MODULE -2

RESEARCH PROBLEM

The success of a research effort lies in choosing the correct problem. It is essential that a researcher
identifies a problem that demands an answer, a need that require a solution, a demand that requires
satisfaction. The problem identification lies at the core of a research process.

NATURE OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

A good research problem has following nature:

1.ORGINALITY: The first thing that a researcher should keep in mind is that a goods research problem is
original and is not a duplication of existing work. Duplication does not mean that past studies cannot be
researched.

2.CLARITY AND UNAMBIGUITY: A second feature should be that the problem is clearly stated and
expresses relationship between variables succinctly e.g. ‘Studying the relationship between family
conditions and performance of students’ is a poorly stated problem

3.INTEREST AND CURIOSITY: The problem should be captivating and interesting enough to hold the
interest of the researcher. If the problem does not capture a researcher’s interest it will not be able to
reach its logical end.

4.IMPORTANT AND APPLICABLE: The problem should contribute towards the existing knowledge
database. The outcome or the result of the research should find an application in solving a problem
being faced by the society ,organization or a govt.

5.FEASIBILITY WITH RESEARCHER’S ABILITIES: The researcher should choose a problem that is within his
capabilities. It should match the competence and qualification of the researcher. He should be able to
carry out the research confidently and get the required cooperation and guidance from the right source.

6.COST AND TIME FEASIBILITY: Lastly, the researcher should take care that he has the financial
resources required to undertake the research. Further he should carefully evaluate the time schedule
required to complete the project and make sure that he has the ability and resources to complete it
within the specified time.

SOURCES OF IDENTIFYING RESEARCH PROBLEM

There are a lot of potential problem areas that require the immediate attention of the researcher.

1. An individual’s ‘ personal, professional and academy experience’ is one of the best sources of
problem. It generates greater interest on the part of the researcher because he has encountered it at
some point in his life and realize the importance of solving the problem.
2.’Review of literature’ is another good source to look for research problems. Many studies have a
special section detailing the possibilities of further research. Thus it is important that a researcher goes
through literature in his area of interest

3. One can also get good information about potential research problem by attending ‘conferences,
seminars’ etc. Generally such events involve a discussion by experts on problems and issue relevant to
the conference. Brainstorming between these experts often brings out new areas of research.

4.’ Imagination and creativity’ are the best brainteasers. They guide an individual to newer hitherto
unexplored areas. It empowers the individual to perceive the routine thing in a different perception
and look for new answers to existing accepted solutions.

5. Finally ‘ technical and social changes’ are constantly bringing up newer and newer challenges in front
of the researchers. The technology changes overnight and so do the expectations of the users.
Hence these developments offer a good source of research opportunities.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE REVIEW

An essential phase of the research process is the review of literature. This helps a researcher in gaining
familiarity with the problem and thereafter clearly formulating the problem. The researcher reviews all
the available conceptual literature as well as empirical literature that is related to the problem under
study. A good literature review first defines the topic being studied and clearly outlines the boundary of
study.

NEEDS OF LITERATURE REVIEW

1. To gain familiarity. The first objective of the literature review is to gain familiarity with the existing
body of knowledge in the area being studied. It helps the researcher in gaining confidence and
establishing credibility about his research process.

2. To integrate and recapitulate the known. A literature review summarizes the major finding of the
prior studies. It provides the researcher with a fairly good idea about the methodology adopted, the
drawbacks of existing research endeavours and thus identify the research gap that exists in the current
body of knowledge.

3. Provides direction to research. Through literature review the researcher clearly understands the
contribution of previous researches in building knowledge. He can thus avoid repetition in his research
efforts.

4. Provides context to current research. A review helps the researcher to link the current project with
the prior research. It helps in establishing a connection between the present research and the existing
body of knowledge.

TYPES OF LITERATURE REVIEW

A. SELF STUDY REVIEW: When literature is reviewed by a researcher with the pure intention of gaining
knowledge about a particular topic, it is referred to as a self study review.

B. METHODOLOGICAL REVIEW: A methodological review serves the purpose of making the researcher
aware about the research methodology adopted in previous researches. The focus of such a review is
on the methodological aspect of research efforts.

C. HISTORICAL REVIEW: A literature review that explores the development and growth of a research
topic over a period of time is called a historical review. The issue under research is studied
chronologically right from its inception to the current state.

D. THEORATICAL REVIEW: When the literature review is conducted with the purpose of comparing the
various theoretical perspective related to an issue it is referred to as a theoretical literature review.

E. INTEGRATIVE REVIEW: A more holistic approach to reviewing the literature is adopted in an

integrative review. The purpose of such a review is to understand the depth of existing knowledge and
summarize the known facts.

IDENTIFING RESEARCH GAPS

There is a plethora of research material available, however the important task before the researcher is
to look for the relevant material out of the plenty that is available. Critically analyse it and then develop
research gap. In order to get effective result the researcher should approach methodically.

1. THE PRELIMINARIES: RESEARCH AREA FOCUS

To being with, the researcher has to first take a decision on the different sources literature that are
available to the researcher. The researcher may need to access a variety of repositories, ranging from
academic libraries to archives, museum or govt libraries.

2.INFORMATION REQUIREMENT

The researcher should now be clear regarding the type of research information he needs to deal
adequately with the research question. There are various library sources like books, journal, magazines,
encyclopedia, govt publications that give the researcher access to overview background articles from
discipline-specific sources to narrowly focused academic research articles.

3. ACCESSING THE LITERATURE

Books: it is easier to access book when the author has some kind of bibliographic details. To being with
the library catalogue is good point to start where the researcher can look for the book either by author
or by subject name.

Journal: Journals can be accessed through library catalogue by looking for the journal title. In case of e-
journals the search might yield link to the journal itself.
Encyclopedias: encyclopedias are a comprehensive source of information available in one or more
volumes. Many encyclopedias have two single editions, which will contain reduced information, as well
as more involved multiple- volume collection

Periodicals: Periodicals are publications that come out at regular intervals e.g., magazines, newspaper
and journals.

4. SUMMARISING ONE RESEARCH GAP

Once the researcher is in possession of various raw material, he starts analyzing the information
minutely. The study of various sources reveals to the researcher the nature, kind and extent of work
that has already been done till date.

HYPOTHESIS

Hypothesis is an assumption made about a population parameter. This hypothesis is then proved or
disproved by using the information from the sample to decide the likehood of the hypothesized
population parameter to be correct or not. Hypothesis testing is a screening exercise. Hypothesis are
questions asked about the object of research and at the same time about the facts gathered by
observation and proposals for answers to these questions.

CHARECTERESTRICS OF HYPOTHESIS

1. CLEAR AND PRECISE: Hypothesis should be clear and precise. If the hypothesis is not clear and
precise, the inferences drawn on its basis cannot be taken as reliable.

2. CAPABLE: Hypothesis should be capable of being tested. In a swamp o fun testable hypothesis, many
a time the research programmers have bogged down. Some prior study may be done by researcher in
order to make hypothesis a testable one.

3. SATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIABLES: Hypothesis state relationship between variables, if it

happens to be a relational hypothesis.

4.LIMITED IN SCOPE: Hypothesis should be limited in scope and must be specific. A researcher must
remember that narrower hypotheses are generally more testable and researcher should develop such
hypothesis

5. SIMPLE: Hypothesis should be stated as far as possible in most simple terms so that the same is
easily understandable by concerned. But one must remember that simplicity of hypothesis has nothing
to do with its significant.

6. CONSISTENT: Hypothesis should be consistent with most known facts i.e., it must be consistent with a
substantial body of established facts. In other words, it should be one which judges accept as being the
most likely.
7. AMENABLE: Hypothesis should amenable to testing within a reasonable time. One should not use
even an excellent hypothesis, if the same cannot be tested in reasonable time for one cannot spend a
life time collecting data to test it.

8. ABILITY TO EXPLAIN: Hypothesis must explain the facts that gave rise to the need for explanation.
This means that by using the hypothesis plus other known and accepted generalizations, one should be
able to deduce the original problem condition. Thus hypothesis must actually explain what it claims to
explain it should have empirical reference

SOURCES OF HYPOTHESIS

1. SCIENTIFIC THORY:

A theory is a large body of fact that generalizes relationship between various variables. These
generalizations are a major source of hypothesis. A theory deals with abstract prievomene and using the
variables hypothesis tries to provide a scientific evidence to theory.

2. CULTURE:

The culture in which we live is a port of thought and ideas which same as a great source of hypothesis
e.g. the religious rituals are thought to be an important determinant shaping an individuals attitude.
Such relationship can be used to create various hypothesis.

3. ANALOGIES:

Analogy means similarity and observing similarity between two phenomena can be a good source of
hypothesis. Rather it allow for much and hitherto unexplored relationships to be tested.

4. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

An individuals journey is full of which can be used to draw and develop hypothesis. The mind is always
questioning the events around us and these questions are the basis of hypothesis

TYPES OF HYPOTHES

1. NULL HYPOTHESES AND ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS

In a classical statistical test two types of hypothesis are used viz null hypothesis and alternate
hypothesis. The null hypothesis states that there is no difference between the population parameter
and the sample statistic being compared. As against this, the alternative hypothesis states that there is a
difference between the population parameter and sample statistic.

It is very obvious that when we conclude that null hypothesis is to be rejected, we are automatically
accepting the alternative hypothesis. In other words, the set of alternative option to the null hypothesis
are termed as alternative hypothesis

2. ONE TAILED AND TWO TAILED TEST

A hypothesis test can be a two tailed test or one tailed test. It is the alternative hypothesis that
determines whether a test will be two tailed or one tailed

The two tailed test is a non directional test as it considers two possibilities. It can be represented using
standard normal curve.

A one tailed test is used when the alternative hypothesis specifies the population means to be higher or
lower than the hypothesized mean. A one tailed test is also called a directional test because it places
the entire probability of occurrence with a single tail as specified by the alternative hypothesis.

PARAMETRIC TESTS

These tests are based on some assumptions about the parent population from which the sample has
been drawn. These assumptions can be with respect to sample size, type of distribution or on
population parameters like Z test, t test and X^2 test.

NON PARAMETRIC TESTS

These tests are known as distribution free tests as they are not dependent on the assumptions regarding
a population distribution. They test hypothesis on nominal and ordinal data. They lay less emphasis on
assumptions hence the chances of committing type ii error i.e. of accepting a false hypothesis are high.

VARIABLES

1. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: These are the variables which are manipulated by the researcher and the
resulting effects are measured e.g. A study on influence of price on demand of TVs has price as the
independent variable. The research would manipulate price levels and measure the change in quality
demanded due to different price level

2. DEPENDENT VARIABLE: These are the variables that depend on or are a consequence of other
variables. In the earlier example, quality demanded is the dependent variable which responds to change
in price

3. DISCRETE VARIABLE: These are those variables that can be expressed only in integer values e.g.
number of people can be expressed as whole numbers and not in decimals

4. CONTINUOUS VARIABLES: If a phenomena or a variable can assume any value, even in decimal points
then it is called as a continuous variables

5. EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES: Besides the independent variable, a dependent variable can be influenced
by other independent variable , which are not a part of the study. Such variables are termed as
extraneous variables.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A research design is a map developed to guide the research. It is a part of the planning stage of research,
a blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data. William Zikmund has described
research design as a master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analysing the
needed information.

RESEARCH DESIGN PROCESS

1. SELECTION AND DEFINITION OF A PROBLEM:

The problem selected for study should be defined clearly in operational terms so that the researcher
known positively what facts he is looking for and what is relevant to study. Since human behavior , as an
interaction pattern, is the result of various forces it is best to delimit the scope of one’s study which
reaps ample benefits during the actual course of data collection.

2.SOURCES OF DATA:

Once the problem is selected it is the duty of the researcher to state clearly the various source of
information such library, personal documents, field work, a particular residential group,

3. NATURE OF STUDY:

The research design should be expressed in relation to the nature of study to be undertaken.The choice
of the statistical, experimental or comparative type of study should be made at this stage so that the
following steps in planning may have relevance to the proposed problem.

4. OBJECT OF STUDY:

Whether the design aims at a theoretical understanding or presupposes a “welfare” notion must be
explicit at this point. Stating the object of the study aids not only clarity of the design but also in a
sincere response from the respondents.

5.SOCIAL CULTURE CONTEXT:

As one would rightly remember, a research design is always set to a context which has a social and
cultural bearing on the individuals.

6. TEMPORAL CONTEXT:

The geographical limits of the design should also be referred to at this stage that the research related to
the hypothesis is applicable to particular social groups only

7. DIAMENSION

It is physically impossible to analyse the date collection from a large universe. Hence the selection of
adequate and representative sample is the by word in any research. Depending upon the dimension of
the proposed study, a sample of the ;large population can be selected to facilitate a practical design

QUALITIES OF A GOOD DESIGN

1.OBJECTIVITY:
The design shows no proclivity towards any side and the resultant data collected under this design
would be free from bias.

2. RELIABILITY:

A good design would deliver consistent result each time the research is repeated under the design. The
response given by the respondent is genuine and would remain the same.

3.VALIDITY:

The design would deliver accurate and correct results. It collects and measures what it is supposed to do
and nothing else.

4. GENERALIZATION:

It means that the result collected under this design, which hold true for a sample must hold true for the
entire population.