Research

Introduction
 What is Research?

Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze

information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue.

John W. Creswell
Defining Research:

In its broadest sense, research is a systematic process by which we

know more about something than we did before engaging in the
process.

We can engage in this process to contribute to the knowledge base in

a field (pure research), improve the practice of a particular discipline
(applied research), assess the value of something (evaluation
research), or address a particular, localized problem (action research).
 Two major Research Paradigms

QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
 Qualitative
Research questions usually aim to
Explore a question with no set
hypothesis beforehand. A qualitative
approach is more about gaining
in-depth insight than it is about
empirical generalizations that can be
applied to a population.
Quantitative
Research Questions usually contain a
hypothesis and/or try to predict
something.
Are characterized by tools that are
carefully designed before data is collected,
Larger sample sizes, and the ability to be
replicated.
 Qualitative Quantitative

• Surveys
• Focus groups • Experiments
• Interviews • Census
• Observations • Observations
• Document analysis • Structured Interviews
 Data

Primary Data Secondary Data

Overarching
Approach to
the research

Qualitative OR
Quantitative.
Qualitative Quantitative
Mixed
Methods can
also be used

Primary Data Secondary

 Primary Data
Primary data is data originated for the first time by the researcher through direct efforts
and experience, specifically for the purpose of addressing his research problem. Also
known as the first hand or raw data. Primary data collection is quite expensive, as the
research is conducted by the organisation or agency itself, which requires resources like
investment and manpower. The data collection is under direct control and supervision of
the investigator.

The data can be collected through various methods like surveys, observations, physical
testing, mailed questionnaires, questionnaire filled and sent by enumerators, personal
interviews, telephonic interviews, focus groups, case studies, etc.
 Secondary Data
Secondary data implies second-hand information which is already collected and
recorded by any person other than the user for a purpose, not relating to the current
research problem. It is the readily available form of data collected from various sources
like censuses, government publications, internal records of the organisation, reports,
books, journal articles, websites and so on.

Secondary data offer several advantages as it is easily available, saves time and cost of
the researcher. But there are some disadvantages associated with this, as the data is
gathered for the purposes other than the problem in mind, so the usefulness of the
data may be limited in a number of ways like relevance and accuracy.