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Research
Methodology
LECTURE 2: CHARACTERISTICS
AND TYPES OF RESEARCH

١ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Contents

Characteristics of Scientific Research

Types of Research:
Basic Research
Applied Research
Academic Research
Industrial Research

٢ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

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Scientific Research

How is it different from non-scientific

research?
Focuses on solving problems and pursues a
step-by-step logical, organized, and
rigorous method to
Identify the problems
Collect data
Analyze and
Draw valid conclusions

٣ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Characteristics of
Scientific Research
Aim
Rigor (‫)ﺻﺭﺍﻣﺔ‬
Testability
Replicability
Precision, reliability and Confidence
Objectivity
Generalizability

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Characteristics of
Scientific Research
Aim
The purpose of scientific research is
clear
to reduce Optical Beat Interference
to reduce Noise Figure

٥ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Characteristics of
Scientific Research
Rigorous
Based on good theoretical base and sound
methodology
Careful
eg: all design parameters concerning the gain must
be considered; length and concentration, pump power,
input signal power and wavelength.

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Characteristics of
Scientific Research
Testability
Test theoretical model by simulation or
experiment
Analysis of performance parameter against
design parameter
eg. theoretical model shows low gain with high
input signal power.
Experiment to test this relationship while other
design parameters are fixed can be carried out.
Gain is measured against input signal power

٧ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Characteristics of
Scientific Research
Replicability
Can be easily repeated.
The same relationship stands repeatedly
under the same design parameters

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Characteristics of
Scientific Research
Precision and Confidence
Precision refers to closeness of the findings
to reality
Confidence refers to the probability that our
estimations are correct

٩ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Characteristics of
Scientific Research
Objectivity
Conclusions drawn from the analysis of data
must be objective
Proven from trend in data
Supported by theoretical model

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Characteristics of
Scientific Research
Generalizability
Scope of applicability
The wider, the better
Eg. Rate Equation Model applicable for
lasers and fiber amplifiers

١١ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Characteristics of Good
Research
In general, good research should:
Address an important question.
Advance knowledge.
Originates with a question or problem.
Requires clear articulation of a goal.
Follows a specific plan or procedure.
Often divides main problem into sub problems.
Guided by specific problem, question, or hypothesis.
Accepts certain critical assumptions.
Requires collection and interpretation of data.

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High-Quality Research
• Good research requires:
requires:
– The scope and limitations of the work to be clearly defined.
– The process to be clearly explained so that it can be reproduced
and verified by other researchers.
– A thoroughly planned design that is as objective as possible.
– Highly ethical standards be applied.
– All limitations be documented.
– Data be adequately analyzed and explained.
– All findings be presented unambiguously and all conclusions be
justified by sufficient evidence.
١٣ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Criteria of Good
Research
One expects scientific research to satisfy the following criteria:
Clearly defined purpose of the research.
The procedural design of the research should be carefully planned to
yield results that are as objective as possible.
The researcher should report with complete frankness, flaws in
procedural design and estimate their effects upon the findings.
The analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its
significance and the methods of analysis used should be appropriate.
The validity and reliability of the data should be checked carefully.
Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the data of the
research and limited to those for which the data provide an adequate
basis.
Greater confidence in research is warranted if the researcher is
experienced, has a good reputation in research and is a person of
integrity.

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Qualities of Good
Research
Good research is systematic: research is structured with
specified steps to be taken in a specified sequence. Systematic
characteristic certainly reject the use of guessing and intuition
in arriving at conclusions.
Good research is logical: This implies that research is guided
by the rules of logical reasoning

Good research is empirical: research is related basically to one

or more aspects of a real situation and deals with concrete
data that provides a basis for external validity to research
results.
Good research is replicable: allows research results to be
verified by replicating the study and thereby building a sound
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Types of Research

• Basic Research
• Applied Research
• Academic Research
• Industrial Research
• Action Research.
• Explanatory.
• Comparative.
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Basic Research

Also known as pure or fundamental

research
Objective:
Advancement of knowledge
Understanding of theoretical
relationship between variables

١٧ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Basic Research

Exploratory in nature
Without any practical end in mind

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Basic Research
Examples of questions asked in basic
research:
Is it possible to prove or disprove
Goldbach's conjecture? (i.e. that every
even integer greater than 2 can be
written as the sum of two (not
necessarily distinct) primes)

١٩ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Applied Research

Solve specific, practical questions

Can be exploratory, but descriptive
Involves precise measurement of the
characteristics.
Describes relationships between
variables of a studied phenomenon

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Applied Research
Can be carried out by
academic or industrial
institutions
Investigation directed “to
discovering new
scientific knowledge that
has specific commercial
objectives with respect
to products, processes
or services

٢١ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Applied Research

Examples of question asked in applied

research:
How can Canada's wheat crops be
protected from grasshoppers?
What is the most efficient and effective
vaccine against influenza?

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Academic research

carried out in universities and

research institutes
expanding the extant levels of
knowledge and technology
does not have any limits as it does not
have any bounds in terms of tangible
goals or outputs

٢٣ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Industrial Research

carried out in commercial

organizations
a goal or a set of outputs that apply to
the sector or industry
focuses on application of knowledge

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Action Research
fact findings to improve the
quality of action in the social
world.

٢٥ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Explanatory Research
• Searching explanations for events
and phenomena
• Example finding answer to the
question why are the things like what
they are?),

• Exploratory research (getting more

information on a topic)

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Comparative Research
Obtaining similarities and
differences between events,
methods, techniques, etc

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Research Methods vs.

Research Methodology
Research methods may be understood as all
those methods/techniques that are used for
conduction of research.
Research methods are the various
procedures, schemes and algorithms used in
research.
Research methods refer to the behavior and
instruments used in selecting and
constructing research technique.
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Research Methods vs.

Research Methodology

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Research Methods vs.

Research Methodology
Research methods can be put into the following three
groups:

In the first group we include methods which are

concerned with the collection of data.
The second group consists of statistical techniques which
are used for establishing relationships between the data
and the unknowns;
The third group consists of methods which are used to
evaluate the accuracy of the results obtained.

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Research Methods vs.

Research Methodology
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research
problem.
A science of studying how research is done scientifically.
Refers to the various steps that are generally adopted by a
researcher in studying his research problem along with the logic
behind them.
Researchers also need to understand the assumptions underlying
various techniques.
Methodology may differ from problem to problem.
The procedures by which researchers go about their work of
describing, explaining and predicting phenomena are called research
methodology.
It is also defined as the study of methods by which knowledge is
gained.
Its aim is to give the work plan of research.
research.
٣١ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Research Methods vs.

Research Methodology
Research methodology deals with research methods
and the logic behind the methods we use in the
context of our research study.
We explain why we are using a particular method or
technique and why we are not using others so that
research results are capable of being evaluated
either by the researcher himself or by others.

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Importance of Research Methodology

in Research Study

Need to know:
Which is a suitable method for the chosen problem.
What is the order of accuracy of the result of a
method?
What is the efficiency of the method?

Consideration of these aspects constitute a research

methodology.

٣٣ Dr.-Ing. Murad Abusubaih

Research Methods vs. Research

Methodology
Summary
That is, Research Methodology tells you which method or formula or
algorithm has to be used out of the various existing methods or
formulas or algorithms. Help us get a solution to a problem.

Research methodology is concerned with the explanation of the following:

following:

Why is a particular research study undertaken?

How did one formulate a research problem?
What types of data were collected?
What particular method has been used?
Why was a particular technique of analysis of data used?

The study of research methods gives training to apply them to a problem.

problem.
The study of research methodology provides us the necessary training in
choosing methods, materials, scientific tools and training in techniques
relevant for the problem chosen.
chosen.
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