Research Methodology

1
Tendulkar and India

2
Tendulkar’s Performance

3
 Research Methodology
 Research Methodology is a discipline that
deals with concepts, tools and methods that
are used in conducting research, leading to
generation/modification of knowledge.

 It is the Science of studying how research is

conducted scientifically

4
Research
 Research is the means through which
science develops – knowledge
generation happens
 Science – any field of study that makes
use of the scientific method
 The scientific method
 Observation → Hypothesis → Data → Testing
 Natural Science / Social Science

5
 Research - Meaning
 Research is an art of scientific
investigation.
 Research is Search for Knowledge
 Research comprises of defining
problems, formulating hypothesis,
testing hypothesis (based on data)
& suggesting solutions, based on
inferences (conclusions).
6
 Definitions of Research
 According to William C Emory:
Research is ‘any organized inquiry designed and
carried out to provide information for solving a
problem’. – William C Emory
 According to Redman and Mory:
Research is a “Systematized effort to gain/ generate
new knowledge”
 According to Fred Kerlinger:
Research is an organized enquiry designed and
carried out to provide information for solving a
problem
7
 Definitions of Research

 Research is an original addition to the available

knowledge, which contributes to its further
advancement of knowledge
 In sum, Research is the search for knowledge,
using objective and systematic methods to find
solution to a problem

8
Objectives of Research
 To analyze interrelationships
 Between variables – to derive causal
explanations – better understanding of
economy, society, business
 To verify and test existing ideas/ theories/
knowledge
 To obtain information
 About market, consumer behavior, etc
 To extend knowledge
 Develop new ideas, theories, approaches
9
Objectives of Research
 To predict events
 Short run, long run, market/ economy
dynamics
 To find solutions to problems
 Declining sales, employee turn over, increasing
cost, etc
 Research aids in planning and thus
contributes to national development
 To assist in policy making

10
Criteria of good research
1. The purpose of research should be
clearly defined and common concepts be
used
2. The research procedure should be
described in sufficient detail
3. Carefully planned research design
4. Explicit statement of shortcomings in
research design, if any
5. Scientific analysis of data
11
 Criteria of good research
6. Drawing proper, justified conclusion
7. Researcher should be unbiased

12
Deductive and
Inductive methods

13
Deductive and Inductive
methods

 Two approaches to research

 Deductive and Inductive methods

14
Inductive method
 Inductive method involves studying
several individual cases and drawing
generalization
 Two processes
 Observation and Generalization
 You observe one or many individual
cases and then draw a
conclusion/inference
15
Example:
 A is a human being
 B is a human being
 C is a human being
 A, B & C are all mortals
 Inference/ Theory: All humans are
mortals

16
 Essential condition for good
induction
 Observation must be correctly performed and
recorded, and also it should ensure that data
collected are accurate
 Observations must represent cases drown
from a specific universe
 Observation must cover an adequate number
of cases
 Conclusions and inferences must be drawn
from the findings
17
Deductive method
 Deduction is a reasoning process of
applying a general accepted principle to
a specific individual case falling under
the general principle
 It involves moving from the general to
the individual

18
Deductive method
 This method establishes a logical
relationship between (1) a major
premise, (2) a minor premise and (3) a
conclusion
 Example:
Major premise: Exercise keeps men healthy and
strong
Minor premise: Ram exercises daily
Conclusion: Ram is healthy and strong
19
Essential conditions
 General rule or assumption (i.e. the
theory we start with) must be correct
 The general rule must be applied only
to the case which properly fall under it

20
 Both Inductive & Deductive
methods are inseparable
 Both are useful. Theory are used to
very and cross check the findings of the
alternative method
 Both are often used together/
simultaneously

21
Significance and Difficulties of
Social research

22
Social Science
 Science that deals with study of human
beings and their behavior in social and
individual contexts
 Sociology, Economics, Management
Studies, Psychology, etc.

23
Social Science
 Feelings, attitude, emotions, being
present
 Diversity, no uniformity among humans
and their behaviour
 Laboratory experiments not possible

24
Social Science research
 It is a systematic study of human
actions, behaviors and responses to
understand human behavior patterns
and social life.
 It helps develop generalizations and
theories about human beings and social
systems

25
Social Research - Definitions
 According to C.A. Moser : “Social research is a
systematized investigation to gain new knowledge
about social phenomenon and problems.”

 According to P.V. Young: “Social research is a

scientific undertaking which aims to discover new
facts or old facts and to analyze their sequences,
interrelationships, casual explanations and natural
laws which govern them.”

26
 Objectives of social research

 To facilitate the understanding of human behavior.

 To acquire knowledge about social phenomena, events, issue,
problems etc.
 To identify functional relationship existing in the social phenomena.
 To find out the natural laws that regulates or directs social
phenomena.
 To formulate solution to social problems.
 To maintain social organization, remove social tension,
misconception, etc
 To develop social development/ revival plan.

27
Significance of Social Research
 Discovery of facts and interpretation
 Control over social phenomena
 Diagnosis of problems and their analysis
 Systematization of knowledge and
development of new body of knowledge
 Predictions of future events and trends
 Development planning
 Promotion of social welfare

28
Limitations of Social Research
 Limits scope for controlled experiments
(laboratory experiments)
 Limits scope for objectivity (there will
always be bias)
 Complexity of the subject matter (as
every human being differ from others)
 Human problems – refusal of
respondents/improper understanding,
memory loss 29
Limitations of Social Research
 Personal beliefs and values, intuitions,
empathy, etc. hinder objectivity
 Wrong decision affect validity of
findings (concepts, sampling
techniques, statistical tools, etc.)

30
 Business Research
 Busienss research is a systematic activity
directed towards investigating business and
managerial problems, and results in
discovery of management tools for problem
solving and decision making
 Business research is useful in all functional
areas of business/ management

31
Business Research
 Marketing management / Marketing
research
 Financial management / Accounting
 Production and operations
 Human resource management /
Organization study
 International Business/ Management

32
 Marketing management /
Marketing research

 Demand estimation/ forecasting

 New product development
 Market potential assessment
 New product development and launch
 Market segmentation
 Buyer behavior analysis
 Advertisement and market communication
33
 Marketing management /
Marketing research

 Packaging and product design

 Pricing
 Planning sales force
 Distribution channel

34
Financial management /
Accounting
 Capital budgeting & project evaluation
 Capital structure decisions – debt equity
ratio
 Dividend management
 Working capital management
 Portfolio management
 Accounting practices & methods
 Capital market analysis
35
Production and operations

Capacity planning, Plant location, Plant

layout, Product development research, Cost
reduction research, Work simplification
research, Process improvement studies,
Quality control, Logistics management,
Maintenance management, etc.
36
Human resource management
/ Organization study
 Recruiting, selecting, hiring & placement of
employees; Training & Development of
employees; Promotion & transfer;
Attitudes; communication; health & safety
conditions; Job enrichment; Fringe benefits,
Leadership styles, change management,
conflict management, etc.

37
International Business/
Management
 International business environment,
outsourcing, exchange risk
management, FDI & FII, Global entry
strategies, International culture and
communication, MNCs, International
marketing, lnternatctional trade
logistics, EXIM finance, etc.

38
 Chapter - 2

Types of Research

39
 Chapter - 2

Types of Research
According to the intent- Pure Research,
Applied Research, Exploratory Research,
Descriptive Study, Diagnostic Study, Evaluation
Studies & Action Research

40
Pure research
 Pure or Fundamental research,
frequently called basic research, seeks
to extend the boundaries of knowledge
in a given area with no necessary
immediate application to existing
problems.

41
Pure research
Contribution of Pure or Fundamental
research
Development of new principles/ theories

Expansion of knowledge

Solution to practical problem (eg. Theory

of motivation)

42
Applied research
 Applied research is undertaken to
find solution to real life problem that
requires action or policy decision.

43
Applied research
Contributions of Applied research
Testing theories in practical contexts

Solution to practical problems

44
45
Exploratory research
Exploratory or formulative research
is preliminary study of an unfamiliar
problem about which the researcher has
little or no knowledge. The existing
knowledge about the phenomenon
concerned may be limited.
Contribution
In social/business studies, lot of areas
need this kind of studies
46
 Features
 It is similar to a doctor’s initial
investigation of a patient suffering from
an unfamiliar malady for getting some
clues for identifying it
 It is ill-structured
 It is less focused on pre-determined
objectives

47
 Purposes
 To generate new ideas
 To increase the researcher’s familiarity with
the problems
 To make a precise formulation of the
problems
 To gather information for clarifying
concepts
 To determine whether it is feasible to
attempt the study
48
Descriptive research
 Descriptive research or study is fact
finding investigation, with adequate
interpretation.
 It is more specific than exploratory
study, as it has focus on particular
aspects or dimensions of the problems
studied.

49
Descriptive research
 A descriptive research attempts to
describe systematically a situation,
problem, phenomenon, service or a
programme, or provides information
about, say, the living conditions of a
community or describes attitudes
towards an issue.

50
Descriptive research
 For example, it may attempt to describe
the types of service provided by an
organization, the administrative
structure of an organization, the living
conditions of the people in a place, the
needs of the community etc.

51
 Characteristics of Descriptive
Research
 It is fact-finding investigation with
adequate interpretation
 It is more specific than an exploratory
study, as it has focus on particular aspects
or dimensions of the problem studied
 It is designed to gather information
 Data are collected by using observation,
interviewing and mail questionnaire
52
Descriptive research
Criteria of descriptive research
 The problem must be describable and
not just arguable
 The data should be amenable to an
accurate, objective and quantitative (if
possible) analysis

53
 Objective
A descriptive study aims at identifying the various
characteristics of a community or institution or a problem
under study, but it does not deal with the testing of
proposition or hypothesis.

However, it can reveal potential relationships between

variables thus setting the stage for more elaborate
investigation later.

54
Evaluation study
 Evaluation studies are used for
assessing the effectiveness of social and
economic programmes implemented or
for the assessment of impact of
development projects.
Types
 Concurrent, periodic, terminal

55
 It is a type of applied research
 It is made for assessing the effective-
ness of social and economic programmes
implemented (e.g. Family planning
scheme) or for assessing the impact of
development projects (e.g. irrigation
project) on the development of the project
area

56
Purpose
 Evaluation research is thus, directed to
assess or appraise the quality and
quantity of an activity and its
performance, and
to specify its attributes and conditions
required for its success.
It is also concerned with change over
time.

57
 Types of Evaluation
 Concurrent evaluation: This is a continuous
process and partakes the nature of the inspection
or social audit of an ongoing programme.
 Periodic evaluation: This is made after each
distinct phase of the project has been completed.
it may be called mid term evaluation.
 Terminal Evaluation : This is done after the
completion of a programme or project.

58
 Diagnostic study

 Diagnostic study is directed towards

discovering what is happening, why is it
happening and what can be done about it.
 It aims at identifying the causes of a
problem and the possible solutions for it.
 It is similar to descriptive research

59
Action Research
 It is a type of participatory study/
research
 It involves solving problems with partici
pation and involvement of people, with
appraisal happening simultaneously
 It is a concurrent evaluation study of an
action programme launched for solving
a problem / for improving an existing
situation 60
Action Research
 For eg. For the development,
advancement and welfare of people, go
vernment institutions & voluntary organi
zaitons undertaken
action programmes for achieving
specific goals and objectives.
 Self-help groups, Community action
programmes etc are example of
action programmes.
61
Action Research

62
Types of Research
Types of Research
According to the method:
Experimental Research, Analytical
Study, and Historical Research.

Inter Disciplinary Research and its

essentials.
63
Experimental research
 Experimental research is designed to
assess the effects of a particular
variable or a set of variables on a
phenomenon by keeping other variables
constant or controlled.
 Such a study will have an experimental
group and a control group. There will
be 2 types of variables, viz., dependent
variable and independent variable.
64
Experimental research
 There are various phenomena such as
motivation, productivity, development
and operational efficiency, which are
influenced by various variables.
 It may become necessary to assess the
effect of one particular variable or one
set of variables on a phenomenon. This
need has given rise to experimental
research.
65
Experimental Research
 It is designed to assess the effects of p
articular variables on a phenomenon by
keeping the other variables constant or
controlled.
 It aims at determining whether and in
what manner variables are related to ea
ch other.

66
Experimental Research
 The factor which is influenced by other
factors is called dependent variable and
the other factors, which influence it, are
known as independent variables.
 For e.g. Crop yield per hectare is a depe
ndent variable and the factors such as
soil composition, soil fertility, irrigation,
quality of seeds which influence the
yield are independent variables.
67
 Analytical research
 Analytical study is a method involving
procedures and techniques of analysis
applied to quantitative data.
 In most cases it consists of a well-defined
research framework and the use of
statistical techniques applicable to
numerical data.
 It involves using statistical testing
procedures. 68
Analytical research
Analytical study
 It is useful for quantitative analysis

69
 Historical Research
Historical study is a study of past records and
other information sources with a view to
reconstructing the origin and development of an
institution or a movement or a system, and
discovering the trends in the past
Past trends and events can be a guide to future,
and policy formulation and implementation

70
 Historical Research
 It is descriptive in nature
 Its objective is to draws explanations
and generalizations from the past trends
in order to understand the present and
to anticipate the future

71
Sources of data
 Eye witness accounts
 Oral testimony by elders
 Records and other documentary
materials
 Relics – scripture, monuments, etc

72
 Case Study
 A case study is an in-depth comprehensive
study of a person, a social group, an
episode, a process, a situation, a
programme, a community, an institution or
any other social unit.
 A case study helps to secure detailed
information about the unit of study. It aims
at studying everything of something.
73
 Case Study - Advantages
 Case study helps to probe the entire
life span of a social unit intensively and to a
nalyze the complex of factors influencing
the social unit.
 Facilitates to understand everything about a
social unit and the variety of habits,
traits and qualities combined in a social unit.

74
 Case Study - Advantages

 Helps to secure detailed information about

the growth of the unit, group structure,
individual life pattern etc.
 Easy to generalize the findings of case study and
helps to prepare plan of action for managing social
issues/problems
 Useful to pure research in furnishing clues for
further research.
 Flexible with respect to data collection methods.
75
 Case study - advantages
 There is a tendency for a researcher to dra
w generalization after studying a few cases,
which may not be relevant to all situations.
 There is a tendency to over-emphasize
the unique or unusual events which are seld
om comparable.
 It is costly, time consuming and wasteful in
certain cases where the objectives are
limited. 76
 Case study
 Inadequate for analysis of macro problems
 Scope for errors in judgments and bias.

77
 Surveys
 Survey is a fact finding study. It is a method of
research involving collection of data directly from
a population or a sample thereof at a particular
time.
 Data may be collected by means of interviews or
questionnaires.
 The analysis of data may be made by using
simple or complex statistical techniques
depending upon the objective of the study
78
 Survey – Characteristics
1. It is always conducted in a natural setting
2. It seeks responses directly from the
respondents / parties affected/involved
3. It can cover a very large population
4. It may be an extensive study or an
intensive study

79
 Purpose of Surveys
 To provide information to Government
Planners / Business organization
 To explain certain phenomenon, the
causal relationships between variables,
influence of factors on etc
 To make comparisons of demographic
groups/ behavioral groups
 To make predictions on cause and effect
relationship.
80
 Merits of Survey Method
 Surveys help gather important information needed
by government and business entities.
 It helps explain/ understand the relationship
between multiple variables and factors in market /
society.
 Useful in making policies: In making policies
governments and institutions need lot of
information. Surveys are useful in such
contexts.
81
 Merits of Survey Method
 Surveys are very useful in finding solutions
to problems.
 Useful to evaluate programmes. When huge
amount of money is spent by government or
institutions on various projects it is necessary to
evaluate such programmes. Surveys are of great
use in this exercise.
 Consumer Surveys - Through consumer surveys we
can know the opinions and attitudes of consumers,
their reactions to new products.
82
 Merits of Survey Method
 Survey method is flexible to permit the use
of different alternative methods of data
collection (such as observations, interviews
and questionnaires)
 Survey method facilitates drawing
generalization about large population
 Very useful instrument for verifying theories.

83
 Limitations of survey
 Effectiveness/feasibility depends upon
willingness and cooperation of respondents
 Sampling survey is subject to sampling
error (Sample size, Sample methods, types
of samples).
 It is subject to response errors.
 It is subject to measurement errors

84
 Limitations of survey
 Demands more time, money and efforts.
 There is s limit to the number of items or
information that can be collected in a singl
e survey.

85
 Survey Vs Case Study
 Survey is broad based investigation. Case
study is intensive investigation

 Survey covers large number if units. Case

study is a study of single unit / group

 Survey findings can be generalized. Case

study cannot be generalized
86
 Inter-Disciplinary Research
 Interdisciplinary research is a method of
research in which the tools of different
disciplines (subjects) are used to find an
explanation to the phenomenon under study.

 It is thus a cooperative research in

which experts from different disciplines pool
their knowledge together for the purpose of
finding explanation to any problem.
87
Essentials of Interdisciplinary
approach
 It is a co-operative and coordinated
research
 Specialists of different disciplines agree
to work together
 The research should be guided by
utilization outlook
 The object of the study should be com
mon
88
Conditions
 It should be possible for selecting exactly ide
ntical groups
 The target groups should be amenable
for experimentation
 It should be possible to identify all the
independent variables that affect the
dependent variables under study
 It should be possible to keep non-experiment
al variables constant.
89