Research Methodology Question and Answers
Research Methodology Question and Answers
Research Methodology Question and Answers
1. What is research and its characteristics? What is the basis of scientific method?
Answer:
The initial scientific element is to evaluate and observe possible subjects for experiment.
This can be through direct observation or by reviewing literature, and other sources,
Hypothesis
Ideally, any research must begin with a testable hypothesis, which can be proved or
disproved.
This hypothesis should be realistic and consider the technology and methods available.
Generating a hypothesis should involve looking for the simplest possible explanation for
All scientific methods rely on a hypothesis as the main underlying principle and tool for
Predictions
This stage is where a researcher attempts to predict the expected results of their
experiment.
The prediction should be an extension of the hypothesis and express a degree of opinion
Ideally, the prediction should also set out ways in which the results can be analyzed and
tested statistically.
True science requires some type of numerical measurement, which provides quantifiable
This analysis takes into account the uncertainty and inherent errors built into any
scientific methodology.
This is the final stage because, if the experiment has been well constructed, a valid
answer will have been generated. Using the basic scientific elements ensures that usable
Variations
There are many variations on these elements, covering the broad range of science, with
this rigid structure tending to be more strongly adhered to by life and natural sciences.
Social sciences may place more emphasis upon the observation and prediction stage,
whilst physicists may observe and predict without experimental proof, relying upon pure
However, all science relies upon this basic formula for theory and hypothesis to be
1) Objectivity :
Objectivity refers to the ability of the research instruments to give conclusions
that are free from observer's personal biases. A good research design should be
able select those instruments only that provide objective conclusions. Usually, it
is believed that maintaining objectivity is pretty easy, but it proves to be difficult
during execution of research and data analysis.
2) Reliability :
Another essential feature of a good research design is the reliability of responses.
The instruments used in research should be able to provide similar responses to a
question asked from a respondent. If the response varies, the instrument is
considered unreliable. In other words, reliability of research design is measured
in terms of consistency in responses.
3) Validity :
An important characteristic of a good research design is its ability to answer the
questions in the way it was intended to. It should focus on the objective of the
research and make specific arrangements or plan for achieving that objective.
For example, when a research is conducted to measure the effects of
advertisements in viewers, it should be able to answer this, and not the sale of a
particular product.
4) Generalisability :
A research design is said to be generalisable if the outcome of the research is
applicable on a bigger population from which the sample is selected. A research
design can be made generalisable by properly defining the population properly,
selecting the sample carefully, analyzing the statistical data appropriately, and by
preparing it methodologically. Therefore, the more the outcomes are
generalisable, more efficient is the research design.
5) Sufficient Information :
Any research is conducted to gain insight of the hidden facts, figures and
information. The research design should be able to provide sufficient information
to the researcher so that he can analyse the research problem in a broad
perspective. The research design should be able to identify the research problem
and research objective.
6) Other Features :
Along with the above, there are some other features also that make a research
design good. These are adaptability, flexibility. efficiency, etc. A good research
design should be able to minimize the errors and maximize the accuracy.
3. What is meaning of scaling? What are the main scale classification bases?
Answer:
In research, usually, the numbers are assigned to the qualitative traits of the
object because the quantitative data helps in statistical analysis of the
resulting data and further facilitates the communication of measurement rules
and results.
All the scales used in scaling techniques can be explained in terms of four
basic characteristics., Viz. Description, Order, Distance, and origin. These
characteristics collectively define the Levels of Measurement of scale. The
level of measurement indicates that what properties of an object are
measured or not measured by the scale.
following bases:
1. subject orientation;
2. response form;
3. degree of subjectivity;
4. scale properties;
5. number of dimensions and
6. scale construction techniques.
4. What is validity? What are the main types of validity in quantitative research?
Answer:
Research validity in surveys relates to the extent at which the survey measures right
elements that need to be measured. In simple terms, validity refers to how well an
Reliability alone is not enough, measures need to be reliable, as well as, valid. For
example, if a weight measuring scale is wrong by 4kg (it deducts 4 kg of the actual
measures what it claims to measure, and the results closely correspond to real-world
values, then it can be considered valid. There are four main types of validity:
● Construct validity:
Construct validity is about ensuring that the method of measurement matches the
you need to know: does the questionnaire really measure the construct of depression?
construct?
To achieve construct validity, you have to ensure that your indicators and
depression.
The other types of validity described below can all be considered as forms of evidence
● Content validity:
Content validity assesses whether a test is representative of all aspects of the construct.
To produce valid results, the content of a test, survey or measurement method must
cover all relevant parts of the subject it aims to measure. If some aspects are missing
from the measurement (or if irrelevant aspects are included), the validity is threatened
● Face validity: Does the content of the test appear to be suitable to its aims?
● Face validity considers how suitable the content of a test seems to be on the
surface. It’s similar to content validity, but face validity is a more informal and
subjective assessment.
● To evaluate criterion validity, you calculate the correlation between the results of
your measurement and the results of the criterion measurement. If there is a high
correlation, this gives a good indication that your test is measuring what it intends
to measure.
In quantitative research, we have to consider the reliability and validity of your methods
and measurements.
When wondering how to write a literature review, the first point to remember is not to
include studies that are not directly relevant to your study, as it will distract and frustrate
the reader. It makes them lose sight of the purpose of your study. Also, you cannot
create a strong literature review by simply listing who has studied the topic and what
each scholar concluded. The following guide can help you write a good review
regardless of the research type.3
1. Get your topic and research question correct: A unique, thought-provoking topic is
what makes a good literature review stand out. Select interesting and useful topics that
are hotspots in your field of study, but make sure that the research question is
manageable. Understand the key terms related to your area of study. Discuss the topics
with your supervisors or peers to understand landmark/seminal literature works.
2. Decide the scope of your review: This depends on the nature of your study. Decide
on the number of articles you want to read, the recentness of these articles, and how
comprehensive these are.
3. Go for reliable data sources: An important step in writing a good literature review is
collecting data. Your data sources should include scholarly articles, books, conventions,
conferences, dissertations, and theses. An easy place to look is the discipline-wise
research guides created by librarians. Other tools that minimize your literature search
time include R Discovery, SciSpace Discover, Sysrev, and Colandr.
4. Track your searches: Use RefWorks, Mendeley, or Zotero to provide templates and
help track your research citations. Read the abstract to determine articles of interest.
Use maps and charts to identify connecting research and outline important categories.
More relevant studies can be identified from bibliographies or references of these
research studies.
5. Keep notes: This is useful to writing a good literature review as it helps you
remember the important concepts discussed in the literature. It will also help you track
your thought processes during the early stages of research.
6. Structure your literature review: Before thinking what to write in a good literature
review, think about its structure. Like a research article, the template of a good literature
review should have an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion.
● The introduction section will define your topic, establish reasons for reviewing the
selected literature sources, and decide the review’s scope.
● The main body begins with a wider general view of the topic being considered
and ends with a specific focus of your study.
● The conclusion section evaluates the current state of existing research, identifies
gaps in the existing literature to link your research, and outlines areas for future
study. Your research question, hypothesis, or problem statement will also go
here.
7. Length of the literature review: It varies depending on the purpose and audience. The
best literature review length for journal articles is at least 2 pages or a few pages,
depending on the length of your article. For example, for a 5,000-word journal article,
the literature review can be between 1,200-2,000 words
Discrete and continuous are the two major categories of quantitative data
where discreet data have finite numbers and the constant data values falling
on a continuum possessing the possibility to have fractions or decimals. If
research is conducted to find out the number of vehicles owned by the
American household, then we get a whole number, which is an excellent
example of discrete data. When research is limited to the study of physical
measurements of the population like height, weight, age, or distance, then the
result is an excellent example of continuous data.
probability Sampling
Interviews
There are three major types of interviews conducted for data collection
Surveys/Questionnaires
There are two significant types of survey questionnaires used to collect online
data for quantitative market research.
Observations