Research Aptitude, It's Characteristics and Types of Research

RESEARCH APTITUDE

MEANING OF RESEARCH

The term ‘Research’ consists of two words:

Research = Re + Search

‘Re’ means again and again and ‘Search’ means to find out something. Research in common man's language refers to "search for Knowledge". Research means technical and organized search for relevant information on a particular topic. It is defined as an academic activity that involves identifying the research problem, formulating a hypothesis, collecting, and analysing data and reaching specific conclusions in the form of solutions or general theories.

The primary objective of research is to find solutions for problems in a methodical and systematic way.

Characteristics of Research

   1. Systematic – This implies that the procedures adopted to undertake an investigation follow a certain logical sequence. The different steps cannot be taken in a haphazard way.

    2.  Valid and verifiable – This concept implies that whatever you conclude based on your findings is correct and can be verified by you and others.

   3. Empirical – This means that any conclusions drawn are based upon hard evidence gathered from information collected from real-life experiences or observations.

    4. Critical – Critical scrutiny of the procedures used, and the methods employed is crucial to a research enquiry. The process of investigation must not be liable for failure and free from any drawbacks. The process adopted and the procedures used must be able to withstand critical scrutiny.

Types of Research

A.    Application perspective

If you examine a research endeavour from the perspective of its application, there are two broad categories: pure research and applied research.

Pure research involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but may or may not have practical application at the present time or in the future. Thus, such work often involves the testing of hypotheses containing very abstract and specialised concepts. Examples of pure research include developing an instrument, say to measure the stress level in people or finding the best way of measuring people’s attitudes.

The knowledge produced through pure research is sought to add to the existing body of knowledge of research methods. It is also called as Basic research, which means Gathering knowledge for knowledge's sake. It is not directly involved with practical problems.

It does not have any commercial potential. There is no intention to apply this research in practice. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research conducts such studies.

But Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem faced by any business Organization. For example, why have sales decreased during the last quarter? Most of the research in the social sciences is applied. 

In other words, the research techniques, procedures, and methods that form the body of research methodology are applied to the collection of information about various aspects of a situation, issue, problem, or phenomenon so that the information gathered can be used in other ways – such as for policy formulation, administration, and the enhancement of understanding of a phenomenon.

B.    Objective’s perspective

If you examine a research study from the perspective of its objectives, broadly a research endeavour can be classified as Descriptive, Correlational, Explanatory and Exploratory. A research study classified as a descriptive study attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem, phenomenon, service, or programme, or provides information about, say, the living conditions of a community, or describes attitudes towards an issue. The main purpose of such studies is to describe what is prevalent with respect to the issue/problem under study.

Simply stated, it is a fact-finding investigation. In descriptive research, definite conclusions can be arrived at, but it does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship. In social science and business research we quite often use the term Ex post facto research for descriptive research studies.

The main characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no control over the variables; he can only report what has happened or what is happening.

The main emphasis in a correlational study is to discover or establish the existence of a relationship/association/interdependence between two or more aspects of a situation. What is the impact of an advertising campaign on the sale of a product? What is the relationship between stressful living and the incidence of heart attack?

These studies examine whether there is a relationship between two or more aspects of a situation.

Explanatory research attempts to clarify why and how there is a relationship between two aspects of a situation or phenomenon. This type of research attempts to explain, for example, why stressful living results in heart attacks. It is also called as Analytical, because the researcher must use facts and information already available and analyse these to make a critical evaluation.

The fourth type of research, from the viewpoint of the objectives of a study, is called exploratory research. This is when a study is undertaken with the objective either to explore an area where little is known or to investigate the possibilities of undertaking a particular research study. When a study is carried out to determine its feasibility it is also called a feasibility study or a pilot study.

It is usually carried out when a researcher wants to explore areas about which he has little or no knowledge. A small-scale study is undertaken to decide if it is worth carrying out a detailed investigation. Based on the assessment made during the exploratory study, a full study may eventuate.

Exploratory studies are also conducted to develop, refine and/or test measurement tools and procedures. 

C.    Enquiry perspective

The third perspective the process you adopt to find answers to your research questions.

Broadly, there are two approaches to enquiry:

1. The structured approach.

2. The unstructured approach. 

In the structured approach everything that forms the research process – objectives, design, sample, and the questions that you plan to ask of respondents – is predetermined. The unstructured approach, by contrast, allows flexibility in all these aspects of the process. The structured approach is more appropriate to determine the extent of a problem, issue, or phenomenon, whereas the unstructured approach is predominantly used to explore its nature.

For example, if you want to research the different perspectives of an issue, the problems experienced by people living in a community or the different views people hold towards an issue, then these are better explored using unstructured enquiries. On the other hand, to find out how many people have a particular perspective, how many people have a particular problem, or how many people hold a particular view, you need to have a structured approach to enquiry.

The structured approach to enquiry is usually classified as quantitative research and unstructured as qualitative 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. 

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). This type of research aims at discovering the underlying motives and desires, using in depth interviews for the purpose.

Qualitative research is especially important in the behavioural sciences where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human behaviour. Through such research we can analyse the various factors which motivate people to behave in a particular manner or which make people like or dislike a particular thing.

D.    Research Approach perspective:

Longitudinal research: when the research is carried on over several time periods. For example, when we want to know about the changes in personality of a person over the different stages of his life. Historical research and case study comes under longitudinal approach of research.

Another type is Cross sectional research when the research is carried on over several sections. Experimental research, survey are the examples of cross-sectional research.

 E.    Other types of Research

Conceptual Research This is generally used by philosophers. In this type of research, the researcher should collect the data to prove or disapprove his hypothesis. The various ideologies are best example of conceptual research.

Empirical Research

This research relies on experience or observation alone, often without due regard for system and theory. It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified by observation or experiment. We can also call it as experimental type of research.

In such research it is necessary to get at facts first-hand, at their source, and actively to go about doing certain things to stimulate the production of desired information. In such research, the researcher must first provide himself with a working hypothesis or guess as to the probable results. He then works to get enough facts (data) to prove or disprove his hypothesis. 

He then sets up experimental designs which he thinks will manipulate the persons or the materials concerned to bring forth the desired information. Such research is thus characterised by the experimenter’s control over the variables under study and his deliberate manipulation of one of them to study its effects.

 F.    Causal Research

Causal research is conducted to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between the two variables. For example: Effect of advertisement on sales.

G.    Action Research

This type of research is undertaken by direct action. Action research is conducted to solve a problem. For example, test marketing a product is an example of action research. Initially, the geographical location is identified.

A target sample is selected from among the population. Samples are distributed to selected samples and feedback is obtained from the respondent.