THE NATURE AND SCOPE

OF
RESEARCH
 What research is?
• Research is an organized and systematic way of finding answers to questions
• A systematic process of collecting and analyzing information (data) in order
to increase our understanding of the phenomenon about which we are
concerned or interested
• A systematized effort to gain new knowledge

– Search for (new) knowledge/facts through objective, systematic

and scientific method of finding solution to a problem
• The three major goals of research are defining the prevailing

situation, analyzing information, and reaching new conclusions

• The three main acts of doing research are searching for, reviewing, and
evaluating information
 What Research is not?
• Research isn’t information gathering:
– Gathering information from books, journal articles, conference papers and/or
the Internet isn’t research.
• Information gathering has no contribution to new knowledge.

• Research isn’t the transportation of facts:

– Merely transporting facts from one source to another doesn’t constitute
research.
• Missed the essence of research: the interpretation of data.
• No contribution to new knowledge although this might make existing
knowledge more accessible.
• Not synonymous with commonsense
– but research is systematic, reproducible and objective (purposeful)
 Objectives of research
• The purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application
of scientific procedures.
– to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered as yet.

• Though each research study has its own specific purpose, we may think of research
objectives as falling into a number of following broad groupings:

1) To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it

(Exploratory or formulative research studies)

2) To describe accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation

or a group (Descriptive research studies)

3) To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is

associated with something else (Diagnostic research studies)

4) To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables (Hypothesis-

testing research studies).
 Motivation in Research
What makes people to undertake research?
• The possible motives for doing research may be either one or more of the
following:

1. Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits;

2. Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e.,
concern over practical problems initiates research;
3. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work;
4. Desire to be of service to society;
5. Desire to get respectability.
• Many more factors such as directives of government, employment
conditions, curiosity about new things, desire to understand causal
relationships, social thinking and awakening, and the like may as well
 Scientific Research
 How is it different from non-scientific research?
– Focuses on solving problems and follows a step-by-step logical,
organized, and rigorous method. i.e. identify the problems, collect data,
analyze and draw valid conclusions
 Non-scientific research- based on experience and intuition
 Any scientific research is systematic- follows a clear procedure so that the
experiment can be replicated and the results verified.
 All scientific research has a goal, repeated and refined experimentation
gradually reaching an answer.
 Scientific research is impartial, objective, empirical and logical
 Scientific research leads to the development of generalizations, principles or
theories, resulting in to some extent in prediction and control of events.
 Qualities of Good Research(Scientific Research)
Good Research is:
– Empirical: this means that any conclusions drawn are based upon hard
evidence gathered from information collected from real life experiences or
observations.
– Systematic: research is structured with specified steps to be taken in a
specified sequence in accordance with the well defined set of rules.
• Systematic characteristic of the research does not rule out creative
thinking but it certainly does reject the use of guessing and intuition in
arriving at conclusions.
– Objective: Scientific knowledge is objective. Objectivity simply means the
ability to see and accept facts as they are, not as one might wish them to be. 
• Objectivity demands that one must set aside all sorts of the subjective
considerations and biases
 Cont.
Good Research is:
– Replicable: produce the same results if repeated exactly. So replicability
will help to verify and confirm the study
– Logical: research is guided by rules of logical reasoning & logical
process of induction & deduction
• logical reasoning makes research more meaningful in the context of
decision making.
– Controlled: Variables are identified & controlled, wherever possible The
researcher must in some way isolate, or control, chose factors that are
central to the research problem.
• Control is important for replication: An experiment should be
repeated under the identical conditions and in the identical way in
which it was first carried our.
 Types of Research
 There are different ways of classifying research.
 It should also be noted that there is no clear dividing line between one method
and the other.
 However, Research can be classified in terms of the following:
– Goal of research: Applied vs. Basic
– Specific objective of research: Descriptive, Explanatory, and Exploratory

– Approaches of research: Quantitative vs. Qualitative

– Design: Experimental vs. Non Experimental
– The type of data used in the research: Primary vs. Secondary
– Field of study: Natural , social, educational, behavioral, health science
 Basic research
Basic vs. Applied Research
Basic research (usually refers to fundamental research, or pure research)
– It is concerned with generalizations & formulation of theory
– Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake
– The researcher is testing theory and ideas without necessarily applying the
results to practical problems
– The main motivation is to expand man's knowledge, not to create or invent
something.
Objective:
- Advancement of knowledge(formulating or expanding theory)
- Understanding of theoretical relationship between variables
- Exploratory in nature (discovery of knowledge)

Example. How did the universe begin?

How does the human memory work?
How do children acquire new languages?
Is computer important in everyday life?
 Applied research
Applied research is also called field research, evaluation research, or action
research
– Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem
facing a society or an industrial/business organization.
– The central aim of applied research is to discover a solution for some
pressing practical problem
– Designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather than to
acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake.
– Solve specific, practical questions
 For example, applied researchers may investigate ways to:
o improve agricultural crop production
o treat or cure a specific disease
o improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of
transportation
- What is the most efficient and effective vaccine against Malaria?
- An investigation to determine the side effects of alcohol
consumption. 
 Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Quantitative research
 Quantitative research is based on the measurement of quantity or amount
 It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity
 Involves looking at amounts, or quantities, of one or more variables of interest.
 Purpose:
 To explain and predict
 To confirm and validate
 To test theory
Qualitative research
 Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned with qualitative phenomenon,
i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind.
 involves looking at characteristics, or qualities, that cannot be entirely reduced to
numerical values.
 Purpose:
 To describe and explain
 To explore and interpret
 To build theory
 Research Characteristics
 Originates with a question or problem in a specific area.
 Requires clear articulation of a goal or objective.
 Follows a specific plan or procedure (framework or model or
architecture).
 Often divides main problem into sub-problems to ease the study.
 Guided by specific problem, question, or hypothesis.
 Accepts certain critical and significant assumptions and theory during
the research work.
 Requires preparation of datasets, running experiments, analysis and
interpretation of results.