RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Business research: The systematic and objective process of gathering, recording, and analyzing data for aid in making business decision. Basic (Pure) research: Research that is intended to expand the of boundary of knowledge itself or to verify the acceptibility of a given theory. Applied research: Research undertaken to answer questions about specific problems or to make decisions about a particular course of action or policy decision.

COMMUNICATION, REPORT FORMAT, PRESENTATION AND FOLLOW UP

COMMUNICATION PROCESS: THE PROCESS BY WHICH ONE PERSON OR SOURCE SENDS A MESSAGE TO AN AUDIENCE OR RECEIVER AND THEN RECEIVES FEEDBACK ABOUT THE MESSAGE. RESEARCH REPORT: A PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS DIRECTED TO A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE TO ACCOMPLISH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. IT MAY CONTAIN EFFECTIVE VISUAL AIDS TO CLARIFY A COMPLEX POINT OR TO EMPHASIZE A MESSAGE. VISUAL AIDS SUCH AS TABLES, CHARTS, PIE CHART, LINE GRAPH, BAR CHART ETC. REPORT FORMAT: THE GENERAL PLAN OF ORGANIZATION FOR THE PARTS OF A WRITTEN OR ORAL RESEARCH REPORT. ORAL PRESENTATION: A SPOKEN SUMMARY OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, GIVEN TO CLIENTS OR LINE MANAGERS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY ANY AMBIGUOUS ISSUES BY ASKING QUESTIONS.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND RESEARCH DESIGN

RD IS THE MASTER PLAN SPECIFYING THE METHODS AND PROCEDURES FOR COLLECTING AND ANALYSING THE NEEDED INFO. IT IS THE FRAMEWORK OR THE BLUE PRINT. SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE RESEARCH DEDIGN: SURVEYS, EXPERIMENTS,SECONDARY DATA STUDIES, OBSERVATION TECHNIQUES. RESEARCH PROPOSAL: A WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN THAT INCLUDES A STATEMENT EXPLAINING THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY AND DETAILED SYSTEMATIC OUTLINE OF A PARTICULAR RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.

Scientific method: Techniques or procedures used to analyse the emperical evidence in an attempt to or disprove prior conceptions.
EVALUATION RESEARCH: The formal objective measurement and appraisal of the extent to which a given activity, project or program has achieved its objective. Performance monitoring research: Research that regularly provides feedback for evaluation and control of business activity. Data: Recorded measures of certain phenomena. Information: A body of facts that are in a format suitable for decision making. Research Proposal: A written statement of the research design that includes a statement explaining the purpose of the study and a detailed systematic outline of a particular research methodology.

RESEARCH: ANY EFFORT WHICH IS DIRECTED TO STUDY FOR BETTER RESULTS. RESEARCH IS AN ORGANISED SET OF ACTIVITIES TO STUDY AND DEVELOP A MODEL OR PROCEDURE/TECHNIQUE TO FIND THE RESULTS OF A REALISTIC PROBLEMSUPPORTED BY LITERATURE AND DATASO THAT OBJECTIVES ARE OPTIMESED AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE FOR IMPLEMENTATION. RESEARCH DESIGN: A MASTER PLAN SPECIFYING THE METHODS AND PROCEDURES FOR COLLECTING AND ANALYSING THE NEEDED INFORMATION. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: A DISCUSSION WITHIN THE BODY OF A RESEARCH REPORT OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN,DATA COLLECTION METHODS, SAMPLING TECHNIQUES, FIELDWORK PROCEDURES AND DATA ANALYSIS EFFORTS. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF A RESEARCH EXPRESSES IN MEASURABLE TERMS; THE DEFINATION OF WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOULD ACCOMPLISH. RESEARCH REPORT: A PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS DIRECTED TO A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE TO ACCOMPLISH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. SAMPLE: A SUBSET OR SOME PART OF A LARGER POPULATION. SECONDARY DATA: DATA THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED FOR SOME PURPOSE OTHER THAN THE ONE AT HAND. PRIMARY DATA: DATA GATHERED AND ASSEMBLEDSPECEFICALLY FOR THE RESEARCH PROJECT AT HAND. PRETEST: A TRIAL RUN FOR A GROUP OF RESPONDENTS USED TO SCREEN OUT PROBLEMS IN THE INTRUCTIONS OR DESIGN OF A QUESTIONNAIRE.

RESEARCH PROCESS;
1. PROBLEM DEFINATION. 2. OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH. 3.RESEARCH DESIGN. 4.DATA COLLECTION 5.DATA ANALYSIS. 6.INTREPRETATION OF THE RESULT. 7. VALIDATION OF RESULT.

ATTITUDE, MEASUREMENT AND SCALE

ATTITUDE: AN ENDURING DISPOSITION TO CONSISTENTLY IN A GIVEN MANNER TO THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE WORLD; COMPOSED OF AFFECTIVE, COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIOURAL COMPONENTS. AFFECTIVE COMPONENT REFLECTS ONES GENERAL FEELINGS OR EMOTIONS TOWARDS AN OBJECT. COGNITIVE COMPONENT REPRESENTS ONES AWARENESS OF AND KNOWLWDGE ABOUT AN OBJECT. BEHAVIORAL COMPONENT INCLUDES BUYING INTENTENTIONS AND BEHAVIOURAL EXPECTIONS, REFLECTS A PREDISPOSITION TO ACTION. RULE OF MEASUREMENT: AN INSTRUCTION TO GUIDE ASSIGNMENT OF A NUMBER OR OTHER MEASUREMENT DESIGNATION. SCALE: A SCALE MAY BE DEFINED AS A SERIES OF ITEMS THAT ARE ARRANGED PROGRESSIVELY ACCORDING TO VALUE OR MAGNITUDE INTO WHICH AN ITEM CAN BE PLACED ACCORDING TO ITS QUALIFICATION.

OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT

SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION: THE SYSTEMATIC PROCESS OF RECORDING THE BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS OF PEOPLE, OBJECTS AND OCCURANCES AS THEY ARE WITNESSED. VISIBLE OBSERVATION: SITUATION IN WHICH THE OBSERVERS PRESENCE IS KNOWN TO THE SUBJECT. HIDDEN OBSERVATION:SITUATION IN WHICH THE OBSERVER IS UNWARE THAT OBSERVATION IS TAKING PLACE. DIRECT OBSERVATION: A STRAIGHTFORWARD ATTEMPT TO OBSERVE AND RECORD WHAT NATURALLY OCCURS; THE INVESTIGATOR DOES NOT CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL SITUATION. OBSERVER BIAS; A DISTORTATION OF MEASUREMENT RESULTING FROM THE COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS OF THE WITNESSING OBSERVER. CONTRIVED OBSERVATION: OBSERVATION IN WHICH THE INVESTIGATOR CREATES AN ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER TO TEST PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION: SITUATION IN WHICH AN OBSERVER GAINS FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE BY BEING IN OR AROUND THE SOCIAL SETTING BEING INVESTGATED. A HYPOTHESIS. MECHANICAL OBSERVATION: THIS USES VIDEO CAMERA, TRAFFIC COUNTERS & OTHER M/CS TO RECORD BEHAVIOUR. OTHER INTRUMENTS: PUPILOMETER, PSYCHOGALVANOMETER,VOICE PITCH ANALYSER ETC.

EXPERIMENT: A RESEARCH METHOD IN WHICH CONDITIONS ARE CONTROLLED SO THAT ONE OR MORE VARIABLES CAN BE MANIPULATED IN ORDER TO TEST A HYPOTHESIS. EXPERIMENTATION IS A RESEARCH METHOD THAT ALLOWS EVALUATION OF CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VARIABLES.

EXPERIMENTAL GROUP: THE GROUP OF SUBJECTS EXPOSED TO AN EXPERIMENT TREATMENT. CONTROL GROUP: A GROUP OF SUBJECTS WHO ARE EXPOSED TO THE CONTROL CONDITION IN AN EXPERIMENT THAT IS THEY ARE SUBJECTS NOT EXPOSED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT.

NOMINAL SCALE: A SCALE IN WHICH THE NUMBERS OR LETTERS ASSIGNED TO OBJECTS SERVE AS LABELS OF IDENTIFICATION OR CLASSIFICATION; A MEASUREMENT SCALE OF THE SIMPLEST TYPE. ORDINAL SCALE: A SCALE THAT ARRANGES OBJECTS OR ALTERNATIVES ACCORDING TO THEIR MAGNITUDES.

RATIO SCALE: A SCALE HAVING ABSOLUTE RATHER THAN RELATIVE QUANTITIES AND POSSESSING AN ABSOLUTE ZERO, WHERE THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF A GIVEN ATTRIBUTE. ATTRIBUTE: A SINGLE CHARACTERISTIC OR FUNDAMENTAL FEATURE OF AN OBJECT, PERSON, SITUATION AND ISSUE. THREE CRITERIA FOR GOOD MEASUREMENT: RELIABILITY: THE DEGREE TO WHICH MEASURES ARE FREE FROM ERROR AND THEREFORE YIELD CONSISTENT RESULTS. VALIDITY: THE ABILITY OF A SCALE OR MEASURING INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE WHAT IT IS INTENDED TO MEASURE. SENSITIVITY: A MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS ABOLITY TO ACCURATELY MEASURE VARIABILITY IN STIMULI OR RESPONSES.