Lecture topic

Introduction to Research Thinking, Design, and

Processes

PRM Value-Added Course

Community-oriented Research Methods

Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan

Institute of Rural Management Anand
Dt. 02-03 Aug 2022
 Recap
Meaning of research: “new”

Two conditions – (i) add to body of knowledge (ii) process is scientific

If one of the conditions is satisfied?
Comte’s idea of Hierarchy of Science

Characteristics of scientific method of research

Replicability
Precision
Falsifiability
Parsimony

What drives research: personal or firm’s commitment to societal needs

Purpose of research: expand knowledge and to resolve any problem

doubts or clarifications
 Scientific research approaches
Research approaches/forms

- to seek insights into an observed phenomenon (inductive)

Examples: Relationship of heights of parents and children

(Srivastava and Rego, 2011)
Prospect theory (Kahneman and Tversky, 1979)

Work-rest cycle correlation with Covid (Nathan and Posina, 2020)

- to test or validate a theory (deductive)

Examples: flat earth theory; Validation of geocentric theory; Classical
mechanics
Inductive: theory building

Deductive: theory testing

(Bhatacherjee, 2012)
 Inductive approach
Heights of fathers and sons

Avg. height
Avg. of sons’ heights
of tall fathers
of tall fathers

Average Average

Avg. of sons’ heights

Avg. height of short fathers
of short fathers

Fathers’ heights Sons’ heights

 Deductive and Inductive reasoning
Research approaches/forms
It is a cyclical process or loop

(Bhatacherjee, 2012)

This cyclical process helps improve a theory

 Deductive and Inductive reasoning
Cont…
Deductive reasoning: Inductive reasoning:
validating theory insights from observations
By taking observations

Deductive Inductive
 Research Process
Research may start with a simple Idea, but may end with
a large impact

With Evidence-based practice becoming an increasing norm in service

delivery, research becomes indispensable. (Kumar, 2014)

Two examples: that demonstrated the usefulness of research process and

the tremendous social impacts they had –

(i) Brij Kothari’s ‘Same Language Subtitling’

(i) Girja Sharan’s ‘Passive Condensation’

 Same Language Subtitling
Brij Kothari
1996: Idea (while watching a Spanish movie with English subtitles)

1998: An experimental study with low-income primary school children

Improvement in reading skills (Kothari et al., 2002)

1999: Piloting in Gujarat (in Gujarati film songs) – natural setting

Improvements (Kothari et al., 2004)

2002: In Rangoli and Chitrahaar (in phased manner)

third party evaluators

Revolution: with less than a paisa per person per year

(Kothari and Bandyopadhyay, 2007)
 Passive condensation
Girja Sharan

Came across accidentally

To harvest dew

Supplement with drinking

water

In scarce region

(Sharan, 2005)
 The Research Process
Phase I – Deciding WHAT to research

Step I – Formulating research problem

Phase II – Planning HOW to conduct research study

Step II – Conceptualizing a research design

Step III – Constructing an instrument for data collection

Step IV – Selecting a sample

Step V – Writing the research proposal

Phase III – Actually DOING the research study

Step VI – Collecting data

Step VII – Processing and displaying data

Step VIII – Writing the research report

(Kumar, 2014)
The iterative nature of research process

(Kumar, 2014)
 Lecture topic
Research Problem and Literature Review

PRM Value-Added Course

Community Research Methodology

Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan

Institute of Rural Management Anand
Dt. 03 August 2022
 How to find a research problem?
Problem vs. research problem

What is a problem

A situation where there is a gap between what is real and what is ideal or
desired. (O'Leary, 2005)

What is ideal or desired?

Not always straight forward – “element of subjectivity”
Example: euthanasia; state of environment (MDGs to SDGs); wage-difference

Research problem must bridge the gap (make difference)

Selection of problem

Practicality aspect: Political and financial realities (O'Leary, 2005)

 How to find a research problem?
How to identify the gaps?
Own experience:
for example: Waste segregation not a practice at IRMA

Real life issues:

for example: Political leaders switching parties post-election

Literature review:
Research papers do specify the limitations of the current research and
gives the future scope of the research
for example: GDI measure in Human development
(Nathan, 2018)
Stakeholders consultations:
to assess view of others who have stake in the society
‘your problem’ vs. ‘my problem’
middle-path between top-down and bottom-up approaches

(some of the discussions from: O'Leary, 2005)

 How to find a research problem?
Unpacking a research problem?

(O'Leary, 2005)
 How to find a research problem?
Exploring the dominant world view

Lucky – if your thoughts match with that of position of power

If not, then orient your research to find resonance

(O'Leary, 2005)

Example: Brij Kothari’s SLS

Odisha millet mission

One can question the paradigm

Name change post marriage

more examples?
 How to find a research problem?
Exploring the personal perspectives
Consider your own worldviews, beliefs, biases, prejudices and subjectivities
as they relate to a particular problem situation.

stating your political/personal positioning

Overcome personal biases

base the research more on the objective figures

counter-perspectives

discuss

(O'Leary, 2005)
 How to find a research problem?
Exploring the stakeholders’ perspectives
Range of stakeholders involved

one stakeholder may not have common view

Weighing up problem

Why is this a problem?

Is it a problem for you?

For all pregnant women?

For doctors, nurses, administration?

consistency, control and empowerment
(O'Leary, 2005)
 How to find a research problem?
Weighing up problem

Dominant paradigms
Power structures of the medical profession, patriarchy, class and
gender discrimination

Personal preconceived notions

(1) that being weighed in is humiliating; (2) that the medical

profession is disempowering to patients; (3) that this needs to
shift; and (4) that everyone else thinks just like me

What others think

For all pregnant women, doctors, nurses, administration

Unpacking these assumptions lead to richer understanding

useful research (O'Leary, 2005)
From problem to research question
Define investigations, boundary; gives direction, benchmarking
your decision making. (O'Leary, 2005)

Narrowing down the problem

Making it clearer

Example: Easterly’s work on MDGs (Easterly, 2008)

Africa not doing good in MDGs

Options for research questions -
Why?
Were the MDGs designed to be unfair to Africa?
 From problem to research question
Articulating your research questions

Five-step process (O'Leary, 2005)

Step - I

(O'Leary, 2005)
 From problem to research question
Articulating your research questions
Step - II

(O'Leary, 2005)
 From problem to research question
Articulating your research questions
Step - III
Selecting from multiple questions

Step - IV
Remove ambiguities

Step - V
Question checklist

Is the question right for you?

Significant for the organization?
Would lead to improvement?
Is it articulated well-enough?
Is it researchable?
Does it have political support? (O'Leary, 2005)
 Question to hypothesis
Logical conjuncture – a hunch or a educated guess
nature of relationships between two or more variables expressed in
the form of a testable statement

‘Is there a relationship between household recycling behaviours

and demographic characteristics?’

recycling behaviour ~ age

H: children and teenagers are more likely than adults to put

inappropriate materials in recycle bins

‘How do individuals engage in decision making processes related to

household domestic waste management?’
No scope for hypothesis

(O'Leary, 2005)
 Question to hypothesis
No scope for hypothesis

(O'Leary, 2005)
 Literature review – why?
Place the findings in the context of body of knowledge
Compare the findings with others
Justify the selection of research questions

Be conversant with the methods

Broadening knowledgebase

Not to reinvent the wheel or avoid duplicating concepts

(ex: displaced ideal technique)

Difference between ‘literature review’ and ‘summary of literature’

(some of discussions from: Kumar, 2014)

 Literature review – why? Cont...

Development of ‘theoretical framework’

(ex: Proposing Sen’s capability framework in contextualizing
energy access)

Development of ‘conceptual framework’

(ex: Proposing that ‘energy accessibility’ is a joint conditionality of

‘energy availability’, ‘energy affordability’, and ‘energy
acceptability’)

(some of discussions from: Kumar, 2014)

 Thank You
Queries and Suggestions

E-mails:
happyhippu@gmail.com,
hippu@irma.ac.in