Page 10 - DMGT404 RESEARCH_METHODOLOGY

Research Methodology

Notes 3. ...................... methods are concerned with attempts to quantify social phenomena and
collect and analyse numerical data.

1.2 Defining Research

Various authors and management gurus have defined research in different ways. Usually a
research is said to begin with a question or a problem. The purpose of research is to find
solutions through the application of systematic and scientific methods. Thus, research is a
systematic approach to purposeful investigation. Some of the proposed definitions of research
are:
According to Redman and Mory, research is a systematised effort to gain new knowledge.
According to Clifford Woody, research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating
hypotheses or suggesting solutions; collecting, organising and evaluating data; making deductions
and reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether
they agree with the formulated hypothesis or not.

D. Slesinger and M. Stephenson in the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences define research as: 'the
manipulation of things, concepts or symbols for the purpose of generalising to extend, correct
or verify knowledge, whether that knowledge aids in construction of theory or in the practice of
an art.'

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

4. The purpose of research is to find solutions through the application of ...................... and
...................... methods.
5. Research is a systematised effort to gain ......................

6. Research is a systematic approach to ...................... investigation.
1.3 Research Process

Until the sixteenth century, human inquiry was primarily based on introspection. The way to
know things was to turn inward and use logic to seek the truth. This paradigm had endured for
a millennium and was a well-established conceptual framework for understanding the world.
The seeker of knowledge was an integral part of the inquiry process. A profound change occurred
during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Scientific Revolution was born. Objectivity
became a critical component of the new scientific method. The investigator was an observer,
rather than a participant in the inquiry process. A mechanistic view of the universe evolved. We
believed that we could understand the whole by performing an examination of the individual
parts. Experimentation and deduction became the tools of the scholar. For two hundred years,
the new paradigm slowly evolved to become part of the reality framework of society.

The research process is a step-by-step process of developing a research paper. As you progress
from one step to the next, it is commonly necessary to backup, revise, add additional material or
even change your topic completely. This will depend on what you discover during your research.
There are many reasons for adjusting your plan. For example, you may find that your topic is
too broad and needs to be narrowed, sufficient information resources may not be available,
what you learn may not support your thesis, or the size of the project does not fit the requirements.

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