Research Gap

n    Research gap is referred to the ‘unexpected areas of research or areas of research which has not been touched by others so far’

n    It induces the involvement of the researcher in the task of mastering the areas / topics where research has been already undertaken

INTER-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

INTRODUCTION

n   Each social science is concerned with social relationships or human relationships.

n   These human relationships have multiple aspects of economic, social, political, psychological and anthropological.

n   Such social studies study people from a particular view point. E.g.., Economics studies the economic aspect of man.

n   Each social science has a method peculiar to it, which distinguishes it from other sciences.

n   Some social problems are such that they are connected with two or more than two social sciences.

n   The study of such problems, therefore requires the use of methods peculiar to several sciences.

n   This is known as Inter-disciplinary Approach.

DEFINITION

“Inter-Disciplinary Research (IDR) is a method of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more discipline or bodies of specialized knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to slove problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice.”

CURRENT SITUATION

v  IDR is pluralistic in method and focus.

v  It may be conducted by individuals or groups and may be driven by scientific curiosity or practical needs.

v  Interdisciplinary thinking is rapidly becoming an integral feature of research as a result of powerful “Drivers”.

n   The success of IDR groups depends on institutional commitment and research leadership.

The Need of Inter-Disciplinary Research

n   These days one finds more and more use of interdisciplinary approach in social sciences.

n   In fact, some studies are not possible without such an approach

The following are the main reasons of the need of interdisciplinary research;-

1.   Mutual relationships of different sciences

2.   Imperfection of science

3.   Several aspects of social phenomenon

4.   Need of objectivity

1. Mutual relationships of different studies

·       Though each science is considered as distinct, most of the sciences are interconnected.

·       Such social sciences is directly or indirectly concerned with a man, it is obvious that they may be inter-related.

·       Therefore one science is bound to influence other sciences.

·       Hence the need of interdisciplinary approach is obvious.

2. Imperfection of science

n   No social science is complete or perfect.

n   E.g.., economics cannot solve all the social problems,  nor can medicine relieve all the tensions.

n   Each social science is concerned only with a limited aspect of study.

n   In order to study the total society one will have to take resources of  several sciences.

n   Therefore, the interdisciplinary approach is utilized in such case.

3. Several aspects of social phenomenon

n   Social phenomenon are complex, each social phenomenon has several aspects.

n   No social phenomenon can be completely free from external influences.

n   In such a situation, in order to know the social phenomenon, it is necessary to find out different factors determining them

n   To know all these factors inter-disciplinary approach is required.

4.Need of objectivity

n   In spite of all precautions it is difficult to claim objectivity in social sciences.

n    The need to increase objectivity requires that the same problems should be studied by various methods in various aspects.

n   For this interdisciplinary approach is required.

TYPES  OF INTER-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

1.   Inter-disciplinary approach coordinate various sciences.  A type of this method is such that in its social investigator himself conducts research and seeks help from other sciences wherever required.  This help is secured in the form of expert advice from the researchers of other sciences.

2.   In a different type of inter-disciplinary approach, different experts of different sciences conduct researchers in their own field.  They study a problem independently and themselves prepare plan of study in their own field.

3.   The third type is somewhat different from the two types.  In it, the investigators from the different sciences work in collaboration right from the beginning to the end. They work as members of a research group or team in which the functions are divided and every member is responsible to fulfill his own functions.

THE PROCESS OF INTER-DISCIPLINARY RESEARH

The main steps in the process of interdisciplinary research as follows;-

1.    Construction of the main plan of research

2.    Determination of required social science

3.    Determination of roles of different social science

4.    Coordination of results

1. Construction of the main plan of research

n   First of all, a chief committee for research is organized. The main functions of this committee is to determine the problem of research.

n   It delimits area of social science research and clearly defines its aims and objectives.

2.Determination of required social sciences

n        After the classification of their problem, field and aims and objectives of research, it is decided as to which science, the limits of their cooperation are fixed.

3. Determination of roles of different social sciences

n   After the determination of required sciences, the roles of different sciences are determined.

For e.g.., if a particular social research requires the collaboration of geography, then it is necessary to determine the role of each these social sciences in the particular social research.

4. Coordination of results

n    In interdisciplinary research, different scientists study a problem from their own view points and arrive at different conclusions.

n    These conclusions provide knowledge limited to a particular aspect of a social problem.

Therefore, in order to achieve an integral knowledge, of the problem the different conclusions must be coordinated.

PROBLEMS OF INTER-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

n         Different scientists may be called members of a group and apparently their relations are cooperative but in difficulties and problems in the utilization of interdisciplinary approach.

Some of the important are as follow;-

n    Considering one’s own social sciences as the best

n    Lack of team spirit

n    Difference in view point

n    Problems in the coordination of result

ADVANTAGES OF IDR

The advantages of this approach are mainly as follows;-

1.   Integral study

2.   Elimination of errors

3.   Objectivity

4.   Good will among different social sciences

1.Integral study

n   A particular science studies only a particular aspect of a social or economic problem.

n   The integral approach, on the other hand, leads to an integral part and total study.

n   Thus, it is particularly useful for a deep and all round study of a problem.

2.Elimination of errors

n   There is possibility of several errors in the study of a social problem in a particular science.

n   On the other hand, if the same problem is simultaneously studied in several sciences, the possibility of errors is diminishes.

3.Objectivity

n   Every scientist has his own prejudices which retard the objectivity of his study.

n   In interdisciplinary research, several scientists study as a team, which considerable diminishes and eliminated the influence of their personal prejudices, increasing objectivity of research thereby.

4.Goodwill among different social sciences

n   When several scientists work as members of a team, they come to realize the importance of other sciences.  Therefore interdisciplinary approach creates goodwill among the fields of different sciences.

DISADVANTAGES OF IDR

 

   IDR suffers from several disadvantages, of these the most important are as follows;-

1.   Limited utility

2.   Less organized and systematic

3.   More expensive

4.   Unreliable conclusions

1. Limited utility

n   The IDR approach is useful only in the study of some general and practical problems.

n   It is not utilized in the study of complex and theoretical problems.

n   Therefore, its utility is limited

2. More expensive

n   As this approach of study requires the services of several coming from different fields, it requires much more expenditure as compared to other methods.

3. Less organized and systematic

n   The study organized on the basis of inter-disciplinary approach is generally less organized and systematic than expected.

n   So that sometimes the study becomes entirely out of control

4. Unreliable conclusions

n   As the function of coordination mostly done by one or more senior scientist, their prejudices and sense of superiority may be hindrances in the proper coordination or results.

n   Therefore, the conclusions reached by interdisciplinary approach are sometimes not reliable

CONCLUSION

q     Comparing the hitherto discussed advantages and disadvantages of interdisciplinary approach one may conclude that like other methods it also has its utility in some particular cases of research studies.

q   As a general rule, every method in social sciences, whatever may be its peculiar advantages, is effective only in some cases and not in all the cases of research

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Meaning

• Literature Review is the documentation of a comprehensive review of the published and unpublished work from secondary sources of data in the areas of specific interest to the researcher.
• The main aim is to find out problems that are already investigated and those that need further investigation.
• It is an extensive survey of all available past studies relevant to the field of investigation.
• It gives us knowledge about what others have found out in the related field of study and how they have done so.

NEED / PURPOSE OF REVIEW

·         To gain a background knowledge of the research topic.

·         To identify the concepts relating to it, potential relationships between them and to formulate researchable hypothesis.

·         To identify appropriate methodology, research design, methods of measuring concepts and techniques of analysis.

·         To identify data sources used by other researchers.

·         To learn how others structured their reports.

nA knowledge of Related Literature enables to define the Frontiers of the Field

nUnderstanding of the theory enables to place the Question in a Wider Perspective

nRelated Literature recommends Procedures / Methods /Instructions

nAvoids unintentional Replication of Previous Research

nBetter position to interpret the significance of the study and its results

How to conduct the Literature Survey?

¡Identify the relevant sources.

¡Extract and Record relevant information.

¡Write-up the Literature Review.

SOURCES OF LITERATURE

• Encyclopedia

-          Generic ex: Encyclopedia Britannica

-          Specific ex: Encyclopedia on Social Sciences

• Books – Year Books

-          Text Books

-          Reference Books

• Journal – Monthly, Quarterly, Half-yearly, annual
• Magazines – Weekly, Bi-weekly, etc
• Handbook/Monographs
• Govt. and Industry Reports
• Seminar Reports / Abstracts
• Newspaper/Bulletin
• Research Dissertation and Thesis
• Documents
• Internets

-          Electronic Databases

-          Bibliographic Databases

-          Abstract Databases

-          Full-Text Databases

Guidelines for Evaluating Internet

¡Internet is not a Library

¡Checklist of main points

nAuthorship

nSponsorship

nPoint of View

nRelevance

nVerifiability

nCurrency

Search Engines

¡A specialized device that searches the Web for documents that match key words, proper names, and phrases

RECORDING THE LITERATURE

lThe most suitable method of recording notes is the card system.   

lThe recording system involves use of two sets of cards:

¡Source cards (3”x 5”) – used for noting bibliographic information.

¡Note cards (5”x 8”) – used for actual note taking.

SOURCE CARDS

lSource Cards serve two purposes:

¡Provide documentary information for foot notes.

¡It is used for compiling bibliography to be given at the end of the report.

lSource Cards can be coded by a simple system inorder to relate them to the corresponding note cards.

lMarking a combination of letters and a number on the right hand top corner that begins with ‘C’. For example; C1, C2 etc.

                                    OR

lMarking the letter ‘B’ or ‘J’ or ‘R’ (B=Books, J=Journal, R=Report) on the left hand top corner.

lThe recording of bibliographic information should be made in proper bibliographic format.

lThe format for citing a book is:

¡Author’s name, (year), Title of the book, Place of publication, Publisher’s name.

lFor Example; Koontz Harold (1980), Management, New Delhi, McGraw-Hill International.

lThe format for citing a journal article is:

¡Author’s name, (year), Title of the article, Journal name, Volume (number), pages.

lFor Example; Sheth J.N (1973), A Model of Industrial Buying Behaviour, Journal of Marketing, 37(4), 50-56.

NOTE CARDS

lDetailed Information extracted from a printed source is recorded on the note cards.  

lIt is desirable to note a single fact or idea on each card, on one side only.

Writing the literature review

¡Writing the literature review well is a sign of professional maturity;

¡it indicates one’s grasp of the field, one’s methodological sophistication in critiquing others’ research, and the breadth and depth of one’s reading

Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of writings that share a common factor: this may be a topic, a language, a period, or some other theme. The list may be comprehensive or selective. One particular instance of this is the list of sources used or considered in preparing a work, sometimes called a reference list.

Webliography

A critical guide to electronic resources on the World Wide Web and CD-ROM, including electronic texts, HTML-encoded texts, hypertexts, secondary works, commentaries, and indexes

Define Research Problem

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Introduction

            Identification of a problem is the first step in research. In fact it is central to the entire research process. It is like knowing the destination of your journey before one undertakes the journey. Scholars say a research problem is like the foundation of a building. As the foundation provides the basis for the building so is the problem for the research. According to Kerlinger, if one wants to solve a problem, one must generally know what the problem is. It can be said that a large part of the problem lies in knowing what one is trying to do.

            The term problem means the question or the issue one wants to study or investigate. Research begins when one raises a research question. There are number of questions for which one keeps searching for answers. There are issues that need to be understood at a deeper level. There are social problems that need to be solved immediately. All these become researchable problems. Research problem is nothing but an issue or a question that one wants to examine in a systematic way. 

• The term ‘problem’ means a question or issue to be examined
• A research problem refers to some difficulty which a researcher experiences in the context of either a theoretical or practical situation and wants to obtain a solution for the same. 

Research Problem should not be …

• Not overdone
• No controversial subject
• Not too narrow or too vague
• Not too familiar and feasible
• Within the budget
• Possibility of necessary cooperation?!  

What Constitutes a Research Problem?

• Unanswered question
• Unsolved question
• Concern
• Query
• Statement of inquiry

CRITERIA OF A GOOD RESEARCH PROBLEM

• Clear and Unambiguous
• Empirical
• Verifiable
• Interesting
• Novel and Original
• Availability of Guidance

HOW DO WE KNOW WE HAVE A RESEARCH PROBLEM?

• Customer complaints
• Conversation with company employees
• Observation of inappropriate behaviour or conditions  in the firm
• Deviation from the business plan
• Success of the firm’s competitor’s
• Relevant reading of published material (trends,  regulations)
• Company records and reports.

Sources of Research Problem

• Reading
• Academic Experience
• Daily Experience
• Exposure to field situations
• Consultation
• Brain Storming
• Research
• Intuition
• Appeal to common sense
• Appeal to authority
• Traditions/customs/culture

Process of Identification

            Human beings are faced with number of social problems. Every problem is both a challenge and an opportunity. Amidst the varied problems one has to choose the right one for one’s study. Thus identification of a problem calls for a method. On is advised to follow a method in identifying the exact problem for the study. Scholars propose the following method for the identification.

Selection of the discipline: First of all one has to choose the discipline or the subject in which one intends to do the research. It may be History or Economics or even an interdisciplinary subject. Mostly one chooses the subject in which one has a post graduate degree.

Demarcating the broad area:  The second most important step is selecting a particular aspect of the selected subject. For example, if the selected subject is Rural Development, then one may choose crop management, rural housing or even rural illiteracy as specific area of study. One should identify the broad area of interest in a particular subject.

Identifying two or more specific topics: Once the broad area of a study in a particular subject is chosen, the next important step is identifying the specific topic for the study. One has to narrow down the topic for detailed study. It is here the review of literature helps the student to focus the topic. Thus one has to identify two or more topics which can be further focussed.

Criteria of a Problem:

  Criteria are guiding principles or standards that enable one to select the right kind of a research problem. These are essential for the researcher. Accordingly there can be two kinds of criteria for the selection. The first one is internal criteria and the second one is external criteria. We shall have a brief discussion of both the criteria.

Internal criteria:

1.      Researchers interest: The researcher must be interested in the problem. It is interest that arouses ones curiosity and enables one to get involved in the research. Lack of interest may not provide the required energy to continue the research. Interest may vary according to ones educational background, experience and outlook.

2.      Researcher’s competence:  To identify a research problem one needs certain competence. Without this one can never make a beginning. Competence enables one to work out a plan for solving the problem. Competence in terms of familiarity with regard to the subject matter, certain analytical skill and knowledge of research are essential for a good research.

3.      Researcher’s own resources: There are two kinds of resources required to undertake a research. One is time and the other is money. Both are essential and one is supposed to be assured of it adequately. One should have realistic picture of these two resources. For example if one does not have adequate financial resources one can seek external help or take up a research that can suit ones budget. In the same way one should have sufficient time to complete a research. Research is a time consuming process and one should have the required time for it.

EXTERNAL CRITERIA:

1.      Researchability:   The problem must be researchable. It should be possible for the researcher to investigate into the problem. In other words one should be able to make an observation and collect data in a real world situation. Thus the problem should not be too general or otherworldly.

2.      Importance and urgency: Although human beings are bombarded with numerous problems when it comes to research one has to prioritise. As resources are limited one has to go by relative importance and significance. Naturally urgent problems gain greater importance over other ones.

3.      Facilities: Any research requires certain facilities like library, guidance, facilities for data analysis etc. Thus one should have the required facilities for the research.

4.      Social relevance: Researches should have a social relevance. Especially in fields like rural development one needs to pay greater attention to this aspect.

5.      Research personnel: Research requires certain expertise. Not all can undertake research. Different researches need different levels of knowledge, experience and talents. One has to see the availability of research personnel before undertaking research.

Steps in defining research problem

• Statement of the problem in a general way
• Understanding the nature of the problem
• Surveying the available literature
• Developing the ideas through discussions (Experience survey)
• Rephrasing the research problem into a working proposition

CONCLUSION   

A simple approach to this is selecting a research problem which is researchable. It must be interesting to you. One should have the required time and competence for the same.