steps of the research process

1. Identify the project topic

A successful research process often begins with a clearly defined intent for the research
project. You can focus on a topic in nearly any field of study, as the research process broadly
applies across all academic and professional fields. The more precisely you identify the topic
for your research, the more effectively you can design a process in order to conduct your
research.

2. Review any available literature

When working on a research project, understanding existing information related to your topic
can be a foundational element of the process. Researching existing data and writing regarding
the topic allows you to identify the need for your intended research, and it can help provide
the information you need in order to design your research approach effectively in later steps.

3. Submit process for review

When you plan to submit the results of your research process for formal assessment, such as
for a higher education degree project or in professional work, you may need to submit your
process for approval before beginning your research project. This allows the individuals you
will report to the opportunity to examine your intent and ensure that it meets their standards
and specifications. Receiving approval before continuing with the research process can help
you ensure you spend your time wisely and your project is acceptable.

4. Create an initial hypothesis

Using the information you have gathered, you can form your initial hypothesis for your
research. Your hypothesis represents what you expect to discover through your research
process, based on your previous knowledge and any information you gathered from your
preliminary reading. The research you perform in later steps tests this hypothesis, in order to
confirm or invalidate it based on new information.

5. Design the research approach

Working on a large research project can require careful planning. Designing your overall
research structure is an important step in the process in order to ensure that you spend your
time well. During this phase, you can determines

what resources you will use to further enhance your understanding, as well as any sources of
data or experiments required to further inform you and help you reach an accurate
conclusion.

6. Begin gathering data

After creating your designs and any experiments required. You can organize your data into
structures that make it easy to execute it. You can gather new data and information from your
research sources for you to work with it and identify key pieces for your research process.

7. Analyze the results

After sorting all of your information into organized sets, you can begin performing analysis
on it. Through this phase, you examine the data or research in order to identify new relevant
information and how it relates to your original hypothesis and chosen topic. The goal of
analysis is not to find information that supports your original hypothesis specifically, but to
assess all information and come to the most accurate conclusion about what the information
shows.

8. Create your report

Compiling a report once you've reached your conclusions allows you to sort that information
into a format you can share with others. For extensive research projects, it is common to
include an executive summary at the start of a report, which provides a brief look at the key
points for your audience. It's important to check any rules and guidelines provided to ensure
your report complies. This can improve your chances of having the report accepted and
makes it more effective for those reading it by ensuring it covers the desired points your
audience is interested in.

9. Proofread and submit

After completing your report, it is important to take time to proofread the entire document
before formal submission. This allows you to identify any typos or mistakes that can affect
the document's accuracy and provides the last opportunity to check any logic you used in the
development of your report. Doing so may also raise the overall quality of your report and
make it a more effective process.

Methods of research
On basis of objectives

Descriptive Research

This type of research provides accurate portrayal of characteristics of a particular

individual, situation or group. Also known as statistical research. It deals with everything
that can be counted and studied which have an impact on the lives of people.

Advantages-
 1. Less expensive, time consuming
2. Collect a large amount of notes for detailed studying.

Disadvantages-

1. Require more skills

2. Does not identify cause behind the research.

Correlational Research

The relationship among 2 or more variables without necessarily determining the cause
and effect is known as correlational research.

For example-

1. Correlation between obesity and diabetes mellitus

2. Correlation between smoking and cancer [1][2]

Advantages-

1. It is easy to collect much information from many subjects at single time.

2. Wide range of variables and their interrelations.
3. Study variables are not easily produced in the laboratory.

Disadvantages-

1. Does not indicate causation (cause and effect)

2. Problems with self reporting method.

Experimental Research

This study involves objective, systematic, controlled investigation for purpose of

predicting and controlling the phenomena. It also includes examining the probability and
causality among variables.

Advantages-

1. Best in establishing the cause and effect relationships

Disadvantages-
 1. Artificiality
2. Feasibility
3. Unethical

Variables-

There will be two variables- Dependent and Independent

Exploratory Research

This type of research will be conducted for a problem that has not been clearly defined.
It helps to determine the best research design, data collection method and selection of
subjects. It is quite informal relying on the secondary research.

For Example-

Online marketing and exploring through different sites

Explanatory Research

This research attempts to answer how and why between two aspects of a situation or a
phenomenon.

Example: why examination related stress leads to rote learning?

Why and how stress leads to a heart disease?

On basis of Outcome

Applied Research

It is a scientific study that seek to solve various practical problems in the day to day life.
It find answers or solutions to everyday problems, cure illness, develop innovative
technologies etc.

For example-

1. Improve agricultural crop production

2. Treat or cure specific disease
 [1] [2]
3. Improve energy efficiency of homes, offices, modes of transportation

Basic Research

It is called as Fundamental or Pure research. It Expands the person's knowledge. This

type of research is not going to create or invent anything new. Instead, it is based on
Basic science investigation.

For example-

1. How did universe begin?

2. What are protons?

On Basis of Logic

1.Inductive

Inductive research is a method in which the researcher collects and analyzes data to develop
theories, concepts, or hypotheses based on patterns and observations seen in the data.

It uses a “bottom-up” method in which the researcher starts with specific observations and
then moves on to more general theories or ideas. Inductive research is often used in
exploratory studies or when not much research has been done on a topic before.

2.deductive

Deductive research is a type of research in which the researcher starts with a theory,
hypothesis, or generalization and then tests it through observations and data collection.

It uses a top-down method in which the researcher starts with a general idea and then tests it
through specific observations. Deductive research is often used to confirm a theory or test a
well-known hypothesis.

Based on process

1.Quantitative

Quantitative research is a type of research that assumes that the phenomena under study
can be measured and involves methods that:
 • gather data using measurement (numerical data)
• analyse data by using quantitative statistical analysis techniques.

Involving numbers and quantifying the results mathematically in numbers.

2.Qualitative

Difficult or impossible to quantify mathematically such as beliefs, meanings, attributes

and symbols. It aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior.

Based on Inquiry Mode

1.Structured

A structured interview is a type of interview in which the researcher asks a set of

premeditated questions in order to gather information about the research subjects. It is also
known as a standardized interview or a researcher-administered interview, and it aims at
investigating research variables using the same set of questions.

Typically, structured interviews are used to collect information with regards to the quantity or
numerical value of the research subjects. It outlines events, behaviors, procedures, and
guidelines for conducting the interview and recording the information collected to serve as
the research data.

2.Unstructured

An unstructured interview is a type of interview that does not make use of a set of
standardized questions. Here, the interviewer does not generate any specific set of
standardized questions for research, rather he or she asks different questions in line with the
context and purpose of the systematic investigation.

Typically, an unstructured interview relies on spontaneity and follow-up questioning in order

to gather detailed information from the research subject. In many ways, this type of interview
can be viewed as an informal, everyday conversation because of its extremely colloquial
style.

Based on Idea/Concept

1.Conceptual

This research is related to an abstract idea or a theory. It is adopted by thinkers and

philosophers with the aim of developing a new concept or to re-examine the existing
concepts.
 Conceptual Research is mainly defined as a methodology in which the research is
conducted by observing and interpreting the already present information on a present
topic. It does not include carrying out any practical experiments.

This methodology has often been adopted by famous Philosophers like Aristotle,
Copernicus, Einstein and Newton for developing fresh theories and insights regarding
the working of the world and for examining the existing ones from a different
perspective.

The concepts were set up by philosophers to observe their environment and to sort,
study, and summarise the information available.

2.Empirical

This is a research method that focuses solely on aspects like observation and
experience, without focusing on the theory or system. It is based on data and it can
churn conclusions that can be confirmed or verified through observation and
experiment. Empirical Research is mainly undertaken to determine proof that certain
variables are affecting the others in a particular way.

This kind of research can also be termed as Experimental Research. In this research it
is essential that all the facts are received firsthand, directly from the source so that the
researcher can actively go and carry out the actions and manipulate the concerned
materials to gain the information he requires.

In this research a hypothesis is generated and then a path is undertaken to confirm or

invalidate this hypothesis. The control that the researcher holds over the involved
variables defines this research. The researcher can manipulate one of these variables to
examine its effect.