By Dawn Prakash I MBA 2nd semester Srinivas Institute Of Technology DAWN 1

Module 1: Introduction to Business Research

DAWN

Research

DAWN

Research
Research is a human activity on intellectual investigation and is aimed at discovering , interpreting, and revising human knowledge on different aspects of the world.

*Research is Search for knowledge

* A careful investigation or inquiry specially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge- Advanced learner Dictionary * Redman and Mory a Systemized effort to gain new knowledge
DAWN 4

Research

Research is an ORGANIZED and SYSTEMATIC way of FINDING ANSWERS to QUESTIONS.

SYSTEMATIC because there is a definite set of procedures and steps which you will follow. There are certain things in the research process which are always done in order to get the most accurate results. ORGANIZED in that there is a structure or method in going about doing research. It is a planned procedure, not a spontaneous one. It is focused and limited to a specific scope. FINDING ANSWERS is the end of all research. Whether it is the answer to a hypothesis or even a simple question, research is successful when we find answers. Sometimes the answer is no, but it is still an answer. QUESTIONS are central to research. If there is no question, then the answer is of no use. Research is focused on relevant, useful, and important questions. Without a question, research has no focus, drive, or purpose.
DAWN

Research
*Research Always starts with a Question or a problem and seeks to get answers *Research May or may not use scientific methods

DAWN

Structured attempt at gaining knowledge dates back to Aristotle and his identification of deductive reasoning.

DAWN

Research methods used by scholars include:

Action research Case study Classification Experience and intuition Experiments Interviews Mathematical models Participant observation Simulation Statistical analysis Statistical surveys Content or Textual Analysis
DAWN 8

2 Basic Research Approaches

(i) Quantitative Approach: Generation of data in Quantitative form and can be analysed much more easily then Qualitative Approach

(ii) Qualitative Approach: Subjective assessment of attitude , opinion and behaviour

DAWN 9

Research Methodology: Introduction

Research processes
Formation of the topic Hypothesis Conceptual definitions Operational definitions Gathering of data Analysis of data Test, revising of hypothesis Conclusion, iteration if necessary DAWN

10

DAWN

11

Research

Basic Research -Fundamental Research -Theoretical Research -Pure Research

DAWN

Applied Research -Decisional Research -Alternative Solution

12

Basic research

Basic research has as its primary objective the advancement of knowledge and the theoretical understanding of the relations among variables . It is exploratory and often driven by the researchers curiosity, interest, and intuition. It is conducted without any practical end in mind, although it may have unexpected results pointing to practical applications. The terms basic or fundamental indicate that, through theory generation, basic research provides the foundation for further, sometimes applied research. As there is no guarantee of short-term practical gain, researchers may find it difficult to obtain funding for basic research. Research is a subset of invention. There is no obvious commercial value to the discoveries that result from basic research. DAWN 13

For example, basic science investigations probe for answers to questions such as:

-How did the universe begin? -What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?

DAWN

14

Historical examples -Basic Research

Genetics and heredity is largely due to the studies of Gregor Mendel Many of today's electrical devices (e.g., radios, generators and alternators) can trace their roots to the basic research conducted by Michael Faraday in 1831. He discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction, that is, the relationship between electricity and magnetism. X-RAYS fundamental experiments of Wilhelm Rontgen in 1895
DAWN 15

Fundamental Research

Fundamental research, also called basic research - scientific investigation for its own sake. The goal of fundamental research is to gain knowledge and understanding of the physical world, without regard to whether or not the knowledge discovered will be of any practical use. This is different from applied research, in which scientific investigation is carried out in order to discover a solution to a practical problem Systematic observation of phenomena for the purpose of learning new facts or testing the application of theories to known facts; -- also called scientific research. This is the research part of the phrase "research and DAWN development

16

Theoretical Research

Theoretical research is a critical component of many scientific fields, because it leads to a greater understanding of the exact science behind experimental results. This is certainly true in fusion research. Several major improvements in experimental design have resulted from the attainment of physical understanding of fusion processes. This theoretical knowledge is developed through the use of computer modeling programs. Without this understanding, most advances in efficiency would result only from increasing the scale of the project. With the aid of computers, new ideas can be tested and developed much more quickly and cheaply.
DAWN 17

Pure Research

Pure research is for the sake of curiosity and functions to advance knowledge for its own sake. This type of research is usually carried out in government-funded projects by University research facilities or specific government laboratories. There is a relationship between these two types of research: pure research generates new ideas and applied research takes these ideas to create new inventions. Then, through development, the new inventions are transformed into commercial products. This is a simple model to understand the different types of research and the eventual development of new products.
DAWN 18

Applied Research

Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. One might say that the goal of the applied scientist is to improve the human condition

DAWN

19

For example, applied researchers may investigate ways to:

improve agricultural crop production treat or cure a specific disease improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of transportation Some scientists feel that the time has come for a shift in emphasis away from purely basic research and toward applied science. This trend, they feel, is necessitated by the problems resulting from global overpopulation, pollution, and the overuse of the earth's natural resources Vaccinations against various diseases save countless lives each year. The first use of a vaccine occurred in the late 1790's. Edward Jenner developed a technique for vaccinating people against smallpox, a disease that once killed millions of people.
DAWN 20

KINDS OF RESEARCH

BASIC RESEARCH is concerned with knowledge for the sake of theory. Its design is not controlled by the practical usefulness of the findings. APPLIED RESEARCH is concerned with showing how the findings can be applied or summarized into some type of teaching methodology. PRACTICAL RESEARCH goes one step further and applies the findings of research to a specific "practical" teaching situation. For example, practical research may be based on theory that came from previously done basic research. Or, theory may be generated by the combination of results from various practical research projects. The same bidirectional relationship exists between applied research and basic research or practical research.
DAWN 21

INTER-RELATIONSHIPS

Now that you understand basic, applied, and practical research, let's look at one more way these three types of research work together

Research is like a plant that grows and grows and grows and grows...

DAWN

22

When it is grown it throws off seeds of all types (basic, applied, and practical), which in turn sprout and create more research projects.

DAWN

23

The process continues with all of the new research 'plants' throwing off seeds, creating additional, related research projects of various types.

DAWN

24

Soon there is a body of basic, applied, and practical research projects related to similar topics. And the process goes on and on...

DAWN

25

DAWN

26