Introduction to Research:

Research Means in Search of knowledge. Or Research is an art of

scientific investigation.
Research is an academic activity & as such term should be used in a
technical sense. Research comprises of defining & redefining
problems, formulating hypothesis & suggesting solutions.

The concept of research refers to:

Searching for knowledge.

Adding new knowledge.

Finding out something undiscovered.
Rediscovering something gain.

Verbs that have similar meaning as research:

To find, to discover, to investigate, to inquire, to explore.
The word research is composed of two syllables, re and
search. Re is a prefix meaning again, a new or over again search is
a verb that means 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.
Or we can say collecting, organizing & evaluating the data: making
deductions & reaching conclusion, &carefully the conclusions to
determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.
Research is Search for Knowledge
It is an Art of Scientific Investigation
According to Redman and Mory, Research is a
Systematized effort to gain new knowledge
Research is an original addition to the available knowledge,
which contributes to its further advancement
In sum, Research is the search for knowledge, using
objective and systematic methods to find solution to a
problem
Scopes of Research:

Does the research cover a particular Objective of research or researcher?

Does the research cover a particular time period?

Does the study cover a specific geographical area?

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If the study involves people, what age group, gender and place of origin are
to be included?

Are all dates of publication to be included?

Is the research going to cover publications from other countries?

Will the research include other languages and scripts? (Language of research)

Are all perspectives to be considered? For example, philosophical, political,

psychological, etc.

Objectives of research:
To gain familiarity with new insights into a phenomenon
To accurately portray the characteristics of a particular individual, group, or a
situation
To analyze the frequency with which something occurs
To examine the Hypothesis of a casual relationship between two variables

Types of research:
Descriptive
Analytical
Applied
Fundamental
Quantitative
Qualitative
Conceptual
Empirical
Other Types
Descriptive Vs Analytical:

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 In Descriptive Research, the Researcher has to only report what is happening

or what has happened.
In Analytical Research, the Researcher has to use the already available facts or
information, and analyse them to make a critical evaluation of the subject
Applied Vs Fundamental:

An attempt to find solution to an immediate problem encountered by a

firm, an Industry, a business organization, or the Society is known as Applied
Research

Gathering knowledge for knowledges sake is Pure or Basic or

Fundamental Research

Fundamental research is research that is carried out in an attempt at discovery,

and has been described as being curiosity driven. When people undertake
fundamental research they do so in order to learn about what it is they are
researching, and as such it very often leads to new insights. From this basis, it
is possible for new developments and solutions to old problems to be
considered.

One of the characteristics of fundamental research is that the results can often
be unpredictable and unexpected. It also needs the person or the people who
are doing the research to have open minds as to what they actually discover, as
opposed to having a pre-conceived notion of what may occur and so only
addressing what they believe to be pertinent. It is also necessary for what may
appear to be unrelated facts to be taken into consideration. This means that
fundamental research has often got to be multidisciplinary by its very nature.

Applied research differs from fundamental research because it is used to solve

actual problems rather than just a way of gaining knowledge. This means that
many scientists use applied research in an attempt to resolve some of the many
very real issues that face the modern world, such as improving crop
production; treating or curing particular diseases; and improving the energy
efficiency of buildings, and transportation.
Quantitative research
Quantitative research is a more logical and data-led approach which provides a
measure of what people think from a statistical and numerical point of view.
For example, if you wanted to know how many of your customers support a
proposed change in your products or service and how strongly (on a scale)
they support it.
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Quantitative research can gather a large amount of data that can be easily
organised and manipulated into reports for analysis.
How to do it
Quantitative research largely uses methods such as questionnaires and surveys
with set questions and answers that respondents tick from a predefined
selection. Answers can be measured in strengths of feeling such as strongly
agree disagree or numbers such as scales out of 10.
This form of research is very flexible in terms of how its carried out such as
through the post, online or even over the phone. If you are carrying out
research, make sure that you have a fair cross section of respondents and that
you have enough of them to provide a greater range of reliable data.
To help gain willing participants, companies often offer incentives such as free
products or financial remuneration for their time.
Qualitative Research

Unlike quantitative research which relies on numbers and data, qualitative

research is more focused on how people feel, what they think and why they
make certain choices.
For example, if you are thinking of changing your branding you would carry
out qualitative research to see what emotional reactions people have to the
new identity and what they associate it with.
How to do it
Qualitative research is largely led with discussion around certain concepts or
ideas with open questioning. Attendees are encouraged to explain or describe
their reasons for having certain responses which can reveal underlying
motivations, associations and behavioural triggers.
The most common forms of qualitative research consist of focus groups
relevant to the target market or one to one interviews, conducted face to face
or over the telephone.

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