Department of Computer Science and Engineering

22RMK55 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND IPR

Dr.Santhosh Krishna B V
Associate Professor
Computer Science and Engineering
Contact : 8610196443
 MODULE-1

FORMULATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

Research– Meaning and Objectives – Criteria of Good Research–Problems Encountered by Researchers –Types of
Research–Research Approaches-Research Process–Literature Review– Significance of Literature Review–Review
of Selected Literature– Research Problem– Identification and Defining the Research Problem.

Text Book:

Kothari, C.R., “Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques”. New Age International, 2018, ISBN-13: 978-
8122436235
Meaning of Research

• Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge. One can also define research as a scientific and
systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic.
• In fact, research is an art of scientific investigation.
• The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English lays down the meaning of research as “a careful
investigation or inquiry specially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge.”
• Redman and Mory define research as a “systematized effort to gain new knowledge.”
• Some people consider research as a movement, a movement from the known to the unknown. It is actually a
voyage of discovery. We all possess the vital instinct of inquisitiveness for, when the unknown confronts us, we
wonder and our inquisitiveness makes us probe and attain full and fuller understanding of the unknown. This
inquisitiveness is the mother of all knowledge and the method, which man employs for obtaining the knowledge
of whatever the unknown, can be termed as research.
In short, the search for knowledge through objective and systematic method of
finding solution to a problem is research. The systematic approach concerning
generalisation and the
formulation of a theory is also research.
Objectives of Research
The purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific procedures. The main
aim of research is 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 (studies with this object in view are termed
as exploratory or formulative research studies);
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group(studies with this object in
view are known as descriptive research studies);
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else
(studies with this object in view are known as diagnostic research studies);
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables (such studies are known ashypothesis-testing
research studies).
Motivation in Research
What makes people to undertake research? This is a question of fundamental importance. 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.
However, this is not an exhaustive list of factors motivating people to undertake research studies.
CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH
• Research is directed towards the solution of a problem.

• Research is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence.

• Research demands accurate observation and description.

• Research involves gathering new data from primary sources or using existing data for a new
purpose.

• Research activities are characterized by carefully designed procedures.

• Research requires expertise i.e., skill necessary to carryout investigation, search the
related
literature and to understand and analyze the data gathered.

• Research is objective and logical - applying every possible test to validate the data collected
and conclusions reached.

• Research involves the quest for answers to unsolved problems.

• Research requires courage.

• Research is characterized by patient and unhurried activity.

• Research is carefully recorded and reported.

e6
CRITERIA OF A GOOD RESEARCH

• Purpose clearly defined.

• Research process detailed.

• Research design thoroughly planned.

• High ethical standards applied.

• Limitations frankly revealed.

• Adequate analysis for decision maker's needs.

• Findings presented unambiguously.

• Conclusions justified.

• Researcher's experience reflected.

TYPES OF RESEARCH
The basic types of research are as follows:

(i) Descriptive vs. Analytical:

• Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of
descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. In social science and
business research we quite often use the term Ex post facto research for descriptive research studies.
• In analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to use facts or information already available,
and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.

(ii) Applied vs. Fundamental: Research can either be applied (or action) research or fundamental (to basic or
pure) research. Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society or an
industrial/business organisation, whereas fundamental research is mainly concerned with generalisations and with
the formulation of a theory.
TYPES OF RESEARCH
Research concerning some natural phenomenon or relating to pure mathematics are examples of fundamental
research. Similarly, research studies, concerning human behaviour carried on with a view to make generalisations
about human behaviour, are also examples of fundamental research, but research aimed at certain conclusions (say,
a solution) facing a concrete social or business problem is an example of applied research.

(iii) Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Quantitative research is based on the measurement of quantity or
amount. It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity. Qualitative research, on
the other hand, is concerned with qualitative phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality
or kind. For instance, when we are interested in investigating the reasons for human behaviour (i.e., why
people think or do certain things), we quite often talk of ‘Motivation Research’, an important type of
qualitative research.
(iv) Conceptual vs. Empirical:
(iv) Some other types of research
Steps in Research
Process
Research process consists of series of actions or steps necessary to effectively carry out research and the desired
sequencing of these steps.
(1) Formulating the research problem

(2) Extensive literature survey

(3) Developing the hypothesis

(4) Preparing the research design

(5) Determining sample design

Steps in Research
(6) Collecting the data Process
(7) Execution of the project

(8) Analysis of data

(9) Hypothesis testing

(10) Generalizations and interpretation

(11) Preparation of the report or presentation of the results

·22
Importance
of
Literature
Review
Purpose of
Literature Review
 Importance of
Literature Review
in Research
Gaps in the Literature
Gaps in the literature are missing pieces or insufficient information in the published research
on a topic. These are areas that have opportunities for further research because they are
unexplored, under-explored, or outdated.
IDENTIFYING GAPS
If you do not find articles in your literature search, this may indicate a gap.
If you do find articles, the goal is to find a gap for contributing new research. Authors signal that
there is a gap using words such as:
•Has not been clarified, studied, reported, or elucidated
•Further research is required or needed
•Is not well reported
•Suggestions for further research
•Key question is or remains
•It is important to address
•Poorly understood or known
•Lack of studies
Synthesis and interpretation
Data Synthesis
Data synthesis brings together results and examines the findings together for patterns of agreement, convergence,
divergence, or discrepancy. As part of this step, triangulating your findings involves organizing all of the results
effectively. Finding the best way to organize, compare, and display all findings in a way that makes sense for your
evaluation is an art and science. When triangulating, you are corroborating findings from different methods and
perspectives, comparing the evidence, and dealing with discrepancies.
Consider the following during data synthesis:
• Would the results be different if the evidence were collected differently (e.g., different data sources, groups,
measures, design, time, level)?
• What areas require additional analysis, information, or discussion with stakeholders?
• Are the findings consistent or contradictory?
• Are your results consistent with theories supported by previous evaluations or research?
• What are the limitations of your data analysis and interpretation process (e.g., potential biases, generalizability
of results, reliability, validity)?
• If you used multiple indicators or different data collection methods, did you get similar results?
• How do your results compare with those of similar programs?
Data Interpretation
Data interpretation is the process for making sense of the evaluation findings based on the context of the program. This will
involve judgement against basis or standards, if any. Involving stakeholders in the interpretation of evaluation findings leads
to deeper understanding and facilitates the use of the data.
Synthesis and interpretation

The creative synthesis of the collected data, targeted to answer inquires at the Marketing level, leads us
to:

•Structured presentation of the findings

•Analytic findings report
•Top management report
•Special analyses
•Interpretation of the findings and proposals for their implementation
Example
Research Technique Features Domain Disadvantage / Future Direction
Used Advantage
Lin et al. 2007 A priori algorithm Audiovisual Weather Reduce the amount of Due to the different
misclassification errors. properties of the data
sets representing the
Association rule Sports semantic concepts
mining Able to identify a high such as weather,
percentage of positive commercial, and
Commercial instances in each concept sports, they proposed
Pre-filtering to use different
architecture strategies to merge the
rules.

Davis & Tyagi Probabilistic reliable- Motion Walking, running, The system only makes
2006 inference framework standing, bending- classifications when it
forward, crouching- believes the input is
down, and sitting ‘good enough’ for
Hidden Markov discrimination between
Model (HMM) output the possible actions
likelihoods and action
priors

Maximum likelihood
(ML) and maximum
a posteriori (MAP)
WHAT IS A RESEARCH PROBLEM?
A research problem, in general, refers to some difficulty which a researcher
experiences in the context of either a theoretical or practical situation and
wants to obtain a solution for the same

Components of a research problem :

(i) There must be an individual or a group which has some difficulty or the problem.
(ii) There must be some objective(s) to be attained at. If one wants nothing, one
cannot have a problem.
(iii) There must be alternative means (or the courses of action) for obtaining the
objective(s) one wishes to attain. This means that there must be at least two means
available to a researcher for if he has no choice of means, he cannot have a
problem.
(iv) There must remain some doubt in the mind of a researcher with regard to the
selection of alternatives. This means that research must answer the question
concerning the relative efficiency of the possible alternatives.
(v) There must be some environment(s) to which the difficulty pertains
SELECTING THE PROBLEM
A problem must spring from the researcher’s mind like a plant springing from
its own seed. If our eyes need glasses, it is not the optician alone who
decides about the number of the lens we require. We have to see ourselves
and enable him to prescribe for us the right number by cooperating with
him. Thus, a research guide can at the most only help a researcher choose a
subject.
(i) Subject which is overdone should not be normally chosen, for it will be a difficult
task to throw any new light in such a case.
(ii) Controversial subject should not become the choice of an average researcher.
(iii) Too narrow or too vague problems should be avoided.
(iv) The subject selected for research should be familiar and feasible so that the related
research material or sources of research are within one’s reach.
(v) The importance of the subject, the qualifications and the training of a researcher, the
costs involved, the time factor are few other criteria that must also be considered in
selecting a problem
In other words, before the final selection of a problem is done, a researcher must ask
himself the following questions:

(a) Whether he is well equipped in terms of his background to carry out the
research?
(b) Whether the study falls within the budget he can afford?
(c) Whether the necessary cooperation can be obtained from those who must
participate in research as subjects?

(vi) The selection of a problem must be preceded by a preliminary study. This may not
be necessary when the problem requires the conduct of a research closely similar to
one that has already been done. But when the field of inquiry is relatively new and
does not have available a set of well developed techniques, a brief feasibility study
must always be undertaken.
NECESSITY OF DEFINING THE PROBLEM

 Quite often we all hear that a problem clearly stated is a problem half solved.
This statement signifies the need for defining a research problem.
 The problem to be investigated must be defined unambiguously for that will
help to discriminate relevant data from the irrelevant ones.
 A proper definition of research problem will enable the researcher to be on
the track whereas an ill-defined problem may create hurdles.
 Thus, defining a research problem properly is a prerequisite for any study and
is a step of the highest importance.
TECHNIQUE INVOLVED IN DEFINING A PROBLEM

(i) Statement of the problem in a general way:

• First of all the problem should be stated in a broad general way, keeping in view
either some practical concern or some scientific or intellectual interest.
• For this purpose, the researcher must immerse himself thoroughly in the subject
matter concerning which he wishes to pose a problem.
• In case of social research, it is considered advisable to do some field observation and
as such the researcher may undertake some sort of preliminary survey or what is
often called pilot survey.
TECHNIQUE INVOLVED IN DEFINING A PROBLEM

(ii) Understanding the nature of the problem:

• The next step in defining the problem is to understand its origin and nature
clearly. The best way of understanding the problem is to discuss it with those
who first raised it in order to find out how the problem originally came about
and with what objectives in view.
• If the researcher has stated the problem himself, he should consider once again
all those points that induced him to make a general statement concerning the
problem.
• The researcher should also keep in view the environment within which the
problem is to be studied and understood.
TECHNIQUE INVOLVED IN DEFINING A PROBLEM

(iii) Surveying the available literature:

• All available literature concerning the problem at hand must necessarily be surveyed
and examined before a definition of the research problem is given.
• This means that the researcher must be well-conversant with relevant theories in the
field, reports and records as also all other relevant literature.
• He must devote sufficient time in reviewing of research already undertaken on
related problems. This is done to find out what data and other materials, if any, are
available for operational purposes.

“Knowing what data are available often serves to narrow the problem itself as well as
the technique that might be used.”
TECHNIQUE INVOLVED IN DEFINING A PROBLEM

(iv) Developing the ideas through discussions:

• Discussion concerning a problem often produces useful information.

• Various new ideas can be developed through such an exercise. Hence, a researcher
must discuss his problem with his colleagues and others who have enough
experience in the same area or in working on similar problems. This is quite often
known as an experience survey.
(v)Rephrasing the research problem:
• Finally, the researcher must sit to rephrase the research problem into a working
proposition. Once the nature of the problem has been clearly understood, the
environment (within which the problem has got to be studied) has been defined,
discussions over the problem have taken place and the available literature has been
surveyed and examined, rephrasing the problem into analytical or operational terms
is not a difficult task.
• Through rephrasing, the researcher puts the research problem in as specific terms as
possible so that it may become operationally viable and may help in the
development of working hypotheses
In addition to what has been stated above, the following points must also be observed
while defining a research problem:

(a) Technical terms and words or phrases, with special meanings used in the
statement of the problem, should be clearly defined.
(b) Basic assumptions or postulates (if any) relating to the research problem should
be clearly stated.
(c) A straight forward statement of the value of the investigation (i.e., the criteria for
the selection of the problem) should be provided.
(d) The suitability of the time-period and the sources of data available must also be
considered by the researcher in defining the problem.
(e) The scope of the investigation or the limits within which the problem is to be
studied must be mentioned explicitly in defining a research problem.
Thank You