Methods

Graduate School Digos City

Randy A. Tudy

Research can be undertaken for two different purposes:

Deny A. Kwary, Airlangga University www.kwary.net

To solve a currently existing problem

(applied research)

To contribute to the general body of knowledge in a particular area of interest (basic/fundamental research)

http://www2.infohio.org/rpc/docs/step1/WhatIsResearch.pdf

Taking a new look at the information and taking a stand.

Going beyond facts and old ideas.

Collection and interpretation of data in an attempt to resolve the problem or answer the question.

A process, which works best when done step-by-step. The steps may need to be repeated, as the process is reiterative.

• Seeking information with a clear goal in mind.

•Driven by a question or problem that then guides the process.

http://www2.infohio.org/rpc/docs/step1/WhatIsResearch.pdf

Rewording each phrase and citing each source. That's just a summary of facts with someone else's name on them.

Combining a paragraph from an encyclopedia with a couple of paragraphs from Websites. That's plagiarism.

Rearranging facts.

Just gathering information.

Research may be defined as a systematic approach/method consisting of enunciating the problem, formulating a hypothesis, collecting the facts or data, analyzing the facts and reaching certain conclusions, either in the form of solution towards the concerned problem or in certain generalizations for some theoretical formulation.

Research may also be defined as a scientific study, which by means of logical and systematized techniques, aims to...

a. Discover new facts or verify and test old facts

b. Analyze their sequences, inter-relationships and explanations which are derived within an appropriate theoretical frame of reference c. Develop new scientific tools, concepts, and theories which would facilitate reliable and valid study of human behavior in decision making.

may be defined as all those methods/techniques that are used for conducting the research.

may be defined as a way to systematically solve the research problem

constitutes of research methods, selection criterion of research methods, used in context of research study and explanation of using of a particular method or technique and why other techniques are not used so that research results are capable of being evaluated either by researcher himself or by others.

a collective term denoting the various processes by the aid of which the sciences are built.

consists of systematic observation, classification and interpretation of data. Scientific method is a universally applicable, systematic method of understanding a phenomenon and verifying the truth. Scientific methods have the following characteristics.

consists of a series of actions or steps necessary to effectively carry out research and the desired sequencing of these steps

a. Formulating the research problem b. Extensive literature survey c. Developing the hypothesis d. Preparing the research design e. Determining sample design f. Collecting the data g. Execution of the project h. Analysis of data i. Hypothesis testing j. Generalization and interpretation k. Preparation of the report

Decisions regarding what, where, when, how much, by what means, concerning an enquiry or a research study, constitute a research design.

A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure.

contains the following aspects. a. A clear statement of the research problem b. Procedure and techniques to be used for gathering information from population to be studied. c. Methods to be used for processing and analyzing data

The logic of Social Research

“…as social researchers we

believe that patterns and

regularities occur in society

and that these are not simply

random.

The task we are faced with is

to ask why these patterns

exist: in other words to

produce

explanations of them.

We couch these explanations in

terms of theories. Theories

allow us to select out from a

mass of confusing material

those elements of reality which

are of concern

to us. On the basis of theory we

can develop hypotheses about

relationships which ought to

exist, if the theory is valid.”

(Rose & Sullivan 1996, 10)