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What Is Research

The document discusses definitions of research from several authors and perspectives. It defines research as a systematic, careful examination to establish facts or principles through structured inquiry and acceptable scientific methodology. Daily life involves similar processes of observation, classification and interpretation as scientific research, but scientific methods are more formal, rigorous, verifiable and generally valid. Research is also defined as a systematic investigation to answer a problem. The document then discusses types of research, including pure vs applied research, and structured vs unstructured approaches. Key factors in selecting a research design are also outlined.

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190 views

What Is Research

The document discusses definitions of research from several authors and perspectives. It defines research as a systematic, careful examination to establish facts or principles through structured inquiry and acceptable scientific methodology. Daily life involves similar processes of observation, classification and interpretation as scientific research, but scientific methods are more formal, rigorous, verifiable and generally valid. Research is also defined as a systematic investigation to answer a problem. The document then discusses types of research, including pure vs applied research, and structured vs unstructured approaches. Key factors in selecting a research design are also outlined.

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hareem
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The word research is composed of two syllables, re and search.

The dictionary defines the former as


a prefix meaning again, anew or over again and the latter as a verb meaning to examine closely and
carefully, to test and try, or to probe. Together they form a noun describing a careful, systematic,
patient study and investigation in some field of knowledge, undertaken to establish facts or
principles. (Grinnell 1993: 4)

Grinnell further adds: ‘research is a structured inquiry that utilises acceptable scientific methodology
to solve problems and creates new knowledge that is generally applicable.’ (1993: 4)

Lundberg (1942) draws a parallel between the social research process, which is considered scientific,
and the process that we use in our daily lives. According to him:

Scientific methods consist of systematic observation, classification and interpretation of data. Now,
obviously, this process is one in which nearly all people engage in the course of their daily lives. The
main difference between our day-to-day generalisations and the conclusions usually recognised as
scientific method lies in the degree of formality, rigorousness, verifiability and general validity of the
latter. (Lundberg 1942: 5)

Burns (1997: 2) defines research as ‘a systematic investigation to find answers to a problem’.

According to Kerlinger (1986: 10), ‘scientific research is a systematic, controlled empirical and critical
investigation of propositions about the presumed relationships about various phenomena’. Bulmer
(1977: 5) states: ‘Nevertheless sociological research, as research, is primarily committed to
establishing systematic, reliable and valid knowledge about the social world.’

Pure research involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses that are intellectually
challenging to the researcher but may or may not have practical application at the present time or in
the future. Thus such work often involves the testing of hypotheses containing very abstract and
specialised concepts.
Most of the research in the social sciences is applied. In other words, the research techniques,
procedures and methods that form the body of research methodology are applied to the collection
of information about various aspects of a situation, issue, problem or phenomenon so that the
information gathered can be used in other ways – such as for policy formulation, administration and
the enhancement of understanding of a phenomenon.

Obj- descriptive study attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem, phenomenon,


service or programme, or provides information about, say, the living conditions of a community, or
describes attitudes towards an issue.

Correlational study is to discover or establish the existence of a


relationship/association/interdependence between two or more aspects of a situation. What is the
impact of an advertising campaign on the sale of a product?

Explanatory research attempts to clarify why and how there is a relationship between two aspects of
a situation or phenomenon. This type of research attempts to explain, for example, why stressful
living results in heart attacks;

exploratory research. This is when a study is undertaken with the objective either to explore an area
where little is known or to investigate the possibilities of undertaking a particular research study.
When a study is carried out to determine its feasibility it is also called a feasibility study or a pilot
study. It is usually carried out when a researcher wants to explore areas about which s/he has little
or no knowledge.

3. Types of research: mode of enquiry perspective

structured approach everything that forms the research process – objectives, design, sample, and
the questions that you plan to ask of respondents – is predetermined.

unstructured approach is predominantly used to explore its nature, in other words,


variation/diversity per se in a phenomenon, issue, problem or attitude towards an issue. For
example, if you want to research the different perspectives of an issue, the problems experienced by
people living in a community or the different views people hold towards an issue, then these are
better explored using unstructured enquiries

Selecting a Research Design

1. Level of knowledge 2. Nature of the research phenomenon 3. Nature of the research purpose 4.
Ethical considerations 5. Feasibility 6. Validity and availability of data 7. Precision 8. Cost

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