Research Methodology

1. Title
2. Introduction
3. Statement of the Problem Already
4. Review of Literature covered
5. Objectives of the Study
6. Conceptual Framework
7. Hypotheses for the Study
8. Research Design and Methodology
9. Results
10. Conclusions
11. References
 What is research?
 Research means finding answers to the
questions.
 It is a systematic search for truth.
 Through research, new and original
information, ideas about the world we live in,
are obtained.
 Research is search for knowledge.
 Research is defined as a scientific and
systematic search for information on a specific
topic.
DEFINITION OF RESEARCH

• Redman and Mory “Systematized effort

to gain new knowledge”
• Organized scientific investigations to
solve problems, test hypotheses, develop
or invent new products.
Steps in Research Process
Stages of the Scientific
Method
Question Identified

Steps within the

research process
Hypothesis Formed

Research Plan

Data Collected

Results Analyzed

Conclusions
Steps in research
Research is systematic, because it follows certain steps that are
logical in order. These steps are:

1. Understanding the nature of problem to be studied and

identifying the related area of knowledge.

2. Reviewing literature to understand how others have

approached or dealt with the problem.

3. Collecting data in an organized and controlled manner so as to

arrive at valid decisions.

4. Analysing data appropriate to the problem.

5. Drawing conclusions and making generalizations.

 Objectives of research
Find out truth which is hidden and which has not been
discovered yet

•Gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new

insights into it

•Portray accurately the characteristics of a particular

individual, situation or a group

•Determine the frequency with which something occurs

or with which it is associated with something else

•Test a hypothesis of a casual relationship between

variables
 Motivation in Research
Research degree along with its consequential
benefits

•Face the challenge in solving the unsolved

problem

•Get intellectual joy of doing some creative

work

•Service to society

•Get respectability
Which of these can be classified as research?

[1] Ali prepared a paper on “computer usage in secondary schools”

after reviewing literature on the subject available in his university
library.

[2] Hanif says that he has researched and completed a document which
gives information about the age of his students, their results, their
parents income and distance of their schools from the District Office.

[3] Ahmad participated in a workshop on curriculum development and

prepared what he calls, a report on the curriculum for Engineers.
None of the above examples can be
classified under the name research.
Consider the following case which is an
example of research

•A general manager of a car producing company was concerned with

the complaints received from the car users that the car they produce
have some problems with sound at the dash board and the rear
passenger seat after few thousand kilometers of driving.

•GM obtained information from the company workers to identify the

various factors influencing the problem.

•GM then formulated the problem and generated guesses (hypotheses).

•GM constructed a checklist and obtained requisite information from a

representative sample of cars.

•GM analysed the collected data, interpreted the results in the light of
his hypotheses and reached conclusions.
• What’s out there?
• What does it look like?
• How does it work?
• How well does a method solve a problem?
• Why does something happen the way it
happens?
• Predictive (Models): What would happen
if --------------- ?

13
 Research Idea Research Question
1. Job recruitment via the internet 1. How effective is recruiting for
new staff via the internet in
comparison with the traditional
methods.
2. Advertising and share prices
[Link] does the running of a TV
advertising campaign designed
to boost the image of a
company affect.
3. The future of trade unions
3. What are the strategies that trade
unions should adopt to ensure
their future viability?
 PROBLEMS IN RESEARCH

 Uncontrollable variables
 Human tendencies
 Time and money
 Lack of computerization
 Insufficient interaction between university research
departments and business establishments
 Lack of confidence on the part of business units to give
information
 Fields Where Research is Often Used – (1)
General Business Conditions and Financial and Accounting Research
Corporate Research
• Forecasts of financial interest rate trends,
• Short- & Long-Range Forecasting, • Stock,bond and commodity value
• Business and Industry Trends predictions
• Global Environments • Capital formation alternatives
• Inflation and Pricing • Mergers and acquisitions
• Plant and Warehouse Location • Risk-return trade-offs
• Acquisitions • Portfolio analysis
• Impact of taxes
• Research on financial institutions
• Expected rate of return
Management and Organizational
• Capital asset pricing models
Behaviour Research • Credit risk
• Cost analysis
• Total Quality Management
• Morale and Job Satisfaction
• Leadership Style
• Employee Productivity
• Organizational Effectiveness
• Structural ssues
• Absenteeism and turnover
• Organizational Climate
Fields Where Business Research is Often Used – (2)
Sales and Marketing Research Information Systems Research

• Market Potentials • Knowledge and information needs

assessment
• Market Share • Computer information system use and
• Market segmentation evaluation
• Market characteristics • Technical suppot satisfaction
• Sales Analysis • Database analysis
• Establishment of sales quotas • Data mining
• Enterprise resource planning systems
• Distribution channels
• Customer relationship management
• New product concepts systems
• Test markets
• Advertising research Corporate Responsibility Research
• Buyer behaviour
• Customer satisfaction • Ecological Impact
• • Legal Constraints on advertising and
Website visitation rates promotion
• Sex, age and racial discrimination / worker
equity
• Social values and ethics
 HOW DO WE KNOW WE HAVE A
RESEARCH PROBLEM?
 Customer complaints
 Conversation with company employees
 Observation of inappropriate behaviour or

conditions in the firm

 Deviation from the business plan
 Success of the firm’s competitor’s
 Relevant reading of published material (trends,

regulations)
 Company records and reports.
• A common mistake that new researchers make when
setting up a research project is picking a methodology
first and then trying to force fit a research question onto
that methodology. That pathway risks great pain,
agony, and bad research.

• It is important to start with developing adequate

research question(s).
• What exactly is the researcher trying to find the answer
to?
• Once the researcher develops a research question that
is clear, concise, and specific, then he/she can start
exploring how the research can be conducted.
• In some situations, the research will be constrained from
some methods due to ethical or practical reasons (e.g.,
classified information).
• In other situations, time or resource issues may inform the
choice of research methods. But it is important to consider
the range of research methods (many to be presented in
this course), the positives and negatives of each
approach, and then make a rational decision on how to
proceed in order to best meet the goals of the research
within the given constraints.
Research methods alternatives:
• 1) Conduct an experiment

• Experimental research is the description and analysis of what will be

or what will occur, under carefully controlled condition

• The independent variable is controlled or set by the researcher

– Example: cotton percentage

• The dependent variable is measured by the researcher

– Fiber strength
Research methods alternatives:
2) Conduct a survey.
Go through the literature for methods, tools, and practices and then select
a statistically valid sample from the population to survey to see which
methods, tools, and practices each uses.
There are several ways of collecting the appropriate data which differ
considerably in context of cost, time and other resources at the disposal of
the researcher. Primary data can be collected either through experiment or
through survey.
• In case of survey, data can be collected by any one or more of the
following ways;
• By observation,
• Through personal interview,
• Through telephonic interviews,
• By mailing of questionnaires
Research methods alternatives:
• 3) Do historical research.

• The systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe,

explain, and understand actions or events that occurred
sometime in the past.

• There is no manipulation or control of variables as in

experimental research.

• An attempt is made to reconstruct what happened during a

certain period of time as completely and accurately as possible.
Research methods alternatives:
• There are positives and negatives to each approach. There are
time issues, resource issues, limitations, etc. Sometimes
multiple methods can be used in sequence or parallel in
achieving credible answers to the research questions. But each
approach must be a legitimate way to conduct research for this
particular question.
• The decision process that determines which approach is
selected should be based on a reasoned examination of focus,
contribution, capability, and expected results.
• A systematic way to solve the research problem
• •Science of understanding how research is done
• •Study varies steps adopted by a researcher
• •Researchers should know the relevant method and which are
not

When we talk of “Research Methodology”, we not only

talk of the research methods but also consider the
logic behind the methods we use in the context of our
research study and explain why we are using a
particular method and why we are not using others, so
that research results are capable of being evaluated by
the researcher himself or by others
 9. Results and discussion
• Make sure to consider the audience

• Discuss implications for the population of

interest and future research

• Hint: Table/Graph explanation done before

(writing comprehension)
10. Conclusions
• Summarize your key results.

• Discuss optimized (best) settings and

make recommendations.

• Can talk about future research areas in

this section
• Model extension
• Applying this model to different areas
• Increasing number of variables
11. References
Different styles of referencing. Follow the style
provided in the template or style
recommended by journal/conference
website.

• Kothari C. R., Research Methodology,

• Banerjee, Subhojit and Roy, Ramendu (2010),
• Fundamentals of Research Methodology, Kitab Mahal, Allahabad.