Research Definition - National University Sudan

National university Sudan Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences Introduction to Research – MLS – RESH -326 Research Defintion Lecture {1} U. Afra Hassan Saadeldin Histopathology Department 0912554729 Objectives Definition. Obj...

National university Sudan Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences Introduction to Research – MLS – RESH -326 Research Defintion Lecture {1} U. Afra Hassan Saadeldin Histopathology Department 0912554729 Objectives Definition. Objectives of research. Motivation in research. Research methodology. Research process. 2 Definition ▫ Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge. ▫ Once can also define research as a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic. 3 Definition ▫ In fact, research is an art of scientific investigation. ▫ The advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English lays down the meaning of research as: ▫ “a careful investigation or inquiry specially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge. 4 Research ▫ The term ‘research’ refers to the systematic method consisting of: ▫ Enunciating the problem, ▫ Formulating a hypothesis, ▫ Collecting the facts or data, ▫ Analysing the facts and reaching certain conclusions either in the form of solutions(s) towards the concerned problem or in certain Enunciating 5  Objectives Of Research ▫ The purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific procedures. ▫ The main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered as yet. ▫ Though each research study has its own specific purpose. 6 Objectives Of Research ▫ We may think of research objectives as falling into a number of following broad groupings: 1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it. 2. To Describe accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group. 3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else. 4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables. 7 Motivation in Research ▫ What makes people to undertake research? ▫ The possible motives for doing research may be either one or more of the following: 1. Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits. 2. Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems. 3. Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work. 4. Desire to be of service to society. 5. Desire to get respectability. 8  Research methodology 9 Research methodology ▫ is a way to systematically solve the research problem. ▫ It may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. 10  Research methodology ▫ when we talk of research methodology we not only talk of the research methods but also consider the logic behind the methods. ▫ we use in the context of our research study and explain why we are using a particular method or technique and why we are not using others so that research results are capable of being evaluated either by the researcher himself or by others. 11 Research Process 12 Research process ▫ Research process consists of series of actions or steps necessary to effectively carry out research and the desired sequencing of these steps. 13  Define research Review Formulate Design Collect Analyse Interpret problem the the hypothesis research data data and report literature 14  1.Formulating the research problem: ▫ There are two types of research problems, those which relate to states of nature and those which relate to relationships between variables. ▫ The formulation of a general topic into a specific research problem, thus, constitutes the first step in a scientific enquiry. ▫ Essentially two steps are involved in formulating the research problem: ▫ Understanding the problem thoroughly. ▫ Rephrasing the same into meaningful terms from an analytical point of view. 15  1.Formulating the research problem: ▫ The best way of understanding the problem is to discuss it with one’s own colleagues or with those having some expertise in the matter. ▫ In an academic institution the researcher can seek the help from a guide (supervisor )who is usually an experienced man and has several research problems in mind. 16  2. Extensive literature survey: ▫ At this step the researcher should undertake extensive literature survey connected with the problem. ▫ For this purpose, the published or unpublished references ,academic journals, conference proceedings, government reports, books etc., must be tapped depending on the nature of the problem. ▫ A good library will be a great help to the researcher at this stage. 17  3. Development of working hypotheses ▫ As such the manner in which research hypotheses are developed is particularly important since they provide the focal point for research. ▫ They also affect the manner in which tests must be conducted in the analysis of data and indirectly the quality of data which is required for the analysis. ▫ The role of the hypothesis is to guide the researcher by delimiting the area of research and to keep him on the right track. 18 How does one go about developing working hypotheses? ▫ The answer is by using the following approach: (a) Discussions with colleagues and experts about the problem, (b) Examination of data and records. (c) Review of similar studies in the area or of the studies on similar problems. (d) Personal investigation which involves original field interviews on a limited scale. 19 4. Preparing the research design: ▫ The preparation of a design facilitates research to be as efficient as possible yielding maximal information. ▫ But how all these can be achieved depends mainly on the research purpose. ▫ Research purposes may be grouped into four categories ▫ (i) Exploration, (ii) Description, ▫ (iii) Diagnosis, (iv) Experimentation. 20 5. Collecting the data ▫ Primary data can be collected either through experiment or through survey. ▫ If the researcher conducts an experiment, he observes some quantitative measurements, or the data, with the help of which he examines the truth contained in his hypothesis. 21 5. Collecting the data ▫ But in the case of a survey, data can be collected by any one or more of the following ways: ▫ (i) By observation (ii) Through personal interview ▫ (iii) Through telephone interviews ▫ (iv) By mailing of questionnaires. ▫ (v) Through schedules 22  6. Analysis of data: ▫ Analysis work after tabulation is generally based on the computation of various percentages, coefficients, etc., by applying various well defined statistical formulae. ▫ In the process of analysis, relationships or differences supporting or conflicting with original or new hypotheses. 23 7. Preparation of the report or the thesis: ▫ Finally, the researcher has to prepare the report of what has been done by him. Writing of thesis must be done with great care and special criteria. 24 Thank you. 25