Research Methodology: A Comprehensive Introduction and Definition
Research: A way of thinking
In this framework of thinking you usually question About
- what to observe
- Make an attempt to further explore
- Understand & explain your observations
- Draw conclusions
- Inference to enhance your practice skills & knowledge base.
Day to Day life Research
- Research helps you to critically examine your day-to-day situations.
- Develops & Test new ways that contributes the advancements of your practice
- Research is an integral part of your professional practice
- Research is a habit of questioning what you do.
Research – The Definition
RESEARCH = RE + SEARCH
"Creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions."
The characteristics & Requirements of Research
• Controlled
• Rigorous
• Systematic
• Valid & Verifiable
• Empirical
• Critical
Types of Research
From the Viewpoint of
• Application
o Applied Research o Pure Research
• Objectives
o Descriptive Research o Correlational Research o Explanatory Research o Exploratory Research
• Enquiry Mode
o Quantitative Research o Qualitative Research o Mixed Method Research
Application Perspective
Pure Research
Developing & testing theories & hypotheses that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but may or may not have practical application at the present time or in the future.
E.g. –Applied Research
Research Techniques, procedures & methods that from the body of the research methodology are applied to the collection of information about various aspects of situation, issue & problem.
E.g.:
Objectives Perspective
Descriptive Research
A sort of research called descriptive research is used to outline a population's characteristics. It gathers data that are used to resolve a wide variety of what, when, and how questions related to a particular\spopulation or group.
E.g.:
Correlational Study
Discover or establish the existence of a relationship, association or independence between two or more aspects of a situation or phenomenon.
E.g.
Explanatory Research
Attempts to clarify why and how there’s a relationship between two aspects of a situation or phenomenon.
E.g.:
Exploratory Research
The goal of a study is to either explore an area where little is known or to look into the viability of carrying out a specific research project. Exploratory research has a broad scope and rarely offers conclusive solutions to particular research questions. Exploratory research aims to pinpoint important topics and factors.
Based on the Data involved in research
Quantitative Methods
It is a numerical, non-descriptive, mathematical or statistical method that employs numbers and is used to the evaluation of evidence. Tables and graphs are popular ways to convey the results.
Qualitative Methods
Mixed Method Research
mixed-methods research, or research that combines elements of other paradigms. Data are a blend of variables, words, and pictures.