Page 20 - SREENARAYANAGURU OPEN UNIVERSITY

Unit 2 Research Process

Unit Research Process

2

Learning Outcomes

After completing this unit, learners will be able to:

◆ learn about the process of research

◆ gain insights on the concept of research gap
◆ develop an understanding on how to formulate a research problem
◆ familiarise the role of literature survey in research

◆ learn about the concept of hypothesis and its types

Background

Research is an organised endeavour. Like any other organised work, a step-by-step
process is required for performing research. Sequential steps required for conducting a
research work effectively is called research process.
The research process starts with a clear question which is to be answered called
a research problem. An example of a research problem is how exercise affects the
thinking of older people. Picking the right question is really important for successful
research. The researchers need to find a question that needs an answer or a problem that
needs solving. Researchers then read all the existing information about the topic to see
what others have discovered. Using that knowledge, they make educated guesses called
hypotheses. For example, they might guess that regular exercise can make older people
think better.
After that, they plan how they will gather information to test their ideas. Lastly, they
look at the information they collected to see if it supports their guesses. This whole
process helps the researchers find out new things and learn more about the world. This
unit encompasses the process involved in performing a research.

Keywords

Research problem, Literature Review, Research gap, Hypothesis

14 SGOU - SLM -MCom Research Methodology