Introduction

Research
Research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solution;
collecting, organizing and evaluating data, making deductions and reaching conclusions and carefully
testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.

Research in simple terms refers to search for knowledge. It is a scientific and systematic search for
information on a particular topic or issue. It is also known as the art of scientific investigation. Several
social scientists have defined research in different ways.

Research Methods Vs Methodology:

Research methods entail all those techniques/methods that are adopted for conducting research.
Thus, research techniques or methods are the methods that the researchers adopt for conducting the
research studies. On the other hand, research methodology is the way in which research problems
are solved systematically, i.e., a science of studying how research is conducted scientifically. Under it,
the researcher acquaints himself/herself with the various steps generally adopted to study a research
problem, along with the underlying logic behind them. Hence, itis not only important for the
researcher to know the research techniques/ methods, but also the scientific approach called
methodology.

Research methodology
The process used to collect information and data for the purpose of making scientific or business
decisions. The methodology may include publication research, interviews, surveys, and other research
techniques, and could include both present and historical information.
Research methodology is a term that basically means the science of how research is done scientifically.
It is a way to systematically and logically solve a problem, help us understand the process not just the
product of research, and analyses methods in addition to the information obtained by them.

Types of research methodology

• Basic research
• Applied Research
• Problem oriented research
• Problem solving
• Quantitative Research
• Qualitative Research
Research Problem
A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be improved, a difficulty
to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or in practice that
points to the need for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation.

Research Problem Statement

A problem statement is the description of an issue currently existing which needs to be addressed. It
provides the context for the research study and generates the questions which the research aims to
answer. The statement of the problem is the focal point of any research.

How to identify the problem

Here are seven-steps for an effective problem-solving process.
1. Identify the issues. Be clear about what the problem is.
2. Understand everyone's interests.
3. List the possible solutions (options).
4. Evaluate the options.
5. Select an option or options.
6. Document the agreement(s).
7. Agree on contingencies, monitoring, and evaluation.

Why define a Research Problem:

The problem to be researched needs to be described unambiguously as that will help you to
discriminate useful data from the unrelated ones. A proper formulation of research problem will
allow the investigator to be on the track, and in contrast, an ill-defined problem may possibly create
difficulties.
Questions like: What data are to be gathered? What attributes of data are appropriate and need to be
analyzed? What relations should be investigated. What methods should be employed for the purpose?
as well as other questions turn up in the head of the investigator who can well plan his strategy and
find solutions to these kinds of questions only when the research problem has been well defined.
Therefore, defining the problem accurately is a necessity for any research and is a step of the highest
value.
In fact, formulation of a problem is often vital than its solution. It is only on thoroughly describing the
problem that we can work out the research design and can efficiently proceed all the consequential
steps needed while doing research.

Important Points to Keep in Mind while Defining the Research Problem

1. The correct question needs to be addressed if research is to help decision makers. A right
answer to the wrong question leads either to bad advice or to no advice.
2. Usually in problem we have an inclination to rationalize and defend our actions once we have
started upon a specific research plan. The perfect time to examine and think about alternative
techniques is in the planning stage. If it is completed unnecessary expense of false start and
redoing work may be prevented.
 3. An excellent beginning in problem definition is to ask what the decision maker want to know
if the requested information can be gathered without error and without expense.
4. Another excellent rule to follow is “Never settle on a specific strategy” without developing
and taking into consideration at least one alternate option”.
5. The problem definition stage of research is the determination and structuring of the decision
maker’s question. It should be the decision maker’s question and not the researcher’s question.
6. What decision do you face? Unless you have decision to make, there isn’t any research
problem.
7. What are the alternatives? In case there are no options to choose, once again there is absolutely
no research problem.
8. What are the factors for selecting the best alternative? Unless you have criteria for evaluation,
again there’s no problem.
9. The researcher should stay away from the acceptance of the superficial and the obvious.

Frequently we all hear that a problem clearly expressed is a problem half solved. This statement
indicates the necessity of defining a research problem in research methodology . This actually also
results in a smoother progress on all the following steps which are needed for finishing a research
project.

Types of Research:
There are different types of research. The basic ones are as follows.

Descriptive Versus Analytical Research

Descriptive research consists of surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different types. The main
objective of descriptive research is describing the state of affairs as it prevails at the time of study. The
term ‘ex post facto research’ is quite often used for descriptive research studies in social sciences and
business research. The most distinguishing feature of this method is that the researcher has no control
over the variables here. He/she has to only report what is happening or what has happened. Majority
of the ex post facto research projects are used for descriptive studies in which the researcher attempts
to examine phenomena, such as the citizens’ satisfaction with the government, consumers’ preferences,
frequency of purchases, shopping, etc.
Despite the inability of the researchers to control the variables, ex post facto studies may also comprise
attempts by them to discover the causes of the selected problem. The methods of research adopted in
conducting descriptive research are survey methods of all kinds, including correlational and
comparative methods.

In the Analytical research, the researcher has to use the already available facts or information, and
analyze them to make a critical evaluation of the subject.

Applied Versus Fundamental Research

Research can also be applied or fundamental in nature. An attempt to find a solution to an immediate
problem encountered by a firm, an industry, a business organization, or the society is known as applied
research. Researchers engaged in such researches aim at drawing certain conclusions confronting a
concrete social or business problem.
On the other hand, fundamental research mainly concerns generalizations and formulation of a theory.
In other words, “Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake is termed ‘pure’ or ‘basic’ research”
(Young in Kothari, 1988). Researches relating to pure mathematics or concerning some natural
phenomenon are instances of Fundamental Research. Likewise, studies focusing on human behaviour
also fall under the category of fundamental research.
Thus, while the principal objective of applied research is to find a solution to some pressing practical
problem, the objective of basic research is to find information with a broad base of application and add
to the already existing organized body of scientific knowledge.

Quantitative Versus Qualitative Research

Quantitative research relates to aspects that can be quantified or can be expressed in terms of quantity.
It involves the measurement of quantity or amount. Various available statistical and econometric
methods are adopted for analysis in such research. Which includes correlation, regressions and time
series analysis, etc.
On the other hand, Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomena, or more specifically,
the aspects related to or involving quality or kind. For example, an important type of qualitative
research is ‘Motivation Research’, which investigates into the reasons for certain human behaviour.
The main aim of this type of research is discovering the underlying motives and desires of human
beings by using in-depth interviews. The other techniques employed in such research are story
completion tests, sentence completion tests, word association tests, and other similar projective
methods. Qualitative research is particularly significant in the context of behavioural sciences, which
aim at discovering the underlying motives of human behaviour. Such research helps to analyse the
various factors that motivate human beings to behave in a certain manner, besides contributing to an
understanding of what makes individuals like or dislike a particular thing. However, it is worth noting
that conducting qualitative research in practice is considerably a difficult task. Hence, while
undertaking such research, seeking guidance from experienced expert researchers is important.

Conceptual Versus Empirical Research

The research related to some abstract idea or theory is known as Conceptual Research. Generally,
philosophers and thinkers use it for developing new concepts or for reinterpreting the existing ones.
Empirical Research, on the other hand, exclusively relies on the observation or experience with hardly
any regard for theory and system. Such research is data based, which often comes up with conclusions
that can be verified through experiments or observation. Empirical research is also known as
experimental type of research, in which it is important to first collect the facts and their sources, and
actively take steps to stimulate the production of desired information. In this type of research, the
researcher first formulates a working hypothesis, and then gathers sufficient facts to prove or disprove
the stated hypothesis. He/she formulates the experimental design, which according to him/her would
manipulate the variables, so as to obtain the desired information. This type of research is thus
characterized by the researcher’s control over the variables under study. In simple term, empirical
research is most appropriate when an attempt is made to prove that certain variables influence the other
variables in some way. Therefore, the results obtained by using the experimental or empirical studies
are considered to be the most powerful evidences for a given hypothesis.

Remark
Other types of research exist but these are variations of one or more type of research. They vary in
terms of the purpose of research, or the time required to complete it, or may be based on some other
similar factor. On the basis of time, research may either be in the nature of one -time or longitudinal
time series research. While the research is restricted to a single time-period in the former case, it is
conducted over several time-periods in the latter case.
Depending upon the environment in which the research is to be conducted, it can also be laboratory
research or field - setting research, or simulation research, besides being diagnostic or clinical in nature.
Under such research, in-depth approaches or case study method may be employed to analyse the basic
causal relations. These studies usually undertake a detailed in-depth analysis of the causes of certain
events of interest and use very small samples and sharp data collection methods. The research may
also be explanatory in nature. Formalized research studies consist of substantial structure and specific
hypotheses to be verified. As regards to historical research, sources like historical documents, remains,
etc. Are utilized to study past events or ideas. It also includes philosophy of persons and groups of the
past or any remote point of time.
Research has also been classified into decision-oriented and conclusion-oriented categories. The
decision-oriented research is always carried out as per the need of a decision maker and hence, the
researcher has no freedom to conduct the research according to his/her own desires. On the other hand,
in the case of conclusion- oriented research, the researcher is free to choose the problem, redesign the
enquiry as it progresses and even change conceptualization as he/she wishes to. An operation research
is a kind of decision-oriented research, where in scientific method is used in providing the departments,
a quantitative basis for decision -making with respect to the activities under their purview.

Steps in Research Process

Research process contains a series of closely related activities which must be carried out by a
researcher. Research process requires patience. There is no measure that shows your research is the
best. It is an art rather than a science. Following are the main steps in social or business research
process.

1. Selection of Research Problem

2. Extensive Literature Survey
3. Making Hypothesis
4. Preparing the Research Design
5. Sampling
6. Data collection
7. Data Analysis
8. Hypothesis Testing
9. Generalization and Interpretation
10. Preparation of Report

Selection of Research Problem

The selection of topic for research is a difficult job. When we select a title or research statement, then
other activities would be easy to perform. So, thoroughly understanding the problem, one must have
to discuss it with colleagues, friend, experts, and teachers. The research topic or problem should be
practical, relatively important, feasible, ethically, and politically acceptable.
Literature Review or Extensive Literature Survey
After the selection of research problem, the second step is that of literature mostly connected with the
topics. The availability of the literature may bring ease in the research. For this purpose, academic
journals, conference and govt. reports and library must be studied.

Making Hypothesis
The development of hypothesis is a technical work and depends on the researcher experience. The
hypothesis is to draw the positive & negative cause and effect aspects of a problem. Hypothesis narrows
down the area of a research and keep a researcher on the right path.

Preparing the Research Design

After the formulation of the problem and creating hypothesis for it, a research design is to be prepared
by the researcher. It may draw the conceptual structure of the problem. Any type of research design
may be made, depending on the nature and purpose of the study.

Sampling
The researcher must design a sample. It is a plan for taking its respondents from a specific areas or
universe. The sample may be of two types:
1. Probability Sampling
2. Non-probability Sampling

Data collection
Data collection is the most important work, is researcher. The collection of information must be
containing on facts which is from the following two types.

Primary Data Collection

Primary data may be from the following.
1. Experiment
2. Questionnaire
3. Observation
4. Interview

Secondary data collection:

It has the following categories:
1. Review of literature
2. Official and non-official reports
3. Library approach

Data Analysis
When data is collected, it is forwarded for analysis which is the most technical job. Data analysis may
be divided into two main categories.

• Data Processing:
It is sub-divided into the following.
Data editing, Data coding, Data classification, Data tabulation, Data presentation, Data measurement.
• Data Exposition
Date Exposition has the following sub-categories.
Description, Explanation, Narration, Conclusion/Findings, Recommendations/Suggestions.

Hypothesis Testing
Research data is then forwarded to test the hypothesis. Do the hypothesis are related to the f acts or
not? To find the answer the process of testing hypothesis is undertaken which may result in accepting
or rejecting the hypothesis.

Generalization and Interpretation

The acceptable hypothesis is possible for researcher to arrival at the process of generalization or to
make & theory. Some types of research has no hypothesis for which researcher depends upon on theory
which is known as interpretation.

Preparation of Report
A researcher should prepare a report for which he has done is his work. He must keep in his mind the
following points:

Report Design in Primary Stages

The report should carry a title, brief introduction of the problem and background followed by
acknowledgement. There should be a table of contents, graphs and charts.

Main Text of the Report

It should contain objectives, hypothesis, explanations and methodology of the research. It must be
divided into chapters and every chapter explains separate title in which summary of the findings should
be enlisted. The last section would be clearly of conclusions to show the main theme of the R-study.

Closing the Report

After the preparation of report, the last step in business research process contains of bibliography,
references, appendices, index and maps or charts for illustration. For this purpose the information
should more clearer.

Ethics in Scientific Research

Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about our behavior and our
relationship with others.