L1

PEC 701 Research Methodology

Unit 1: Foundations of Research & Hypothesis

Department of Petroleum Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology

(I.S.M.) Dhanbad
India

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत

Introduction to the Course
RM is a way to systematically solve a Research Problem……

Studying how research is done scientifically…..

Importance of knowing RM
i. Research methodology (RM) is central to an enhanced PG research experience. This course offers you the
opportunity to learn the various aspects of the research process: framing useful research questions,
research design, data collection, analysis, writing and presentation.
ii. RM will provide you with the necessary knowledge to undertake better research and, maybe, become
successful career researchers.
iii. When one knows how research is done, then one acquires a new tool which can become a way of looking
at the world and of judging everyday experience.
iv. Knowledge of how to carry out research will inculcate the ability to evaluate and use research results with
reasonable confidence.
v. Learning RM has become more critical than ever because of the changing nature of data. The growth in
data generated by machines, software applications, sensors and networks and the associated complexity
of the research environment means that the ability to understand and properly use data to make useful
decisions is becoming an essential competency.
So, what is Research?
As per Google (powered by Oxford Dictionaries):

Research is…

“the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach
new conclusions.”
… and Science?
• Science is the rational observation, collection, and analysis of facts about the universe.

• Under Science, one rationally discovers, generates, tests and shares knowledge that is understood to be true
and reliable.
The Sciences
Science

Pure/Basic Science Applied Science

Empirical Sciences Formal Sciences

Natural Sciences
Observational/non-
experimental Sciences
Life Sciences

Behavioural Sciences Experimental Sciences

Social Sciences
Research Methodology – L1
• Importance
• Scientific Behaviour
• Motivation & Utility
• Theory
• Hypothesis, theory, law
• Epistemology
Good Scientific Behaviour
Scientists don’t merely come up with discoveries and keep those to themselves. They release it to
the society and, at that point, have to be sensitive about how those discoveries may affect the social
norms of the day.

But in today’s world there are other rules. How others in the institute talk and behave, interacting
with mentors, other colleagues, interacting with other delegates at a technical conference, etc, also
has an impact on the building of good scientific behaviour such as:
• lack of bias
• maintaining data and records of one’s research
• giving due credit to others who have contributed to one’s research
• making the results of one’s research available to the scientific community
• judging the scientific work of others solely on its merits.
Research

As the name suggests, “Re” “Search” is something we need to keep repeating to find some underlying truth.
Research, hence, means to carefully, systematically, and patiently study or investigate in some field of
knowledge.
Motivation behind Research
1. Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e., concern over practical problems
initiates research
2. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work
3. Desire to be of service to society
4. Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits
5. Desire to get respectability
6. Desire to provide insights and solutions to real world problems.
Utility of Research
A few of the many ways research can be used are….

• categorize –This can be useful in explaining which ‘things’ belong together and how;

• describe – descriptive research relies on observation as a means of collecting data.

• explain – this is a descriptive type of research specifically designed to deal with complex issues.

• evaluate – this involves making judgements about the quality of objects or events.

• compare – two or more contrasting cases can be examined to highlight differences and similarities between them, leading to a
better understanding of phenomena;

• correlate – the relationships between two phenomena are investigated to see whether and how they influence each other.

• predict – this can sometimes be done in research areas where correlations are already known. E.g. using reservoir simulators….

• control – once you understand an event or situation, you may be able to find ways to control it.
Research Theory
So, with research we are trying to prove, predict, discover or compare some
scientific ideas. What is the theory behind trying to do so?
Introduction
• Research is about acquiring knowledge and developing understanding; collecting facts and
interpreting them to build up a picture of the world around us, and even within us.
• Hence, we should hold a view on what knowledge is and how we can make sense of our
surroundings. In other words, we should know what is the philosophy behind science and
research.
• Even though we know this, some people maintain that a study of the philosophy of the sciences is
irrelevant to researchers.
• So why should you find it necessary to know something about philosophy or the theory as a
background to your research?
Because everyone is a philosopher! Everyone has an opinion about the world…..
• Your research, and how you carry it out, is deeply influenced by the theory that is behind it, the
philosophy that you may subscribe to.
Introduction…
• There are different ways of going about doing research depending on your assumptions about
what actually exists in reality:
• what we can know (metaphysics) and,
• how we can acquire knowledge (epistemology).
• Metaphysics is concerned with questions such as:
• What is it to be?
• Who are we?
• What is knowledge?
• What are things?
• What is time and space?
• It would be great if we had the ability to directly answer all the above questions. However we do
not.
• THAT is why, in this course, we will talk mostly on Epistemology and not so much on Metaphysics, as, in
research, our aim is to understand how to ACQUIRE knowledge.
 these three words are used by some scientists

Hypothesis / Theory / Law interchangeably, thinking they mean the same.

They do not.

HYPOTHESIS

• A Research Question is a statement of what you want to learn….., and Hypothesis, is more of a tentative,
preliminary answer to that question.

• A hypothesis can be:

• A proposed explanation for a phenomenon
• A conjecture that can be tested via experimentation and observation
• An initial generalization that would require empirical investigation
• A basis for predictions that can be tested

• The general idea behind a hypothesis is that by applying logic, the hypothesis can lead to predictions about
observations. If the results of these observations/experiments support the hypothesis, and if further testing
(even by others) continues to support it, we speak of the hypothesis as leading to a theory.
We will go into more details about Hypothesis couple of Lectures later.
Theory
• A theory is a hypothesis that has been tested (supported by considerable empirical evidence) and
generalized so that it can be useful in explaining, predicting and controlling phenomena. However,
it is not correct to say that a theory has been proved, even though it has been verified by some
evidence or not been rejected.

• A theory, in the natural sciences, is a generalization, based on existing knowledge and empirical
evidence—and observations and experiments can never prove anything; we never can assume
that we know all there is to know or have observed everything that can be observed.
Criteria for Good Theories
• Power of explanation
• Irrelevant details are left out and relevant details are included.
• An account with a smaller number of arbitrary assumptions that explains the phenomenon is to be preferred
to an account with a larger number of arbitrary assumptions. In other words, a simple theory that fits the
data is preferable to a more complicated one.
• Predictive accuracy
• Testability/falsification
• Consistency with pre-existing knowledge—even if the theory may show that an earlier theory was wrong
Laws
Laws can be said to be theories that:
• have been subject to extensive testing,
• have been found to apply over a wide range of time and space and to be correct
• in every possible situation—or at least are judged to have an extremely low chance of being
found to be incorrect,
• appear to be in coherence with existing knowledge, and
• are widely accepted by the scientific community.
References – A tentative list
• Research Methodology – Methods and Techniques
- C.R. KOTHARI

• Research Methods - The Basics

- Nicholas Walliman

• Fundamental of Research Methodology & Statistics

- Yogesh Kumar Singh

• Research Methodology - A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

- Ranjit Kumar
Feedback required after Lecture 1
• Are the online classes going fine w.r.t. the tech used (Google CR)?
• Is the pace of the lecture fine?
• Are the given references useful at all?

• Any feedback should be sent directly to lecturer’s email:

pashupati@iitism.ac.in