30 Meaning and Objectives of Research

Dr. Jaspreet Kaur

Contents

Introduction
1. Meaning of Research
Characteristics of Research
Why do we need research?
Objectives of Research
Reasons to Research
Historical Context
Unit of Analysis
Qualities of a Good

Research Summary

Learning objectives

To know the meaning and characteristics of research
To know about the need for conducting research
To know how to choose correct objectives for research
To understand other related parameters of research

Introduction

1.1. What is Research?

Research, itself is a very dynamic word, with answers varying from one person to another, from layman to scientists, and even from one field to another. For example, some people may say that they do research before buying a certain electronic product, just in order to make sure that they get the best deal; similarly a couple or a family may research different websites to get the cheapest rates for air fare or a holiday package; a business analysts continuously keeps an eye on the share market and does research to invest money, in order to maximize his/her gains. An under-graduate student sees research as collecting information from the internet for the weekly project assigned to them, whereas for a graduate or post-graduate student research is collecting and compiling data, tasks assigned to them by their professor. Thus, we see that the scope of research is vast, and dynamic. However, none of the above examples can be considered as research unless they contribute to the existing scientific knowledge or literature; and it follows a pre-defined methodology which is scientific in nature. The scientific knowledge is the laws and theories that explain a certain phenomenon or behavior of interests using a scientific method. Based upon the scientific knowledge we can divide research broadly into two types, inductive (theory-building) and deductive (theory-testing); where inductive research involves inferring the already established concepts and theories from observed data, whereas deductive research involves testing these concepts and patterns using new empirical data. It must be kept in mind that for science to progress, both the forms of research are crucial.

Research in the most common of meaning is quest or search for knowledge. The oxford dictionary defines research as “The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions”. These new conclusions and facts form a data base for future research. Research is not limited to or bound to any specific subject. Since acquirement of knowledge is a continuous process, so is the research. It‟s boundaries are fluid but the results are confined and scientifically proven. Research isn‟t limited to any specific subject. Technically, research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and reaching conclusions; and finally, carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis” (Clifford Woody). D. Slesinger and M. Stephension (1930), in the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences defined research as “the manipulation of things, concept or symbols for the purpose of generalizing to extend, correct or verify knowledge, whether that knowledge aids in construction of theory or in practice of an art”.

Thus there are various definitions of research, but the aim of doing research remains unchanged across various fields. Research on one hand finds solutions to the existing problems, and on the other hand adds to the existing knowledge giving a different perspective and insight. When we refer to a research study, it encompasses a procedure; a process that is within a set of approaches, using techniques and methodology that is already tested for its validity and reliability, and the outcome of the process/research is unbiased. Here, philosophies refer to the procedure applied, for example, qualitative or quantitative; reliability and validity refers to the accuracy of the procedure and the quality of the procedure that duplicates the results if the same procedure is followed over and over again; and unbiased and objective means that the procedure is free from any personal bias on the part of the researcher. It is to be mentioned that the level of achievement of these criteria and the accuracy with which these are obtained may vary from one discipline to another. However, the complete absence of the above mentioned criteria does not qualify an activity to be labelled as „research‟.

Characteristics of Research

Any good research must address the „question‟ with the basic characteristics that designate the process as „research‟. These steps must be controlled, rigorous, systematic, valid, verifiable, critical as well as empirical. Conducting a controlled study often is a challenge especially in anthropology, where two factors affecting the relationship cannot be controlled as can be in a laboratory based study. This is so because the factors in question are at times living human subjects, or at times a research involves issues that are sensitive to control as they are deeply related to human emotions. Further, the process/procedure must be rigorous, i.e. the researcher must ensure that the procedure followed is relevant, appropriate and justified. There should not be a conflict or doubt with regards to the relevance of the research undertaken by the researcher. It must be mentioned here that the degree of rigor may vary from one field to another and from one study topic to another. For example, eating habits of a study group are highly relevant in study undertaken on metabolic disorders in physiological anthropology, whereas it might not be that relevant in a study on fingerprints in forensic anthropology.

The next characteristic is systematic, i.e. the study or the research process must follow a sequence that logically terminates in the results. The process has to be sequential, follow a certain pre-decided logical pathway, and not a haphazard one, which not only would result in insignificant results but also result in a waste of resources. Valid and verifiable are the next two important characteristics that any research process must possess. It simply means that the conclusion(s)/finding(s) obtained in one research is (are) correct and can be duplicated when similar research is carried out by some other researcher. Empirical, the results/conclusions drawn upon are based on data or evidence collected from subjects. Criticality is another aspect of research, which means that the procedures and the process used is fool proof and thus stands critical review.

A procedure of enquiry that has all the above characteristics can be called as a research.

Why do we need Research?

It is an apparent fact that human technology and ways to study humans is changing at a fast pace. To fulfill the ever-changing demands research is required without which the existing scientific knowledge would become redundant. We need research not only for the betterment of the contemporary human population but also for a better future for the generations to come. To cope up with the ever-increasing load on the natural resources, we need advanced scientific ways which can help ease the burden, and make human life more in sync with the nature. Thus, human development is incomplete without research, which is central to sustainable development. Research promotes scientific thinking, conclusions based on empirical research, encourages rational thinking wading off traditional skepticism it gives way to an unbiased outlook and logical reasoning. Without accepting scientific way of thinking and rejecting blind faith, authoritarian attitude, and subjective approach, no subject will bloom.

The significance of research can be understood form the fact that it is central to policy formulation, be it economics, science, or social science. For example, in economics, the government forms the budget based on the analysis provided to them by the researchers on what are and what could be the needs and desires of the people. It gives an array of options to the government and an opportunity to check the feasibility of each policy separately as well as combined.

Market and business research is another important area, where research is required to understand the present trend in the market, and to make policies for production, circulation, and sales. It involves minimizing the production cost and maximizing the profits, without compromising on the quality of the product. Be it any product, related to health or FMG‟s, research is important to fulfill the present and future needs. In the absence of proper and deep understanding, effective marketing, appropriate pricing of the product, the health/status of a population group can be affected. For example, a manufacturer of a condom, without properly studying the needs and perceptions of the people can neither earn profits nor benefit the population as a whole.

Finally, research is also equally important in understanding the social problems, and studying the social relationships. Research in social science, not only adds to personal knowledge, but also makes this knowledge applicable to practical purpose.

Objectives of Research

Further, there are certain objective with which one carries out a research, and based on the objectives we can define the type of research. As we know, that the scientific disciplines differ from each other in the object they study, thus having created their own pre-defined set of unique laws, and theories. Despite the variation in the object of study, laws and principles, what brings together these scientific communities is the fundamental question “why”. The answer to this very curiosity is met by common objectives and type of research as per the aim of the study. One can define broadly, the following objectives of research:

Research is often carried out to get a detailed familiarity and insight into any existing or new phenomenon. The data or the results of the research are regarded as an addendum to what already exists if it is carried out in an already existing topic/area. Such kind of research is often called as „exploratory research‟, or „formulative research‟.
When it describes the characteristics of, an individual, an event, a situation or a group, in terms of precise, reliable observations, it is called as „descriptive‟.
The kind of research that determines the frequency of occurrence of an event, either independently or in association with another event is known as „diagnostic‟ research.
Lastly, when a research study aims at establishing a relationship between to events or two variables, it is termed as „hypothesis-testing‟ research.

Reasons to Research

What drives research or what attracts one towards research can range from purely personal objectives to governmental needs. However, it is true that without motivation one cannot harvest successful results and outcomes, which are the ultimate objective of any research. The following are the motivation in research, though it should be kept in mind that the reasons are not exhaustive.

To attain personal benefits in the form of a Ph.D. degree;
For some it is the unquenchable thirst for knowledge that they join research;
While some others want to serve the nation or society by contributing to its development by being a part of the research and development;
It is also a way for some to join teaching at higher level;
And a few have an aptitude for research, to uptake challenges and solve them;
Besides these, research is also done as it is the basis of the evidence-based policy making. A nation formulates its future policies based on the empirical data provided by researchers which reflects the current situation of various fields, ranging from health to economy, from aviation to military, illiteracy to higher education etc.

The list of reasons cited above is not exhaustive, and there could be motivations to research which are beyond the purview of this module.

Historical Context

The first directory of researchers was published in 1906 by James McKeen Cattell, the editor of Science magazine in United States, which included the biographies of almost 4000 men who have carried out research work. Back then, research was considered and seen to be dichotomous, i.e. basic vs applied; and it meant to be strictly referred to or perceived as university research. This differentiation was largely based on the intentions of the researcher (which could either be seeking knowledge or applications) rather than the methodology followed. For decades to come, basic and applied would remain the only two categories of research that are discussed among researchers across the world. The words like „inquiry‟ and „investigation‟ were gradually replaced by „research‟, which is an academic category. Before the World War I, majority of the social science subjects focused on basic research in order to gain status as pure and scientific disciplines. The WWI gave rise to need for applied and action-oriented research. With the onset of the World War II (1939), both the public and scientific communities strengthened their calls for researchers to participate in social and community action. The concept of positivism was given by French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798–1857), who is also the founder of the discipline of sociology. In his concept he attempted to blend rationalism and empiricism in a new doctrine and suggested that theory and observations are inherently dependent on each other. He opined that theories are created via reasoning; the authenticity of these is verified only through observations.

However, in the early 20th century, the concept of positivism was strongly criticized and was equated with quantitative research methods (like surveys and experiments) without any philosophical commitments. On the other hand, anti positivism employed qualitative methods like interviews and participant observations. Anti positivism has been criticized on the grounds of not bringing about any change for the improvement of the society, but only in its plain understanding of the society.

Unit of Analysis

The first thing that a researcher must decide after what to study, is who to study. The unit of analysis is the person (or individual), groups, organizations, technologies, countries ,objects; either singly or in combination, that is the target of the underlying inquiry. For example, a researcher wants to study the shopping behavior, response to some new product launched in market, or attitude towards the present policies, then the unit of analysis is the individual. On the other hand, if one is interested in knowing how team work affects the work output, then the unit of analysis is a group. If there is a study that seeks answers to the same research inquiry but in different cultures, then the unit of analysis would be country. It is not necessary that the unit of analysis had to be a human or group of humans, it can be inanimate as well.

What Constitutes a Good Research?

Despite the wide variety in the research topics, or the methodology adopted, a good research meets the bare minimum criteria to qualify as a good research. The following are the criterion that qualifies any research as a good research:-

A good research is often systematic and logical. The research process followed irrespective of the subject area should lie in a sequence, the steps followed should be planned well ahead, and there should be logical reasoning to not only the process but also the results.
The results of a good research are replicable, i.e. if same methodology and procedure is followed in a different population, the results should be verifiable and same.
The research is empirical and follows a concrete data set.

Summary

Any good research must address the „question‟ with the basic characteristics that designate the process as „research‟. These steps must be controlled, rigorous, systematic, valid, verifiable, critical as well as empirical.

To fulfill the ever-changing demands research is required without which the existing scientific knowledge would become redundant. We need research not only for the betterment of the contemporary human population but also for a better future for the generations to come. To cope up with the ever-increasing load on the natural resources, we need advanced scientific ways which can help ease the burden, and make human life more in sync with the nature.

The first thing that a researcher must decide after what to study is who to study. The unit of analysis is the person (or individual), groups, organizations, technologies, countries, objects; either singly or in combination, that is the target of the underlying inquiry.

A Good Research is often systematic and logical; the results of a good research are replicable; and the research is empirical and follows a concrete data set.

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