Q1. What are the characteristics of modern-day research?

CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH:

Research is a process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting information to answer questions. But to
qualify as research, the process must have certain characteristics: it must, as far as possible, be
systematic, controlled, rigorous, valid and verifiable, empirical and critical.

Systematic-this implies that the procedure adopted to undertake an investigation follow a certain logical
sequence. The different steps cannot be taken in a haphazard way. Some procedures must follow
others.

Controlled- in real life there are many factors that affect an outcome. The concept of control implies
that, in exploring causality in relation to two variables, we set up our study in a way that minimizes the
effects of other factors affecting the relationship. This can be achieved to a large extent in the physical
sciences, as most of the research is done in a laboratory. However, in the socialn sciences it is extremely
difficult as research is carried out on issues related to human beings living in society, where such
controls are not possible.

Rigorous-you must be careful in ensuring that the procedures followed to find answers to questions are
relevant, appropriate and justified. Again, the degree of rigor varies markedly between the physical and
social sciences and within the social sciences.

Valid and verifiable-this concept implies that whatever we conclude on the basis of our findings is
correct and can be verified by us and others.

Empirical-this means that any conclusion drawn are based upon hard evidence gathered from
information collected from real life experiences or observations.

Critical-critical scrutiny of the procedures used and the methods employed is crucial to a research
enquiry. The process of investigation must be foolproof and free from drawbacks. The process adopted
and the procedures used must be able to withstand critical scrutiny.

Q2. What is the first stage of a research process? Why is it important? Does it involve any
complexity? Justify.

Stages in the Research Process

1. Defining the research objectives

Defining the Research Objectives

 Research objectives are the goals to be achieved by conducting research
 The objectives cannot really be determined until there is a clear understanding of the
managerial decision to be made
  The research objectives cannot be developed until managers and researchers identify the
actual business “problem” that will be addressed by the research
 Properly defining a problem can be more difficult than actually solving it
 Defining the decision situation must precede the research objectives
 Knowing what is to be accomplished determines the research process.
 Exploratory Research
 Importance of Exploratory research
 Exploratory research is carried out when a topic needs to be understood in depth, especially if it
hasn’t been done before. The goal of such a research is to explore the problem and around it and
not actually derive a conclusion from it. Such kind of research will enable a researcher to  set a
strong foundation for exploring his ideas, choosing the right research design and
finding variables that actually are important for the analysis. Most importantly, such a research
can help organisations or researchers save up a lot of time and resources, as it will enable the
researcher to know if it worth pursuing.

Advantages of Exploratory research

 The researcher has a lot of flexibility and can adapt to changes as the research progresses.
 It is usually low cost.
 It helps lay the foundation of a research, which can lead to further research.
 It enables the researcher understand at an early stage, if the topic is worth investing the time
and resources and if it is worth pursuing.
 It can assist other researchers to find out possible causes for the problem, which can be
further studied in detail to find out, which of them is the most likely cause for the problem.

Q3. A Well designed and carefully executed survey is not always helpful. Do you agree with
this statement? Justify.

Survey
A survey is defined as a method of collecting primary data based on communication with a representative
sample

The benefits of Survey Research

Cost
Surveys are relatively inexpensive. Online surveys and mobile surveys, in particular, have a very small
cost per respondent. Even if incentives are given to respondents, the cost per response is often far less
than the cost of administering a paper survey or phone survey, and the number of potential responses can
be in the thousands.

Extensive
Surveys are useful in describing the characteristics of a large population. No other research method can
provide this broad capability, which ensures a more accurate sample to gather targeted results in which to
draw conclusions and make important decisions.
Flexible
Surveys can be administered in many modes, including: online surveys, email surveys, social media
surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys, telephone surveys, and face-to-face interview surveys. For
remote or hard-to-reach respondents, using a mixed mode of survey research may be necessary (e.g.
administer both online surveys and paper surveys to collect responses and compile survey results into one
data set, ready for analysis).

Dependable
The anonymity of surveys allows respondents to answer with more candid and valid answers. To get the
most accurate data, you need respondents to be as open and honest as possible with their answers.
Surveys conducted anonymously provide an avenue for more honest and unambiguous responses than
other types of research methodologies, especially if it is clearly stated that survey answers will remain
completely confidential.