Research Methodology

Prof. Dr. Khalid Manzoor Butt

• Research: the systematic investigation and study of
materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach
new conclusions.

• Introduction: The social sciences are the fields of

scholarship that study society. "Social science" is
commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality
of fields outside of the natural sciences. These include:
anthropology, archaeology, business administration,
communication, criminology, economics, education,
government, linguistics, international relations, political
science, sociology and, in some contexts, geography,
history, law, and psychology.
• Social Problems and Social Science: the connection
between social science and social problems should be a
high priority for all of us -- social scientists and citizens
alike. Example : Poverty and Social Science (Economics)

• The field of human knowledge that deals with all aspects

of the group life of human beings. So it is subject to
change with the changes in human behavior.
 Psychological Implications

• Psych of Individuals (Buddha and Confucius religion law abiding)

---Docile

• Psych of Nations (Afghans-----Germans---Superior)

Difference Between Social and
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences Physical Sciences

Law related to man’s behavior Physical laws are natural phenomena

Man is a social animal (Earth revolves around sun,
Sun rises from East)

Basic elements cant be separated Basic elements can separated by analysis

analytically. Combination of different
things

Less exactness Great exactness

(Approximately) fewer predictions More actual predications
Objectivity with difficulty Objectivity normally easily
Lesser scope for measurement of subject Greater possibility of measurement
matter
Difference Between Social and
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences Physical Sciences
Society is (Not) laboratory- difficulty Specific laboratories - easy to test
in testing
No equipment's Equipment to test and measurement
Utility and Significance of
Social Research
• 1. Like new born child, research gives us pleasure.
• 2. It gives us satisfaction of knowing the unknown.
• 3. Know and understand unknown things and phenomenon.
• 4. Provides guidance to social planning (no electricity….. effects
on temperament)
• 5. facilities control by providing first hand knowledge about
organization and working of society and its institutions.
• 6. Give us great power of control over social phenomenon.
• 7. Knowledge is enlightenment, awareness.
• 8. Discard assumption, it discard superstition and stereotype
thinking. Promoting better understanding and social cohesion.
Utility and Significance of
Social Research
• 9. Give more information about different facts.
• 10. Suggest effective remedial measure: Researcher provides sound
guidelines for appropriate measure of welfare or reforms.
• 11. Means to counter the problem.
• 12. Sound basis for predictions
• 13. Can guide social growth on proper lines and towards the
cherished goals.
• 14. It helps to improve the quality of social life by offering
decision makers substantive advices and reason about what do
decide and make people friendly policies.
• 15. Social research is the scientific analysis of the nature.
Classification of Social Research
• 1. Applied Research
• 2. Descriptive Research
• 3. Exploratory Research
• 4. Historical Research
• 5. Survey Research
• 6. Evaluation Research
• 7. Assessment Research
• 8. Intra Disciplinary Research
• 9. Comparative Research
• 10. Case study Research
• 11. Experimental Research
• 12. Expose facts Research
Classification of Social Research
• 1. Applied Research (For solution)

• Starts with observation

• Welfare and betterment of society
• It aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a
society. It is concerned with actual life. Gives solutions of
social problems.
e.g.
• Child Labor
• Increase in suicide rate
• Why democracy fails in Muslim countries.
Classification of Social Research
• 2. Descriptive Research

• It is essentially a fact finding approach.

• Why democracy fail in the 3rd world?
• Why some thing occurs to whom it is associated?
• To portray MQM accurately the characteristic of a particular
individual, situation or group.
Classification of Social Research
• 3. Historical Research

• Related to events relating to History e.g descriptions of

taxation system in Mughal tenure.
• Crusades causes
• How state evolved ?
• Down fall of Mughal what were the causes ?
• Historical Research is the induction of Principles through
research, to the past and social forces which have shaped the
present. --- A great deal of imagination is necessary in using
the historical method-No verification one can have sources.
Classification of Social Research
• 4. Formulative or Exploratory Research

• It has the purpose of formulating a problem for more precise

investigation or for developing hypothesis --- Clarifying
concepts.
• More intellectual nature
e.g.
• Saddam Hussain was a Fascist
Classification of Social Research
• 5. Experimental Research (Cause and effect
relation)

• To test a hypothesis of a casual relationship between variables.

• Have defined variables such as dependent, independent,
intervening etc
Classification of Social Research
6. Case Study

A comprehensive study of a social unit (person, group, institution)

is called case study “Ahmedi sect” – People Party, MQM.

A good method of collecting on formation about any

phenomenon.

Characteristics of case study method:

1. Study of the whole Unit.
2. Intensive Study
Classification of Social Research
Sources in case study method:
• 1. Personal documents : the hidden secret of an individual (letter,
diary, auto-biography, Public documents, minutes of meeting, orders
of government, work plan)
• 2. Life History : entire life of the person taken in to account; his
interview and his closed persons interview, associated locations.

Phases of Case Study

1. Choice of cases
2. Recording of data
3. Interpretation
Case work
Relates the developmental and adjustmental procedure that follows the
diagnosis.
Classification of Social Research
7. Survey Research
• Study large and small group through samples chosen from the
population.
• The study of interrelationship of variables related to sociology
economics and cultural criticism of population. Generally
samples are selected and interviews are held to measure
variables.
E.g.
• To open a school in a particular area.
• Opening of new projects
• Problem of working women
• Lady Doctor as a wife
Classification of Social Research
• 8. Evaluative Research
• Related to the measurement of the performance of a project or
a program in relation to the targets and goals set for the
program or project when it was made.

• e.g. when Tarbela Dam was made some targets must have been
set about how much irrigation, electricity, fishery and tourism
will be produced. When the govt. Sasta Roti Scheme it must has
set good who much cost and benefit of the program.

• After the project is completed some body may go and measure

the actual performance of the project. It is called evaluation
research.
Assessment Study:
• Describe the status of a phenomenon at a particular time. It may
deal with prevailing opinion, knowledge, practice or condition.

Comparative Method:
• To discuss intellectual capacity or performance in comparison to
others.
• Explain the means of comparison– comparative data to analysis.
Inter-Disciplinary Research
• Every researcher in a particular field has to follow a
particular discipline and method of study. Each branch of
knowledge has its own discipline. Any explanation from one
discipline would be incomplete. Inter-disciplinary research
is to remove this difficulty and to get help of various
disciplines for finding out solution .
Methods and Techniques of
Research
• In a boarder sense, any method of investigation by which,
scientific or any other impartial systematic knowledge is
acquired, is called a scientific method.

• Scientific method consists of systematic observation classic

fiction and interpretation of data.

• Scientific thinking is more formal, strict empirical and goal

oriented.
Primary forms of kinds of
scientific method
• Inductive:
• From a particular facts to making a general rule or principle is
known as inductive e.g. a, b, c are things and they occupy
space based on observation.

• Deductive:
• From general rule to particular case: man is mortal and Aslam
is man, therefore, Aslam is mortal based on observation but
apply logic philosophy.
Primary forms of kinds of scientific
method
• Historical:
• A backward movement in knowledge to trace the antecedent
cause or causes of a phenomenon.
• Comparative:
• Analysis and comparison of two contemporary phenomenon is
known comparative method two government or political system.
• Structural:
What are outlines and significant feature of a body. Anatomy
• Functional:
The process and their causes that is “how” and “why” of a thing
physiology.
• Techniques are those special procedures by which a scientific/
sociologist collects and orders data in the field of his specialization.
Distinction between Methods
and Techniques
• Method is a systematic study of definite matter. Technique is
procedure of collecting and ordering data.

• Method has a fixed out lay and scheduled steps Techniques keeps
changing observation to photography. Listening to recording.

• Method is common to all sciences.

• Phases:
• Observation
• Noting
• Classification
• Generalization
• Verification
• Techniques are not common to all sciences.
Kinds of Techniques
• 1. Observation

• 2. Questionnaire (Survey)

• 3. Schedule and Interview

• 4. Documentary Study discussion

• 5. Field Study