Introduction:
Introduction is a very important part of the entire research paper. It is here that where you as the writer can catch the attention of the reader. If well written it will arouse and hold the reader’s unwavering interest. This Para introduces the topic, gives a brief description of the whole essay and produces the research statement. So an introduction is the first impression that the reader will get of you as the writer.
Depending on the type and nature of the research problem, the introductory section deals with the theoretical framework, analysis of the problem environment in brief, background of the problem, etc.
A good research paper introduction will state:
The purpose of the research work.
It will give a brief summary of the research paper without going into details.
Aims and expectations of the research carried out.
It will give a research question which if properly framed will cover the entire topic.
At the end will be the thesis statement, which will in actual terms, is the answer to the research question.
Statement of the problem:
This section defines the problem in clear terms and languages. As stated earlier, the problem should be stated in the form of a research sentence or hypotheses. Then it should be broken down in different parts or sub-problems, and those should be defined very clearly.
“The problem statement describes the context for the study and it also identifies the general analysis approach” (Wiersma, 1995, p. 404).
Actually, effective statement of the problem answers the question “Why does this research need to be conducted.” If a researcher is unable to answer this question clearly and succinctly, and without resorting to hyper speaking (i.e., focusing on problems of macro or global proportions that certainly will not be informed or alleviated by the study), then the statement of the problem will come off as ambiguous and diffuse.
Research Question:
The research question is one of the first methodological steps the investigator has to take when undertaking research. The research question must be accurately and clearly defined.
Choosing a research question is the central element of both quantitative and qualitative research and in some cases it may precede construction of the conceptual framework of study. In all cases, it makes the theoretical assumptions in the framework more explicit, most of all it indicates what the researcher wants to know most and first.
According to Kerlinger (1979) and Krathwohl (1988), a research question poses a relationship between two or more variables but phrases the relationship as a question; a hypothesis represents a declarative statement of the relations between two or more variables.
The Research Question serves two purposes:
(1) it determines where and what kind of research the writer will be looking for, and
(2) it identifies the specific objectives the study or paper will address. Therefore, the writer must first identify the type of study (Qualitative, Quantitative, or Mixed) before the Research Question is developed.
Objective of Research:
The objectives of a research project summarize what is to be achieved by the study. These objectives should be closely related to the research problem.
The general objective of a study states what researchers expect to achieve by the study in general terms. It is possible (and advisable) to break down a general objective into smaller, logically connected parts. These are normally referred to as specific objectives. Specific objectives should systematically address the various research questions. They should specify what you will do in your study, where and for what purpose.
The formulation of objectives will help you to:
Focus the study (narrowing it down to essentials);
Avoid the collection of data which are not strictly necessary for understanding and solving the problem you have identified;
Organize the study in clearly defined parts or phases.
Properly formulated, specific objectives will facilitate the development of your research methodology and will help to orient the collection, analysis, interpretation and utilization of data.


Hypotheses:
A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in your study. On the other hand it can be said that, a hypothesis (which may be based on theory or prior findings) is a prediction concerning the relationship between variables or the outcome of a scientific study.
Providing examples of hypotheses may help to clarify the meaning of a hypothesis and also help in learning how to write a hypothesis.
Below are two examples:
1. Imagine you were interested in investigating the influence of humor in advertisements on sales. Your hypothesis could be the following: A funny advertisement will result in more sales than an advertisement that is not funny.

2. Now imagine that you were interested in investigating whether the number of pages in a book influences book sales. Your hypothesis could be the following: Books with more pages will sell more copies.
Variable:
A variable is something that can be changed, such as a characteristic or value. Variables are generally used in psychology experiments to determine if changes to one thing result in changes to another.
Examples: age, wage, weight, race, gender, curriculum used, student outcomes, instructional strategies, computer labs, reading program, math program, student attitude, parent satisfaction, readiness for first grade etc.
Two Kinds of Variables:
Independent variable (IV)
Dependent variable (DV)


Change in the DV
(results/outcomes)

Choice of IV
(actions/interventions)





Examples IV
Examples DV

 Changes in teaching skills and methods


 Changes in school procedures

 Changes in curriculum

 New programs
 Changes in academic performance

 Changes in student behavior

 Changes in student attitude/affect



Research Approach:
According to Prof. Dr. S. M. Aqil Burney, in research, we often refer to the two broad methods of reasoning as the deductive and inductive approaches.
Deductive Approach: The Deductive approach starts from a general principle or rule generally regarded as true, and assesses a specific case that actually fit the rule or principle. The generalizations are drown from established truths and concrete evidences about which there remain no doubt. The main function of deductive process is to clarify the nature of relationship between premises and conclusions in a logical framework. For example: All men are mortal. Jamal is a man. So, Jamal is mortal.
waterfall

Observation

Theory
 Deductive reasoning works from the more general to more specific.
 Sometimes this is informally called a “top-down” approach

Confirmation

Hypotheses
 Conclusion follows logically from premises (available facts)

Deductive Research Approach








Inductive Approach: The Inductive approach consists of studying and examining many individual situations in order to develop generalized conclusions. It is a processes whereby generalizations are drawn from particular facts. In induction approach a researcher observes many cases and then makes generalization which explains relationship between the cases observed. So, it has two main steps: close observations and their proper recording and then generalization. New theories are developed through this process. For example: Nahid is mortal. Selim is mortal. Rumi is Mortal. Koyel is mortal and so on. So, all men are mortal.







 Inductive reasoning works the other way, moving from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories.

 Informally, we sometimes call this a “bottom-up” approach.

 Conclusion is likely based on premises.

 Involves a degree of uncertainty.
Inductive Research Approach



Theory


Hill
Climbing

Tentative Hypotheses

Pattern
Observation








Theoretical framework:
A theoretical framework is a collection of interrelated concepts, like a theory but not necessarily so well worked-out. A theoretical framework guides your research, determining what things you will measure, and what statistical relationships you will look for.
The social scientists usually develop analytical framework by combining some established theories in to an integrated framework of analysis which in research parlance is called theoretical framework. It refers to such logical arrangement or format that is derived deducted from already established theories to probe, explain, interpret and analyze any social process, problem or phenomena. A theoretical framework also provides the structure of logical reasoning, philosophical guidelines and mode of analysis.
The purposes of formulating theoretical framework are:
It helps the researcher to see clearly the variables of the study;
It can provide him with a general framework for data analysis;
It is essential in preparing a research proposal using descriptive and experimental methods.

Research method:
The method, also referred to as research methodology is a important part of research. The word ‘method’ comes from the Greek words ‘meta’ and ‘hodos’ meaning a way (Geddie,1955). Broadly, a method or methodology is ‘the underlying principles and rules of organization of a philosophical system or inquiry procedure’ (Urdong,1968).
According to Aminuzzaman (1991) Research Method is the functional action strategy to carry out a research project in the light of the theoretical framework and guiding research questions. A method is a planned and systematic approach of investigation. It denotes the detail framework of the unit of analysis, data gathering techniques, sampling focus and interpretation strategy and analysis plan. Choice of a method depends on the:
Field of investigation
Nature of the problem
Objectives of research
Level of accuracy wanted
Given time
Actual costs involved
Availability of required resources and technology and
Other constraints.
A scientific investigation requires one or more research methods which enable a researcher to conduct the study systematically. Some of these methods are:
 Scientific/ Experimental/ Laboratory Research Method
 Social Science/ Empirical/ Survey Research Method
 Action Research/ Social Experimental Research Method
 Research Method of Documentary Analysis or Content Analysis
 Descriptive Research Method
 Case Study Research Method
 Participatory Research Method
 Anthropological Research Method
 Historical Research Method
 Scaling Techniques.



Qualitative Research:
Qualitative research is a method of inquiry employed in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts.[1] Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. The qualitative method investigates the why and how of decision making, not just what, where, when. Hence, smaller but focused samples are more often needed than large samples.

Quantitative Research:
In the social sciences, quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of social phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques.[1] The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form such as statistics, percentages, etc.[1] In layman's terms, this means that the quantitative researcher asks a specific, narrow question and collects numerical data from participants to answer the question. The researcher analyzes the data with the help of statistics. The researcher is hoping the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be generalized to some larger population. Qualitative research, on the other hand, asks broad questions and collects word data from participants. The researcher looks for themes and describes the information in themes and patterns exclusive to that set of participants.
Research Design:
Research design is considered as a "blueprint" for research, dealing with at least four problems: which questions to study, which data are relevant, what data to collect, and how to analyze the results. The best design depends on the research question as well as the orientation of the researcher. Every design has its positive and negative sides. In sociology, there are three basic designs, which are considered to generate reliable data; these are cross-sectional, longitudinal, and cross-sequential. Research design can be divided into fixed and flexible research designs (Robson, 1993).
According to Pauline V. Young, a research design is "the logical and systematic planning and directing a piece of research".
The facts remains that, research design is the important steps in research. It helps in establishing the manner researchers go about to achieve the objective of the study.
The preparation of a research design involves a careful consideration of the following questions and making appropriate decisions about them:

What the study is about?
Why is the study undertaken?
What is its scope?
What are the objectives of the study?
What are the hypotheses / proportions to be tested?
What are the major concepts to be defined operationally?
What type of literature needs to be reviewed?
What is the area of study?
What is the reference period of study?
What is the methodology to be used?
What kinds of data are needed?
What are the sources of data?
What is the sampling boundary?
What are the sampling units?
What is the sampling size?
What are the sampling techniques?
What are the data collection methods?
How is the data processed?
What are the statistical techniques for analysis?
What is the target group, the finding are meant for?
What is the type of report?
What is the duration of time required for each stage of the research work?
What is the cost involved?
Who reads the report?

How to Design a Research or Steps Involved in Designing a Research:
There are nine steps in the research process that can be followed while designing a research project. They are as follows:

Formulate the problem
Evaluate the cost of research
Prepare the list of information
Research design decision
Data collection
Select the sample type
Determine the sample size
Organize the field work
Analyze the data and report preparation






References:

1. Dr. M. Zainul Abedin (2010), A Hand book of Research
2. Click This Link [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
3. Click This Link [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
4. Click This Link [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_question [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
6. Click This Link research objectives.html [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
7. http://www.nmmu.ac.za/robert/reshypoth.html [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
8. http://www.blurtit.com/q417261.html [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
9. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~matt/proposal.html [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
10. Click This Link [Accessed- 17.04.2012]
11. Click This Link [Accessed- 17.04.2012]





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