RESEARCH METHODS IN LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCIENCE
Meaning of Research
The term research contains two words:
Research = Re+search
‘Re’ means again and ‘search’ means to hunt out out something.
In other words, Research is an :
An attitude of inquiry.
An attempt to elicit facts.
A systematic and scholarly application.
An art of investigation.
Definition
Research in common parlance refers to an inquiry for knowledge. Once also can define research as a scientific and systematic look for pertinent information on a selected topic. According to Clifford Woody, “Research comprises defining and redefining problems formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data, making deductions and reading conclusions, and at preceding cautiously testing the conclusion to form a choice whether or not they fit the formulating hypothesis.”It is actually a voyage of discovery. we wonder and our inquisitiveness makes us probe and attain a full and fuller understanding of the unknown. This inquisitiveness is that the mother of all knowledge and thus the tactic, which man employs for obtaining the knowledge of no matter the unknown, are often termed as research.
Objective of Research
The purpose of the research is to urge answers to questions through the appliance of scientific procedures. the foremost aim of the research is to hunt out out the truth which is hidden and which has not been discovered thus far. Though each research study has its own specific purpose, we’d imagine research objectives as falling into a sort of following broad groupings:
1. to know the familiarity with a phenomenon or to know new insights into it (studies with this object insight are termed as exploratory or formulative research studies);
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a selected individual, situation, or a gaggle (studies with this object in view are mentioned as descriptive research studies);
3. to work out the frequency with which something occurs or with which it’s related to something else (studies with this object insight are mentioned as diagnostic research studies);
4. to see a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables (such studies are mentioned as hypothesis-testing research studies)
Motivation in Research
RESEARCH METHODS IN LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCIENCE
What makes people undertake research? this is often a problem of fundamental importance. The possible motives for doing research could even be either one or more of the following:
1. Desire to urge an inquiry degree in conjunction with its consequential benefits;
2. challenge in solving the unsolved problems
3. Desire to urge intellectual joy of performing some creative work;
4. Desire to be of service to society;
5. Desire to urge respectability.
Characteristics of Research
Research is aimed toward finding the solution of the matter and to urge the cause-effect relationship between variables.
Development of generalizations, standards, or theories which can be supportive in guessing future events.
Observed knowledge of empirical evidence is that the idea of research.
The research includes collecting new data from primary or personal sources or using accessible data for replacement use.
Research requires expertise, investigator should be familiar with available knowledge about the matter and can skills others have explored it.
Research is objective and logical in nature.
Research should be unbiased.
The stress should get on testing hypotheses rather than proving it.
Patience-full and unhurried activity.
Should be carefully recorded and reported.
Define each significant term, carefully document all references, the conclusion is presented with scholarly caution.
Nature of Research
The research entails a careful and systematic way of solving problems and involves five characteristics: (Tuckman, 1978)
Systematic: Data is then collected that, when related to the variables, allows the evaluation of the matter and hypotheses.
Logical: Examination of the procedures utilized within the research process allows the researcher to gauge the conclusions drawn.
Empirical: The research collects data on which to base decisions.
Replicable: The research process is recorded, enabling others to ascertain the findings by repeating the research or to form future research on previous results.
Steps/Criteria of Research
Identification of problem
Survey of related literature
Formation of hypothesis
Mental elaboration of hypothesis, logical consistency
Collection and analysis of data
Verification, rejection, or modification of hypothesis
Formulation of latest generalizations or principles or scientific laws
Types of Research
Descriptive vs. Analytical:
Applied vs. Fundamental
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Conceptual vs. Empirical
Some other kinds of Research
One-time research or longitudinal research
Field-setting research or laboratory research or simulation research
Clinical or diagnostic research
Historical research
References
Singh, Harmandeep(2015)Research methodology[blog post] Retrieved form http://www.penotes.com/2015/11/research-methodology.html
Kothari, C.R.(2004) Research methodology[e-book] Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.ocm
