Research Methodology

By Badam Niazi
Faculty of Computer Science
University of Nangarhar
 What is Research
• RESEARCH is ORGANIZED & SYSTEMATIC WAY
of finding ANSWERS to QUESTIONS.

According to john W. creswell

• Make a research question.

• Collect related information.
• Answer to research question.
 What is Research..
• Carefully study and investigation, especially in
order to discover new facts or information.

What is Research Methodology

• Systematic investigation of a problem or facts
which include discovery, presentation, analysis
and establish new facts, these are basically for
the advancement of human-beings.
 Why Research ?
• To get information
• To gain understanding
• To predict outcome
• To assist in evaluating options
• To answer a question
• To advancement of human-beings.
 Characteristic of Research
• Research is process of collecting, analyzing and
interpreting information to answer question.
• To qualify as research, the process must have a
certain characteristic: it must as a far as
possible, be:
• Controlled- in exploring the relation between
tow variables (factors), the research should
carried in a way that minimizes the effects of
other factors affecting the relationship.
 Characteristic of Research ..
• Rigorous- procedure followed to find answers to
questions are relevant, appropriate and justified.
• Empirical- research is based on direct experience
and observation by the researcher.
• Logical- research is based on valid procedure and
principles.
• Cyclical- research is cyclical process it start with a
problem and ends with a problem.
 Characteristic of Research …‍‍
• Analytical- research utilizes proven analytical
procedures in gathering data, whether historical,
descriptive, experimental and case study.
• Critical- research exhibits careful and precise judgment.
• Systematic- research is conducted in methodical
manner whiteout bias using systematic method and
procedures that follow certain logical sequence.
• Replicable- the research design and procedures are
replicated or repeated to enable the researcher to
arrive at valid and conclusive result.
 Characteristic of good Researcher
Following are the different characteristic of good
researcher:
• Intellectual curiosity – a researcher
undertakes a deep thanking and inquiry of
the things and situations around him
• Prudence- the researcher is careful to
conduct his research study at the right time
and at the right place wisely efficiently and
economically
Characteristic of good Researcher..
• Healthy criticism- the researcher is always
doubtful as to the truthfulness of the results.
• Intellectual honesty- an intellectual
researcher is honest to collect or gather data
or facts in order to arrive at honest results.
• Intellectual creativity- a productive and
resourceful investigator always create new
researches.
 Classification of Research
Research can be classified as:

• Library Research- this done in the library where

answer to the specific questions or problems of
the study are available.
• Field Research- Research is conducted in natural
setting
 Classification of Research ..
• Libratory Research- the research is conducted in
artificial or controlled conditions by isolating the
study in thoroughly specified in equipped area. The
purposes are:
 To test hypotheses derived from theory.
 To control variances under research conditions, and
 To discover the relations between the dependent and
the independent.
 Type of Research
According to Reajeet Kumar the Research can be
classified from three perspectives
According to Reajeet Kumar
1.Application
2. Objectives
3. Inquiry mode
 Application research

Basic or Pure Research –

Generate new ideas, principles, and theories, which

may not be immediately utilized but on the other
hand form the basis of progress and development
in different fields
Example: how programming language should be
designed to make it easier to write error-free
programming?
 Application research..
Applied Research- To answer or solve a specific
question that has direct application to the world.
This is the type of research that solve a problem
thereby developing techniques and technologies.
Applied research can be carried out by academic or
industrial institutions. Often, an academic
institution such as a university will have a specific
applied research program funded by an industrial
partner interested in that program
 Application research…
Applied Research-
Example: designing software architecture and
language for big data.
Example: protecting the network against Denial
of service (DoS) Attack.
 2. Objective
From the view point of objectives, a research
can be classified as:

• Descriptive
• Correlation
• Explanatory
• Exploratory
 a. Descriptive
A research study classified as a descriptive study
attempts to describe systematically a situation,
problem, phenomenon, service or programme, or
provide information about the living conditions of a
community, or describe attitudes towards an issue
To gain more information about the topic, before
designing an experiment to address a hypothesis.
Example: In human-Computer interaction (HCI), first
we observe how humans and machines interact
before we hypothesize models for that behavior or
new systems for the computers.
 b. Correlation Research
The main emphasis in a correlational study is to
discover or establish the existence of a
relationship/ association/ interdependence
between two or more variables or more
aspects of a situation.
Correlation research is looking for variable that
seem to interact with each other, so that
when you can see on changing, you have an
idea of how the other will change.
 C. Explanatory research
this kind of research attempts to clarify why
and how there is a relationship between
two aspects of a situation or phenomenon.
Example:
for example, to explain why stressful living
results in heart attacks; or how home
environment affects children’s level of
academic achievement.
 C. Explanatory research..

• This type of research can be

conducted using:
• The observational method
• The survey method
• The case study method
 d. Exploratory Research
• This type of research is undertaken to explore
an area where little is known.
• It is conducted for a problem not clearly
defined.
• Conducted in order to determine the nature of
the problem, exploratory research is not
intended to provide conclusive, but helps us to
have a better understanding of the problem.
 Mode of inquiry
• From the process adopted to find answer to
research question – the two approaches are:

• Structured Approach (Quantitative Method)

• Unstructured Approach (Qualitative Method)
 a. Structured Approach (Quantitative Method)

• Here everything that forms the research

process- objectives, design, sample, and the
questions that you plan to ask of respondents
– is predetermined.
• It is more appropriate to determine the extent
of a problem, issue or phenomenon by
quantifying the variation. Structured approach
is more focused.
a. Structured Approach (Quantitative Method)..

• Example: how many people have a

particular problem? How many people
hold a particular attitude?
b. Unstructured Approach (Qualitative Method)

• This approach allows flexibility in all aspects of

the research process.
• It is more appropriate to explore the nature of
a problem, issue or phenomenon without
quantifying it.
• Main objective is to describe the variation in a
phenomenon, situation or attitude. It is rather
more general, descriptive and open-ended.
• Qualitative research answers questions like when,
where, and how often things happen thereby
production observations, notes, and descriptions of
behavior and motivation.

• Includes observation, and participants observations

(fieldwork), interviews, questionnaires, documents
and texts.

• Such methods help researcher understand people

and the social and cultural contexts within which they
live.