A Guide to Start Research Process – Introduction, Procedure and Tips

Research is a long and arduous process that requires dedication, patience, and discipline. It starts with an idea and ends with the production of knowledge. In between, there are many steps that need to be taken, some more difficult than others. The post below will guide you through the research process from start to finish with tips on how to stay organized and motivated throughout your journey.

Introduction

The research Process is basically a systematic study on specific subjects which includes different activities such as data collection, data analysis, and interpretation.

It includes searching for information on a specific topic or subject. Research activity mainly includes discovering facts or figures about the phenomenon. The main objective of the investigation is to increase knowledge about a particular field. Another purpose of the investigation is to search for possible solutions to a particular problem.

Example: An organization is facing the issue of continuous decline in sales and profit. Management in an organization is a high level of concern about the problem. The manager asks the research and development team to perform the investigation for identifying the root cause of the problem.

Step By Step Research Process

Before beginning with the investigation you need to decide whether you want to perform primary and secondary research.

Step 1 – Primary research

It is the type of investigation where you need to collect information yourself. Such types of research which you are performing for addressing specific issue then there is a requirement of performing detailed analysis. In such a type of investigation, the techniques you can apply for collecting facts include survey, interview, observation, etc.

Step 2 – Secondary research

In such types of studies, the investigator mainly uses the information which is already present. Secondary research includes synthesis, collation, and summary of the existing study which another researcher has to perform.

For example: Suppose, the researcher has performed a study for identifying the number of people who died due to cancer . Your collection of the information about the same can access the record of patients by the management team on the hospital. It is the phase where you can make the choice of type of study which you need to perform. You can make such a choice on the basis of three factors these are aim, objective, and nature of the problem.

Step 3 – Identification of the issue

It is the stage where you need to clearly define the issue. At this stage, you need to clearly address those people who have been highly influenced by a particular issue. In addition to this, you need to explain the way the investigation which you are performing will help in dealing with a specific research problem.

Step 4 – Designing of research questions

This is a stage where you need to create the research question based on objectives and problem statements in research. All the questions which you have a design need to be specific. It is a stage where two or three questions are sufficient. In the last question, you should ask for suggestions for dealing with a specific problem. In the context of Quantitative research, you need to formulate the hypothesis testing for research.

Example: The researcher is conducting for analysis of the effect of globalization on business activities. Some of the research questions that researcher can design are :

• What challenges the organization is facing because of globalization?
• Importance of globalization for companies?
• What techniques firms can be applied for dealing with global issues?

Step 5 – Selection of  design

Research design is basically a strategy which researcher adopts for getting an answer to their questions. At this stage, you need to determine the type of information you intend to collect by performing the investigation on a particular research topic. This is a phase where you need to clearly define the techniques which you have applied for accumulating facts related to the topic or subjecting

Step 6 – Writing the Research Proposal

After establishing aims and objectives, designing of research question that you need to write a research proposal. The research proposal consists of detail about the background, plan, and purpose of the research. The section in the dissertation also includes objectives, aim, research questions, and statement of the problem. You also have to write a literature review in research paper.

Tips for starting research

Execution of investigation in a systematic manner is very much essential for accomplishing desired objectives:

• Before the beginning of the investigation, you should develop a proper plan. You also need to make a proper arrangement of resources. It is a technique that will help you in eliminating the barriers in the study.
• While topic selection for research or performing the study, you should consider the different types of issues such as ethical or legal issues associated with the execution of the investigation.
• Ethical issues are basically the kind of problem in which you will require to make a balance between different alternates. When you do not follow the laws and regulations while performing an investigation then such types of an issue might arise.
• Before beginning the investigation, you need to develop an in-depth understanding of the subject or topic. After the selection of the topic, you will require to establish the aim And Objectives. As these are two important elements of research that will help you in determining the activities you need to perform.
• You should clearly define the problem statement.
• The other piece of advice is that after selecting the topic you should discuss the same with your supervisor or teammates at the time of first meeting with the Thesis supervisor.
• Selection of appropriate research design is very much important for accomplishing desired aims and objective
• While selecting the topic you should seek support from your supervisor etc.