Role of Research in Decision-making

Dr. Rajwinder Singh

Assistant Professor
School of Management Studies
Punjabi University, Patiala
 WHAT IS RESEARCH?

• The systematic, rigorous investigation of a situation or problem

in order to generate new knowledge or validate existing
knowledge.
• Research is defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or
the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as
to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings.
This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to
the extent that it leads to new and creative outcomes.
• Examples: Cure for COVID-19, Market for new products,
Advertisement research, Voter attraction research,
Opinion polls, Career paths,
 MOTIVATION FOR RESEARCH
What makes people to undertake research? This is a question
of fundamental importance. The possible motives for doing
research may be either one or more of the following:
–Get a research degree along with its consequential benefits;
–Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e.,
concern over practical problems initiates research;
–Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work;
–Desire to be of service to society;
–Desire to get respectability.
 Characteristics of Good Topics
1. Interesting – keeps the researcher interested in it
throughout the research process

2. Researchable – can be investigated through the

collection and analysis of data

3. Significant – contributes to the improvement and

understanding of educational theory and practice

4. Manageable – fits the level of researcher’s level of

research skills, needed resources, and time restrictions
 OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
• What we expect to achieve by a project.
• May be linked with a hypothesis or used as a
statement of purpose in a study that does not have
a hypothesis.
• A statement of research objectives can serve to
guide the activities of research. Consider the
following examples.
– To describe what factors farmers take into account in making such
decisions as whether to adopt a new technology or what crops to
grow.
– To develop a budget for reducing pollution by a particular
enterprise.
– To describe the habitat of the giant panda in China.
 Research Methodology
• Research methodology is the specific procedures or
techniques used to identify, select, process, and
analyze information about a topic.
• Methods are just behavior or tools used to select a
research technique. Methodology is analysis of all
the methods and procedures of the investigation.
Methods are applied during the later stage of the
research study. Methodologies are applied during
the initial stage of the research process
• In a research paper, the methodology section allows
the reader to critically evaluate a study's overall
validity and reliability.
 OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new
insights into it (studies with this object in view are termed as
exploratory or formulative research studies);
• To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular
individual, situation or a group(studies with this object in
view are known as descriptive research studies);
• To determine the frequency with which something occurs or
with which it is associated with something else (studies with
this object in view are known as diagnostic research studies);
• To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between
variables (such studies are known as hypothesis-testing
research studies).
• To get research degree for promotion.
 Key Elements of Methodology
• Logic of Inquiry (Qualitative or Quantitative):
– State the logic of inquiry,
– Why you have used the approach, and;
– How is it suitable to study that problem.
• Research Setting and participants:
– Write the description of the study setting and any contextual information that
is relevant to the study. The social, economic, political, cultural, historical, or
physical such as institutions may constitute the context.
– You could include why you have selected that particular setting for your
research. Write the characteristics of the targeted population in the research
setting and why this particular population is best suited for studying the
research problem. It may include gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic
aspects, demography, etc. State clearly the sampling method and procedure
that is used to select or identify participants.
 Key Elements of Methodology
• Methods and Procedure of Data Collection
– Sample Size and sampling method used to collect data from the
participants.
– Structured and unstructured interviews and questionnaires are
common methods.
– Quantitative research is objective and pre-determined and hence,
structured interviews are used while qualitative research is
subjective and flexible and hence, unstructured interviews are
used.
– Unstructured methods will help to capture experiences, opinions,
and perspectives and will provide thick descriptions.
– You may use multiple methods to support or complement your
data. In case of mixed methods research, you may use multiple
methods at various levels. If possible, describe the entry to the
field, data collection process, and the challenges faced during
 Key Elements of Methodology
• Methods and Procedure of Data Analysis
– Write the process how you transcribed and analysed the data
in steps. This section is not to present the actual data but to
show how the data was analysed. In quantitative research,
statistical tests are used while in qualitative research, theme
and content analysis are used.
• Ethical Issues
– Were you mindful of the ethical issues while conducting the
research? Ethical issues are even more important in today’s
world when people know their worth and value and that
researchers should respect that. Write all the ethical norms
that you followed or adhered before, during and after
interviews in the field. Besides, you should write if your
research study has been cleared by any Institutional Review
 How to Write Research Methodology
• In your thesis or dissertation, you will have to discuss the methods
you used to do your research. The methodology chapter explains
what you did and how you did it, allowing readers to evaluate
the reliability and validity of the research. It should include:
– The type of research you did
– How you collected your data (Sample size & Sampling)
– How you analyzed your data
– Any tools or materials you used in the research
– Your rationale for choosing these methods
• The methodology section should generally be written in the past
tense.
• Academic style guides in your field may also provide detailed
guidelines on what to include for different types of studies. For
example, there are specific guidelines for writing an APA methods
section.
• (Source:https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/methodology/)
 How to Select Research Topic
• You can watch the following videos:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJfNqad_zWw
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXvoKE6_wQo
Questions ??