Nature and trends of the sociological research

Meaning of the sociological research

Research activities are conducted in all disciplines. In geography, it is called the geographical research and in chemistry, it is called chemical research. , in archaeology, it is called archaeological research and so on sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science, and the public administration are the social sciences and the common research is known as the social research. In this context, to understand the meaning of the social research we should know what the research is. The term research refers to the continuous process of searching the knowledge. The research process is endless in any process of the knowledge. Once something is discovered there is always the possibility of searching and adding the new knowledge to that is already known. Any existing stock of knowledge can be enriched by the research.

Technically speaking research is the art of scientific investigation, inquiry, and the study. However, the research is more rigorous. It is the art of scientific investigation in which the scientific method is used for searching the new facts or answering the research questions on a specific topic. Here the term scientific research refers to the systematic process consisting of the observation and the recording, classification, and prediction of the fact objectively, logically and systematically.

Thus the scientific method implies

The objective method

The logical method

The systematic method

According to the bailey,

Social research has been concerned with gathering the data that can help us answer the question about the various aspects of the society and thus enable us to understand the society. Research consists of the series of actions from the topic selection to the report writing than only a single activity like the data collection. Research is the fact finding process. It may verify old facts or discover new facts on specific topics.The general purpose of the social research is to get the answer about the social phenomenon through the application of the scientific method. 

But it doesn't aim to find the ultimate truth of nature such as whether god exists, whether a soul is immoral and so on.

The term research refers to the continuous process of searching new knowledge. Research is conducted on a specific topic but not on a general topic. Research is an art of scientific investigation in any discipline of subjective knowledge. Research consists of the series of the actions from the topic selection to report writing rather than only writing the data collection. Research may vary the old fact or discover the new fact. 

Research is based upon the scientific fact of the knowledge rather than the scientific knowledge like institution common sense and the authority. Research can be conducted either for seeking the solution of existing social problem or for certain generalization of the fact for some theoretical formation. Social research aims at the understanding the society by the observation and analyzing the social facts but it does not aim at finding ultimate truth of nature.

Types of the social research

Research can be undertaken for the two different purpose. The first purpose is to solve a currently existing problem in the work setting. The work purpose is to generate the new knowledge in a particular area or to develop the base of the social knowledge upon which the theory is built. Hence the research is not only taken to solve the existing problem in the work setting, but also to add or contribute to the general body of the knowledge in a particular area of the interest to the researcher. The research investigation can thus be divided into two board types based on their purpose and they are applied and the fundamental. Some researcher who are mainly interested in solving real world problems, conduct applied research and other researchers who are mainly interested in evaluating theoretical problem conduct fundamental research

1.Applied Research

Applied research is conducted in response to a specific problem which requires the solution. The major purpose of the applied research is to answer the practical problem and useful solution about the politics, programs, projects and the procedure or the organization. Business executives, therefore, take interest in the applied research, they often hire outside researchers and the consultant to study a problem of concern to them in order to find the solution that can be implemented to rectify the problem situation.

2.Fundamental Research

Fundamental research is undertaken to improve our understanding of the certain problem that commonly occurs in the organizational setting. And how to solve them.

It is undertaken for the sole purpose of adding our knowledge that is fundamental and generalizable.It is also known as the pure or the basic research. The purpose of the fundamental knowledge is not only to find out the solution of the immediate problems but rather to generate more knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon of the problems that occurs in the several organization and to build the theories based upon the research results.

In the nutshell, the social research is the continuous process of searching the knowledge which is based upon the scientific knowledge.The research process is endless in any process of the knowledge. Once something is discovered there is always the possibility of searching and adding the new knowledge to that is already known. Any existing stock of knowledge which can be enriched by the research is the art of the scientific investigation, inquiry, and the study. However the research is more rigorous, it is the art of scientific investigation in which the scientific method is used for searching the new facts or answering the research questions on a specific topic. Some researcher who is mainly interested in solving real world problems conducts applied research, another researcher who are mainly interested in evaluating theoretical problem conduct fundamental research.

The process of the social research

Research process ranges from the highly controlled experimental lab studies to the uncontrolled observational studies. The certain basics stages for the research projects are as follow:

1. Clarifying and formulating the topic.

2. Developing research design

3. Critically reviewing the related literature.

4. Collecting the primary data

5. Analyzing the data

6. Writing a report.

Reference

adhikari, Ganesh p. Social Research for thesis writer. kathmandu: Investigation nepal, 2003

Prem R pant business research method