Research Methods Meaning of Word Research Research comes

Research Methods

Meaning of Word “Research” • “Research” comes from the French word"recherche“ which means "to go about seeking”. • 1577 is the earliest use of the term.

You have Informally Conducted a Type of “Research” All Your Life: • Compared two types of apple to see which one you preferred. • Collected the statistics of your favorite team or favorite player. • Enjoyed a novel and then read reviews to see what critics thought of it. • Compared brochures to choose a holiday vacation. • Gone on a diet and computed the calories of your meals. • Researched all the literature when deciding to buy a new car. • Compared different daycare centers when selecting one for your children.

• But is it really RESEARCH?

What is Research? • Simply put, research may be defined as a formal way of seeking answers to serious questions. • The process of arriving at dependable solutions to research problems through the planned and systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. • A broad definition of research is given by Martin Shuttleworth - "In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge. "[4]

Why Do We Use Research Methods? • Why not rely on alternatives? On Authority On Personal Experiences On Common Sense On Intuition

On The Contrary • We should use more scientific methods • Move from limited, biased perceptions and opinions to fact or at least tentative truth. • Research should be open to the public test – that is, one's procedures and data are open to the scrutiny of one's colleagues.

Different Types of Research Methods

Descriptive Research • To discover facts, to describe reality e. g. What are people's attitudes towards welfare? Regional variations in unemployment during the Great Depression. What are the feelings of workers faced with redundancy? • The questions WHO; What, WHEN; WHERE; HOW are often asked (but not the question WHY). • Descriptive research is often termed “Survey Research”

Predictive Research • Making projections about what may occur in the future. e. g. Insurance companies by means of actuarial research techniques can predict how long people with certain characteristics are likely to live. In which city would it be most profitable to open a new retail outlet?

Explanatory Research • Determining why something occurred -- goes beyond merely describing something e. g. Why do certain people become criminals? Why do males live shorter spans than females? How can we reduce the number of complaints made by customers? Why did the Renaissance occur?

Evaluation Research • Very important in social science research. • To monitor and determine how effectively programs or clinical practices achieve their goals. e. g. Is a program designed to ameliorate crime in a certain district working?

Quantitative Research • Objective in nature. • Involves collecting and analyzing numerical data. • Often an application of statistical tests.

Qualitative Research More subjective in nature. Involves examining and reflecting on perceptions to gain an understanding of social and human conditions.

Experimental Research - Used by scientists and medical researchers. - Describes what will be when certain variables are carefully controlled or manipulated. – e. g. experiments with lab. rats or rhesus monkeys

Pure/Theoretical Research • Purpose: advance knowledge with little concern for any immediate practical application. • Often synonymous with “basic research”

Applied Research • Purpose: Research designed with a practical outcome in mind

Historical Research • Many different types of research methods used, including quantitative methods.

Survey Research • e. g. questionnaires • As mentioned, survey research and descriptive research are very close

• Very often, a research methodology is a mixture of the preceding.