INTRODUCTION OF RESEARCH

Week 1

By LECTURERS

FAKULTI PENGURUSAN MAKLUMAT

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This Chapter seeks to

examine the nature of

research, its definition,

identify the reasons for

undertaking research and

the basic concept of

research methodology. It

also distinguishes between

basic and applied research.

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CHAPTER CONTENTS

1. Definition of Research

2. Purpose of Research

3. Applied and Basic

Research

4. Quantitative and

Qualitative Research

5. Types of Research

6. Ethics and Research

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INTRODUCTION

• Systematic investigation of a subject,

• Aimed at uncovering new information (discovering data) and / or

• Interpreting relations among the subject’s parts (theorising).

• Research is done in hundreds of ways, ranging from lawyers searching among old court cases for legal precedents to physicists smashing atoms to study subatomic particles.

1. DEFINITION OF RESEARCH

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DEFINITION OF RESEARCH

1. The word research is derived from the Latin word meaning to know. It is a

systematic and a replicable process

which identifies and defines problems, within specified boundaries. It employs

well designed method to collect the

data and analyses the results. It disseminates the findings to contribute

to generalizeable knowledge. Its

include :

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i. systematic problem solving which

identifies variables and tests

relationships between them

ii. Logical - procedures can be

duplicated or understood by

others.

iii. Empirical - decisions are based on

data collected

iv. Reductive - it investigates a small

sample which can be generalized

to a larger population.

v. Replicable - others may test the

findings by repeating it.

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2. Research can be defined as

a process of systematic

investigation of a subject for

the purpose of adding to the

body of knowledge about

that subject.

DEFINITION OF RESEARCH

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• Contained in that definition are three key points :

i. Research is a process : it is

carried out in stages.

ii. Investigation is carried out

systematically : the investigation

is planned

iii. Research is intended to add to

the body of knowledge : the

purpose of research is to inform.

DEFINITION OF RESEARCH

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DEFINITION OF RESEARCH

3. As an organized, systematic, data-

based, critical, objective, scientific

inquiry or investigation into a specific

problem undertaken with the purpose

of finding answers or solution to it.

(Sekaran, 2003)

4. Research is an organized and

systematic way of finding answers to

questions.

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i. Organized – Structure or

method in going about

doing research

ii. Systematic – is a define set

of procedures and steps

which you should follow

iii. Finding Answer – is end of all

research

iv. Questions – are central to

research

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Research can be defined as a process of systematic investigation of a subject for the purpose of adding to the body of knowledge about the subject.

(Hancock, 1998)

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Research = process +

Systematic investigation +

subject + adding +

knowledge.

(Hancock, 1998)

2. PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

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PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

• Systematic research is

often conducted to bring

about knowledge.

• The knowledge can lead

to more reliable decision

making, problem solving

and measure the benefits.

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PURPOSE OF RESEARCH …

• advances knowledge for (as an example) library and information management theory

• improves practices for practitioners in the library and information management industry

• improves technologies for example used in library and information management industry

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• helps create meaningful

education programs in the

library and information

management;

• helps justify the need for

library and information

management systems

facilities.

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH …

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• helps library and information managers in good decision making processes where they insist on: – recognition of a problem

– collection and synthesis of information

– develop possible solutions to the problem

– selection and implementation of best solution

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH …

3. APPLIED AND BASIC RESEARCH

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APPLIED AND BASIC RESEARCH

• There are five general kinds of

research: basic research,

applied research, evaluation

research, action research,

and orientational research.

• However for this course, we

only focuses on Applied and

Basic Research.

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Applied Research

• Applied research is research

done with the intention of

applying the results of the

findings to solve specific

problems currently being

experienced in the

organization.

• One might say that the goal of

the applied researcher is to

improve the human condition.

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Applied Research

• For example, applied

researchers may

investigate ways to

improve reference desk

services.

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Basic Research

• Basic (a.k.a. fundamental or pure) research is driven by a scientist's curiosity or interest in a scientific question.

• The main motivation is to expand knowledge, not to create or invent something. Therefore, in this case, there is no obvious commercial value to the discoveries that result from basic research.

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Basic Research

• Research conducted to generate knowledge and understanding of phenomena (in the work setting) that would add to the existing body of knowledge (about organizations and management theory)

• To generate a body knowledge by trying to comprehend how certain problems that commonly occur in organizational setting, and seek methods is solving them.

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Basic Research

• For example, basic

researchers may

investigate How books was

invented?

4. QUALITATIVE AND

QUANTATIVE RESEARCH

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Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Research

There are currently three major

research paradigms in

education (and in the social

and behavioral sciences). They

are quantitative research,

qualitative research, and mixed

research.

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1. Quantitative research – research that

relies primarily on the collection of

quantitative data.

2. Qualitative research – research that

relies on the collection of qualitative

data.

3. Mixed research – research that involves

the mixing of quantitative and

qualitative methods or paradigm

characteristics. Mixing of quantitative

and qualitative research can take

many forms. In fact, the possibilities for

mixing are almost infinite.

Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Research

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Most people have a clear idea of quantitative research. At its simplest, it involves the analysis of numbers, (i.e. The measurement of tangible variables and their inter-relationships).

Quantitative Research tends to generate Quantitative Data - data is either collected in numeric format or rapidly reduced to numbers.

Quantitative Research

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1. Experiments - lab, quasi, field

2. Surveys - face to face, phone,

post

3. Secondary Data - published

statistics

Quantitative Data Collection Method

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Qualitative research is an

exploration of relatively intangible

variables resulting in a largely

verbal description or explanation of

the phenomena (often behavior)

studied.

Its methods includes interviews,

direct and participant observation,

videotaping of subjects, case

studies and document analysis.

Qualitative Research

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Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research tends to

generate Qualitative Data -

data is collected in textual

format and largely retained in

textual format. Where non

textual data is collected it is

often expressed in textual

format.

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Qualitative Research

Five traditions in qualitative research :

– Biography

– Phenomenology

– Grounded Theory

– Ethnography

– Case Study

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Qualitative Data Collection Method

1. Open ended survey

2. Semi-structured interviews

3. In-depth interviews

4. Focus groups

5. Case notes/records of meetings

6. Diaries and research diaries

7. Fields notes/observations

8. Personal documents

5. TYPES RESEARCH

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TYPES OF RESEARCH

i. Co-relational

ii. Causal – Comparative

iii. Experimental

iv. Survey

v. Action Research

vi. Historical

vii. Ethnographic

6. ETHICS AND RESEARCH

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ETHICS AND RESEARCH

• Ethics is the division in the field of

philosophy that deals with values

and morals.

• It is a topic that people may

disagree on because it is based

on people's personal value

systems. What one person or

group considers to be good or

right might be considered bad or

wrong by another person or

group.

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ETHICS AND RESEARCH

• Most research in the fields of

education contain ethical

issues, especially when human

beings are investigated.

• Some universities and research

institutions have an internal

body to review every research

proposal and activity from

ethical viewpoint.

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Ethics Approaches

Deontological Approach

• This approach states that we

should identify and use a

Universal code when making

ethical decisions. An action is

either ethical or not ethical,

without exception.

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Ethical Concerns

The are three primary areas of

ethical concern for

researchers.

i. The relationship between

society and science.

ii. Professional issues.

iii. Treatment of Research

Participants

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The relationship between society

and science.

– Should researchers study what is

considered important in society at a

given time?

– Should the federal government and

other funding agencies use grants to

affect the areas researched in a

society?

– Should researchers ignore societal

concerns?

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Professional Issues

– The primary ethical concern here is

fraudulent activity (fabrication or alteration of

results) by researchers. Obviously, cheating or

lying are never defensible.

– Duplicate publication (publishing the same

data and results in more than one journal or

other publication) should be avoided.

– Partial publication (publishing several articles

from the data collected in one study). This is

allowable as long as the different

publications involve different research

questions and different data. Otherwise, it

should be avoided.

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Treatment of Research Participants

• This is probably the most

fundamental ethical issue in the

field of empirical research.

• It is essential that one insures

that research participants are

not harmed physically or

psychologically during the

conduct of research.

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ETHICS AND RESEARCH The following principles should be

followed in research works.

i. Voluntary participation, although

rewards may be given.

ii. Consent alone insufficient; subjects

must be fully informed of the

procedures to be followed and a

risks (if any) involved if they

participate.

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ETHICS AND RESEARCH

iii. Confidentiality : no identifying information may be released except to those involved with the research.

iv. Anonymity : the identity of the participant is not known by anyone in the study, including the researcher. An example would be where the researcher has a large group of people fill out a questionnaire but NOT write their names on it. In this way, the researcher ends up with data, but no names.

v. The research aim should be explained.