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RM5151 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND IPR

UNIT I RESEARCH PROBLEM FORMULATION 6


Meaning of research problem- Sources of research problem, criteria characteristics of a good research problem, errors in
selecting a research problem, scope and objectives of research problem. Approaches of investigation of solutions for research
problem, data collection, analysis, interpretation, necessary instrumentations
UNIT II LITERATURE REVIEW 6
Effective literature studies approaches, analysis, plagiarism, and research ethics.
UNIT III TECHNICALWRITING /PRESENTATION 6
Effective technical writing, how to write report, paper, developing a research proposal, format of research proposal, a
presentation and assessment by a review committee.
UNIT IV INTRODUCTION TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR) 6
Nature of Intellectual Property: Patents, Designs, Trade and Copyright. Process of Patenting and Development: technological
research, innovation, patenting, development. International Scenario: International cooperation on Intellectual Property.
Procedure for grants of patents, Patenting under PCT.
UNIT V INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR) 6
Patent Rights: Scope of Patent Rights. Licensing and transfer of technology. Patent information and databases. Geographical
Indications. New Developments in IPR: Administration of Patent System, IPR of Biological Systems, Computer Software etc.
Traditional knowledge Case Studies, IPR and IITs.
TOTAL: 30 PERIODS
UNIT I
Meaning of research problem- Sources of research
problem, criteria characteristics of a good research
problem, errors in selecting a research problem,
scope and objectives of research problem.
Approaches of investigation of solutions for research
problem, data collection, analysis, interpretation,
necessary instrumentations
MEANING – “It is an art of scientific Investigation”.

 “A careful investigation or inquiry specially through search


for new facts in any branch of knowledge” - The Advanced
Learner’s Dictionary of Current English.

 “Systematized effort to gain new knowledge” – Redman


and Mory.
• Academic Research is defined as fixing a problem and
the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting
information to solve the problem thereof .
• But to qualify as good research, the process must have
certain characteristics and properties called SMART in
general: The main characteristics for good quality
research is listed below:
• S-Specific
M-Measurable
A-Attainable/Achievable
R-Realistic
T-Time bound
WHY UNDERTAKE RESEARCH?

• To investigate some existing situation or problem.


• To provide solutions to a problem.
• To explore and analyse more general issues.
• To construct or create a new procedure or system.
• To explain a new phenomenon.
• To generate new knowledge.
Research Problem
 A research problem, in general, refers to some difficulty which a researcher

experiences in the context of either a theoretical or practical situation and

wants to obtain a solution for the same.

 Thus, a research problem is one which requires a researcher to find out the

best solution for the given problem, i.e., to find out by which course of action

the objective can be attained optimally in the context of a given environment.


Technique involved in defining a problem
 Statement of the problem in a general way.

 Understanding the nature of the problem.

 Surveying the available literature.

 Developing the ideas through discussions.

 Rephrasing the research problem.


Sources of research Problem
1. Field exposure
2. Brain storming session
3. Critical appraisal of literature: reading
journals, periodicals, news letters and
books, Govt industry reports,
dissertation/thesis, electronic databases.
4. Consultation with executive experts, guide
or senior who has experience and can tell
you what are the challenging field on
which you can conduct research.
Sources of research Problem contd…

5) Intuition
6) Folklore - the traditional stories and culture of a group of people
7) Personal experience
8) Social issues
9) Attending scientific platforms like seminars, conferences,
workshop, symposium, training programs, skill development programs.
10) Academic experience: class room lecture or discussion
7 Basic Steps in Formulating a Research
Problem
The quality & relevancy of your research work completely depends on formulating
/ selecting a research problem.

1. Identify the Broad Study Area


2. Dissect the Broad Study Area into Subareas
3. Mark-up your Interest
4. Study Research Questions
5. Set Out Objectives
6. Assess your Objectives
7. Check Back
Criteria of Good Research
1. The purpose of the research should be clearly defined and common
concepts be used.

2. The research procedure used should be described in sufficient detail to


permit another researcher to repeat the research for further
advancement, keeping the continuity of what has already been attained.

3. The procedural design of the research should be carefully planned to


yield results that are as objective as possible.
4. The researcher should report with complete frankness, flaws in procedural
design and estimate their effects upon the findings.

5. The analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its significance


and the methods of analysis used should be appropriate. The validity and
reliability of the data should be checked carefully.

6. Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the data of the research


and limited to those for which the data provide an adequate basis.

7. Greater confidence in research is warranted if the researcher is experienced,


has a good reputation in research and is a person of integrity.
Characteristics of Research
1. The problem can be stated clearly and concisely (it addresses directly or
indirectly some real problem in the world).
2. The problem generates research questions (it generates new questions
or is cyclical in nature. leading to novelty. in a way that it has the potential
to suggest directions for future research).
3. It is grounded in theory (it is based on some logical rationale and tied to
theory. it is incremental).
4. It relates to one or more academic fields of study
5. It has a base in the research literature
Characteristics of Research contd…

6. It has potential significance/importance (useful for the concerned


people in a particular field).
7. It is doable within the time frame, budget (it can be replicated and
doable . whatever you conclude on the basis of your findings is correct
and valid and verifiable by you and others).
8. Sufficient data are available or can be obtained
9. Invites more complex designs / more variables
10. Does not carry ethical or moral impediments: (while working with
animal models).
Errors in selecting research problem:
• Subject which is overdone should not be normally chosen, for it will be a difficult
task to throw any new light in such a case.
• Controversial subject should not become the choice of an average researcher.
• Too narrow or too vague problems should be avoided.
• The subject selected for research should be familiar and feasible so that the
related research material or sources of research are within one’s reach. Even
then it is quite difficult to supply definitive ideas concerning how a researcher
should obtain ideas for his research.
A researcher must ask himself the following questions:
(a) Whether he is well equipped in terms of his background to carry
out the research?

(b) Whether the study falls within the budget he can afford?

(c) Whether the necessary cooperation can be obtained from those


who must participate in research as subjects?

If the answers to all these questions are in the affirmative, one may
become sure so far as the practicability of the study is concerned.
Errors in selecting research problem:
1) The opposites of what have been discussed.
2) Looking for something when it simply is not
to be found.
3) Plagiarizing other people’s work.
4) Falsifying data to prove a point.
5) Misrepresenting information and misleading
participants.
Scope and objectives of research problem
Motivation in Research
What makes people to undertake research?
This is a question of fundamental importance.

The possible motives for doing research may be either one or more of the following:

1. Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits;


2. Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e., concern over
practical problems initiates research;

3. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work;

4. Desire to be of service to society;

5. Desire to get respectability.


HOW TO READ RESEARCH

1. Locate and read a few articles from within a field you are
comfortable with.
2. Read studies that are of interest to you.
3. Read the abstract first.
4. Identify the research question and objectives.
5. Why did the researcher(s) choose a particular setting or
sample?
6. What were the methods chosen to collect data?
7. What were the most important findings?
8. Do not be over-concerned with statistical analysis.
9. Be critical but objective.
Characteristics of a Good
Research Question

ETHICAL

SIGNIFICANT

CLEAR

FEASIBLE
Significance of Research

•Doubt is often better than overconfidence as


doubt leads to enquiry and enquiry leads to
invention”
• Research inculcates scientific and inductive
thinking that promotes development of logical
thinking
Elements of Research Methodology
• Defining objective
• Reviewing Literature
• Formulating Hypothesis
• Designing sample
• Collecting data
• Analyzing of data
• Arriving at conclusions
Steps in Research
1. Observation
2. Preliminary information gathering
3. Theory Formulation
4. Hypothesizing
5. Further Scientific Data Collection
6. Data Analysis
7. Deduction

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Research Process
• The research process consists of a series of actions or steps necessary to
effectively carry out research and the desired sequencing of these steps.
• If subsequent procedures have not been taken into account in the early
stages, serious difficulties may arise which may even prevent the completion
of the study.
• One should remember that the various steps involved in a research process
are not mutually exclusive, nor they are separate and distinct.
1. Formulating the Research Problem:

• The formulation of a general topic into a specific research problem, thus,


constitutes the first step in a scientific enquiry.

Essentially two steps are involved in formulating the research problem, viz.,

 understanding the problem thoroughly, and

 rephrasing the same into meaningful terms from an analytical point of


view.
2. Extensive Literature Survey:
• Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary of it should be written down.

• For this purpose, the abstracting and indexing journals and published or unpublished

bibliographies, Academic journals, conference proceedings, government reports, books

etc., must be tapped depending on the nature of the problem.

• In this process, it should be remembered that one source will lead to another. The

earlier studies, if any, which are similar to the study in hand should be carefully studied.

• A good library will be a great help to the researcher at this stage.


3. Development of working hypotheses:
• The working hypothesis is a tentative assumption made in order to draw
out and test its logical or empirical consequences.

• The role of the hypothesis is to guide the researcher by delimiting the area
of research and to keep him on the right track.

• It sharpens his thinking and focuses attention on the more important


facets of the problem. It also indicates the type of data required and the
type of methods of data analysis to be used
4. Preparing the research design:
• The research problem having been formulated in clear-cut terms, the

researcher will be required to prepare a research design, i.e., he will

have to state the conceptual structure within which research would be

conducted.
The preparation of the research design, appropriate for a
particular research problem, involves usually the consideration
of the following:

(i) the means of obtaining the information;


(ii) the availability and skills of the researcher and his staff (if any);
(iii) explanation of the way in which selected means of obtaining information
will be organised and the reasoning leading to the selection;
(iv) the time available for research; and
(v) the cost factor relating to research, i.e., the finance available for the
purpose.
5. Determining sample design:
• A sample design is a definite plan determined before any data are actually
collected for obtaining a sample from a given population.

• The researcher must decide the way of selecting a sample or what is


popularly known as the sample design.

• The sample design to be used must be decided by the researcher taking


into consideration the nature of the inquiry and other related factors.
6. Collecting the data:

• Primary data can be collected either through experiments or surveys.

• The researcher should select any one of the suitable methods of collecting the data

taking into consideration the nature of the investigation, the objective and scope of the

inquiry, financial resources, available time, and the desired degree of accuracy
7. Execution of the project:

• The researcher should see that the project is executed in a systematic


manner and in time.

• Execution of the project is a very important step in the research


process. If the execution of the project proceeds on correct lines, the
data to be collected would be adequate and dependable.
8. Analysis of data:

• After the data have been collected, the researcher turns to the task of
analysing them.

• The analysis of data requires a number of closely related operations


such as establishment of categories, the application of these
categories to raw data through coding, tabulation and then drawing
statistical inferences.
9. Hypothesis-testing:

• After analysing the data as stated above, the researcher is in a


position to test the hypotheses, if any, he had formulated earlier.

• Do the facts support the hypotheses or they happen to be contrary?


This is the usual question which should be answered while testing
hypotheses.
10. Generalisations and interpretation:
• If a hypothesis is tested and upheld several times, it may be possible for
the researcher to arrive at generalisation, i.e., to build a theory. As a
matter of fact, the real value of research lies in its ability to arrive at
certain generalisations.

• If the researcher had no hypothesis to start with, he might seek to explain


his findings on the basis of some theory. It is known as interpretation.

• The process of interpretation may quite often trigger off new questions
which in turn may lead to further researches.
11. Preparation of the report or the thesis:
• Finally, the researcher has to prepare the report of what has been done by him.

Writing of report must be done with great care keeping in view the following:

1. The layout of the report

2. Report should be written in a concise and objective style in simple language avoiding vague
expressions.

3. Charts and illustrations in the main report should be used only if they present the information
more clearly and forcibly.

4. Calculated ‘confidence limits’ must be mentioned and the various constraints experienced in
conducting research operations may as well be stated.
Stages of the Scientific Method
Question Identified

Steps within
Hypothesis Formed the research
process

Research Plan

Data Collected

Results Analyzed

Conclusions
Steps in Conducting Research
• Specific steps guide the research process
• Number of steps is indeterminate
• Various steps may be combined
• Order of steps may vary somewhat
• Importance of specific steps is variable
• “12 Steps of Research”
12 Steps of Research

1. Identify the research question


2. Initial review of literature
3. Distilling the question to a researchable problem
4. Continued review of literature
5. Formulation of hypothesis
6. Determining the basic research approach
7. Identifying the population and sample
8. Designing the data collection plan
9. Selecting or developing data collection instruments
10. Choosing the method of data analysis
11. Implementing the research plan
12. Interpreting the results
Selecting the topic/ Problem

1. Significance/relevance: Is this an important


problem for nurses/nursing practice? Is it
timely?
2. Gaps: What is already known about the topic?
Have others already examined this issue? Is
more research needed?
3. Interest: Is this something you would like to
explore further?
Research is communication
The greatest ideas are worthless if you keep them to yourself

Your papers and talks


Crystalise your ideas
Communicate them to others
Get feedback
Build relationships
(And garner research brownie points)
What to put into research
1. Motivation (20%)
2. Your key idea (80%)
3. There is no 3
Explain the problems to be encountered by
researchers in India
• Lack Of Scientific Training
• Insufficient Interaction:
There Is No Proper Interaction Between Researchers And The Business
Establishments And Government Institutions.
• Lack Of Confidence:
Most Of The Business Establishments Are Of The Opinion That The
Researchers Can Misuse The Data Provided By Them.
• Lack Of Code Of Conduct:
• The Outlook Of The Researcher/ Research Student:
All Students Before Being Selected By The Guide Interact With Their
Senior Students. They Already Finding Difficulty With Research And
Tells The Hardships They Suffer Or Suffered. This Changes The Outlook
Of The Student
• Lack Of Availability Or Access To Literature Needed
• Copying data +Plagiarism
• Higher Cost of Publishing
• Manipulation of data
• Lack of availability of sponsors
• No availability of permission to do research in specific
centres
Problems Encountered by Researchers in India
Researchers in India, particularly those engaged in empirical research, are facing
several problems.
Some of the important problems are as follows:
1. The lack of a scientific training in the methodology of research is a great
impediment for researchers in our country.
Before undertaking research projects, researchers should be well-equipped with all
the methodological aspects. As such, efforts should be made to provide short-
duration intensive courses for meeting this requirement.
2. There is insufficient interaction between the university research
departments on one side and business establishments, government
departments and research institutions on the other side.

There is need for developing some mechanisms of a university-industry


interaction programme so that academics can get ideas from
practitioners on what needs to be researched and practitioners can
apply the research done by the academics.
3. There is the need for generating the confidence that the
information/data obtained from a business unit will not be misused.

Most of the business units in our country do not have the confidence
that the material supplied by them to researchers will not be misused
and as such they are often reluctant in supplying the needed
information to researchers.
4. Research studies overlapping one another are undertaken quite often for
want of adequate information.

• This results in duplication and fritters away resources. This problem can be
solved by proper compilation and revision, at regular intervals, of a list of
subjects on which and the places where the research is going on.

• Due attention should be given toward identification of research problems


in various disciplines of applied science which are of immediate concern to
the industries.
5. There does not exist a code of conduct for researchers and inter-university
and inter-departmental rivalries are also quite common.
Hence, there is need for developing a code of conduct for researchers which,
if adhered sincerely, can win over this problem.
6. Many researchers in our country also face the difficulty of adequate and
timely secretarial assistance, including computerial assistance.
7. Library management and functioning is not satisfactory at many places
and much of the time and energy of researchers are spent in tracing out the
books, journals, reports, etc., rather than in tracing out relevant material
from them.
8. There is also the problem that many of our libraries are not able to get copies
of old and new Acts/Rules, reports and other government publications in time.
This problem is felt more in libraries which are away in places from Delhi
and/or the state capitals. Thus, efforts should be made for the regular and
speedy supply of all governmental publications to reach our libraries.
9. There is also the difficulty of timely availability of published data from various
government and other agencies doing this job in our country. Researcher also
faces the problem on account of the fact that the published data vary quite
significantly because of differences in coverage by the concerning agencies.
10. There may, at times, take place the problem of conceptualization and also
problems relating to the process of data collection and related things.
Research Topic: The broad general area expected
to investigate. It is a broad idea or concept from
which many problems may be delineated.

Research Problem: A situation or circumstance


that requires a solution to be described, explained, or
predicted. It is an unsatisfactory situation that wants
you to confront.

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If there is a knowledge gap in an area that
need to be investigated, the research problem
identifies this gap. Where as the research topic is
simply a broad area of interest, the research
problem identifies what is problematic about that
topic.

Research Statement: A statement specifies


exactly what is being studied.
The research statement should include six elements:

 Information about the research topic that provoked the


study
 The scope of the problem (e.g. how many people are
affected by it)
 Why it is important to study the problem.
 How nursing science would be influenced by the study
 General characteristics of the population of interest
 The overall goal or aim of the study or the question to
be answered

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Your researchable idea can be generated from many sources:

•You may have a particular area of interest that you have been thinking for quite some time, and would
like to pursue further.
•You may have generated your idea while discussing this issue with your colleagues/peers or in a
seminar.
•You might have been reading journals, books or magazines on issues relating to teaching and learning
in higher education
•Further reflection on our general interest, discussion with colleagues and teachers, whatever we read,
and many such circumstances will facilitate focusing on the choice of our topic of research.
• Your interest is important where you have burning desire to add value.
•Your skills, background knowledge versus your interest and societal need.
•Level and type of research-Under-graduate, Graduate student etc or just research
•Availability of resources including Experienced Supervisor or Co-investigator,
facilities/funds/Data/instrument among others
•Identification and if applicable quantification of research of research problems-Existing gaps to be filled
based on perceived ideals/expected reality and what obtains currently.
•SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Bound) nature of desired objectives of the
research TOPIC.
•Anticipated applicability of research outcomes in addressing societal needs.
When you are selecting a research problem following characteristics of a
good research question should be kept in mind:

If you remember FINER MAPS, you can frame a good research question

1. F -Feasible and Fundable


2. I -Interesting and Impactful
3. N -Novel
4. E -Ethical
5. R -Relevant and Replicable
6. M -Manageable
7. A -Appropriate
8. P -Publishable
9. S -can be done in a Systematic and Scientific way
Methods of Data Collection

• The task of data collection begins after a research problem has been
defined and research design/ plan chalked out.

• While deciding about the method of data collection to be used for the
study, the researcher should keep in mind two types of data viz.,
primary and secondary.
Primary Data
• The primary data are those which are collected afresh and for the first
time, and thus happen to be original in character.
• We collect primary data during the course of doing experiments in an
experimental research but in case we do research of the descriptive type
and perform surveys, whether sample surveys or census surveys, then we
can obtain primary data either through observation or through direct
communication with respondents in one form or another or through
personal interviews.
Methods of Collecting Primary Data
(i) observation method,

(ii) interview method,

(iii) through questionnaires,

(iv) through schedules, and

(v) other methods

which include: (a) warranty cards; (b) distributor audits; (c) pantry
audits; (d) consumer panels; (e) using mechanical devices; (f) through
projective techniques; (g) depth interviews, and (h) content analysis.
Secondary Data
• The secondary data, on the other hand, are those which have already been
collected by someone else and which have already been passed through
the statistical process.

• When the researcher utilises secondary data, then he has to look into
various sources from where he can obtain them.

• In this case he is certainly not confronted with the problems that are
usually associated with the collection of original data.
Secondary data may either be published data or unpublished data.
Usually published data are available in:

(a) various publications of the central, state are local governments;

(b) various publications of foreign governments or of international bodies and their subsidiary
organisations;

(c) technical and trade journals;

(d) books, magazines and newspapers;

(e) reports and publications of various associations connected with business and industry, banks, stock
exchanges, etc.;

(f) reports prepared by research scholars, universities, economists, etc. in different fields; and

(g) public records and statistics, historical documents, and other sources of published information.
By way of caution, the researcher, before using secondary data,
must see that they possess following characteristics:

1. Reliability of data

2. Suitability of data

3. Adequacy of data
SELECTION OF APPROPRIATE METHOD FOR
DATA COLLECTION
There are various methods of data collection.
As such the researcher must judiciously select the method/methods for his
own study, keeping in view the following factors:
1. Nature, scope and object of enquiry
2. Availability of funds
3. Time factor
4. Precision required
ELEMENTS/TYPES OF ANALYSIS

The term analysis refers to the computation of certain measures along with
searching for patterns of relationship that exist among data-groups.

Thus, “in the process of analysis, relationships or differences supporting or


conflicting with original or new hypotheses should be subjected to statistical
tests of significance to determine with what validity data can be said to
indicate any conclusions”.
INTERPRETATION
• Interpretation refers to the task of drawing inferences from the collected
facts after an analytical and/or experimental study.
• In fact, it is a search for broader meaning of research findings.
The task of interpretation has two major aspects viz.,
(i) the effort to establish continuity in research through linking the results
of a given study with those of another, and
(ii) the establishment of some explanatory concepts.
The technique of interpretation often involves
the following steps:
(i) Researcher must give reasonable explanations of the relations which he has
found and he must interpret the lines of relationship in terms of the underlying
processes and must try to find out the thread of uniformity that lies under the
surface layer of his diversified research findings. In fact, this is the technique of
how generalization should be done and concepts be formulated.

(ii) Extraneous information, if collected during the study, must be considered while
interpreting the final results of research study, for it may prove to be a key factor
in understanding the problem under consideration.
(iii) It is advisable, before embarking upon final interpretation, to consult
someone having insight into the study and who is frank and honest and will
not hesitate to point out omissions and errors in logical argumentation. Such
a consultation will result in correct interpretation and, thus, will enhance the
utility of research results.

(iv) Researcher must accomplish the task of interpretation only after


considering all relevant factors affecting the problem to avoid false
generalization. He must be in no hurry while interpreting results, for quite
often the conclusions, which appear to be all right at the beginning, may not
at all be accurate.

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