impact of technology on employment
Impact of maternal and child health services
on infant mortality
Effectiveness of a marriage counseling
services on extent of marital problems
Impact of an advertising campaign on sale
of a product
Impact of incentives on productivity of
workers
Effectiveness of an immunization program
in controlling infectious disease
 INQUIRY MODE

Research Approaches

There are two basic approaches to

research:

Quantitative (structured) approach

and
Qualitative (unstructured) approach
Quantitative research is based on the
measurement of quantity or amount. It is
applicable to phenomena that can be
expressed in terms of quantity.
Forms the research process:
Objectives

Design

Sample and

The questions that you plan to ask

of respondents-it is predetermined
Quantitative approach:
Inferential,

Experimental and
Simulation approaches

Inferential approach to research is to form a

data base from which to infer characteristics
or relationships of population. This usually
means survey research where a sample of
population is studied (questioned or
observed) to determine its characteristics.
Experimental approach 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 involves the

construction of an artificial environment
within which relevant information and
data can be generated.
Qualitative approach to research is
concerned with subjective assessment
of:
Attitudes,

Opinions and

Behavior.
Research Methods versus Methodology
Research methods may be understood as all
those methods/techniques that are used for
conduction of research. Research methods,
refer to the methods the researchers use in
performing research operations. Research
methods can be put into the following three
groups:
1. In the first group we include those 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 second group consists of those
statistical techniques which are used for
establishing relationships between the data
and the unknowns;
3. The third group consists of those methods
which are used to evaluate the accuracy of
the results obtained.

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.