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Research Methodology: M S Sridhar
Research Methodology: M S Sridhar
PART 1
M S Sridhar
Head, Library & Documentation
ISRO Satellite Centre
Bangalore 560017
Contd...
2. REASONING
Deductive (Aristotle) – From whole to part
Inductive (Francis Bacon) – From number of observations
Combined
3. RESEARCH
Systematic, controlled, empirical & critical investigation of
hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among
natural phenomena, I.e.,
Systematic & controlled
Empirical
Self-correcting
Research is a combination of both experience & reasoning and
must be regarded as the most successful approach to the discovery
of truth (particularly in natural sciences)
Synopsis
1. Introduction to Research & Research • What is research ?
methodology • Why research ?
2. Selection and formulation of • Terms used
research problem
Research Methodology
3. Research design and plan
4. Experimental designs Research Method
5. Sampling and sampling strategy or Research Technique
plan • Research methodology
6. Measurement and scaling
techniques
• Scientific method
7. Data collection methods and • Benefits of research
techniques methodology
8. Testing of hypotheses • Qualities of good research &
9. Statistical techniques for researcher
processing & analysis of data
10. Analysis, interpretation and drawing • Research process
inferences • Types of research
11. Report writing
1. To get a degree
2. To get respectability
3. To face a challenge
4. To solve a problem
5. To get intellectual joy
6. To serve society
• by increasing standard of living in case of S&T, and
• by showing right path to society in case of Social and
Behavioural Sciences
3. QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
• Measured & expressed in terms of • Involves quality or kind
quantity • Helps in having insight into
• Expression of a property or problems or cases
quantity in numerical terms
• Quantitative research helps:
i. Precise measurement
ii. Knowing trends or changes
overtime EMPIRICAL
iii. Comparing trends or individual • Relies on experience or
libraries / units observation alone, i.e.,data
based research
• Capable of being verified by
4 CONCEPTUAL observation or experiment
• Related to some abstract idea or • Experimenter has control
theory (for thinkers & over variables
philosophers) contd…
• Relies on literature
5. OTHER TYPES
i. One time/ Cross sectional vs Longitudinal/ Developmental &
Trend or prediction studies (the time domain)
ii. Field setting vs Lab / Simulation research
iii. Clinical vs diagnostic studies
iv. Exploratory vs Formulated (the degree of formulation of the
problem) studies
v. Historical studies (Greater part of it is quantitative)
vi. Content Analysis is one such quantitative method – a multipurpose
method developed specifically for investigating a broad spectrum of
problems in which the contents of communication serve as a basis of
inference. Example: word usage rates, word counts, etc.
vii. Correlational research
viii. Conclusion oriented or decision oriented research