Title 3. DESIGNING THE METHODOLOGY.pdf ✅

PHARMD GURU Page 1 DEFINITION: Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. STEPS IN RESEARCH: The following steps are followed in an order in research: DESIGNING THE METHODOLOGY 1. FORMULATING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM 2. EXTENSIVE LITERATURE SURVEY 6. COLLECTING THE DATA 9. HYPOTHESIS TESTING 10. GENERALIZING AND INTERPRETATION 3. DEVELOPMENT OF WORKING HYPOTHESIS 4. PREPARING THE RESEARCH DESIGN 5. DETERMINING THE SAMPLING SIZE 7. EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT 8. ANALYSIS OF DATA 11. PREPARATION OF THE REPORT (OR) THESIS
PHARMD GURU Page 2 1. FORMULATING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM:  In this step, the researcher has to understanding the problem thoroughly, and rephrasing the same into meaningful terms from an analytical point of view.  Let’s say there is a problem called COVID-19. The researcher wants to do research on this. Hence he should first understand the problem (COVID-19) thoroughly and has to rephrase the problem (General point: COVID-19 treatment?) into meaningful terms (analytical point after rephrasing: What is the best drug of choice for COVID-19) from an analytical point of view. 2. EXTENSIVE LITERATURE SURVEY:  Once the problem is formulated, the next step is Extensive literature survey connected with the problem. (For Ex: All the available articles and other source of information about the problem i.e., COVID-19).  For this purpose, the abstracting and indexing journals and published or unpublished bibliographies are the first place to go to.  Academic journals, conference proceedings, government reports, books etc., must be tapped depending on the nature of the problem.  A good library will be a great help to the researcher at this stage. 3. DEVELOPMENT OF WORKING HYPOTHESES:  After extensive literature survey, researcher should state in clear terms the working hypothesis or hypotheses.  Working hypothesis is tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences.  Hypothesis should be very specific and limited to the piece of research in hand because it has to be tested.  he role of the hypothesis is to guide the researcher by delimiting the area of research and to keep him on the right track.
PHARMD GURU Page 3 4. PREPARING THE RESEARCH DESIGN:  The research problem having been formulated in clear cut terms, the researcher will be required to prepare a research design or study design (previous chapter in biostatics). Based up on our study, specific study design is selected. For Ex: If the research should include Experimentation on animals or humans, Experimental study design is selected. 5. DETERMINING SAMPLE DESIGN:  The researcher must decide the way of selecting a sample or what is popularly known as the sample design. It should be done in a way, that it causes minimum to no BIAS in selected the sample (Ex: people) in the study. 6. COLLECTING THE DATA:  Primary data can be collected either through experiment or through survey.  If the researcher conducts an experiment, he observes some quantitative measurements, or the data, with the help of which he examines the truth contained in his hypothesis.  But in the case of a survey, data can be collected by any one or more of the following ways: By observation, through personal interview, through telephone interviews, by mailing of questionnaires and through schedules. 7. EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT:  The researcher should see that the project is executed in a systematic manner and in time.  If the survey is to be conducted by means of structured questionnaires, data can be readily machine-processed. In survey the researcher’s can ask questions(interview) the subjects.  The training may be given with the help of instruction manuals which explain clearly the job of the interviewers at each step.
PHARMD GURU Page 4  Occasional field checks should be made to ensure that the interviewers are doing their assigned job sincerely and efficiently. 8. ANALYSIS OF DATA:  After the data have been collected, the researcher turns to the task of analyzing them.  The analysis of data requires a number of closely related operations such as establishment of categories, the application of these categories to raw data through coding, tabulation and then drawing statistical inferences.  Coding operation is usually done at this stage through which the categories of data are transformed into symbols that may be tabulated and counted. Editing is the procedure that improves the quality of the data for coding.  With coding the stage is ready for tabulation. Tabulation is a part of the technical procedure wherein the classified data are put in the form of tables. 9. HYPOTHESIS-TESTING:  After analyzing the data as stated above, the researcher is in a position to test the hypotheses, if any, he had formulated earlier.  The researcher should ask this question to himself “Do the facts support the hypotheses or they happen to be contrary?” This is the usual question which should be answered while testing hypotheses.  Various tests, such as Chi square test, t-test, F-test, have been developed by statisticians for the purpose. By the results obtained from above tests, the question will be answered. 10. GENERALIZATIONS AND INTERPRETATION:  If a hypothesis is tested and upheld several times, it may be possible for the researcher to arrive at generalization, i.e., to build a theory.