RE - SEARCH ---- CAREFUL SEARCH OR ENQUIRY INTO SUBJECT TO DISCOVER FACTS OR INVESTIGATE

RE - SEARCH ---- CAREFUL SEARCH OR ENQUIRY INTO SUBJECT TO DISCOVER FACTS OR INVESTIGATE IMPLIES -- A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH -- OF A PROBLEM -- RESULTS IN DISCOVERING NEW FACTS

RESEARCH IS A SYSTEMATIC ENQUIRY AIMED AT PROVIDING INFORMATION TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO ‘BURNS’ A SYSTEMATIC INVESTIGATION TO FIND ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO ‘BULMER’ SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IS PRIMARILY COMMITTED TO ESTABILISHING, SYSTEMATIC, RELIABLE, AND VALID KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SOCIAL WORLD

CLIFFORD WOODY RESEARCH COMPRISES DEFINING AND REDIFINING PROBLEMS, FORMULATING HYPOTHESIS OR SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS; COLLECTING ORGANIZING AND EVALUATING DATA; MAKING DEDUCTIONS AND REACHING CONCLUSIONS AND TESTING CONCLUSIONS TO DETERMINE THEY FIT THE HYPOTHESIS.

SOCIAL SCIENCE ENCLYPEDIA ( D. SLENSINGER and M STEPHONSON ) THE MANIPULATION OF THINGS, CONCEPTS OR SYMBOLS FOR THE PURPOSE OF GENERALIZING TO EXTEND, CORRECT OR VERIFY KNOWLEDGE, WHETHER THAT KNOWLEDGE AID IN CONSTRUCTION OF THEORY OR IN THE PRACTICE OF AN ART.

PROCESS OF RESEARCH CONSISTS OF ENUNCIATING THE PROBLEM DECIDING ON A RESEARCH DESIGN FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS COLLECTING FACTS / DATA ANALYSIS OF FACTS DRAWING CONCLUSIONS VALIDATING THE HYPOTHESIS OR REJECTING THE HYPOTHESIS.

RESEARCH THEREFORE CALLS FOR CERTAIN SKILLS WHICH NEEDS TO BE ACQUIRED.

RESEARCH THEREFORE CALLS FOR CERTAIN SKILLS WHICH NEEDS TO BE ACQUIRED. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF ACQUIRING SKILLS BUT ALSO A WAY OF THINKING EXAMINING CRITICALLY THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF YOUR PROBLEM.( AREA OF PROFESSION IMMATERIAL ) FORMULATE A GUIDING PRINCIPLE THAT GOVERN A PARTICULAR PROCEDURE. DEVELOPING AND TESTING NEW THEORIES. A HABIT OF QUESTIONING

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT CONTROLLED THIS CONCEPT IMPLIES THAT WHEN YOU ARE EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP OF TWO VARIABLES, YOUR EXPERIMENTAL SET UP SHOULD NEUTRALIZE / MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT CONTROLLED RIGOROUS PROCEDURES FOLLOWED MUST BE RELEVANT, APPROPRIATE, AND JUSTIFIED

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT CONTROLLED RIGOROUS SYSTEMATIC PROCEDURE ADOPTED MUST FOLLOW A LOGICAL SEQUENCE.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT CONTROLLED RIGOROUS SYSTEMATIC VALID AND VERIFIABLE

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT CONTROLLED RIGOROUS SYSTEMATIC VALID AND VERIFIABLE EMPERICAL CONCLUSIONS DRAWN ON HARD FACTS

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT CONTROLLED RIGOROUS SYSTEMATIC VALID AND VERIFIABLE EMPERICAL MUST WITHSTAND CRICITAL SCRUTINY

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE distinguish between the actual problem with those of the perception of the decision maker.

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED a detailed research proposal is made so that any other researcher can understand the methods adopted and repeat the exercise if required.

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED - RESEARCH DESIGN THOROUGHLY PLANNED the procedures adopted at each step such as method of sampling, size of sample etc are clearly detailed

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED - RESEARCH DESIGN THOROUGHLY PLANNED - LIMITATIONS CLEARLY REVEALED limitations in terms of desired procedures versus actual procedures and the effect such limitations would have on the final conclusions of the research.

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED - RESEARCH DESIGN THOROUGHLY PLANNED - LIMITATIONS CLEARLY REVEALED - MAINTAINING ETHICAL STANDARDS maintaining the integrity of data invasion of privacy etc must be maintained

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED - RESEARCH DESIGN THOROUGHLY PLANNED - LIMITATIONS CLEARLY REVEALED - MAINTAINING ETHICAL STANDARDS - ADEQUATE ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKER’S NEEDS findings must be detailed and tied to the data collected.

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED - RESEARCH DESIGN THOROUGHLY PLANNED - LIMITATIONS CLEARLY REVEALED - MAINTAINING ETHICAL STANDARDS - ADEQUATE ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKER’S NEEDS - FINDINGS PRESENTED CLEARLY findings must be presented in clear charts findings must be logically organized executive summary of conclusions presented

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED - RESEARCH DESIGN THOROUGHLY PLANNED - LIMITATIONS CLEARLY REVEALED - MAINTAINING ETHICAL STANDARDS - ADEQUATE ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKER’S NEEDS - FINDINGS PRESENTED CLEARLY - JUSTIFY CONCLUSIONS conclusions must be based on what the data reveals and not on what is the perception of the researcher.

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED - RESEARCH DESIGN THOROUGHLY PLANNED - LIMITATIONS CLEARLY REVEALED - MAINTAINING ETHICAL STANDARDS - ADEQUATE ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKER’S NEEDS - FINDINGS PRESENTED CLEARLY - JUSTIFY CONCLUSIONS - RESEARCHER’S EXPERIENCE. More the experience, greater the confidence.

ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GOOD RESEARCH - CLEARLY DEFINED PURPOSE - RESEARCH PROCESS DETAILED - RESEARCH DESIGN THOROUGHLY PLANNED - LIMITATIONS CLEARLY REVEALED - MAINTAINING ETHICAL STANDARDS - ADEQUATE ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKER’S NEEDS - FINDINGS PRESENTED CLEARLY - JUSTIFY CONCLUSIONS - RESEARCHER’S EXPERIENCE.

THE WAY WE HAVE DESCRIBED RESEARCH GIVES IT A SCIENTIFIC BASIS.

THE WAY WE HAVE DECRIBED RESEARCH GIVES IT A SCIENTIFIC BASIS. Kerlinger defines scientific research as: ‘SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS A SYSTEMATIC, CONTROLLED, EMPIRICALAND CRITICAL INVESTIGATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PROPOSITIONS ABOUT THE PRESUMED RELATIONS AMONG NATURAL PHENOMENA.’ -- systematic & controlled means there must be confidence in the outcome -- emperical i.e. based on data

SCIENTIFIC APPROACH IS A WAY OF THINKING AND CAN BE ANALYSED IN THROUGH THE FOLLOWING STEPS. PROBLEM - OBSTACLE - IDEA.

SCIENTIFIC APPROACH IS A WAY OF THINKING AND CAN BE ANALYSED IN THROUGH THE FOLLOWING STEPS. PROBLEM - OBSTACLE - IDEA. HYPOTHESIS

SCIENTIFIC APPROACH IS A WAY OF THINKING AND CAN BE ANALYSED IN THROUGH THE FOLLOWING STEPS. PROBLEM - OBSTACLE - IDEA. HYPOTHESIS REASONING AND DEDUCTION

SCIENTIFIC APPROACH IS A WAY OF THINKING AND CAN BE ANALYSED IN THROUGH THE FOLLOWING STEPS. PROBLEM - OBSTACLE - IDEA. HYPOTHESIS REASONING AND DEDUCTION OBSERVATION - TEST - EXPERIMENT.

CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH APPLICATION PURE RESEARCH APPLIED RESEARCH ( A )

PURE RESEARCH: THE RESEARCH IS MORE GENERAL AND IS NOT SPECIFIC TO A GIVEN PROBLEM. EX: WHETHER ESOP’s WILL MOTIVATE EMPLOYEE’S THIS QUESTION IS GENERAL AND IS NOT SPECIFIC TO ANY COMPANY AS A WHOLE APPLIED RESEARCH IF THE ABOVE PROBLEM IS SPECIFIC TO A GIVEN ORGANISATION.

CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH ( B )OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH EXPLORATORY CORRELATIONAL DESCRIPTIVE

CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH ( C )TYPE OF INFORMATION SOUGHT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

MOST RESEARCH ARE A COMBINATION OF THESE VARIOUS TYPES OF RESEARCH AND THEY ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.

RESEARCH PROCESS DISCOVER RESEARCHER DILEMMA STEP - I FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROBLEM

RESEARCH PROCESS DISCOVER RESEARCHER DILEMMA EXPLORATION

RESEARCH PROCESS DISCOVER RESEARCHER DILEMMA EXPLORATION DEFINE RESEARCH QUESTIONS

RESEARCH PROCESS DISCOVER RESEARCHER DILEMMA EXPLORATION DEFINE RESEARCH QUESTIONS EXPLORATION

RESEARCH PROCESS DISCOVER RESEARCHER DILEMMA EXPLORATION DEFINE RESEARCH QUESTIONS EXPLORATION FORMULATE HYPOTHESIS

STEP II -- CONCEPTUALISING A RESEARCH DESIGN RESEARCH DESIGN DATA COLLECTION SAMPLING DESIGN DESIGN MEASUREMENT SAMPLE UNIT/TYPE QUESTIONS SELECTION

STEP III (A) - CONSTRUCTING AN INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION. STEP III (B) - SELECTING A SAMPLE

STEP IV - PREPARATION OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL AT THIS STAGE IT IS NECESSARY TO PREPARE A RESEARACH PROPOSAL TO ASCERTAIN THE COST, TIME, LEVEL OF ERRORS, ASPECT AND THEREFORE THE USEFULNESS OF THE RESEARCH. THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL MUST BE ACCEPTED BEFORE THE ACTUAL RESEARCH IS PROCEEDED WITH

STEP V - COLLECTION/PREPARATION OF DATA STEP VI - DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION STEP VII - RESEARCH REPORTING.