Philosophy of Research

Tasher Ali Sheikh, Rehna Sultana

► To cite this version:

Tasher Ali Sheikh, Rehna Sultana. Philosophy of Research. International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Management, 2016, 1 (1), pp.12 - 17. 10.24999/IJOAEM/01010002 . hal-01484230

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Philosophy of Research

Authors:

Tasher Ali Sheikh

Dept of ECE, NERIST, Nirjuli, 791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India

e-mail: tasher372@gmail.com

Rehna Sultana

Dept of Assamese, Gauhati University, Gopinath Bordoloi Nagar, 781014, Assam, India,

e-mail: sultana121.reh@gmail.com.

**Subject Category:** Management

Sub Category: Research Medhodology

Editor: Sahadev Roy

Volume 1 Issue 1 December 2016

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

Right-to-left research approach

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Lift-to-right research approach.

Keywords:

Contemporary social research;

Descriptive and correlational studies;

Inductive and deductive methods;

Metaphysics;

Positivism and post-positivism;

Substantive conclusions;

Top-down approach for good reserch.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>
Philosophy of Research

Taher Ali Sheikh and Rehna Sultana

Abstract

In this paper, the author presented how to carry out an appropriate research without any fear. Our intention is to motivated the researcher in such a technique that, they do not feel any difficulties when they start-up their research. After goes through this report, the researcher will never feel anxiety during their research work. Before starting the research work, researchers are fell trepidation but here presented approach will stirred up the researcher for research. The systematic process is presented in this paper for carry on the healthy research.

**1. Introduction**

The common people ruminate that the research is like intangible and intricate. It might be but will see that researcher identify the different parts of a research plan, and how this merge together, it is not diligently as thorny as it may seems at first glance. A research project is generally segmented into three sections those are beginning, middle and end. The fundamental aim of the research is to present the elementary structure of a research. The structures of it also come into light some imperative peculiarities in research; the various type of question is ascending in a particular research project [1].

There was no proper word for the philosopher to call the logical reasoning before the modern idea of research arises. Consequently, it is not a big astonishment for the researcher, it is nothing but some variation is carry over into the contemporary structures of research logic. Inductive and deductive are two major recent related research logical systems. Without bearing in mind, something to do with assumption and philosophy, no introduction will complete. Research is blind without assumption, so all research are generally based on assumption, about how best one is understand and the world has perceived. Almost two millennia philosophers has been arguing about the various question now a time to know how present social researchers approaching world around. The aforementioned qualities are one of the major vital concerns in research work [2]. Base on the research project the idea of validity to discuss for quality conclusion of a research. Maximum number of the students are rolls their eye and curl up into fatal position when discuss about the validity, because it is like an abstract and philosophical. If any researcher could understand the principle that used to judge quality of research by validity then he or she would do much more than the expected research project once that completed. Researchers must have be expert at research to assure quality research.

**2. Effective Research Method**

The philosophy of a research is an electric amalgamation of a mammoth range activities and skills. To become a good researcher have to work well with different massive people around the world, to know the exact procedures, which has used to carry on suitable research work to convince someone to give founds for that research project. Here author introduces five key tactics, which will help the researcher to carry on present social research project.

Theoretical and empirical are first two key aspect, those are often contrasted with each other. The research is generally concerned with developing, exploring and testing the theories and ideas researcher knows about how the world operates. Additionally, research is empirical which imply that it is based on observations and measurements [3]. Most of the research is a combination of these two terms how the world operates with its operation.

The psychologist Gordon all port writes about nomothetic. Nomothetic refers is a law that is related to the general case which has contrasted with the term idiographic that refers to an individual's laws. Most of the present research is an anxious with the nomothetic general case rather than an individual. Here frequently study an individual but generally, intent in generalizing more than the individual generalizes.

The human being has no longer regard certainty as attainable in post-positive view of science. Therefore, probabilistic, or based on probabilities is the fourth big term that describes more, which most widely used in contemporary social research. Consider the inferences that make the present research project always probabilities
seldom covering laws, which concern with all the cases. Social research allows estimating probabilities for the situation study [4].

The last term is very vital components for the researcher in the modern time, which is causal. In research project causality is very embarrassed if write about causal hypothesis. Causal means that most of the present research is intent to base on the cause-effect perspectives. In analytically, observation for instance surveys that try to find the present of people holding with a specific view [5].

The huge number of present research is involves with correlation and descriptive studies. If you were would like to eradicate some of its major difficulties then automatically the world will be change [6]. If the world is change, researchers will automatically interest in casual studies.

**3. Structure of Research of Philosophy (SRoP)**

Most of the researchers show a common structure of a research plan. Majority of researcher are generally thinking an hourglass shape structure of research, which depicted in below Fig. 1 [7]. Initially the research project is generally starts with a large area of interest, where researcher wises to study different problems and identify the specific problem, which he/she is going to be solved. For example, a researcher wants to experiment how to enhance the performance of a student in subject by using computer. However, this initial interest is far too broad to study in any single research assignment. The researcher asks the question down to one who is studies in details in the research assignment. These processes are involving to preparing a hypothesis. For instance, the researcher thought to hypothesize that specific technique of computer instruction in a particular subject to improving the capability of elementary school students in a district. The most vital issues of the research hourglass are that they are involved in a direction of observation and measurement of a question [8]. The researcher begins analysing in many directions, once the basic data is collected. For a single premise, a researcher generally conducts a numerous analyses. For example, based on positive results it has concluded that a specific subject programme gives a positive influence on the student performance, they also might arrive at decision that similar results might be returns for the other districts schools.

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Figure1: Hourglass structure of a research method [7]</figcaption></figure>

**4. Deduction and Induction in Philosophy**

The researchers are logically categorised in two approaches of reasoning that are inductive and deductive
methodologies [9].

In deductive methodologies of reasoning works flow from general to the more explicit and it is also call the right-to-left methodologies which has depicted in Fig. 2. Usually, the researchers are initially start thinking with the theory part of his/her interested topic. Then they are starts analysing into more specific hypothesis which might a researcher can test. Additionally, the researcher collects the observations to address the hypothesis. To test the hypothesis with specific data, this ultimately leads us to be able a confirmation of original theories.
<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 2. Right-to-left research approach.**</figcaption></figure>

In other words, inductive reasoning is works from specific observation to wider theories and simplifications, which has known as a left-to-right methodology that is shown in Fig. 3. In this perceptive, researcher starts with explicit measures and observations to detect regularities and patterns, articulate some tentative hypothesis, which could explore and end up to evolving some general theories.

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 3. Left-to-right research approach.**</figcaption></figure>

**5. Positivism and Post-positivism in Research Methodology**

Positivism is a method of denunciation of metaphysics. A point to remember that the goal of knowledge is solely to define the phenomenon of researcher experience [10]. What we people has been observing and measuring around us is simply to stick the purpose of science. Positivism would hold, is impossible when knowledge of anything goes beyond that. When think about positivism, the researchers have to contemplate the behaviourist that is start on 21st century psychology. What could be directly observe and measured these mythological rat runners that whispered only psychology could study. Since emotions, thoughts, etc. cannot directly observe so these are not exact area of scientific research. Psychology looked-for to focus only on the positive and negative reinforces behaviour in order to expect how people will react, else all are extra distance in between this since it cannot be measured [11].

As per the positivist point of view, science is considered as the only way to understand the world well enough to expect and control. As we know that, the world is deterministic; if researcher applied the unique approach of the scientific technique, they operate by edicts of basis and influence that could discern. Science is generally a mechanical and mechanistic concern. Deductive reasoning can test to postulate theories. Based on the results of studies that learn during the research that theory does not suitable for the facts well and so need to amend theory rather than to predict reality. The positivist tells that the observation and measurement is the essential for scientific endeavour. The experiment is the vital mode of the scientific research, which are used to discern natural laws through direct observation and manipulation.

By seeing the way of scientists ruminates and works and the way of we work in our everyday life are not distinct, where post-positivist might begin. Common sense reasoning and scientific reasoning both are the identical. In this two reasoning, there is no more difference, only difference is in degree. Where in the scientific reasoning follow some specific rules to guarantee that observations are verifiable, precise and consistent but in our daily life reasoning, do not following such procedures carefully [12].

In other hand, critical realism is a most common method of post-positivism in arena of philosophy of research. A reality independent of thinking of a critical realist believes that only science can study. The main difference of a post-positivism perilous realist is that all observations has an error and fallible, and all theory is revisable. Moreover, it has a perilous ability to know reality. The post positivism critical realist also have faith in the goal of science is to be hold persistently to the goal of getting it right about reality which are researcher can never expect that goal, where the positivism believed that the goal of science was to uncover the truth. It also has belief in those observations in the theory laden and scientists are naturally unfair by their environmental experiences and so on. However, which does not meant that we have to lose our despair. It is not imply that we cannot transform each
other's experiences based on experiences of worldview. As we know that the researchers are comes from the different experience and cultures so that the idea is never understand each other. Most of the post positivists are constructivists they are certain of that each construct view is the world based on their own perception. Contractions must be imperfect as because of perception and observation is fallible. Scientists are very much responsible for seeing the world as it really is and putting aside their biases and beliefs. The post-positivists reject the idea even though it is correct and perfectly. As we know that all the researchers are biased so, all the observations might be affected as all. When they criticize each other's work, it has meant that each researcher is trying to achieve the same goal. Researchers are never achieved objective perfectly, but they can approach it. Who criticise each other's work within the context of a large contentious community of true seekers the best way to improve the objectivity of what is to do.

**6. Validity in Research Methodology**

Validity is the scrupulous meaning in research methodology. When researchers think about validity of research, majority of them thought about the components of research. Measure, samples and designs are a strong validity in the philosophy of research. However, in technically all those statements are erroneous. Measure, samples and designs has no validity, propositions of them only can validate. Technically, researcher should say that a sample enables valid interferences and a measure leads to valid conclusions. It has a proposition, interference that has capability of the validity.

**7. Conclusion**

As we see that every researchers, come out with a different conclusions while completed a research project. In this paper, describe in such a way to prepare a conclusion after completed the research project. The intention of this paper is to motivate the researcher to ceaselessly done the research work during the research project. After goes, three segments of research that is aforementioned earlier, how a researcher will concluded his research project in an efficient manner that are the main objective of this paper. The systematic step of this paper will help the researcher seamlessly complete a research project of a researcher.

**References**

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