Research - Its Meaning and Definitions
Etymologically,
the word ‘Research’ is derived from the French word ‘recherché’ which means ‘to
seek again’.
Although
human beings have not yet devised any perfect method of finding solutions to
their problems found worthy of investigation, there is a general transition
from acquiring knowledge based on customs, tradition, culture, authority and
experience to the use of research incorporating the scientific method.
Research
is a systematic attempt at seeking answers to meaningful questions about
events, processes or phenomena through the application of the scientific
method. In other words, research is a formal, logical, methodical and rigorous
process aimed at discovering new knowledge and solving problems.
The
advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English defines research as “a careful
investigation or inquiry especially through search for new facts in any branch
of knowledge.”
According
to Kerlinger, “Scientific research is empirical and critical investigation of
hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among natural phenomena.”
On
the other hand, Redman and Mory define research in a simplistic manner as a
“systematized effort to gain new knowledge.” This is one of the earlier
definitions of research.
Young defines social
research as “the systematic method of discovering new facts or verifying old
facts, their sequences, interrelationships, causal explanations and the natural
laws which govern them.”‘.
Based
on the preceding definitions, it may be said that research is an academic
activity aimed at making original contribution to the available stock of
knowledge thereby leading to progress and advancement. Research enables an
individual to comprehend reality through a logical array of processed data and
information. This is very clear from the definition of research as “a studious
inquiry or examination, especially a critical and exhaustive investigation or
experimentation having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct
interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories or laws in the
light of newly discovered facts or the practical application of such conclusions,
theories or laws.” This definition implies that there is no research without
discovery of new knowledge.
Need of Research as a
Scientific Activity
Need
of research can be as follows:
1. It
contributes to systematic and scientific development of new theories, laws and
principles, i.e. creation of new knowledge in the academic discipline of
education.
2. It
helps in testing existing theories and modifying them if necessary.
3. To
determining and describing the past and the present status of phenomena.
4. Its
purpose is to trace growth, developmental history, change and status of certain
phenomena.
5. It
helps in ascertaining the nature, composition and processes that characterize
selected events or phenomena.
6. It
is aimed at solving problems faced by practitioners in the field of education
including teachers and principals.
7. To
prediction and ultimate control of events.
8. It
contributes to creating educational policies.
9. Its
purpose can be to study the cause-and-effect relationships among
and between certain phenomena.
10. It
is aimed at providing explanation of phenomena.
11. Its
purpose can include programme evaluation and improvement.
12. It
can be undertaken to understand events, processes, structure of phenomena and
gain knowledge for its own sake. i.e. for intellectual curiosity.
Characteristics
of Research
Characteristics
of research are as follows:
1) It
is directed towards the solution of a problem. It therefore has specific goals.
2) It is aimed at developing principles, laws,
theories and generalizations to predict future occurrences. For example, if a researcher
generalizes that school climate has a positive relationship with job satisfaction
of teachers, it may be possible to predict that if the climate of a particular
school is conducive, the job satisfaction of teachers in that school is
expected to be high.
3) It is based on observation, experience and
experiments i.e. on empirical evidence. It is not based on conceptual or
speculative thoughts of an individual.
4) It
requires accurate observation and description of phenomena, events, processes
or structure. These observations and descriptions could be measured using quantitative
measuring devices or qualitative verbal, in-depth narrations.
5) It
is based on the works of others i.e. on prior conceptual and empirical
literature.
6) It
requires expertise. The researcher needs to know the existing subject-matter on
the topic and how others have studied this topic in the past. This knowledge
can be acquired through a review of related literature.
7) It
answers unsolved questions in an original manner, i.e. a good research study is
original in nature and not a mere repetition of what others have done. However,
sometimes, previously conducted studies can be replicated (repeated)
deliberately using similar procedures on different samples, in different
settings and at a different time. This could be done so as to confirm previous
findings or to raise questions about the findings of a prior study. Sometimes
it is conducted to study the changes in the phenomena.
8) It
involves collecting new data from primary or first-hand sources. However, it
may also use existing secondary data collected by other researchers to answer
new questions. More reorganization of rearrangement of already known facts
cannot be termed as research.
9) It
is an objective, rational, unbiased and logical activity. The researcher attempts
to eliminate his/her personal bias in selecting the sample, collecting data, analyzing
and interpreting findings.
10) It
uses carefully designed procedures, reliable and valid tools, unbiased and
representative samples and applies rigorous analysis to data.
11) It needs to be recorded and reported
carefully. The report needs to carry definition of important terms, details of
tools, sample and methods, references and objectively arrived at conclusions.
These need to be reported with scholarly caution and in an un-emotional manner.
Findings should not contain value judgments.
12) Reporting and publishing research findings
sometimes necessitate courage. For example, if an agency gives financial aid to
a researcher for evaluating a programme being conducted and if the researcher
finds the programme to be of poor quality the researcher needs to report the findings
without fear (even if it implies that next time he / she will not get research
grant or assignment from the agency).
13) Research
can be replicated.
14) Its
findings can be generalized to other settings.
15) It
is incremental in nature. i.e. each research study makes some contribution to
existing body of knowledge and leads to further research.
16) It
is cyclic in nature as it generates new questions.
17) It should be confined for the benefit and
improvement of society.
Research Cycle
The various steps involved in the research process
can be summarized as shown in figure.
Let
us now try to understand this process with the help of an example.
Step 1: Identifying the Gap in Knowledge
The
researcher, based on experience and observation realizes that some students in
the class do not perform well in the examination. Therefore, he / she pose an
unanswered question: “Which factors are associated with students’ academic
performance?”
Step
2: Identifying the Antecedent Causes
Based on experience,
observation and a review of related literature, he / she realize that students
who are either very anxious or not at all anxious do not perform well in the
examination. Thus, he / she identify anxiety as one of the factors that could
be associated with students’
academic performance.
Step
3: Stating the Goals
The
researcher now states the goals of the study:
I. To ascertain the relationship of
anxiety with academic performance
of students.
II.To ascertain the gender differences
in the anxiety and academic performance of students. .
III.To
ascertain the gender difference in the relationship of anxiety with academic
performance
of students. ’
Step 4: Formulating Hypotheses
The researcher may state his / her
hypotheses as follows:
1.
There is a significant relationship between anxiety and academic performance of
students.
2. There is a significant gender difference in the anxiety and academic performance
of students.
3. There is n significant gender difference in the relationship of anxiety with
academic performance of students.
Step 5: Collecting Relevant Information
The
researcher uses appropriate tools and techniques to measure anxiety and academic
performance of students, selects a sample of students and collects data from
them.
Step 6: Testing the Hypotheses
He
/ she now use appropriate statistical techniques to verify and test the
hypotheses of the study stated in Step 4.
Step 7: Interpreting the Findings
He / she interpret the findings in terms
of whether the relationship between anxiety and academic performance is
positive or negative, linear or curvilinear. He/she finds that this
relationship is curvilinear i.e. when a student’s anxiety is either very low or
very high, his / her academic performance is found to be low. However, when a
student’s anxiety is moderate, his/her academic performance is found to be
high. He/she now tries to explain this finding based on logic and creativity.
Step 8: Comparing the Findings with
prior researchers’ Findings
At
this step, the researcher tries to find out whether his/her conclusion matches
those of the prior researchers or not. If not, then the researcher attempts to
find out why conclusions do not match with other researchers by analyzing prior
studies further.
Step 9: Modifying Theory
Based
on steps 7 and 8, the researcher speculates that anxiety alone cannot influence
academic performance of students. There could be a third factor, which influences
the relationship between anxiety and academic performance of students. This
third factor could be study habits of students. For instance, students who have
very low level of anxiety may have neglected their studies throughout the year
and hence their academic performance is poor. On the other hand, students who
have very high level of anxiety may not be able to remember what they have learnt
or cannot concentrate on studies due to stress or may fall sick very often and
hence cannot study properly. Hence, their academic performance is poor.
However, students with a moderate level of anxiety are motivated enough to
study regularly and systematically all through the year and
hence their academic performance is high. Thus, the loosely structured theory
on students academic performance need to incorporate one more variable, namely,
study habits of students. In other words, it needs to be modified.
Step 10: Asking New Questions
Do study habits and anxiety interact
with each other and influence academic performance of students? i.e. we can now
start with a fresh topic of research involving three variables rather than two.
