Page 23 - SREENARAYANAGURU OPEN UNIVERSITY

The H is called the null hypothesis which assumes there is
0
no difference between the population parameter and the sample
statistic and the H is called an alternative hypothesis which ◆ Guides researcher
1
presents the alternative solution. A hypothesis serves as a guide
for the researcher and aids in staying focused on research. The
various types of hypotheses are explained later in this unit.
e. Research design
Once the researcher has been granted approval, the next step
is to develop the research design in detail. A research design is
a map developed to guide the research. It is part of the planning
stage of research, a blueprint for the collection, measurement and ◆ Blueprint
analysis of data. It is a logical and systematic plan prepared for
directing a research study. It specifies the objectives of the study,
the methodologies and techniques to be adopted for achieving the
objectives.
The essentials of good research design are as follows:

◆ It is a plan that specifies the objectives of the study and the
hypotheses to be tested.

◆ It is an outline that specifies the sources and types of
information relevant to the research questions. ◆ Outline

◆ It is a blueprint specifying the method to be adopted for
gathering and analysing data.
◆ It is a scheme defining the domain of generalisability, i.e.,
whether the obtained information can be generalised to a
larger population or to different situations.

f. Execution of the project
From this stage onwards the researcher moves forward from the
planning stage to data gathering stage. This includes distributing
the data collection instrument, such as questionnaires or interview
schedules to respondents as well as training field workers for
conducting interviews and observation techniques. Seminars or
instruction manuals can be used to provide training at a focal
point. The data collection process is kept under strict control. ◆ Data gathering stage
Respondents who were not responding during the first round of
communication are contacted again. The researcher would also
conduct surprise field checks to ensure that field workers followed
the instructions given to them. The primary goal at this stage is
to collect data in the correct format and within the timeframe
specified.

SGOU - SLM - MCom Research Methodology 17