Introduction and Nature of Research & Literature Review

Research and Literature Review 1
Lecture 01
Introduction and Nature of Research & Literature Review
Research and Educational Research

Research: Research is an organized inquiry carried out to provide information for solving
problems. It is the cornerstone of every science.
What is research? Research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing
information to increase our understanding of the world in general and of the phenomenon
under study.
According to Creswell (2012), Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze
information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue. At a general level, research
consists of three steps:
1. Pose a question.
2. Collect data to answer the question.
3. Present an answer to the question.
Educational Research Meaning. Educational research refers to a systematic

attempt to gain a better understanding of the educational process, generally with a view
in improving its efficiency. It is an application of scientific method to the study of
educational problems.
Definitions.
1. Good. “Educational research is the study and investigation in the field of
education.”
2. Munroe. “The final purpose of educational research is to ascertain principles and
develop procedures for use in the field of education.”
3. Crawford. “Educational research is a systematic and refined technique of
thinking, using special tools in order to obtain a mere adequate solution of a problem.”
4. J. W. Best. “Educational research is that activity which is directed towards
development of a science of behaviour in educational situations. The ultimate aim of
such a science is to provide knowledge that will permit the educator to achieve his
goals by the most effective methods.”
Characteristics.
1. Educational research is directed towards the solution of a problem in the field of
education. It may attempt to answer a question or to determine the relation between
two or more variables.
2. It emphasizes the development of generalizations, principles or theories that will
be helpful in predicting future occurrences.
3. Educational research usually goes beyond the specific objects, groups or
situations investigated and infers characteristics of a target population from the sample
observed.
4. Educational research involves getting new data from primary or first-hand
sources or using existing data for a new purpose.

5. Educational research has a great field. Educational psychology, educational
philosophy, methodology, class organization and management, child development
and other subjects are the fields of research in education.
Need and importance:

Research in education as in the other fields is essential for providing useful and
dependable knowledge through which the process of education can be made more
effective. There are various considerations which emphasize need for research in
education.
1. Education has strong roots in the field like philosophy, history, economics,
psychology, and sociology. It is through an intensive process of scientific inquiry about the
philosophical, historical, economics, psychological and sociological impact on various
aspects of education that sound theories can be established.
2. Education is considered as much a science as an art. As a science, it has a corpus of
knowledge. Since education depends on a corpus of knowledge, there is need to add
scientific knowledge to it for enrichment and improvement. As an art, education seeks to
impart knowledge effectively. For example, ‘How can the teacher play an effective role in
the classroom and outside?’ is a vital question before educationists. It needs careful
research efforts to enhance teacher’s effectiveness.
Scope of Research: Scope refers to how far the research area has explored and
parameters in with the study will be operating in.
Research on any topic can cover various aspects of the concept. The scope determines the
area that the project encompasses. Also, the scope of research refers to the specific topics
discussed in the paper. It narrows the research down to a given problem. The scope also
highlights the parameters of the study.
Why should I specify the scope of research?
Broadening the scope of your study increases the required amount of work you should do.
On the other hand, keeping the scope of the study too narrow means that the work will have
limited applicability.
The scope of research should mention the following:
The purpose of the study
The sample or population
The period of study
The location
Take a look at these examples to understand why the scope of research should be clear-cut.
“The effects of global warming.”
“The effects of global warming in the Arctic circle.”

“The effects of global warming on polar bears in the Arctic circle.”
Literature review:
A literature review is an evaluative report of studies found in the literature related to your
selected area. The review should describe, summarize, evaluate and clarify this literature.
It should give a theoretical basis for the research and help you determine the nature of your
own research. Select a limited number of works that are central to your area rather than
trying to collect a large number of works that are not as closely connected to your topic
area.
A literature review goes beyond the search for information and includes the identification
and articulation of relationships between the literature and your field of research. While
the form of the literature review may vary with different types of studies, the basic purposes
remain constant:
• Provide a context for the research

• Justify the research
• Ensure the research hasn't been done before(or that it is not just a "replication study")
• Show where the research fits into the existing body of knowledge
• Enable the researcher to learn from previous theory on the subject
• Illustrate how the subject has been studied previously
• Highlight flaws in previous research
• Outline gaps in previous research
• Show that the work is adding to the understanding and knowledge of the field
• Help refine, refocus, or even change the topic
Importance of Literature Review:
➢ Identification of a research problem & development or refinement of research

questions.
➢ Generation of useful research questions or projects/activities for the discipline.
➢ Orientation to what is known & not known about an area of inquiry to ascertain
what research can best contribute to knowledge.
➢ Determination of any gaps or inconsistencies in a body of knowledge.
➢ Discovery of unanswered questions about subjects, concepts, or problems.
➢ Identification of relevant theoretical or conceptual framework for research
problems.
Scope of Literature Review:

A literature review may be comprehensive or selective but should examine
seminal or principal works and works that have been consequential in the field.
The scope of a literature review will vary by assignment and discipline. The
literature review may be part of a larger work or a stand-alone article, meaning
that it is the entirety of a paper. The literature review may be part of the
introduction, or a separate section to a thesis, dissertation, or research report
setting up the context for the author's original research. The literature review:
• Compares and contrasts

• Identifies areas of consensus and dissent
• Reveals gaps or oversights
• Indicates areas needing further research
• Points out trends, themes, approaches, methodologies, theories, and
frames of analysis
• Discusses major debates in the field
• Examines methodological or theoretical strengths and weaknes
Reference:
➢ Dr. Susan Carroll
http://www.dissertation-statistics.com/research-designs.html
➢ Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and

Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
➢ Abelson, R. P. (1995). Statistics as principled argument. Hillsdale, NJ:

Erlbaum.

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Research and Literature Review 1

Research and Educational Research

Educational Research Meaning. Educational research refers to a systematic

sources or using existing data for a new purpose.

Need and importance:

Why should I specify the scope of research?

“The effects of global warming in the Arctic circle.”

• Provide a context for the research

Importance of Literature Review:

➢ Identification of a research problem & development or refinement of research

Scope of Literature Review:

• Compares and contrasts

➢ Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and

➢ Abelson, R. P. (1995). Statistics as principled argument. Hillsdale, NJ:

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