LECTURE No.

1C:

STUDY DESIGN CONCEPT

What Research Is &

What Research Is Not
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WHAT IS RESEARCH?
 Research – Covers Broad Spectrum Of
Confusing Meanings

 The Misconceptions – About Nature:

1. Information Gathering – Find Information &
Then Write Documented Paper
2. Developing Skills In Using The Library
3. Finding Something One Does Not Know &
Documenting The New Knowledge
4. Self-enlightenment
5. Drawing Attentions Of Stakeholders’ Interest

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 WHAT IS RESEARCH CONT’D
 Research Has Charisma
1. Exclusiveness
2. Obscured & Reserved Individuals
3. In Laboratories
4. Scholarly Libraries
5. Ivory Towers (Having No Experience About A
Problem)
6. Within The Confines Of Academic
Environment

 Therefore,
 Public Unawareness Of Their Contributions To
Quality Of Life & General Welfare
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 WHAT RESEARCH IS NOT
1. Research Is Not Mere Information
Gathering (Discovery)
2. Research Is Not Mere Transportation
Of Facts From One Location To
Another.
 Draw Conclusion Or Interpret The Facts
Themselves.
 Fact Discovery, Fact Transportation, & Fact
Transcription.
 Missed The Essence Of Research:
 The Interpretation Of Data.

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WHAT RESEARCH IS NOT
3. Research Is Not Merely Hunting For
Information
– Example Of “House For Sale” Sign
Board

3. Research Is Not A “Catchword”,

”Flashword”
* Used To Get Attention

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 WHAT TRUE RESEARCH IS

 Research Is A Procedure By Which:

 We Attempt To Find Systematically &
Scientifically;
 Answers To Questions Or Solutions To Problems.
 With The Support Of Demonstrable/Verifiable Facts,

 Research Has EIGHT Distinct Characteristics:

1. Originates With A Question/Hypothesis & A Title.
2. Demands A Clear Articulation Of A Goal.
3. Requires A Specific Plan Of Procedure.
4. Usually Divides The Principal Problem Into More
Manageable Sub-problems.

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WHAT TRUE RESEARCH IS
5. Is Tentatively Guided By:
• Research Problem,
• Research Objectives
• Research Questions Or Hypotheses

6. Accepts Certain Critical Assumptions

7. Will Only Tolerate:

 Hard Measurable Data In Attempting To Resolve The
Problem That Initiated The Research.

8. By Its Nature,
 Research Is Circular; Or,
 More Exactly, Helical.

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1. ORIGINATES WITH A PROBLEM & QUESTION
 Originates
With A Problem & Qns In
The Mind Of The Researcher.

1. The
World Is Filled With Unresolved
Problems & Unanswered Questions.
2. Things That Cause Us:
 To
Wonder, To Need, To Want, To
Speculate, …., & Eventually, To Ask
Questions.

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1. Igniting
A Chain Of Reaction That
Terminates In The Research
Process.
2. Inquisitive
Mind Is The Beginning
Of Research.

3. Something
We Do Not Know /
Understand.

4. Asking
What, Why, How, When,
Where, …. Questions?
 E.g., What’s The Cause Of That? What
Does It All Mean, How did it occur?, how
can it be solved, Who will do it? Etc. 9
2. REQUIRES CLEAR ARTICULATION OF
A GOAL / AIM / PURPOSE
 Cannot Proceed Without A Clear Articulation
Of A Goal / Purpose & An AIM.
1. A Clear, Unambiguous Statement Of The
Problem.
2. An Exercise In Intellectual Honesty.
3. Must Set Forth In Grammatically Complete
Sentences,
 Stating Exactly The Ultimate Aim & Goals /
Objectives Of The Research
 Basic For The Success
 Without It, Research Is On Shaky Ground.
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3. REQUIRES A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR
PROCEEDING

1. Not An Excursion Into:

• Happy Expectations,
• A Carefully Planned Attack,
• Search-and-discover Mission Explicitly Planned.

2. Logically Designed.

3. How Do You Propose To Reach That Goal?

4. Must Not Wait Until One Is Hard Pressed With
Time.
5. Formative Stages, That Can Answer Questions:
• Where Are The Data?
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3. REQUIRES A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR
PROCEEDING (CONT.)
6. Any Existent Data That Address Themselves.

7. Is It Possible To Have Access To Existing

Data?

8. What Will You Do With Existing Data, After

They Are In Your Possession?

9. Research Proceedings Cannot Be Postponed;

 Procrastination Has No Place In Research / Project
Agenda.

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4. DIVIDES THE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM INTO
SUB-PROBLEMS
 Dividing It Into More Manageable Sub-areas

1. The Whole Problem Is Composed Of The Sum Of Its

Parts

2. We Break Down Much More Frequently Than We

Realize

3. To Proceed Logically,
 We Should Closely Inspect The Principal Problem, Soon
Cause The Appropriate, Necessary Sub-problems To Float
Naturally.

4. Many Researchers Take Neither The Time Nor The

Trouble To Isolate The Lesser Problems,
 Their Research Projects Become Cumbersome &
Unwieldy & Unfinished.
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4. DIVIDES THE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM INTO
SUBPROBLEMS (CONT.)

5. It Is Expedient To Reduce The Main Problem

To A Series Of Logical Sub-problems.

 Example:
 Getting To Another Town 50km Away

 Main Problem: How Do I Get There?

 Sub-problems:
1. What Is The Direct Route?
2. How Far Do I Travel On Highway?
3. Which Exit Number Should I Take? 14
5. GUIDED BY SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROBLEM,
QUESTION, OR HYPOTHESIS
 Seeks Direction Thr’ Appropriate Hypotheses Based
Upon Obvious Assumptions.

1. Each Of The Sub-problems Is Then Viewed Thr’ A

Construct Called A Hypothesis.

2. Logical Supposition, I.e., Reasonable Guess, An

Educated Conjecture.

3. Direct Your Thinking To The Possible Source Of Facts

 That Will Aid In Resolving The Research Problem.

4. Nothing New, Make References To Similar Researches

 They Are Constant, Recurring Features Of Everyday
Life.

5. Natural Working Of The Human Mind.

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 5. GUIDED BY SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROBLEM,
QUESTION, OR HYPOTHESIS (CONT.)
Example: Table Lamp
 Find The Switch. You Turn It On. No Light.
Begin To Construct A Series Of Reasonable
Guesses.
1. The Bulb Has Burned Out.
2. The Lamp Is Not Plugged Into The Wall
Outlet.
3. A Thunderstorm Interrupted The Electrical
Service.
4. The Wire From The Lamp To The Wall
Outlet Is Defective.
5. You Forgot To Pay Your Electric Bill.

 These Hypotheses Provide A Direction For

Exploration.
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5. GUIDED BY SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROBLEM,
QUESTION, OR HYPOTHESIS (CONT.)
Never Proved Nor Disproved; Either Supported Or
Not Supported.
1. You Go Out To Your Car, Get A Flashlight, Find A
New Bulb, Replace The Old Bulb. The Lamp Still
Fails To Light.
(Hypothesis 1 Is Rejected.)

2. You Glance Down At The Wall Outlet & The

Lamp Is Plugged Into It.
(Hypothesis 2 Is Rejected.)

3. You Look At Your Neighbours’ Homes. Everyone

Has Electrical Power.
(Hypothesis 3 Is Also Rejected.) 17
5. GUIDED BY SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROBLEM,
QUESTION, OR HYPOTHESIS (CONT.)

4. You Go Back Into Your Home,

• Lift The Cord Connecting The Lamp To The Wall
Socket.
• The Lamp Lights Briefly, Then Goes Off.
• You Lift The Cord Again, Again The Lamp Lights
Briefly.
• The Connecting Cord Is Defective.
• (Hypothesis 4 Is Supported.)

5. Fortunately,
 Hypothesis 4 Solved The Problem,
 By Repairing Or Replacing The Cord, Solution Found
 You Can Count On Adequate Light In The Near
Future.
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5. GUIDED BY SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROBLEM,
QUESTION, OR HYPOTHESIS (CONT.)
1. After The Hypotheses, Come Facts.

2. Greatest Discoveries Begun As Hypotheses.

3. Over Time,
 As Particular Hypotheses Are Supported By A Growing
Body Of Data, They Evolve Into Theories.

4. A Theory Is An Organized Body Of Concepts &

Principles,
 Intended To Explain A Particular Phenomenon.

5. Distinction B/n A Hypothesis & Assumption.

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5. GUIDED BY SPECIFIC RESEARCH PROBLEM,
QUESTION, OR HYPOTHESIS (CONT.)
1. Assumption Is A Condition That Is
Taken For Granted,
 Without Which The Research Situation
Would Be Impossible.

2. Assumptions Are Self-evident

Conditions.

3. For The Beginner Researcher,

• It Is Better To Be Over- explicit,
• Than To Take Too Much For Granted. 20
6. ACCEPTS CRITICAL ASSUMPTIONS
 Assumptions Are Equivalent To Axioms In
Geometry In Mathematics
 Assumptions As Bedrock Upon Which The
Research Rests

 It Is Essential That:
 Others Know Vital Importance In Judging The
Quality Of The Research

 Example:
 To Investigate Whether Students Learn A Unique
Computer Language More Quickly By:
 Studying Only One Computer Language At A Time

Or Two Concurrently (E.g., C++ & Java)

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6. ACCEPTS CRITICAL ASSUMPTIONS
 At A Minimum, The Researcher Must Assume:

1.TheTeachers Used In The Study Are

Competent To Teach The Language Or
Languages In Question &
 HaveMastered The Grammatical Structures
Of The Language(s) They Are Teaching

2.TheStudents Taking Part In The

Research Are Capable Of Mastering,
 The
Unique Grammatical Structures Of Any
Computer Language They Are Studying

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6. ACCEPTS CRITICAL ASSUMPTIONS

1. The Computer Language Selected

For The Study Have Sufficiently
Different Grammatical Structures,
2.
 That Students Can Recognize &
Learn To Distinguish B/n Them

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7. REQUIRES COLLECTION & INTERPRETATION
OF DATA
 Deals With Facts & Their Meaning.

 Next Step Is To Collect Whatever Facts Seem Appropriate & To

Organize Them In Meaningful Ways So That They Can Be
Interpreted.

 Collection Of Data, Not Necessarily Appropriate For Interpretation.

 Only Facts, Events, Happenings, Observations-nothing More.

 These Are Potentially Meaningful.

 The Significance Of The Data Depends Upon:

 The Way In Which The Human Brain Extracts
Meaning From Those Data.

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7. REQUIRES COLLECTION AND INTERPRETATION OF
DATA CONT’D

 Unprocessed Data, Are Worthless In Research

 You Can Become A Travesty (Something That

Can Be Joked About).

 Data Demands Interpretation.

 No Rule, No Formula, That Will Lead The

Researcher Accurately To The Correct
Interpretation.

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7. COLLECTION & INTERPRETATION OF DATA
CONT’D
 Subjective: This Entirely Depends Upon:
 The Logical Mind,
 Inductive & Deductive Reasoning Skills &
 Objectivity Of The Researcher.

 Different Minds Frequently See Different Meanings In

The Same Set Of Facts.

 Deploy Axioms Of Interpretation That All Researchers

Must Recognize.
 An Axiom Is A Sentence Or Proposition That Is Not
Proved Or Demonstrated
 It Is Considered As Self-evident Or
 As An Initial Necessary Consensus For A Theory
Building Or Acceptation.
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7. COLLECTION & INTERPRETATION OF DATA CONT’D
 Once We Believed That Clocks Measured Time & That Yardsticks
Measured Space. In One Sense, They Still Do.

 We Further Assumed That Time & Space Were Two Different

Entities.

 Then Came Einstein’s Theory Of Relativity, & Time & Space Became
Locked Into One Concept: The Time-space Continuum.

 What Is The Difference B/n The Old & The New Perspective?
 The Way We Think About, Or Interpret, The Same
Information.

 The Realities Of Time & Space Do Not Changed;

 The Ways & Means By Which We Interpret Them Do
Change

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8. RESEARCH IS, BY ITS NATURE, CYCLICAL OR, MORE
EXACTLY, HELICAL
 Research Is Circular

 The Research Process Follows A Cycle, Begins Simply &

Follows Logical & Developmental Steps.

1. A Questioning Mind Observes A Particular Situation & Asks,

Why? What Caused That? How Come? (Subjective Origin Of
Research)
2. One Question Becomes Formally Stated As A Problem.
(Overt Beginning Of Research)
3. The Problem Is Detailed Into Specific Sub-problems.
4. Preliminary/Secondary Data Are Gathered That Appear To
Bear On The Problem.

5. The Data Seem To Point To A Tentative Solution Of The

Problem.
 A Guess Is Made; A Hypothesis Or Guiding Question
Is Formed.
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8. RESEARCH IS, BY ITS NATURE, CYCLICAL OR, MORE
EXACTLY, HELICAL CONT’D

6. Data Are Collected, Processed, & Interpreted.

7. A Discovery Is Made; A Conclusion Is Reached.
8. The Tentative Hypothesis Is Either Supported By
The Data Or Disputed;
 The Question Is Either Answered (Partially Or
Completely) Or Not Answered.

9. The Cycle Is Complete.

 This Is The General Format Of All Research.

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8. RESEARCH IS, BY ITS NATURE, CYCLICAL
OR, MORE EXACTLY, HELICAL CONT’D

1. Different Academic Disciplines Merely Use Different

Routes To Arrive At The Same Destination.

2. Circle Is, However, Deceptive.

3. Accurately Helix, Or Spiral.

4. One Comes Across Additional Problems.

5. Research Begets Research.

6. Dynamic Quality.

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8. RESEARCH IS, BY ITS NATURE, CYCLICAL OR,
MORE EXACTLY, HELICAL CONT’D

7. NOT One-time Act (Static), Self-

contained, An End In Itself.

8. Genuine Research Creates More

Problems Than It Resolves.

9. The Discovery Of Truth.

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METHODOLOGY

 Methodology Is The Underlying & Unifying

Plan/Guideline/Road Map, Etc. To Undertake
Any Research / Project Work

 Five X’tics Of Methodology:

 It Controls The Study,
 Dictates How Raw Data Are Acquired,
 Arranges The Data In Logical Relationships,
 Refines & Synthesizes The Raw Data So That The
Meaning That Lie Below The Surface Of Those Data
Become Manifest, &
 Yields Conclusions That Lead To Expansion Of
Knowledge. 32
 THE END OF
LECTURE No. 1C

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