Application is the essence of knowledge. However, there always remains a gap between
theoretical knowledge and its application. It is only with practice that this gap can be
narrowed. A beginner attempting to apply theoretical knowledge needs direction and
guidance. This set of exercises, each one of which is attached to an operational step, has
been developed with this belief in mind. Working through them will help you to
develop a research project.
The main aim of these exercises is to provide you with a broad framework that is
central to the operationalisation of each step of the research process. In most cases, a
separate exercise is provided for quantitative and qualitative studies, so it is important
that you know before you start which approach you are going to take. Within each
exercise, there are brief reminders of some of the key issues relating to the process and
a series of questions to help you to think through procedures and provide a framework
for the development of your study.
Answers to these questions and awareness of the issues that the exercises outline will
put you in a position to complete the framework suggested for writing a research proposal
(Chapter 13), and therefore these will also constitute the core of your research
proposal.
It is important for a beginner to work through these exercises with considerable
thought and care.
Congratulations!
Now you have learnt how to take the first step towards your research journey. By this time you should have a reasonably good understanding about how to formulate a research problem. You should be ready to put your knowledge and skills into practice by actually working through the process of formulating a research problem. This exercise is designed to help you to formulate a research problem of interest to you. Good luck!
Formulation of a research problem
Quantitative studies
Now that you have gone through all the chapters that constitute Step I of the research process, this exercise provides you with an opportunity to apply that knowledge to formulate a research problem that is of interest to you. As you know, selecting a research problem is one of the most important aspects of social research, so this exercise will help you in formulating your research problem by raising questions and issues that will guide you to examine critically various facets and implications of what you are proposing to study. The exercise is designed to provide a directional framework that guides you through the problem formulation path. Keep in mind that the questions and issues raised in this exercise are not prescriptive but indicative and directional, hence you need to be critical and innovative while working through them. Thinking through a research problem with care can prevent a tremendous waste of human and financial resources.