Francis Bacon define: “Research is a power of

suspending judgment with patience of meditating with

pleasures of asserting with caution, of correcting with
readiness of arranging thought with scrupulous plan”.
Historical overview:
• The social research roots deep to the origin of
human civilization.
• Before the empirical research, knowledge was
gained through logic, reason, faith, or speculation.
• The empirical research deals with the evidences
based on facts.
Motives of social research:
Motives and aims while conducting a social research
are used as synonyms in general but the researchers
have differentiated the above set/tool. Motives are
more general and quiet often unknown to the
respondents and even the researcher. Motives are
classified into two types:
• Intrinsic → related to personal interest of the
researcher.
• Extrinsic → related to the interest of those
contracting the research.
Therefore, motives are different from aims.
Objectives of social Research:
• Some areas of social research objectives comes
prior to goals while in others it is vice versa.
• Objectives are usually specifics statements of a
research, which are mostly specific outcomes
(in behavioral studies).
• In other research studies, the objective are
general it means one aim is broken down into
different objectives to accomplish the desired
motives.
The goals of social research:
• Goals are, other than in some cases like behavioral
studies, further break down of objectives. And in
some cases like behavioral studies it is vice versa.
• Goals are always specific, measurable and to attain
short-term outcomes.
• When Goals are achieved, the outcomes bring the
researcher closer to the objectives.
• When objective are achieved they bring the
researcher closer to the aims.
• This hierarchy makes the researcher able to conduct
clear, precise and transparent research.
Types of social research:
There are two type of social research first is qualitative
and second is quantitative.
• Qualitative
Methods of social research based principally on
theoretical and methodological principles of
interpretivism, as expressed in paradigms such as symbolic
interactionism, hermeneutics, and ethnomethodology.
• Quantitative
Methods employing quantitative theoretical and
methodological principles and techniques, including
statistics.
 Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative

Qualitative Quantitative
 Qualitative → Quality  Quantitative → Quantity
 Deals with description  Deals with numbers
 Data can be observed.  Data can be measured
 Subjective, Problematic, Holistic, A  Objective, Simple, Single, Tangible,
social construct. Sense Impression.
 Analytical or conceptual  Inductive generalizations,
generalizations, time-and-context nomothetic statements.
specific.
 Exploratory  Conclusive
 Field, Historical, Action,  Basic. Applied, longitudinal,
descriptive, casual. Exploratory, Experiment, survey.
ethnographic.
Descriptive research
Is mostly used in current situations like marketing, organizational
structures, behavior and outcomes, consumers etc. descriptive
research provides information about a situation in its natural
setting. It mostly deals with who, what, when, where, how. It
does not answer why.
Advantages Disadvantages

It is useful before conducting are The outcomes do not discover a precise

quantitative research to attain general answer.
overview.

The complete natural environment The outcomes may not be able to

provides the results very close to nature disprove a hypothesis.
 Action research :
The word action refers to doing some work therefore
action research bases on the application of scientific
methods to the problem for which the solution is
necessary by initiating steps practically. Action research
is closed within its approach to practical research. In
various ways except that, applied (practical) research
contains a large number (amount) of samples.
Advantages Disadvantages
It emphasizes on decentralize decision- It is by large and localized matter. So, the
making. findings of one researcher may not be
applicable to another one
 Quantitative
Experimental research
• Experimental research describe, “What will be” when
relevant conditions are carefully controlled. It is the
prove of a hypothesis which seeks to take up two
factors in to causal relationship through the study of
contrasting situations which have been controlled on
all factors except the hypothetical one.
• In view of George G. Moly experiment must be self-
contained for the satisfaction of three basic inter
related conditions:
• Control
• Randomization
• Replication
Advantages
• The relationship to be
observed s clear in its causal
direction
• The findings are not based • Testing and retesting may
on single experiment as in
other methods but
repetition of the
experiment provides
average result
• Experimental can conduct
experiment at his own ease.
Disadvantages
• The analogy between the
experiment and the real
world may not be sure to
hold.
sensitize the controlled
group (especially human
beings) leading to make
them a stimulus to change.
• Sometimes using
experimental method may
be unethical or objection
able.
• Observational research
• Observational method is used to experiment in the cases
when controlled group is not possible to create.
Observation is done in two ways
• Direct observation: In this way, the people know that are
being observed. It makes difficult for the experimental to
get correct findings as people may become attentive.
• It is best to use in gathering data and information
because it involves material objects or specimens, or ay
consist of classifying assuring or counting.
• The coaching assistants in games and others such cases
direct observation lead to improve the performance.
• Indirect observation: In this way, the people do not
know that they are being observed. This way enables the
experimental to get desired result.
• Survey
• Survey is used to collect data from a relatively
large number of cases at a particular time. It is
essontionally cross sectional as it is concern
with the generalize statistics when the data
are abstracted from number of individual
cases.
• In survey, there is no controlled group like in
experiments and others. Data is mostly
collected through questionnaires, are in some
situation through structured interviews.
• Questionnaire:
• Questionnaire used for collecting data in journal category
of inquiry forms. The respondents answers the questions
are respond to the statement in writing. It is used when
actual information is desired. Questionnaire of two forms
• Closed form: the close questionnaires’ have short check
mark responses or a multiple choice. However, sometimes
“other” in options allows the responded to opine freely.
• Open form: the open questionnaires allows the
respondents to answers the question in their own words.
This provide them opportunity to give possible reasons
for their responses
• Combined form: to overcome the merits and demerits of
the above two the researchers prepare the questionnaire
by combining the close and open form.
Interview
Is a technique in which the researcher and respondents have face-
to-face answer, question session for a specific / limited time. It is in a
sense oral questionnaire instead of writing response the interviewee
(respondent) answers the question face to face.
Following are some forms of interview that are conducted in
different conditions:
• Intake interview, as the initial stage in clinic and guidance centers
• Brief-talk contacts, as in schools and recreation centers.
• Single-hour interviews, a common type in schools and colleges, as
compared with the much less frequent long series of interviews.
• Clinical psychological interviews, emphasizing psychotherapeutic
counselor in the re-education of the client.
• Psychoanalytic interviews
• Group interviews, as in selecting. Applicants for admission to
college, trainees for special courses, or candidates for positions, or
student opinion on particular topics.