Introduction to Research Methodology-1
Research is composed of two words, ‘Re’ and ‘Search,’ which means to search again or modify older ones in a new branch of knowledge. It is a process of adding new knowledge to existing knowledge in search of truths.
Research is a structured inquiry that uses scientific methodology to solve problems and create new, applicable knowledge.
Characteristics of Research
Controlled: The research should be controlled for causality between two relations by studying only limited factors and minimizing others.
Rigorous: The procedures to find answers to questions are relevant, appropriate, and justified. The degree of rigor varies widely across the physical sciences and is lower in the social sciences.
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Systematic: The procedure adapted should follow a certain logical sequence.
Valid and verifiable: The process concludes that whatever we verify on our findings should be correct and can be verified by others.
Empirical: This means that any conclusions drawn are based upon hard evidence gathered from information collected from real-life experiences or information.
Objectives of research:
To explore: Research can be carried out to gain familiarity with a particular topic or to gain insight into an unexplored area. Such research is called exploratory and is often conducted before formulating a hypothesis.
To describe: Quite often, research is carried out with the objective of describing a particular situation, event, or individual, and is called descriptive research. For example, A company may want to study a country from various dimensions to establish new facilities.
To diagnose: When a study is carried out to determine how a particular event is associated with another event, it is termed a diagnostic study. Doctors frequently ask numerous questions of the patient and, through symptomatic and clinical investigation, they give a diagnosis. Example: A study can be carried out to study the voting pattern in a particular state on the basis of gender, economic status, and other demographic details.
To establish a causal relationship, a research study can be carried out to determine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Such research is called hypothesis testing. The research carried out to establish the relationship between vitamin deficiency and its effectiveness in controlling its occurrence is hypothesis-testing research.
