Research Methodology Courses

Following the proper steps will help you accomplish your research. Let’s go through them:

Step-1: Identifying and defining the research problem
A well-identified and well-defined problem will help the researchers to complete all the phases of the research process, from defining objectives to choosing the research methodology.
The question that may arise is, do all problems need research? Well, researchers have to identify both non-research problems and research problems.

Non-research problems-

They don’t need any research to reach a solution. They entail vague details and can’t be solved through research.

Research Problems-
They encompass a feeling of discomfort, a perceived difficulty, or a difference between a common belief and reality. To define a research problem, you need the following:

• Defining the statement of the problem
• Justifying the problem
• Analysing the problem

Step-2: Literature Review

The literature review is an essential part of the research process. It helps the researchers to formulate their problem in the context of the explicit aspects of the general area of their interest that has not been researched till now.

It facilitates researchers with exposure to a huge body of knowledge. Also, it equips them with enhanced knowledge to competently follow the research process.

Following a proper literature review allows the researcher to establish the coherence between the results of their study and those derived by others. For both beginner and experienced researchers, reviewing previous documents on related phenomena is important

Here are the characteristics of literature review that lead to effective research:

• It prevents duplication of the work which has been accomplished in the recent past.
• It helps the researcher discern what others have learned and stated on the problem.
• It helps the researcher to build an analytical framework.
• It familiarises the researcher with the methodology adopted by others.
• It helps the researcher comprehend what theories and concepts are relevant to their study area.
• It helps the researcher to learn any unanswered research questions.
• It helps the researcher to discern if there are any noteworthy contradictions, controversies, and inconsistencies in the discoveries.

Step-3: Creating research questions, hypotheses, and defining objectives

After determining and defining the research problem, the researchers must create a formal statement of the problem resulting in research objectives. When creating a formal statement, they will consider the relevant research questions and the hypotheses related to the proposed topic.

Defining a research objective will accurately convey the key areas of research, describe the type of information to be collected, and offer a framework for the study. A testable, well-formulated research hypothesis is the best manifestation of a research objective.

Step-4: Selecting the study design

The research design is the framework for accomplishing objectives as well as answering research questions. In other words, it is a master plan stating the procedures and methods for processing and examining the collected data.

Four types of research designs that a researcher can choose from for conducting their study:

• Experiment
• Survey
• Observational study
• Secondary data study

Step-5: Determining the sample design

Sampling is a critical step in every research process. Primarily, sampling involves any process that uses a comparatively small number of portions or items (known as samples) of a space (known as population) to determine the whole population.

The fundamental question involved in determining the sample design is how to choose a sample. To answer it, you should be familiar with the sampling methods.

Types of sampling methods:

• Probability sampling
• Non-probability sampling

You can use Probability sampling to ensure all units have a known nonzero probability of selection in the target population.

You can use Non-Probability sampling if there is no feasible alternative. It helps in collecting units from a population using a subjective method.

Step-6: Accumulating Data from the research sample

The process of accumulating data may vary from simple observation to an extensive survey in any well-defined population. Various ways to collect data are available. You need to choose the one depending on the research design, the objectives of the study, and the accessibility of money, time, and personnel.

Surveys are studies that obtain data by questioning respondents. Self-governed surveys can also help you in data collection. Other data collection methods are telephone interviews, the census, previous surveys, official documents, vital registration records, etc

Step-7: Process and examine the collected research data

Collecting the data is not just enough. After collecting it, you need to process and analyse it. Generally, the data processing commences with the editing of data. Data editing guarantees consistency over all the respondents and also helps to detect errors if any.

Usually, data analysis involves breaking down the collected data to a manageable size, creating summaries, pattern examination, and implementing techniques for interpreting the findings in the context of the research questions.

The data analysis techniques can vary from typical graphical analyses to very complex multivariate analyses. The chosen techniques depend on the implemented research design, the study’s objectives, and the collected data.

Step-8: Developing a research proposal and writing a report

A research proposal is a work strategy, catalogue, offer, outline, and statement of intent or commitment from a researcher or an organisation to create a product or provide a service to a potential client. It helps maintain the sequence in the research process. It answers questions like ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘how’, and ‘whom’ about the research.

Any scientific study aims to understand the results and derive conclusions. For that, it is essential to prepare a report and convey the recommendations and findings to administrators/program managers/policymakers for making decisions.

You can write various types of research reports, including:-

• Term papers
• Dissertations
• Thesis
• Journal articles
• Presentation papers for professional conferences and seminars
• Books

Note that the outcomes of a research investigation are only effective if they are communicated to others. Hence, the next task is to disseminate the results after you develop the research proposal and write the report.

The following points justify the significance of research in business:

Solves critical business-centric problems:
Many organisations mostly research to solve the critical problems surrounding areas like customer satisfaction, product innovation, customer complaints, market competition, and new government policies impacting the industry

Improves decision-making:
The decision-making process demands systematic efforts to examine a specific problem in a business environment. The foremost step in understanding the problem is identifying the critical issue that demands further investigation. The subsequent steps are to discern factors related to the problem, collection of relevant information, data analysis, interpret the result and offer the recommendation to the manager for decision-making. The research’s outcome would be the findings that help the managers to tackle real-life situations

Analyses market trends:

Research helps to answer questions for various problems, including getting a grasp on industry trends, recognising new products to produce and launch to the market, deciding the location for the site outlet, and a better understanding of ways to fulfil customers’ demands. Furthermore, research can help businesses to evaluate how well customers acknowledge their products. Research also allows expansion into new markets.
Solves marketing empirical problems

Firm managers and business owners require research to make decisions and solve marketing empirical problems. Marketing managers can make informed decisions using statistical research models for scientific business analysis. Business research helps to assess the customers’ responses to the products/services. Accordingly, the business can implement better marketing strategies and also improve its products/services.

Foresees success of new products:

Research aids in testing the expected success of new products. Before beginning with marketing, businesses should understand what types of products consumers will like. For example, a cake shop may conduct focus groups right in the beginning to test various types of cakes. Usually, small groups of consumers will participate in the focus groups.

Enhances organisational effectiveness overall:

Result analysis is one of the important processes in research. It allows management to modify to enhance the overall effectiveness of the organisation and its personnel. Based on the result analysis, workers can be trained to fulfil the organisation's demands. Consequently, it will benefit professional and personal development while boosting organisational effectiveness.

Research not only involves a series of steps and processes. During the implementation, it also uses certain materials, instruments, methods, participants, etc. All of them are collectively known as the research components. You must be familiar with research components to get a thorough understanding of the research. These components apply to all kinds of research.

Here is the list of components of the research methodology:
i. Research study’s questions

ii. Study propositions

iii. Analysis unit

iv. Connection of data and propositions

v. Interpretation of a study’s findings

vi. Reporting Plan

i. Research study’s questions:

This component involves answering various types of questions like ‘what’, ‘who’, ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘where’. Answering these questions provides an important clue about the most pertinent research methods to use. Getting answers to these questions fulfils the measurement objectives. These objectives must be concise and clear. You must explain all the concerned measurement objectives in detail. Make sure to be precise and not to leave any scope for error in the results.

To get precise answers to these questions, the first step is to conduct a literature review. It helps to narrow down your interest to a key topic(s). Once you have completed the literature review, the next step is to identify key studies relevant to your topic of interest. You need to identify questions in such relevant studies and determine whether they conclude with the new questions for imminent research.

ii. Study propositions:

Every proposition guides something that has to be inspected in the scope of the research study. Stating some study propositions help you to proceed in the right direction in your research journey. In addition to highlighting the crucial theoretical issue, the study propositions also imply where you can search for the related proof.

iii. Analysis unit:

The unit of analysis is related to the underlying problem. An effective analysis unit has benefited many researchers right at the start of the case studies. For example, if we consider clinical patients as a unit of analysis, the information about these individuals will be collected. Several such individuals can be components of a multiple-case study.

When it comes to a unit of analysis, the data collection methodology comes into play. It entails the logistics of the research and determines how data must be collected. If there are multiple data collection sources, the research methodology must describe each source and how they suit together to make the research successful.

iv. Connection of data and propositions:

The next research component to consider is the interlinking of data and propositions. Logic models, explanation building, pattern matching, time-series analysis, and cross-case synthesis are various methods of linking data to propositions. The actual analysis demands that you unite or calculate your study data as a direct replication of your initial study propositions.

Remember to base each question on a minimum of one of the research objectives. You must also make a separate connection between the research objective and each survey question. You must not ask questions that don’t directly link to a research objective.

v. Interpretation of a study’s findings:

The research can’t be validated without interpreting the study’s findings. A statistical analysis concludes whether the study's results support the hypothesis. Various statistical tests like T-tests, Chi-square tests, and one-way analysis of variance are conducted as per the type of data, types, the number of variables, and data categories.

vi. Reporting Plan:

A reporting Plan helps you to plan to share the collected information. You need to decide the format in which you would deliver the reports (for example, PowerPoint). Specify the length of the reports and what information each report includes. Create a timeline with milestones and KPIs, so everybody knows when to anticipate deliverables.

The following section describes the key aspects of the Research Methodology:

1. Research design:

You can define the research design as a general plan regarding what you would do to answer the defined research question. In other words, it is a framework for selecting specific methods of data analysis and data collection. Moreover, it answers your research question through empirical data.

Preparing a research design means making decisions regarding the collection of reliable data and using the right analysis method to answer your questions with credible sources. So, you can derive valid, reliable conclusions.

A well-planned research design ensures your method matches your research objective, that you obtain high-quality data, and use the right analysis to answer your questions, utilising credible sources. This allows you to draw valid, reliable conclusions. A well-organised research design helps ensure that your research methods match your research objectives and that you employ the right type of data analysis method.

You may need to write up a research design as an individual assignment, or it may be a subset of a bigger research proposal. In either case, you must carefully consider the most feasible methods for answering your research question.

In both quantitative and qualitative approaches, various types of research design are available to choose from. Each of these types provides a framework for your research.

Types of quantitative research designs

• Experimental
• Quasi-experimental
• Correlational
• Descriptive

Types of qualitative research designs

• Case study
• Ethnography
• Grounded theory
• Phenomenology

2. Methods of data collection:
Data collection is a procedure of gathering information from all the relevant sources to test the hypothesis, get answers to the research problem, and assess the outcomes.

Data collection methods are divided into two categories
Primary data collection methods

Secondary data collection methods

Primary Data Collection Methods-
Primary data refers to a type of data that has not been prevalent before. It specifies unique discoveries of your research. Typically, primary data collection and analysis need time and effort to conduct, unlike secondary data research.

Primary data collection methods are divided into two types as explained below:

-Quantitative data collection methods-

They use mathematical calculations in different formats. They use methods like questionnaires (with closed-ended questions), mean, mode, and median, methods of correlation and regression, and others.

Compared to qualitative methods, quantitative methods are cheaper and are employed in a shorter duration of time. Owing to a high level of standardisation of quantitative methods, it is simple to compare findings.

-Qualitative data collection methods-

They don’t depend on mathematical calculations. They are closely linked and associated with sounds, words, emotions, feelings, colours, and other elements which can’t be quantified. The aim is to guarantee an in-depth understanding of the research objective. Examples of qualitative data collection methods are questionnaires (with open questions), interviews, observation, focus groups, case studies, role-playing, etc.

Note: Your choice between qualitative or quantitative data collection methods relies on your research area and its objectives.

Secondary Data Collection Methods:
Secondary data refers to data that has been already published in newspapers, magazines, books, online portals, journals, etc. These sources may contain abundant data about your research. Generally, secondary data collection methods are deeply discussed in the Literature Review section.

These methods specify criteria like author’s credential, publication date, source’s reliability, discussions’ quality, depth of analyses, the amount of contribution of the text to the growth of the research area, etc. These methods save you time, effort, and money.

Let’s go through the details of each of them:
1) Choosing the research area:
You must choose the research area based on your personal or professional interest. The statement you proposed for the research must be relevant to your research objective. If your research problem and area are interesting, the entire research process becomes easier. So, use your time to think about the research area.

2) Formulating research objectives and questions:

The next important aspect of the research process is formulating research objectives and questions. You may also need to develop hypotheses. Your research approach determines whether you should choose the formulation of research questions or the development of hypotheses. Several attempts and revisions may be required to present a proper research objective or hypothesis.

3) Conducting Literature Review

Usually, the literature review is the longest part of the research process. It begins even before the creation of the research objective. The reason is that you must meticulously check if the same research problem has already been addressed. So, even before deciding on your research objective, you would have to conduct a literature review on your area of interest.

However, you will conduct the major part of the literature review after finalising the research objectives. For an effective literature review, you need to use a broad range of secondary data sources like books, magazines, newspapers, online articles, journals, etc.

4) Choosing data collection methods:

You must choose the data collection method(s) after analytically analysing the benefits and limitations of several alternative methods. In research studies using primary data collection, you have to mention the advantages and disadvantages of the chosen primary data collection method(s) in detail in your research methodology.

5) Collecting the primary data

After choosing the data collection method(s), you need to collect primary data. At this stage, sampling is an important component. If you choose the questionnaire primary data collection method, you need to conduct pilot data collection. Note that primary data collection is not a mandatory stage in all research; you can skip it if you are working on desk-based research.

6) Data analysis:

Data analysis plays a vital role in the achievement of the research objectives. This stage focuses on comprehensive editing and coding of data. Chosen data analysis methods depends on primary and secondary studies, as well as quantitative and qualitative studies. The primary data’s coding plays a vital role in decreasing sample group responses to a more controllable format for storage and future processing.

7) Conclusions:

Conclusions indicate the level of achievement of research objectives. It is the final part of your research where you need to justify the reason behind why that research objectives have been achieved. Moreover, conclusions should cover research limitations and suggestions for future research.

8) Preparing the final draft:
Preparing the final draft involves organising the separate chapters into a single file. You may get feedback on this draft which needs to be addressed carefully

4. Observational research and experimental research:
When conducting research, the researcher can conduct various research types to reach conclusions. Two major categories of research are observational and experimental research.

The major difference between the two is that in an experimental study, the researcher owns control of most of the variables. Conversely, in an observational study, the researcher only observes the subject without controlling any variables.

Let’s go through other points of difference:

5. Qualitative research and quantitative research:

Qualitative research:
Qualitative research is a method that allows non-numerical data collection using methods like case studies, interviews, literature review (explores theories and concepts), observations described in words, and focus groups. Researchers can amass data based on personal experiences, behaviours, feelings, and reasons. Due to this reason, qualitative research is extensively used in fields like psychology, social science, philosophy, and other areas where it is necessary to know the link between what has happened and why it has happened.

Generally expressed in words, it is used to understand concepts, experiences, and thoughts. With this research, you can gain in-depth insights on poorly understood topics.

Qualitative research is a subjective approach that focuses on a process-oriented inquiry. It develops the preliminary understanding of data and is one of the exploratory research type methods.

Quantitative research:

This research method collects and analyses numerical data via statistical analysis. It allows you to do calculations of variables, disclose relationships, and make generalisations over a larger population. Therefore, quantitative research is mostly used in the natural and physical sciences like engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, finance, medical research, computer science, etc.

It is extensively used to test or validate assumptions and theories. Moreover, it can be used to establish generalisable facts on a topic.

Examples of quantitative research methods are observations recorded as numbers, experiments, and surveys (with closed-ended questions).

It is an objective approach that endorses a final course of action. It is categorised as a conclusive research type method.

6. Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis:
Qualitative Data Analysis:
It is typically in narrative form and includes the data amassed from sources. It uses intangible information. It aims to discover similarities and dissimilarities in the data. Moreover, it facilitates the development of themes from the data and suggests the categories.

It is essential to note that qualitative data merely provides information in a non-statistical and descriptive way. It doesn’t provide specific measurements.

Quantitative Data Analysis:

Measured in terms of numbers, this data analysis presents data in measurement scales that can be further evaluated for more statistical operation. It is presented in a more structured way and is easy to deal with. Furthermore, it clearly defines the quantity.

Its objective is to support or negate a hypothesis. Subsequently, the results can be contextualised to the wider population.

Although there are tons of benefits of pursuing research methodology courses online compared to offline courses, the following points highlight the key benefits:

The most obvious benefit of pursuing one of the research methodology courses online is it saves time and money. Without approaching any physical locations, students can access the course content anytime, anywhere. Moreover, they can trace the content back and forth in case they are confused about any topic.

The certificate course in research methodology provides ready access to a potentially huge, geographically varied participant pool. This facilitates cross-cultural research that produces big sample sizes. Thus, it leads to great statistical power and helps attain access to selected specialist populations. For example, students can access the large sample sizes for research studies through an online support group or online discussion forums.

The online research methodology courses are better choices compared to offline ones if the budget is limited and the duration is less. Within a few sessions, they try to deliver all important concepts with a thorough understanding. Moreover, students can ask their doubts tutors even after the particular topic is completed.

The free online courses on research methodology eliminate paper and data entry expenses, decrease implementation time, and decrease surveying costs. Moreover, they feature easy representation of data in numerical and graphic format.

Without any hesitation, students can contact the instructor as soon as they have any doubts. On the other hand, when pursuing an offline research methodologies course, students may have to wait for one or multiple sessions to get their doubts solved.

The free online certificate course on research methodology can solve the students’ doubts through emails and other advanced software. Moreover, these courses allow students to get assistance from peers through which they would learn better while discussing a problem.

In the online option, if a student wishes to ask a doubt, other students will not be distracted. This is because they can ask the doubts individually to the tutor after the completion of research methodology classes.

Choosing a reliable research methodology free online course helps students learn trending aspects of research methodology. Consequently, they can incorporate such aspects in their future research.

The research methodology certificate course provides all the course material for lifetime access. Hence, students can access any topic whenever they want. Also, these online courses record the students’ performance via tests, which helps them analyse and improve their performance.

The Research Methodology Course can be divided into modules:

Module-I:

i. Research Methodology Definition

ii. Characteristics

iii. Objectives

iv. Research and Scientific method

v. Types of Research

• Descriptive vs Analytical Research
• Applied vs Fundamental Research
• Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
• Conceptual vs Empirical Research

vi. Research Methodology: An Introduction

vii. Research Process

• Overview
• Formulating the Research Problem
• Defining the Research Problem

viii. Research Questions

ix. Research Methods vs Research Methodology

Module-II:

i. Literature Review

• Sources of Information
• Review Concepts and Theories

ii. Formulation of Hypothesis

• Sources of Hypothesis
• Characteristics of Hypothesis
• Role of Hypothesis
• Tests of Hypothesis

iii. Research Design

iv. Sampling Design

v. Data Collection

• Observation Method
• Interview Method
• Questionnaires
• Case Study Method

vi. Processing and Analysis of Data

• Processing Operations
• Statistics in Research
• Descriptive Statistics
• Inferential Statistics
• Elements / Types of Analysis

vii. Interpretation of Data

Module-III:

i. Types of Research

• Legal Research
• Medical Research & Dental Research (Clinical Trials)
• Design Research
• Market Research
• Technical Research
• Social Research

ii. Models of Research

• Evolutive and Evaluative
• Identificatory and Impact studies
• Projective and Predictive
• Collative
• Historical
• Comparative

iii. Current trends in Research

• Mono-disciplinary Research
• Trans-disciplinary Research
• Inter-disciplinary Research

iv. Computer & Internet: Its Role in Research

v. Threats and Challenges to Good Research

Module-IV:

i. Learning how to write a/an

• Article
• Essay
• Research Project
• Research Paper
• Research Proposal Writing
• Research Report Writing structure
• Research Presentation Techniques
• Judgement Writing
• Legislation Drafting
• Book
• Thesis
• Dissertation
• Case Study on Writing a Proposal
• Case Study on Writing a Research Report
• Reviews - Book Review; Case Review

ii. Criteria of Good Research

iii. Research Ethics

iv. Citation Methods

• Text Note
• Footnote
• End Note
• Bibliography

v. Citation Rules

• Blue Book
• OSCOLA
• Chicago
• MLA
• APA