how to carry out effective research
ST PAULS UNIVERSITY
UNIT: ACADEMIC WRITING
UNIT: UCC 102
STUDENT NUMBERS:
TASK:
QUESTION: HOW TO CARRYOUT EFFECTIVE RESEARCH
THE MEANING OF RESEARCH
Research can be defined as a careful investigation or inquiry especially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge systematized effort to gain new knowledge. It can be considered a movement from the known to the unknown. it comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it.
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else.
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables.
MOTIVATION IN RESEARCH
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.
TYPES OF RESEARCH
The basic types of research are as follows:
1) Descriptive vs. Analytical:
Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. Analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to use facts or information already available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.
2) Applied vs.
UNIT: ACADEMIC WRITING
UNIT: UCC 102
STUDENT NUMBERS:
TASK:
QUESTION: HOW TO CARRYOUT EFFECTIVE RESEARCH
THE MEANING OF RESEARCH
Research can be defined as a careful investigation or inquiry especially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge systematized effort to gain new knowledge. It can be considered a movement from the known to the unknown. it comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it.
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else.
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables.
MOTIVATION IN RESEARCH
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.
TYPES OF RESEARCH
The basic types of research are as follows:
1) Descriptive vs. Analytical:
Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. Analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to use facts or information already available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.
2) Applied vs.
Bibliography: i.e., list of books, journals, reports, etc., consulted, should also be given in the end. Index should also be given specially in a published research report. Criteria of Good Research Whatever may be the types of research works and studies, one thing that is important is that they all meet on the common ground of scientific method employed by them. One expects scientific research to satisfy the following criteria 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.