The process of research

b) Explain the process of research.

To claim knowledge as a scientific knowledge it is essential that it can be proved by reason and experience (observation). The claim is evaluated on two criteria, viz., logical validity and empirical verification. These two criteria are translated into various activities of researchers through the research process. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 intend to describe the research process in detail. Formulation of research problem, the first step in the research process, is considered the most important phase of a research project.

This step starts with the selection of a suitable problem from the field chosen by the researcher. In the area of social work, several problems exist which may have reference to pure, applied, or action research. The choice and formulation of a suitable problem is one of the most difficult tasks for a researcher, especially if he/ she is a beginner. There are many sources which a researcher may consult in order to formulate a suitable research problem, or from which he/she may develop a sense of problem awareness. This chapter is devoted to describe the various activities involved in the process of problem formulation, such as defining the problem, statement of the problem, operationalisation of the variables, evaluation of the problem, formulation of the hypothesis etc.

The Research Process

The research process is the paradigm of research project. In a research project, researcher engages himself/herself in various scientific activities in order to produce knowledge. Although each research project is unique in some ways, all projects, regardless of the phenomenon being studied, involve, by and large, some common activities. All these activities are interdependent. The research process is a system of these interrelated activities. The various activities are conveniently grouped into six stages as shown below:

Stage I : Selection and Formulation of a Problem

Stage II : Formulation of Hypothesis Stage III : Formulation of Research Design

Stage IV : Collection of Data

Stage V : Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Stage VI : Generalizations.

The stages of research are interdependent. The researcher usually enters the research process at stage I. However, when one enters second stage, one has to draw on past studies to formulate his/her hypothesis. Similarly, to select a research design the researcher has to keep in mind the problem and the hypothesis. A researcher, who has no knowledge of how to collect and analyse data, may find himself / herself unable to formulate a testable hypothesis, or formulate the research design. This brief discussion on the research process makes it very clear that each of these six stages of research process is dependent upon others. The research process is also cyclic in nature (as shown in Figure). In fact, the research process is not complete even at the stage VI i.e. “Generalization”.

Formulation of Research

Problem Formulation of research problem constitutes the first stage in the research process. Essentially, two issues are involved in formulation of research problem viz., understanding the problem thoroughly and rephrasing the same into meaningful terms from an analytical point of view. The best way of understanding the problem is to discuss it with one’s own colleagues or with those having some expertise in the subject. In an academic institution, the researcher can seek the help from a teacher who is usually an experienced person. Often the teacher puts forth the problem in general terms and it is up to the researcher to narrow it down and phrase the problem in operational terms. In governmental or non-governmental organisations, the problem is usually earmarked by the administrative heads with whom the researcher can discuss as to how the problem originally came about and what considerations are involved in its possible solutions.

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