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a particular way over time.

Analytical research is a specific type of research that involves
critical thinking skills and the evaluation of facts and information
relative to the research being conducted. It is a system of procedures
and techniques of analysis applied to quantitative data. It could
be a set of mathematical models or statistical techniques applied
to numerical data. As a result, it is also known as the statistical
method. It focuses on in-depth data analysis and examining
relationships from various perspectives by incorporating as many ◆ Post-facto-analysis
relevant variables as possible into the analysis plan. This method is
widely used in business and other fields that generate quantitative
numerical data.
c. Historical research

Scenario: A study compared the similarities between inquiry-
based and problem-solving methods and their potential for
improving student performance.

Historical research is the application of principles learned
through study of the past and social forces that shaped the present.
Its goal is to apply reflective thinking to unsolved social problems
by tracing lines of development in human thought and action and
discovering past trends of events, facts, and attitudes. It draws ◆ Historical
explanations and generalisations from the past trends in order to orientation
understand the present and to anticipate the future. Historical data
demands a great deal of social insights.
d. Case study

Scenario: A causative study of successful cooperative society.
A case study is a thorough examination of a person, a social group,
an episode, a process, a situation, a programme, a community, an
institution, or any other social unit. The goal is to ascertain the
natural history, that is, an account of generic development of a
person or group, revealing the factors and method of life of the
unit within the cultural setting. The case study method is known ◆ Social microscope
as ‘the social microscope’ because it aids in studying behaviour in
specific but precise detail.

1.1.3 Research Approaches

The approaches used in social science research vary depending
on the availability of existing literature and theories and also on
the purpose for which the research is undertaken. The two key
approaches are explained below.

a. Inductive approach

b. Deductive approach

SGOU - SLM - MCom Research Methodology 7