SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS - Official website of …

1 SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODSCORE SOCIOLOGYIV SEMESTER(2011 Admission)UNIVERSITY OF CALICUTSCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATIONCALICUT UNIVERSITY , MALAPPURAM, KERALA, INDIA-673 635280 School of Distance EducationSocial RESEARCH MethodsPage2 UNIVERSITY OF CALICUTSCHOOL OFDISTANCE EDUCATIONSTUDY (2011 Admission onwards)IVSEMESTERCORE COURSESOCIAL RESEARCH METHODSP repared by:(Module I & II) . of SociologyZamorians Gurvayurappan CollegeCalicut(Module III & IV) Neena . ProfessorDepartment of SociologyVimala CollegeThrissurScrutinised Hafiz Mohamad Manasam & Settings:Computer Cell, SDE ReservedSchool of Distance EducationSocial RESEARCH MethodsPage3 MODULECONTENTPAGEIFUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCH05-18 IITYPES AND METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH19-31 IIISOCIAL RESEARCH AND STAGES IN SOCIAL RESEARCH32-40 IVDATA COLLECTION, METHODS AND TOOL FORDATA COLLECTION41-53 School of Distance EducationSocial RESEARCH MethodsPage4 School of Distance EducationSocial RESEARCH MethodsPage5 MODULE1:FUNDAMENTALS OF RESEARCHI:WHAT IS RESEARCH , PURPOSE OF RESEARCH ,SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH , RESEARCH AND THEORY?

2 :What is RESEARCH ?The unique characteristic of human mind is the curiosity to know about the questions arise in our mind about our environment,planet and the universe. Most ofthese questions starting with what, why, how and soon. For example, what are stars? , why day andnight alternate? How is rain formed and why the mode of life and activities of human beings varyfrom place to place? Whenever such questions arise we seek answer to them or we try to find outsolutions to them. Seeking answers to questions and finding solutions to the problems have beenthe basis of human progress. A systematic search for an answer to a question or a solution to aproblem is called RESEARCH is simply the process of arriving as dependable solution to a problemthrough the planned and systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of a data.

3 RESEARCH is themost important process for advancing knowledge for promoting progress and to enable man torelate more effectively to his environment to accomplish his purpose and to solve his it is not the only way, it is one of the most effective ways of solving term RESEARCH consist of two words, Re + Search . Re means again and againand Search means to find out something. The following is the process ;Observescollection of dataPersonphenomenaconclusionsAgain and again Analysis of dataTherefore, the RESEARCH is a process of which a person observes the phenomena again andagain and collects the data and on the basis of data he draws some seeks to find out explanations to unexplained phenomena to clarify the doubtfulpropositions and to correct the misconceived facts.

4 It simply means a search for facts, answer toquestions and solutions to problems. The search for facts may be made through either (a) arbitrary(unscientific) method or (b) scientific of Distance EducationSocial RESEARCH MethodsPage6 Arbitrary method of seeking answer to questions is based on imagination, blind belief orimpression. It is vague and method is a systematic rational approach to seeking fact. It is objective, preciseand arrives at conclusions on the basis of verifiable evidences. Hence RESEARCH is systematic andlogical study of an issue problem or phenomenon through scientific method. Following definitionsmay reveal the proper meaning of the concept of of RESEARCH :a)According toBlack and Champion, scientificresearch consist of obtaining informationthrough empirical observation that can be used for systematic development of logicallyrelated propositions attempting to establish casual relations among variable.

5 B)Emorydefines RESEARCH as any organized inquiry designed and carried out to provideinformation for solving a problem .c)Kerlingerdefines RESEARCH as a systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigationof hypothetical relations among natural phenomena .d) Redman and Morryhave defined systematic effort to gain new knowledgewe call RESEARCH .Characteristic of ResearchThe above definitions reveal the following characteristics of ) RESEARCH is a systematic and critical investigation to a ) Itaims at interpreting and explaining a ) It adopts scientific ) It is based on empirical evidences and observable ) It develops generalizations, principles or ) It directed towards finding answer to the questions and solutions to the : Purpose of ResearchThe purposes orobjectives of RESEARCH are are, RESEARCH extends knowledge of human beings SOCIAL life and environment.

6 RESEARCH reveals the mysteries of nature. Researchestablishes generalizations and general laws and contributes to theory building invarious fields of of Distance EducationSocial RESEARCH MethodsPage7 RESEARCH verifies and tests existing facts and theory. RESEARCH helps us to improve our knowledge and ability to handle situation. General lawsdeveloped through RESEARCH may enable us to make reliable predictions ofevents. RESEARCH aims to analyze inter-relationship between variables and to derive causalexplanations, which help us to better understanding of the world in which we live. Researchaims to finding solutions to the problem, :-socio-economic problems, healthproblems, organizational and human relational problems and so RESEARCH also aims at developing new tools, concepts and theories for better understandingto unknown phenomena.

7 RESEARCH helps national planning board to focus our national development. It enables theplanners to evaluate alternative strategies, on-going programs and evaluation etc., RESEARCH provides functional data for rational decision making and formulationof strategiesand :ScientificMethodAll scientists use common METHODS for their enquiry. All sciences whether natural or socialagree up on METHODS of studying phenomena. But their materials differ. A biologist studying thestructure ofsome flowers, a chemist studying radio active properties of an element and asociologist studying crime situation in an urban slum. All follows similar scientific METHODS ofinquiry.

8 But their subjects of study are different. Therefore, they use differenttechniques ofinvestigation for their study. As their materials are different, their purposes also differ. All of themwill observe the phenomenon and analyze them to find out their sequences this is called scientificmethod. Thus scientific method is a systematic step-by-step procedure (three steps-observation,hypothesis and verification) following logical process of toprof. Morgan scientific method being highly elastic, can be applicable toall domain of human activity where the discovery of truth is the objective .So the scientificmethod is means for gaining knowledge of the universe.

9 As Karl Person observed there is noshort-cut to truth, no way to gain a knowledge of the universe expect through the gate way ofscientific method . Two elements of scientific method are, a)Procedural components andb)Personal )Procedural , hypothesis and verification are the three procedural components. Observationhelps to collect data and help to buildhypothesis. The second step is formation of one or morehypotheses. A hypothesis is tentative conclusion. It guides collection of data. The third stage isverification of hypothesis. It is done by analytical of Distance EducationSocial RESEARCH MethodsPage8b)Personal researcher needs imagination, analytical ability resourcefulness, skill, capacity to findout the hearts of the problem.

10 Researcher s ability and attitude are more important than the methodof approach. Ambitions interest and perseverance are very much required to go onsuccessfullywith RESEARCH . Researcher should have an objective scientific and professional qualification andpersonal quality and and essentials of scientific methodScientific method is a way in which one can test opinion,impressions or guess byexamining available evidences fore and against them. So it is controlling lot of things andestablishing stable of scientific method are, Scientific method aims at discovering facts. It is itself corrective in nature.