RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

DR PURNENDU KUMAR PATRA

UNIT-1
INTRODUCTION
CONCEPT OF RESEARCH

 Redman and Moory define research as a

“Systematized effort to gain new Knowledge.”
 Redman and Moory.
 Research refers to a critical and exhaustive
investigation of experimentation having as its aim
the revision of accepted conclusions in the light of
new discovered facts.
 The encyclopedia of Social
Sciences, MacMillan
DEFINITION
Research comprises defining and redefining
problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested
solutions, collecting, organising and evaluating
data, making deductions and reaching
conclusion, and at last carefully testing the
conclusions to determine whether they fit the
formulating hypothesis.
• Clifford Woody
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
To Explore.
To Describe.
To Diagnose.
To Establish Causal Relationship.
ATTRIBUTES OF A
GOOD RESEARCHER
• Inquisitiveness.
• Innate Creativeness.
• Unbiased.
• Perseverance.
• Analytical Mind.
• Techno Savvy.
• Communicable.
• Expert in His/Her Field.
 SCOPE OF RESEARCH

I. Planning
II. Organizing
III. Staffing
IV. Directing
V. Controlling
EXAMPLE…
TYPES OF RESEARCH
Pure and Basic Research

Applied Research

Qualitative Research

Quantitative Research

Empirical Research

Descriptive Research

Analytical Research

Conceptual Research

Historical Research

Exploratory Research
I. PURE OR BASIC RESEARCH
• Research which is undertaken for enhancing the
knowledge is known as basic or pure research.
Pure and Basic Research
• It is basically undertaken with the intention of designing
different tools for solving various problem. Applied Research
• It is concerned with a single situation and does not apply to Qualitative Research
wider area.
Quantitative Research
• It is intellectual exploration and results into development of
Empirical Research
theories and generalizations.
• Descriptive Research
Pure research is largely limited to the academic world.
• The funds provided by the educational institutions and Analytical Research
government enable researchers to pursue pure research. Conceptual Research
• Consumer behavior
Historical Research
• Human behavior
• Natural phenomenon Exploratory Research
• Pure mathematics
• Basic research, also called pure research or fundamental
research.
EXAMPLES
• A study looking at how alcohol consumption impacts the brain
• A study to discover the components making up human DNA
• A study accessing whether stress levels make people more
aggressive
• A study looking to see if gender stereotypes lead to depression
• A study searching for the causative factors of cancer
• A study on the growth process of mango trees
• A study trying to find out what makes up a proton
• A study on what areas of India have the most rain
• A study examining whether a vegetarian diet is healthier than one with
meat
• A study on the origin of cryptocurrency
II. APPLIED RESEARCH

 Also known as practical research and also termed Pure and Basic Research
as Need based research which has high practical
relevance. Applied Research

 The main aim of applied research is basically Qualitative Research

finding a solution for an immediate problem which Quantitative Research
is faced by a society or an industrial or business
organization. Empirical Research
 Types of applied research: Descriptive Research
• Action research: Action research helps Analytical Research
businesses find practical solutions to problems
Conceptual Research
by guiding them.
• Research and development: Research and Historical Research
development focus on creating new products or
Exploratory Research
services to meet a target market's needs.
EXAMPLES
• A study on how to improve illiteracy in teenagers
• A study looking for ways to market products for millennials
• A study trying to decrease fraud on social media platforms
• A study searching for ways to encourage high school graduates to attend
college
• A study to find ways to make car tires last longer
• A study exploring ways to cook gluten-free meals with a limited budget
• A study on how to treat patients with insomnia
• A study looking for ways to improve patient retention at a dentist's office
• A study on methods for diagnosing patients with schizophrenia
• A study providing solutions for how to train dogs to stay in their yard
• A study on how to prevent mosquito bites from itching
• A study to find what marketing strategies to use on college campuses
III. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH.
• Qualitative in nature, generally undertaken to study Pure and Basic Research
the human behavior.
Applied Research
• Qualitative research involves collecting and
analyzing non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or Qualitative Research
audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or Quantitative Research
experiences.
Empirical Research
• It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a
problem or generate new ideas for research. Descriptive Research

• This type of research recommends the guidance of Analytical Research

experienced psychologists
Conceptual Research

Historical Research
Exploratory Research
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
METHODS
These are some of the most common qualitative methods:
 Observations: recording what you have seen, heard, or
encountered in detailed field notes.
 Interviews: personally asking people questions in one-on-one
conversations.
 Focus groups: asking questions and generating discussion
among a group of people.
 Surveys: distributing questionnaires with open-ended
questions.
 Secondary research: collecting existing data in the form of
texts, images, audio or video recordings, etc.
EXAMPLE-1
 A company wants to improve its brand and marketing strategies.
 The company decides to research this problem by conducting
interviews and surveys with past, current, and prospective
customers.
 The information gathered from these methods helps the company
understand what type of branding and marketing their customer-
base likes and dislikes, allowing the team to inductively craft a
new brand and marketing strategy from the data.
EXAMPLE-2
 A manager notices her employees struggle to cooperate on
group projects.
 She carefully reviews how team members interact with each
other and asks them all to respond to a survey about
communication.
 Through the survey and study, she finds that guidelines for
group projects are unclear.
 After changing the guidelines, she reviews her team again to
see if there are any changes to their behavior.
EXAMPLE-3
 A researcher wants to better understand the experience of college
students with jobs.
 The purpose of this research is to gain insights into the pressures of
college students who balance studying and working at the same time.
 The researcher conducts a series of interviews with several college
students, learning about their past and current situations.
 Through the first few interviews, the researcher builds a relationship
with the students.
 Later discussions are more targeted, with questions prompting the
students to discuss their emotions surrounding both work and college
along with the difficulties and benefits arising from their situation.
 The researcher then analyzes these interviews, and identifies shared
themes to contextualize the experiences of the students.
IV QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH.
 Quantitative research is based on the Pure and Basic Research
measurement of a phenomenon in quantity
terms. Applied Research

 The results of such research is subjected to Qualitative Research

intensive, quantitative and statistical analysis. Quantitative Research
 Quantitative research often looks towards
Empirical Research
quantitative data to support their theories.
Descriptive Research

Analytical Research
Conceptual Research

Historical Research
Exploratory Research
 EXAMPLE

• Consider a researcher who conducted a quantitative survey

among parents of children aged 1-8 years to study how many
parents are fine with their children using phones.
• A total of 150 parents participated in the survey, where they
rated their agreement on a 7-point scale.

Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Agreement Strongly Slightly Slightly Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree
Level Disagree Disagree Agree Agree
• Method: To find the average perspective of parents on giving
mobile phones to children, the researcher finds the average of all
150 collected values.
• Result: The results of the survey show the following insights:
• The average rating was 4.6, indicating a tendency towards
agreement regarding giving mobile phones to children.
• 20% of respondents “strongly agreed” (rated 7), 45% “agreed”
(rated 6), and 17% “slightly agreed” (rated 5).
• 13% of respondents were “neutral” (rated 4).
• Only 5% “slightly disagreed” (rated 3), and 0% “disagreed” or
“strongly disagreed.”
• We can see from the analyzed data that most parents are more
likely to provide their children with mobile phones in today’s
technological world.
EXAMPLE-2
• A study conducted in Kerman, Iran, in 2010-2011, wanted to find
the correlation between computer games and behavioral problems
in adolescent boys.
• The study involved 384 male school students with a
questionnaire and Achenbach’s Youth Self-Report (YSR) to
assess their behavior problems.
• The YSR evaluates various issues, such as anxiety,
depression, social problems, and more, comprising 10
categories.
• Data collection method:
• The students filled out the questionnaire regarding computer
game usage, including how likely they were to play those
games and if they contained any violent content.
• Method:
• In the questionnaire, participants listed their top five favorite video
games and rated their frequency of play, the level of violent
content, and the presence of violent images on a 7-point scale.
• To calculate the exposure score, the researchers added the
content and image scores and multiplied the result by the play
frequency divided by 5.
• In the YSR questionnaire, participants rated each game on a 5-point
scale.
• To get dimension scores, the researchers totaled the scores for each
item.
• Finally, they summed up the dimension scores to calculate the total
score (all items combined).
• Result: The study found that:
• There is a 95% correlation between time spent on
computer games and students’ depression/anxiety, social
problems, aggressive behavior, and more.
• Researchers observed that 17% showed aggressive
behaviors, 12% had depression/anxiety, 9% had rule-
breaking problems, and 6.4% had social issues.
V. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH.
 This is data based research in which primary(first Pure and Basic Research
hand) data is collected and the data is analysed
and subjected to hypothesis testing. Applied Research

 This research relies on experience or observation Qualitative Research

alone, often without due regard for system and Quantitative Research
theory.
Empirical Research
 Data based research.
Descriptive Research
 We may study the impact of a depreciating dollar
on Indian Export . Analytical Research
Conceptual Research

Historical Research
Exploratory Research
VI. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH.
 Descriptive research includes surveys and fact- Pure and Basic Research
finding enquiries of different kinds.
Applied Research
 The major purpose of descriptive research is
description of the state of affairs as it exists at Qualitative Research
present. Quantitative Research
 The main characteristics of this Method is that the
Empirical Research
researcher has no control over the variables.
Descriptive Research
 He can only report what has happened or what is
happening. Analytical Research
 Frequency of shopping. Conceptual Research
 Preferences of people. Historical Research
Exploratory Research
VII. ANALYTICAL RESEARCH
 In analytical research the researcher use facts or Pure and Basic Research
information already available, and analyze these
to make a critical evaluation of the material. Applied Research

 Secondary data Qualitative Research

 Examples Quantitative Research

• How International trade influences the balance of Empirical Research

payment of any country.
Descriptive Research
• How and why this movement takes place is an
example of analytical research. Analytical Research
Conceptual Research

Historical Research
Exploratory Research
VIII. CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH
 Conceptual research is that related to some Pure and Basic Research
abstract idea(s) or theory.
Applied Research
 It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers
to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing Qualitative Research
ones. Quantitative Research
 The main aim of this type of research is to study
Empirical Research
the problems and gaps in the existing concepts or
basic assumptions and to correct and remove the Descriptive Research
complexity of these concepts. Analytical Research
 This type of research is time consuming and is to
Conceptual Research
be undertaken by experienced researchers or
experts in their own areas. Historical Research
Exploratory Research
IX. HISTORICAL RESEARCH
 Historical research is the process of Pure and Basic Research
systematically examining past events to give an
account of what has happened in the past. Applied Research

 It is not a mere accumulation of facts and dates Qualitative Research

or even a description of past events. Quantitative Research
 It is flowing, dynamic account of past events
Empirical Research
which involves and interpretation of these events
in an attempt to recapture the nuances, Descriptive Research
personalities, and ideas that influence these Analytical Research
events.
Conceptual Research
 Mystery over Mr. Subhash Chandra Bose death
Historical Research
Exploratory Research
X. EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
 As the term suggests, exploratory research is Pure and Basic Research
often conducted because a problem has not been
clearly defined as yet, or its real scope is yet Applied Research
unclear. Qualitative Research
 It allows the researcher to familiarize him/herself Quantitative Research
with the problem or concept to be studied, and
perhaps generate hypothesis (definition of Empirical Research
hypothesis) to be tested. Descriptive Research
 Exploratory research helps determine the best
Analytical Research
research design, data collection method and
selection of subjects Conceptual Research

Historical Research
Exploratory Research
IMPORTANCE OF
RESEARCH IN BUSINESS
DECISION MAKING
The following points highlight the significance of research in business
decision-making:
• Identifying the issue:
• Research aids in determining the fundamental cause of an issue
that must be resolved.
• It enables decision-makers to fully comprehend the situation and
devise an acceptable solution.
• E.g. Exploratory Research – problem identification- redefining
and problem formulation
• Information gathering:
• Research provides decision-makers with reliable and relevant
information to help them make educated decisions.
• It aids in the analysis and interpretation of data, the identification
of patterns and trends, and the evaluation of options.
• E.g.: Data Collection Methods, Sampling design
• Risk mitigation:
• Research may assist decision-makers in mitigating risks and
uncertainties by revealing potential problems and hurdles.
• It enables decision-makers to create contingency plans to deal with
unforeseen situations and avoid negative consequences.
• E.g.: Descriptive research, Qualitative Research
• Assessing impact:
• Research helps decision-makers analyze the success of their plans
and measure the impact of their decisions.
• It aids in tracking progress, identifying successes and failures, and
modifying strategy as needed.
• E.g.: Longitudinal research
• Assessing choices:
• Research assists decision-makers in evaluating many options and
scenarios to choose the best course of action.
• It also aids in balancing the benefits and drawbacks of each choice,
detecting risks and uncertainties, and forecasting future outcomes.
• Boosting innovation:
• By generating fresh ideas and insights, research may
inspire creativity and innovation.
• It enables decision-makers to investigate new avenues
and detect emerging trends and opportunities.
• E.g.: Qualitative Research
• Increasing efficiency:
• Research assists decision-makers in increasing efficiency
by offering knowledge on the most recent technology,
procedures, and best practices.
• It enables managers to optimize operations, decrease
waste, and boost production
• E.g: Applied Research
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY
THE RESEARCHER
TYPES OF BUSINESS PROBLEMS
ENCOUNTERED BY THE RESEARCHER
1. The lack of a scientific training in the methodology
2. Most of the business units in our country do not have the
confidence on research
3. Research studies are overlapping one another
4. There does not exist a code of conduct for researchers
5. The difficulty of adequate and timely secretarial
assistance, including computerial assistance
6. Library management and functioning is not satisfactory
7. There is also the difficulty of timely availability of
published data.
FACTS
• The expenditure on research and development (R&D) in
India remains at about 0.9 percent of GDP — compared
with
• 1.12 percent in Russia,
• 1.25 percent in Brazil and
• 1.84 percent in China.
• Japan spends about 3.67 percent of its GDP on R&D.
• USA spends more than 400 billion dollars on R&D (2.77
percent of the GDP)
• India spends about 36 billion dollars
 IV. PRECAUTIONS TO THE
RESEARCHERS.
I. Clarifying Responsibilities. XI. Debriefing And Support After
II. Budgeting For Safety. The Event.

III. Proper Research Design. XII. Making Guidelines Stick.

IV. Prior Risk Assessment.

V. Preparation For Fieldwork.
VI. Precautions in Interview.
VII. Maintaining Contact.
VIII. Strategies For Handling Risk
Situations.
IX. Safety Of Respondents.
X. Maintaining Confidentiality.
THANK YOU