Objectives of Research Types of Research

The main objective of a research is to find out a 1) Pure or Basic Research: Pure research is also
truth which has not been yet discovered. called as basic research or fundamental research.
1. Creating knowledge 2. Describing Such research is undertaken for the sake of
characteristics 3. Diagnosis of problem 4. Testing knowledge without any intention to apply it in
relationship 5. Welfare objective practice.
Research in Commerce and Management 2) Applied Research: Applied research is the
1. Research in Human Resource Management: research which is to find out a solution for
(a) performance management, (b) employee practical problem which is being faced by society
recruitment, (c) organizational planning (d) or business etc.
incentive and benefit studies (e) training and 3) Descriptive Research: It is nothing but
development gap analysis surveys and fact-finding enquiries. It aims at
2. Research in Marketing Management: description of the state of affairs.
(a) market potential analysis (b) market structure 4) Analytical Research: Analytical research is
analysis, (c) consumer and business trend the research when the researcher uses facts and
analysis, (d) buying behaviour and customer information already available and makes critical
satisfaction evaluation of the material.
3. Research in Financial Management and 5) Quantitative Research: Quantitative research
Accounting: (a) capital market research (b) is based on quantitative measurements. The
analysis of financial derivatives (c) market-based phenomenon which can be expressed in terms of
accounting research (d) earning management (e) quantities to them quantitative research is
risk management (f) auditing (g) integrated applicable.
financial reporting (h) merchant banking 6) Qualitative Research: Qualitative research is
4. Research in Production Management: Such concerned with qualitative phenomenon. When
research areas consist of operation planning, we are interesting to investigate
demand forecasting and analysis, process 7) Historical Research: Historical research is a
planning, project management, maintenance study of past records and information sources
management, logistics and supply chain with a view to reconstructing.
management, inventory management. Review of literature
5. Research in business models: It requires Review of literature is done with specific purpose
research areas such as corporate social of getting basic idea and conceptual clarity about
responsibility, corporate governance and ethics, research problem, identifying theoretical gap and
technical support system, enterprise resource methodological gap. The repetition of the same
planning, knowledge management, data mining research problem is not expected. The review of
and warehousing and artificial intelligence and so literature assists him in this respect. It is also
on. useful in formulating hypothesis.
Case Study Method/ Survey Method Research Process
1) Meaning of Case Study Method: A case study The stages in research process are listed as,
is an in-depth comprehensive study of a person, a selecting research problems and stating of
social group, an episode, a process, a situation, a hypothesis, formulating of research design,
programme, a community, an institution or any collecting, analysing and interpreting of data.
other social unit. 2) Characteristics of Case Study 1) Defining research problem 2) Review of
Method 3) Process of Case Study 4) Merits of literature 3) Developing hypothesis 4)
Case Study Method 5) Demerits of Case Study Formulating the research design 5) Determining
Method sample design 6) Data collection 7) Data analysis:
8) Testing of hypothesis 9) Interpretation 10)
Preparing research report
 Research Design Random Sampling Methods
A Research Design is a master plan specifying the A. Simple random sampling: “simple random
methods and procedures for collecting and sampling selects samples by methods that allow
analysis the needed information. each possible sample to have an equal probability
• Exploratory research design: Exploratory of being picked and each item in the entire
Research Design refers to, conducted as a population to have an equal chance of being
preliminary step to clarify and define nature of a included in the sample.”
problem 1. Lottery Method – this is most popular method
• Descriptive research design: The Descriptive due to its simple execution. Numbers or names of
research designs enable researcher to describe or samples are written on independent chits.
present pictures of a phenomenon or phenomena 2. Random number – books of arranging random
under investigation. numbers like tippet book are available which are
• Diagnostic research design: Diagnostic constructed a list of four to seven -digit numbers
Research Design refers to, “Determining written at random.
frequency with which something occurs or its 3. Selection from sequential list – names are
association with something else. arranged serially according to a particular order.
• Experimental research design: Experimental Order may be alphabetically, geographically or
research is designed to assess the effects of a only serial. Then out of list any number may be
particular variables on a phenomenon by keeping taken up.
the other variables constant or controlled. B. Stratified random sampling: the universe or
Hypothesis entire population is divided into a number of
Any statement is not a hypothesis but statement strata or group so it is named as stratified
done on the basis of educational qualification and sampling.
out of rich experience is termed as hypothesis. 1) Proportionately stratified sampling - the
a. Working hypothesis: Working hypothesis is number of units should be drawn from each unit
formulated often in case of exploratory research. of strata is in the same proportion as it is in the
Since in exploratory research, researcher find it universe.
difficult to narrow the guess of possible 2) Disproportionate stratified sampling- an
phenomenon. equal number of cases are taken from each
b. Descriptive Hypothesis: This statement of stratum without any consideration to the size of
hypothesis describes a behaviour in terms of its strata.
particular characteristics, and/or situation in C. Systematic sampling: the first unit is drawn at
which it occurs. random from the selected class interval and the
c. Relational Hypothesis: This type of remaining units are systematically and
hypothesis attempts to establish the relationship purposively drawn.
between two variables. D. Sequential sampling: the process of selecting
d. Correlation Hypotheses: The hypothesis a small number of samples from a large
explicitly states correlation between two variables population. In a pharmaceutical company, small
said to be correlation hypotheses. samples are drawn from each batch in a sequential
e. Explanatory Hypotheses: Explanatory manner to test the quality in which case sequential
hypotheses is one wherein, claims are made that sampling is useful.
one variable causes other to occur. E. Cluster Sampling: the selection of sample is
f. Null Hypothesis: Null hypothesis is very made in different stages. The selection is made in
important from view point of testing of different stages so called multi stage sampling.
hypothesis since it is null hypothesis which is put This method is used when the universe is very
to test. large area.
g. Statistical Hypothesis: A statistical hypothesis
is a statement about value of a population
parameter.
 Non-Random Sampling Methods by mailing it to respondents. It is prepared
F. Quota sampling: special form of Stratified exclusively for the specific purpose.
Sampling. Once stratum has been divided into Types of Questions
various units then we decide number is to be 1) Closed Ended Questions: The answers to be
selected from each stratum. given by respondents are made restricted to the
G. Convenience sampling: sample is drawn certain alternatives. The respondents are required
according to one’s own convenience without any to select answer from such alternatives.
systematic method it is known as convenience (a) Dichotomous Questions: The questions
sampling. where maximum two alternatives of answer are
H. On the spot sampling: sometimes some given those questions are called dichotomous
persons opt for their own inclusion or non- questions. Example- 'Yes' or 'No'.
inclusion in the sample units. In this case, (b) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): In such
researcher may select such samples on the spot. type of questions, multiple alternatives of answer
Sometimes samples, which are selected, may not are given and respondent has to select one of them
be available. which is the most appropriate alternative.
I. Snow ball sampling: in snowball sampling (c) Scaled Questions: When responses are
researcher identifies one sample from the graded on a continuum, they are scaled questions.
population, interview the sample for the purpose Likert scale, semantic differential scale and rank-
of researcher and at the end ask for other person order scale are examples of such scales.
in the population he knows and researcher can 2) Open Ended Questions: When options of
talk to. answers are not given, they are called open ended
Meaning of Data question. Here the respondent has an opportunity
‘Datum’ is singular whereas ‘Data’ is plural. In to explain or elaborate answers.
the research process, the collection of data is very Interview Method
important stage. If researcher does not carefully Interview is one of the methods of collecting data.
decide about various issues related to collection Under this method, interview schedule is an
of data, he may create may hurdles himself. instrument of collecting data. The investigator
Quantitative Data takes interview of respondents to seek answers to
Quantitative data is statistical and is typically the questions formulated in interview schedule.
structured in nature. This data type is measured Observation Method
using numbers and values. Quantitative data can In fact, today, our different acts, social
be broken into further sub-categories. behaviours, attitudes and present-day fashions are
Qualitative Data the result of observation. For study of social
Qualitative data are non-statistical and are problems or business studies, observation method
typically unstructured or semi-structured. It is had been and is being used continuously.
categorized on basis of properties, attributes, Focused Group Interview
labels, and other identifiers. Qualitative data Focused group method was developed by
identifiers can be subjective, making qualitative sociologist Robert Merton and his colleagues in
data analysis a complex process with numerous 1940s. It is highly versatile and dynamic method
possibilities and structures. of collecting data from representative group of
Primary Data respondents.
It is the data which is originally collected for the Data collection from Secondary Sources
first time by the investigator himself or his This data is also called as secondary data.
representative for pre-defined specific objective. Secondary data are the data which have been
Secondary Data collected by somebody else and used by the
It is the data which is collected by somebody else researcher. Secondary sources may be books,
and which is used by the researcher. journals, reports etc.
Methods of Primary Data Collection Advantages of Secondary Data
1) Questionnaire Method: Questionnaire is an 1. Quick and Cheap 2. Coverage of Wider Scope
instrument through which the data are collected 3. Generalization Possible 4. Supporting
Verification