RESEARCH PROCESS WITH PROBLEM IDENTIFACTION AND FORMULATION Vivek Patkar [email protected] What Research is not: • Research is not just information gathering • Research is not rearranging the facts.
Download ReportTranscript RESEARCH PROCESS WITH PROBLEM IDENTIFACTION AND FORMULATION Vivek Patkar [email protected] What Research is not: • Research is not just information gathering • Research is not rearranging the facts.
RESEARCH PROCESS WITH PROBLEM IDENTIFACTION AND FORMULATION Vivek Patkar
[email protected]
What Research is not:
• • • •
Research is not just information gathering Research is not rearranging the facts and figures alone Research is not playing of words Research is not a sales gimmick
What is Research?
Starts with a question or problem Accepts certain basic assumptions or theories Requires unbiased data collection and analysis Expects
critical
interpretation Performs validation Needs articulated documentation and presentation Leads to further research
Research Focus
Generating novel but useful ideas.
Learning to challenge the existing knowledge.
Using creative capacity to discover or invent something new including theory and interpretation.
Bringing a new creation to fruition.
Diversifying as far as possible, particularly, latter in the career.
Research Aims
1. To understand the properties of the given phenomenon.
(voter-behaviour) 2. To understand relationships between variables.
(existence of causal links) 3. To predict the outcome.
(use of theory) 4. To replicate research for validation. (confirm or refute) 5. To develop new algorithms or instruments.
(implementation and testing) 6. To produce a theory.
(ultimate goal)
Research Methodology Framework
Ethics Followed at Every Step Publication Writing Critical Interpretation Checking for Validity Data Collection, Data Analysis Design of Experiment Strategy Hypothesis Problem
Research Process
It is a systematic linear process with a few parallel activities along side
It is transparent
It is confined to the study of a well defined problem
It involves in-depth analysis & validation
Its outcome is to be interpreted within the data limits, but critically
It provides clear verdict on the problem
It is often cumulative in nature
Types of Research
•
Extension or generalisation of the currently available results
•
Explanatory ( why ), finding the reasons by building theories & hypotheses and testing them
•
Descriptive ( what, where, who & how ), leading to prescription
•
Benchmarking study contd….
Types of Research
• • •
Predictive x 2 (estimating future values) Evaluation study (effect of TV on reading habits) New / Improvement of process or product or service
Impact Assessment Study
Economic:
wages, employment, land values
Demographic:
sex ratio, age structure
Fiscal:
sales tax, property tax
Community:
demand for services, housing, transport
Social:
displacement, leisure activit y , crime
Environmental:
quality of air, water
Online or E-Research
☼
Use of research methods to study different aspects of the Internet
☼
Use the Internet to apply research methods for the research questions
☼
It facilitates collaborative research
☼
Online surveys & interviewing, online focus groups, virtual ethnography are the popular tools
☼
Refer for details: http://www.survey.bris.ac.uk http://www.ssoar.info
/ http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/microsites/oess
Types of Legal Research
Evolution Tracing Research (How legal system evolved?)
Evaluative Research (explain what law is)
Identification Study (who benefits?)
Impact Study (on groups & community)
Projective Research (Legal Commission)
Predictive Research (misuse possibilities)
Collative Research (data organisation)
Historical Study (tracing a legal fact)
Comparative Study (over time or country)
Legal Research Forms
A System of Law
Normative System - Legal Norms - Provisions - Conventions
?
How law is created?
What are its criteria?
Social System Social Control System - Roles - Statutes - Institutions
?
Role of law-makers?
Role of law-interpreters?
Role of law-enforcers?
Role of law-abiders?
Role of law-breakers?
- Authority - Power - Sanctions
?
How legal rules and non-legal rules are inter-related?
A Comparison
• • • • Legal Research
Validity of doctrinal research is unaffected by the empirical world Internal participant based epistemological approach Subjective argument based methodologies Deductive and analogy reasoning is predominantly used
• • • • Sci. & Soc. Sci. Research
Validity of research findings is determined by empirical investigations Generally objective approach Use of quantitative and qualitative methodologies Induction, deduction, retroduction and abduction methods used
Disciplinary Models
Select Legal Research Areas
Broad areas of legal research could be:
Doctrinal Research
– study the legal rules,
principles and concepts; develop theories
Research in Theory
– examine conceptual basis for legal rules and principles
Empirical Investigations
assess impact of law and reveal the gap between legal theories, idealism and social reality
Reform-Oriented Research
– recommend changes in law and legal institutions Dennis Pearce, Enid Campbell, & Don Harding, Australian Law Schools: A Discipline Assessment for the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission (AGPS, 1987).
A possible career path for a legal academician!
Legal Research can help to:
a. ascertain suitable law on a given topic or subject in the given context.
b. highlight ambiguities and inbuilt weaknesses of law. c. critically examine consistency, coherence and stability of law and legal propositions.
d. undertake social audit of law to understand its creation and impact in practice.
e. make suggestions for improvements in, and development of, law.
P M Bakshi, Legal Research and Law Reform, in S K Verma & M Afzal Wani (eds),
Legal Research and Methodology,
Indian Law Institute, New Delhi, 2001. p. 111.
Research Steps
Ethics is followed at every Step S-7 Prepare the Research Report S-6 Analyse & Interpret Data, Validate S-5 Collect the Data S-4 Prepare a Research Plan Approval
Research Proposal
S-3 Select the Research Strategy S-2 Establish Research Questions S-1 Identify the Research Problem
Preliminary Research Activities
[continuous literature search is expected]
Starting Point
• • • •
Curiosity Cause Effect relationship study To generalise the available results Dissatisfied with the existing product or process or explanation
•
To test an unorthodox idea
Locating a Problem
• • •
Paradox and contradiction:
By focusing on such phenomenon new opportunities can be explored – treat them as leverage points
(e.g. bumper crop, but starvation continues)
Perspective and scale:
Building different perspectives from different observation points helps
(e.g. legal competence from feminine perspective)
Reengineering option:
Considering this approach to a situation often provides new opportunities
(e.g. virtual classroom teaching and academic performance)
Problem Identification
The problem is the aspect the researcher - worries about, - thinks about, and - wants to find a solution for.
The purpose is to solve the problem, i.e. find answers to the question/s.
Examples:
1) Suicides in recent years by the farmers in Maharashtra (why?) 2) Commercialisation of education in India (what are the impacts?) 3) A digital divide prevails in the Indian society (how to bridge it?) 4) Social capital in the urban areas helps the migrants (how?)
Legal Research Topics
• • • • • •
Select Areas:
Law Reform Research Social-Legal Research or Law in Context Research Sociology of Law Law and Environmental Economic Movements Critical Legal Studies Cyber Laws
Ways for Problem Identification
‡ Drawing on life experience ‡ Historical incidence ‡ Item in the news ‡ Eye-witness ‡ Local issues ‡ Country or region specific ‡ Guide’s research programme ‡ Cyber inspiration
Initiation
Outline the general context of the problem area
Highlight key theories, concepts and ideas current in that problem area
Enlist basic underlying assumptions of the problem area
Write down the identified important issues
Focus on what is to be solved or resolved
Idea Development
Literature Search:
Use different libraries; take notes (Refer Index to Legal Periodicals
– Indian, Foreign; for Indices -
http://www.washlaw.edu/lawjournal/ ,
Database -
CURIA
)
Do the Internet search; scan pertinent blogs; note the URLs & date of browsing
Locate major authors and institutions active in the area (get in touch with them)
Actions-Interactions:
Crystalise your ideas, frame the objective and prepare first draft of your proposal Discuss it with various experts
Problem Background
• Are there issues about this problem
to which answers have not been found up to the present?
• Why are these identified issues so
important?
• What needs to be solved? • What are the underlying assumptions? • How far is it relevant in the Indian
context?
Problem Statement
Grammatically correct Complete, unambiguous and well articulated All the technical terms are suitably defined Division in sub-problems for better management of the study & further translation into research questions
Research Questions
•
To be researchable, a research problem has to be translated into one or more research questions.
• • •
Types of Research Questions:
What questions require a descriptive answer (describing the features of a social phenomenon) Why questions ask for the causes or reasons for the observed features (seeking to understand the relations between social processes) How questions are concerned with bringing about change (suggesting possible interventions and outcomes)
¶ ¶ ¶
Types of Questions
Testable questions – should help building, theories & experiments and carrying out analysis Closed questions – those having a specific answer that may or may not be known e.g. what is the trend in the rate of inflation during the last 18 months?
Open questions – may have multiple answers and require considerable research e.g. what would be the composition of Party-wise Loksabha Members after 2014 elections?
A Sample of Legal Research Enquiry
To advance the science of law, the issues could be:
¶ Why a particular rule? ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶ What led to its adoption? What are its effects? Whether it is suited to the present conditions? How can it be improved? Whether it needs to be replaced entirely by a new rule?
S N Jain, Legal Research and Methodology, 14 Jr of Ind L Inst 487 (1972), at 490.
Research Question Forms
•
A research question is a logical statement that progresses from what
•
is known and factual to that which is unknown and needs validation.
Two forms of research questions:
- a central question - associated or sub-questions
Ex.:-
How can the quality of Indian research be raised? Which are the governing factors?
What is to be changed in the education system? What could be the incentives?
A Research Question Feature
§
Research Questions should be
Well Grounded
.
§
Well grounded means that they are searchable questions.
§
Well grounded questions are not too narrow, too broad, nor too challenging.
§
In practice it implies inclusion of key words or terms, one can use to search information resources (both online & print) to know more about research done in that area.
Problematic Questions
Too Narrow:
• •
Does India have a written Constitution?
When was the “Emergency” declared in India?
These questions have a “Yes” or “No” answer, or can be replied by one word .
•
Too Broad:
What is the history and value of Philosophy?
This question cannot be covered in the scope of single work.
•
Too Challenging:
Why is the Indian college education so lopsided?
This question is too opinionated and is based upon people’s feeling and would need a very large study.
Example of a Research Question
Topic: A Study of Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the Municipal Schools in Jalgaon Research Question:
What are the health and academic benefits of mid-day meal scheme in primary, and middle school sections of the Municipal Schools in Jalgaon ?
Sub-questions
•
Sub-questions are question .
narrower questions that together answer the research
Example:
Research Question: What are the health and academic benefits of mid-day meal scheme sections of in primary, the Municipal Schools in Jalgaon and ?
middle school Sub-questions: 1.
2.
3.
4.
What are the standards for health and academic performance adopted by the concerned public authorities in Jalgaon?
Is there a difference made by the mid-day meal scheme in the health and academic performance of elementary and middle school sections of the Municipal schools in Jalgaon?
Does mid-day meal supply a certain amount of nutrition value?
How does mid-day meal scheme operate and in what way can it be strengthened and expanded?
Types of Research Questions
Existence slowing?] [Do senior citizens suffer from general
Description and Classification [What are the characteristics of span of attention? Is it constant or variable?]
Composition [What are the factors that increase crimes?] Relationship [Is saving directly related to income?] Descriptive-Comparative [Are instruction booklets with text and graphics more effective than those with text alone?]
Causality [Does dividing attention degrade performance?] Causality-Comparative cycling to build the physical stamina?] [Is swimming better than
Good Questions
Characteristics:
Clear
Specific
Answerable
Interconnected
Substantially relevant Sub-questions could be converted in hypotheses, if justified
Research Problem
Social Phenomenon:
Housing shortage is a chronic problem in urban India
Research Problem:
What are the nature, causes and consequences of housing shortage in a given urban area?
Research Problem:
What are the nature, causes and consequences of housing shortage in a given urban area?
Research Questions:
What is the extent of housing shortage? (data on population, family size, housing stock…) What are the consequences of housing shortage?
(slum proliferation, abnormal rents…) Why does the shortage exit or what is the root cause of the shortage?
(shortage of land, high construction cost,…) How can the shortage be removed? (promoting LIG house building schemes, policy of increasing FSI…)
Settlement Unit No. of Persons Anthropos 1 Room 2 House 5 House Group 40 Small Neighbourhood 250 Neighbourhood 1500 Small Polis (Town) 10,000 Polis 75,000 Small Metropolis 5,00,000 Metropolis 4 million Small Megapolis 25 million Megapolis 150 million Small Epropolis 750 million Epropolis 7500 million Ecumenoplis 50,000 million
C.A. Doxiadis,
ACTION for Human Settlement
, Athens Centre of Ekistics, 1976, p.185.
Urban
Area according to the Census of India is: a) All statutory places with a Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation, Cantonment Board or Notified Town Committee, or
• • •
b) A place satisfying all the following conditions: a minimum population of 5000, at least 75% of male population is engaged in non-agricultural activities, and a density of population is at least 400/sq.km.
Town with population more than or equal to 1,00,000 is called City .
Topic Selection
(Academic Research)
Factors to be considered:
Relevant to the institution and time State of the current knowledge Emerging research area (future oriented) Data expediency can largely be ensured Availability of guidance & facilities Personal confidence
Select Leads
Some triggering event observed or learned about
Own experience or the experience of others
Literature review to notice that a certain field or types of problems are not covered
Shortcomings of the existing theories
Fancy for some topic or concept arising out of the study say, during the L.L.M. or M.Phil. stage
Select Leads
(2) Research can thus be aimed at clarifying or substantiating an existing theory clarifying contradictory findings correcting a faulty methodology correcting the inadequate or unsuitable use of statistical techniques reconciling conflicting opinions solving existing practical problems Developing better algorithms or methods
Generic Design Science
‡
Often scope of the problem is either not properly defined , or it has too many dimensions , or too few dimensions .
‡
Generic Design Science addresses this issue by balancing the following three factors: 1. Variety 2. Parsimony 3. Saliency
Variety
• •
Prepare exhaustive list of factors associated with a design situation Solicit inputs from as many participants and stakeholders as possible using different means [Aim is to build the maximum possible variety in design to counter the variety in tune with Ashby’s law of requisite variety]
Parsimony
• •
Sort out the factors in their importance through wider debate and discussion Identify the most critical factor for system design [Aim is to make the problem manageable in practice in tune with Miller’s law of parsimony on human information handling capacity]
Saliency
• •
Simplify the design by matching proposed features with critical needs Prepare a sequence for system or experimental study implementation [Aim is to derive a priority structure among the activities to guide implementation in tune with Warfield’s law of saliency]
A Classroom Management System LEARNERS
• Primary • Secondary • College • Post-Grad.
COURSE
• Fixed • Varied • Evolving
DURATION
• 45 minutes • 60 minutes • 75 minutes • 150 minutes
FOCUS
• Concept • Method • History • Use
FACULTY
• Regular • Part-Time • Visiting • Private/ Contract
Tie Line
• Govt.
• Private • International
FUNDING
• Nominal • Standard • Variable
FEES
• Lecture • Case Study • Project Work
PADEOGOGY
Checklist
1. Is the problem of interest for both current and future?
2. Is the research question put in clear, concise and argument form?
3. Will its study contribute significantly to either theory or practice?
4. Will it lead to new research?
5. Will it be practical to conduct the research?
Checklist
(2) 6. Can the research be completed within a reasonable time say, three years?
7. Is it possible to obtain reliable data?
8. Is one qualified or trained to handle the problem?
9. Will there be serious ethical issues involved in the conduct and presentation of the research?
Answers to most of these questions (except Q.9) should be affirmative to commence the research
Research Steps
Researcher’s
S W O T
Analysis
(with respect to the research topic)
Strengths:
• qualifications • experience • reputation
Weaknesses:
• inadequate facilities • analytical tools • writing skills
Opportunities:
• novel problem • new computer tools • multidisciplinary work
Threats:
• strong competition • time limit • Internal hostility
Academic Guide’s Role
• • •
Assessing the research theme potential Indicating possible approaches Preparing for the research journey
• •
Judging the quality of results Examining the interpretation, validation
S
M
A
R
T
(
E
R )
Principle
Specific:
Articulate objective/s
Measurable:
Quantifiable results/output
Achievable:
Realizable in practice
Relevant:
Possible applications in sight
Timely:
Avoid abnormal delay
Evaluated: Acceptable i.e. flawless
Recorded: Widely noted and cited
Aim to submit your Ph. D. Thesis within three years Work should result in at least two research papers in the top class journals in the field
–
more are welcome!
Research
Tips
Read and think constantly about your topic and prepare notes for reference
Write weekly research memo
Stick to your research design
Collaborate with a Statistician for designing the experiments
Write and present your Thesis Chapters periodically to your Guide
Discuss your work with different subject experts
Enjoy the research activity