Handout #1: The Research Process
Definition of Research
Research is any organised inquiry carried out to provide information for the solution of a problem. (Emery and Cooper, 1991)
Research is the process of increasing understanding of a topic through the collection and interpretation of data.
1. Research challenges the status quo that is, the traditional way of doing things.
2. It is creative or productive
3. It applies systematic procedures
4. It employs the scientific method to answer questions. The scientific method is empirical (verifiable by observation, experiments or experience), logical, generalising, replicable and public not private.
5. Research begets research. The resolution of one problem situation always reveals additional and related problems that need resolution. It never dead-ends into finality.
Purpose of Research
Every field of endeavour thrives because of specialised research. There could be no development without research. It is used to:
1. Authenticate or justify current practices or products.
2. Discover new facts.
3. Translate the findings of pure research into new and improved products and practices. Hence research is useful to preserve profitability and ward off obsolescence thereby maintaining a competitive edge.
Types of research based on the purpose:
Pure or Basic Research is concerned with exploring the unknown to extend the boundaries of knowledge. It has little direct impact on action, performance or policy decisions.
Applied research has immediate practical utility. It is undertaken to answer questions about specific problems or to make decisions about a particular course of action or policy.
Action research is applied research that is done to aid local decision-making. An example of this would be a teacher investigating the suitability of a particular teaching strategy in a classroom.
Types of research based on the approach
used:
Exploratory: Exploratory research is unstructured, informal research taken to gain preliminary information about the general nature of the research issue. It is usually conducted when much is not known about the problem and additional or new information is needed. Test-marketing and programme trials are often exploratory. Methods used in conducting exploratory research include:
1. Secondary data analysis
2. Experience surveys
3. Case studies
4. Focus groups (small groups of knowledgeable people brought together and guided through a discussion).
5. Projective techniques (participants project themselves into a situation and respond to specific questions regarding the situation)
6. Pilot studies (small scale sampling that does not apply rigorous standards).
Descriptive: If concepts, terms and problems are already known and the research objective is to describe and measure phenomena, then descriptive research is appropriate. Accuracy is of paramount interest. Used for diagnostic analyses, programme reviews, etc. Questions such as what, where, when, who and how as relates to research issue may be helpful. Many in-house research departments do descriptive research.
Explanatory/Causal Research: When the research problem is already clearly defined and the main objective is to describe and measure causality i.e. to make “if-then” statements then we employ causal research. For example, “Does attitude change precede behaviour change?” “Which of two training programs is more effective?.” Causal relationships are determined through true and quasi experiments. Experiments allow for control of variable conditions so as to determine the effect of at least one independent or treatment variable.
Types of research based on the treatment of the subject and the type of data collected:
The means of data collection can be quantitative or qualitative. For qualitative methods, the data format and sources are very clear, well defined and largely numerical. Qualitative methods are not very standardised and involve unstructured questioning and a lot of verbal data.
In qualitative research, no attempt is made to draw hard and fast conclusions. It is usually exploratory or diagnostic and involves small number of people that are not usually sampled on any probabilistic basis. It tries to describe fully and comprehend the subjective meanings events have to individuals and groups. It provides depth and details, capturing what people say in their own words. It uses open-ended narratives.
In quantitative research, conclusions are generalised to the universe of which the sample purports to represent. It is concerned with large number of people. Data collected is quantified on some basis using a standardised format.
Data Collection:
Survey Techniques: This is the most common method of generating primary data for descriptive and causal research. Information is gathered from a sample of units by use of a questionnaire.