brm road to research methodology - handouts final

8/3/2019 BRM Road to Research Methodology - Handouts FINAL

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Research Methodology

WHAT IS RESEARCH? SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE? MOVEMENT FROM KNOWN TO UNKNOWN? SCIENTIFIC & SYSTEMATIC INQUIRY TO A PROBLEM /SEARCH FOR PERTINENT INFORMATION

ON A SPECIFIED TOPIC? ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE EXISTING STOCK OF KNOWLEDGE?

PROCESS OF RESEARCH DEFINING THE PROBLEM FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS SUGGESTING SOLUTIONS COLLECTING, ORGANISING & ANALYSING DATA MAKING DEDUCTIONS & CONCLUSIONS TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS INTERPRETING THE RESULT WRITING THE RESEARCH REPORT. OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH to find out answers to the questions through the application of

scientific procedures

TYPES OF RESEARCH EXPLORATIVE to gain familiarity with a phenomenon / to achieve new insights into it DESCRIPTIVE to portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual or a situation

etc. (survey method used) ANALYTICAL analysis and critical evaluation of already available facts or information APPLIED (action/solution) / FUNDAMENTAL (basic or pure) QUANTITATIVE (use of variables) / QUALITATIVE (use of attributes) CONCEPTUAL / EMPRICAL (based on observation / experiment) HISTORICAL etc.

PROBLEM FORMULATION Well begun is half done"-- Aristotle, quoting an old proverb. DIG WHERE YOU STAND

WHERE DO RESEARCH TOPICS COME FROM ? PRACTICAL PROBLEMS IN YOUR FIELD /AREA OF WORK LITERATURE IN OUR SPECIFIC FIELD PROPOSALS FROM GOVT./COMPANIES etc. CREATION OF OWN MIND

IS THE STUDY FEASIBLE? -Trade offs between rigour & practicality (resources, time, and circumstances REVIEW THE LITERATURE JUMPING INTO A POOL FROM A HIGH BOARD CAN TAKE ONE TO A GREATER DEPTH IDENTIFY DIRECTLY RELEVANT, INFORMATIVE, AND RELATED LITERATURE

HYPOTHESIS FORMULATION IDENTIFICATION & SELECTION OF THE VARIABLES DATA COLLECTION Primary, Secondary TOOLS &TECHNIQUES FOR ANALYSIS ANALYSIS

DATA PREPARATION (tabulation) DESCRIBING THE DATA (descriptive stat.) TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS (inferential stat.)

REPORT WRITING SAMPLING METHODS PROBABILITY SAMPLING

SIMPLE/PURE RANDOM SYSTEMATIC (every 9th , 15th ) MULTISTAGE RANDOM (bigger to smaller units e.g. state-district-subdivision-localities) STRATIFIED (heterogeneous to homogenous strata, then random e.g. age, salary etc.) CLUSTER divide into clusters-random selection of cluster/s, then selecting all or a few units (

ideally each cluster a miniature of the population - clusters highly heterogeneous within butdifference among clusters to be minimum)

NON- PROBABILITY SAMPLING PURPOSIVE/JUDGEMENTAL (by choice or design, not by chance) CONVENIENT


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TYPES OF SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE (personal, mail, etc) INTERVIEW (personal, telephone, etc)

ISSUES INVOLVED IN SURVEY CAN THE POPULATION BE ENUMETRATED? IS THE POPULATION LITERATE ARE THERE LANGUAGE ISSUES? WILL THE POPULATION COOPERATE?

QUESTION ISSUES CONTENT, WORDING, FORMAT STRUCTURED/UNSTRUCTURED, OPEN ENDED/CLOSED TYPES OF QUESTION, COMPLEXITY, SEQUENCE, LENGTHY/SHORT

SAMPLING ISSUES ADRESSESES?, PHONE NUMBERS?, LIST UPTO DATE? CAN RESPONDANTS BE LOCATED?, ARE THEY BUSY?

ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES COSTS, FACILITIES, TIME, PERSONNEL, etc.

LAYOUT OF THE RESEARCH REPORT PRELIMINARY PAGES MAIN TEXT END MATTER

PRELIMINARY PAGES TITLE DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES, GRAPHS, & DIAGRAMS etc.

Main Text INTRODUCTION - it should cover

The problem Objective Scope of the study Review of relevant literature Hypothesis Definitions of the concepts used if any

Methodology Adopted How was the study carried out How was the data collected Analytical tools used An out line of the study

ANALYSIS AND THE RESULTS extending over several chapters presented in logical sequencewith supporting data, tables, charts if any

CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS- if any Inference Constraints/ limitations Suggestions for further research SUMMARY CUSTOMARY TO CONCLUDE THE RESEARCH REPORT(In brief the research problem, the methodology, and the major findings)

END MATTER Abbreviations if used

Annexure / Appendices Bibliography (in proper format)

A list of books pertinent to the research including the references consulted Arranged in alphabetical order Books, magazines, newspapers, websites etc. separately (Whatever method is selected

must remain consistent)


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Exploratory Research Descriptive Research Causal Research

(Unaware of Problem) (Aware of Problem) (Problem Clearly Defined)

Our sales are declining and What kind of people are buying Will buyers purchase more of

we dont know why. our product? Who buys our our products in a new package?

competitors product?

Would people be interested Which of two advertising

in our new product idea? What features do buyers prefer campaigns is more effective?

in our product?

Degree of Problem Definition

Stages of the Research Process

Problem Discoveryand Definition

ResearchDesign

Sampling

DataGathering

Data Processingand Analysis

Conclusions andReport

Discovery andDefinition

and so on


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Problem

discovery

Problem definition(statement of

research objectives)

Secondary

(historical)

data

Experiencesurvey

Pilotstudy

Casestudy

Selection of

exploratory research

technique

Selection ofbasic research

method

Experiment SurveyObservation

Secondary

Data StudyL ab oratory F ie ld Interview Q uest io nn aire

Selection of

Sample Design

Sampling

Probability Non-probability

Collection of

data

(fieldwork)

Editing and

coding

data

Dataprocessing

Interpretationof

findings

Report

Data

Gathering

Data

Processing

and

Analysis

Conclusionsand Report

Research Design

Problem Discovery

and Definition

The formulation of the problem

is often more essential than itssolution

Albert Einstein


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brm road to research methodology - handouts final

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