Notes

RESEARCH PROCESS
1. Identification of the research problem
The first and foremost task in the entire process of scientific research is to identify a research problem. A well-identified problem will lead the researcher to accomplish all-important phases of the research process, from setting objectives to selecting the research methodology. Once we have chosen a research problem, a few more related steps must be followed before a decision is taken to undertake a research study.
These include the following:
a. Statement of the problem.
b. Justifying the problem.
c. Analyzing the problem.

2. Literature review
A review of relevant literature is an integral part of the research process. It enables the researcher to formulate his problem in terms of the specific aspects of the general area of his interest that has not been researched so far. Researchers who conduct studies under the guidelines of scientific research never begin a research project without first consulting available literature to learn what has been done, how it was done, and what results were found. Experienced researchers consider the literature review to be one of the most important steps in the research process. It allows them to learn from (and eventually add to) previous research and saves time, effort, and money.

3. Formulating Hypothesis
After discovering and defining the research problem, researchers should make a formal statement of the problem leading to research objectives. An objective will precisely say what should be researched, delineate the type of information that should be collected, and provide a framework for the scope of the study. A well-formulated, testable research hypothesis is the best expression of a research objective. A hypothesis is an unproven statement or proposition that can be refuted or supported by empirical data. Hypothetical statements assert a possible answer to a research question.

4. Research Design / Research Methodology
The research design is the blueprint or framework for fulfilling objectives and answering research questions. It is a master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting, processing, and analyzing the collected data. Your research design choices should be driven by your aims and priorities—start by thinking carefully about what you want to achieve. The first choice you need to make is whether you’ll take a qualitative or quantitative approach. Quantitative research is expressed in numbers and graphs. It is used to test or confirm theories and assumptions. This type of research can be used to establish generalizable facts about a topic. Qualitative research is expressed in words. It is used to understand concepts, thoughts or experiences. This type of research enables you to gather in-depth insights on topics that are not well understood. It’s also possible to use a mixed-methods design that integrates aspects of both approaches. By combining qualitative and quantitative insights, you can gain a more complete picture of the problem you’re studying and strengthen the credibility of your conclusions.
5. Data Collection
Data collection is a process of gathering information from all the relevant sources to find a solution to the research problem. Depending on the type of data, the data collection method is divided into two categories namely,
a. Primary Data Collection methods
b. Secondary Data Collection methods

a. Primary
Quantitative data collection methods
Surveys: List of closed or multiple-choice questions that is distributed to a sample (online, in person, or over the phone).
Experiments: Situation in which variables are controlled and manipulated to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Observations: Observing subjects in a natural environment where variables can’t be controlled.
Qualitative data collection methods
Interviews: Asking open-ended questions verbally to respondents.
Focus groups: Discussion among a group of people about a topic to gather opinions that can be used for further research.
Ethnography: Participating in a community or organization for an extended period of time to closely observe culture and behavior.
Literature review: Survey of published works by other authors.
b. Secondary
Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the actual user. It means that the information is already available, and someone analyses it. The secondary data includes magazines, newspapers, books, journals, etc. It may be either published data or unpublished data.
6. Data Analysis
Data analysis is the process of cleaning, processing, and modifying raw data in order to obtain useful, pertinent information that supports making a decision. This process is the most important process in the research as the results are generated on the basis of the data preparation.
After the data collection step, the collected data is
-edited
-coded
-transcribed
-corrected if required
-validated
Further, based on his analysis, the researcher determines if his findings are consistent with the formulated hypotheses and theories.
7. Conclusion
The conclusion of a research paper is where you wrap up your ideas and leave the reader with a strong final impression. It has several key goals:
Restate the problem statement addressed in the paper
Summarize your overall arguments or findings
Suggest the key takeaways from your paper


Each step in the eight-step process depends on all the others to produce a maximally efficient research study. For example, before a literature search is possible, the researcher must have a clearly stated research problem; to design the most efficient method of investigating a problem, the researcher must know what types of studies have been conducted; and so on.