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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST BENEFICIENT AND THE MOST MERCIFUL.
ASSIGNMENT TOPICS: What is research, Difference between Qulitative and Quantitative research,Salient features of a good researcher.
SUBMITTED TO:
SAIMA JAVED
WHAT IS RESEARCH?
Research has been defined in a number of different ways. "In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge." Another definition of research - "Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue". Research in more detail as "a studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws".
1.QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH:
Quantitative research aim to measure the quantity or amount and compares it with past records and tries to project for future period. In social sciences, quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships. The objective of qualitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories or hypothesis pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Statistics is the most widely used branch of mathematics in quantitative research. Statistical methods are used extensively with in fields such as economics and commerce. Quantitative research involving the use of structured questions, where the response options have been Predetermined and large number of respondents is involved.eg:-total sales of soap industry interms of rupees cores and or quantity interms of lakhs tones for particular year, say 2008,could be researched, compared with past 5 years and then projection for 2009 could be made.
2.QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
Qualitative research presents non-qualitative type of analysis. Qualitative research is collecting, analyzing and interpreting data by observing what people do and say. Qualitative research refers to the meanings, definitions, characteristics, symbols, metaphors, and description of things. Qualitative research is much more subjective and uses very different methods of collecting information,mainly individual, indepth interviews and focus groups. The nature of this type of research is exploratory and open ended. Small number of people are interviewed in depth and or a relatively small number of focus groups are conducted. Qualitative research can be further classified in the following type. I. Phenomenology:-a form of research in which the researcher attempts to understand how one or more individuals experience a phenomenon. Eg:-we might interview 20 victims of bhopal tragedy. II. Ethnography:- this type of research focuses on describing the culture of a group of people. A culture is the shared attributes, values, norms, practices, language, and material things of a
group of people. Eg:-the researcher might decide to go and live with the tribal in Andaman island and study the culture and the educational practices. III. Case study:-is a form of qualitative research that is focused on providing a detailed account of one or more cases E.g. we may study a classroom that was given a new curriculum for technology use. IV. Grounded theory:- it is an inductive type of research, based or grounded in the observations of data from which it was developed; it uses a variety of data sources, including quantitative data, review of records, interviews, observation and surveys V. Historical research:-it allows one to discuss past and present events in the context of the present condition, and allows one to reflect and provide possible answers to current issues and problems. E.g. he lending pattern of business in the 19th century.
Qualitative Methods Methods include focus groups, in-depth interviews, and reviews of documents for types of themes Primarily inductive process used to formulate theory or hypotheses
Quantitative Methods Surveys, structured interviews & observations, and reviews of records or documents for numeric information Primarily used to concepts, hypotheses theory deductive process test pre-specified constructs, and that make up a
More subjective: describes a problem or condition from the point of view of those experiencing it Text-based More in-depth information on a few cases
More objective: provides observed effects (interpreted by researchers) of a program on a problem or condition Number-based Less in-depth but more breadth of information across a large number of cases Fixed response options
No statistical tests
Statistical tests are used for analysis Can be valid and reliable: largely depends on the measurement device or instrument used Time expenditure heavier on the planning phase and lighter on the analysis phase More generalizable
Can be valid and reliable: largely depends on skill and rigor of the researcher
Time expenditure lighter on the planning end and heavier during the analysis phase Less generalizable
communication are importantNon-verbal communication such as appropriate gestures, facial expressions, even smiles may also be of help. The bottom line: YOU MUST BE UNDERSTOOD A research may seem to be successful but may be dangerous if done dishonestly. This is even worse if there is a cooperative dishonesty among researchers. Example, a medicine claimed by researchers to cure certain illness and lie about its adverse effect can be deadly. Really, research is a serious one that it is often tedious. A healthy researcher can go thru all the stresses and discomforts of research work. if it is time to relax, relax. It is time to eat, eat( proper diet). If it is time to exercise, exercise, so that if it is time to go back to work on your research you can have a better focus. It is more interesting to note the good qualities needed by a researcher in the dynamic parts of doing research. We can call these qualities as the good qualities on the process. They are as follows: Diligence and persistence; Creativeness and innovativeness; Objectiveness; Open mindedness; Orderliness and cleanliness; Cautious, accuracy and precision; Quickness and responsiveness; Keenness ;Systematic and reasonableness; and Cooperation and leadership Going to different libraries, sleepless nights surfing the internet, gathering data, repeating experiments- is not a joke. A good researcher is not just born overnight. Be ready with your diligence and patience. Often a researcher has his own expectations of the outcomes in which over-excitement may lead him to become bias either consciously or unconsciously. Be objective. Interpret data objectively. Do not manufacture or discard data to suit your biases or expectations but probably on statistical, logical, and/or experimental grounds. Should there'll be an incident where one will give a negative comment on your research in the process, do not be embarrassed, do not feel insulted or angry, instead be happy and thankful for all you know, the negative comments are the stepping stones for you to succeed in your research study. Be open-minded and be willing to consider corrections and suggestions from others. Something may go wrong with your laboratory experiments simply because you forgot to clean a test tube. Be extra conscious on cleanliness. Accurate and precise data are of importance in research. Data are the pillars of your conclusions. So be extra cautious in collecting data and in performing an experiment. Not only the data are guarded when you are extra cautious and try to be accurate and precise in your work, but also your health or the health of others. Accidents can happen anytime when you are not cautious and careful to consider safety. A time may come when your research will require you to lead a team of researchers- be skillful in leadership. Encourage cooperation for it plays a vital role in a team.. You have succeeded in generating the outputs of your research. Remember good qualities of a researcher do not end here. There are still important qualities upon success: contentment and willingness to be of service Contentment is good. This means you are satisfied and happy of
your success. It is alright to relax before jumping into another research. Celebrate your success. Ethical concideration plays a role in all research studies.A good researcher attend ethical consideration in his research.Humility may be needed to conform to some societys expectations. However, to be proud of ones hard work is a thing that you can claim. It is better if a researcher is willing to share his work so it can be benefited by the community or even the entire world. Sharing your work doesnt only mean sharing the outputs but also sharing the experiences you gained from doing research in which other researchers can learn. A little like a note to beginners. Remember there is a researcher within us. It is just waiting to be unleashed.
REFRENCES: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) en.wikipedia/org/wiki/research Merrian.website collegiate Dictionary www.qualitativeresearch.org. Webstersuniversal dictionary and Thesaurus (2013) www.thefreedictionary.com/research www.goodreads.com/author/show/974570.L_R_Gay Iqbal, Pervez. Basics of Educational Research, Majeed Book Urdu Bazar Lhr 8) Vaizey, J. (1967). Education in the Modern world. New York: McGrew Hill