Research Process

Research process consists of series of actions or steps necessary

to effectively carry out research. These actions or steps are;
a) Formulating the Research Problem
b) Extensive Literature Survey
c) Developing the Research Hypothesis
d) Preparing the Research Design
e) Determining the sample Design (probability or non-probability)
f) Collecting the Research Data.

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Research Process Cont..
g) Analysis of Data
h) Hypothesis Testing
i) Generalization and Interpretation
j) Preparing of the Report or Presentation of the Result

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Cont..
The researcher must decide the general area of interest or aspect
of a subject matter that would like to inquire into and then research
problem should be formulated.
A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved. Researcher
must take time to think about research by asking the four “Ws” as
this will save you problems later.
 What is my research? one of the hardest parts in the early
stages. Need to sum up the research in one sentence only
otherwise the research topic is too broad.
 Why do I want to do the research? told by your tutor or by your
boss, you are interested in the topic, have identified a gap in the
research literature, want to try to obtain funding, for a university
dissertation or project. 3
Cont..
 Who are my research participants/respondents? think about
the type of people with whom you will need to get in touch with
and whether it will be possible for you to contact them.
 Where am I going to do the research? thinking in geographical
terms will help you to narrow down your research topic. need to
think about the resources in terms of budget and time.

4Ws help you to sort out whether the research project you have
proposed is possible within your time scale and if respondents
will be available at that time.
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 Technique involved in defining a problem
i. State the statement of the problem in a general way keeping
in view either some practical concern or some scientific or
intellectual interest. For social research, it is advisable to do some
field observation by undertaking preliminary survey called pilot
survey.
 Then the researcher can state the problem or can seek the
guidance of the guide or the subject expert in accomplishing
this task.
 the researcher can narrow down and phrase the problem in
operational terms. The problem stated in a broad general way
may contain various ambiguities which must be resolved by
thinking and rethinking over the problem.
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Cont..
ii. Understanding the nature of the problem by:
 Discussing it with those who first raised it in order to find out
how the problem originally came about and with what
objectives in view.
 discussion with those who have a good knowledge of the
problem concerned or similar other problems.

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Cont..
iii. Surveying the available literature by reviewing of research
already undertaken on related problems, relevant theories in the
field, reports, records, and other relevant literature. Aim is to:
• find out what data and other materials, available to narrow
the problem itself as well as the technique that might be used.
• know if there are certain gaps in the theories, or whether the
existing theories applicable to the problem under study are
inconsistent with each other, or whether the findings of the
different studies do not follow a pattern consistent with the
theoretical expectations.

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Cont..
iv. developing the ideas through discussions by discuss his
problem with his colleagues and others who have enough
experience in the same area or in working on similar problems
(experience survey).

v. Rephrasing the research problem into a working proposition

by putting the research problem in as specific terms as possible
so that it may become operationally viable and may help in the
development of working hypotheses.

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(b) Extensive Literature Survey
Once the problem is formulated the researcher should undertake
extensive literature survey connected with the problem using the
abstracting and indexing journals, published or unpublished
bibliographies, academic journals, conference proceedings,
government reports, books etc. must be tapped depending on the
nature of the problem.
Guidance:
 Avoid to cover everything written on your topic.
 Pick a research/paper most relevant to the topic you are
investigating.
 After review, summarize what has been done, what has not
been done, what needs to be done.
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(c) Development of Working Hypothesis
After extensive literature survey, researcher should state in clear
terms the working hypothesis or hypotheses.
Working hypothesis is tentative assumption made in order to
draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences. it
provides the focal point for research.

(d) Preparing the Research Design: The research design refers

to the overall blueprint for the collection, measurement, and
analysis of data to effectively address the research problem and
make the study as efficiently as possible through obtaining
information with minimal effort, time, and cost (Kothari, 2004).
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Cont..

A research design contains a clear statement of the research

problem and justifies its selection, review previously
published literature related to the problem area, specify
hypotheses or research questions, effectively describe the
data which will be necessary for an adequate test of the
hypotheses and explain how such data will be collected
including the procedure and technique to be used for
obtaining information, the population to be studied, and
describe the methods of analysis to be applied in processing
and analysis of data.

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Cont..
(e) Determining Sample Design
A sample design is a definite plan determined before any data is
actually collected for obtaining a sample from a given population.
In census inquiry we involve a great deal of time, money and
energy so it not possible in practice under many circumstances.
Sample designs can be either probability or non-probability.
With probability samples each element has a known probability
of being included in the sample but the non-probability samples
do not allow the researchers to determine this probability.

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Research Process Cont..
(f) Collecting the Data
There are several ways of collecting the appropriate data
which differ considerably in context of cost, time and other
resources.
Primary data can be collected either through experiment or
survey. In case of survey, data can be collected by any one or
more of the following ways; observation, personal interview,
telephonic interviews, and questionnaires.

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Research Process Cont..
(g) Analysis of Data
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 inference.

Analysis work after tabulation is generally based on the

computation of various percentages, coefficients etc., by applying
various well defined statistical formulae.

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Cont..
(h) Hypothesis Testing
After analyzing the data, the researcher is in a position to test the
hypothesis, if any. Do the facts support the hypothesis or they
happen to be contrary?
This is the usual question which is to be answered by applying
various tests like ‘t’ test, ’F’ test etc.
Hypothesis testing will result in either accepting the hypothesis or
in rejecting it.

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Cont..
(i) Generalizations and Interpretation:
If a hypothesis is tested it may be possible for the researcher to
arrive at generalization.
The real value of research lies in its ability to arrive at certain
generalizations.
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.

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Cont..
(k) Preparation of the Report or the Thesis:
Finally, the researcher has to prepare the report of what has been
done.
The layout of the report should be as follows; the preliminary
pages, the main text and end matter. The preliminary pages
carry title, acknowledgements and forward and then index.
The main text of the report should have introduction, review
of literature, methodology, result and discussion, and
conclusion and discussion.
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 Criteria of Good Research
One expects scientific research to satisfy the following criteria:
a) The purpose of the research should be clearly defined and
common concepts be used.
b) The research procedure used should be described in sufficient
detail to permit another researcher to repeat the researcher for
further advancement, keeping the continuity of what has already
been attained.
c) The procedural design of the research should be carefully
planned to yield results that are as objective as possible.
d) The researcher should report with complete frankness, flaws
in procedural design and estimate their effects upon the
findings.
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 Criteria of Good Research Cont..
e) 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.
f) 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.
g) Greater confidence in research is warranted if the researcher
is experienced, has a good reputation in research and is a
person of integrity.

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 Exercise

Formulate your research problem basing on

technique involved in defining a problem.

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