Steps in the Development of a Research Project/Report

1.     Selection of problem(– Introduction)

2.     Review of existing research and theory

3.     Statement of hypothesis or research question

4.     Determination of appropriate methodology and research design

5.     Data collection, Analysis and interpretation of data

6.     Presentation of results

7.     Replication

1.     DETERMINING TOPIC RELEVANCE

Once a basic research idea has been chosen or assigned, the next step is to ensure that the topic has merit. This is accomplished by answering eight basic questions.

2.     Literature Review

Researchers who conduct studies under the guidelines of scientific research. Before start our own research  first we should consulting with  avail­able literature

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The literature review to be one of the most important steps in the research process. It provide Experienced researchers.

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Before proceed a project or research , research­ers should ask these questions:

·     What type of research has been done in the area?

·   What has been found in previous studies?

·     What suggestions do other researchers make for further study?

·   What has not been investigated?

·     How can the proposed study add to our knowledge of the area?

·     What research methods were used in previous studies?

Answers to these questions will usually help define a specific hypothesis or research question.

3.     STATING A HYPOTHESIS OR RESEARCH QUESTION

After identifying a general research area and reviewing the existing literature, the researcher must state the problem as a workable hypothesis or research question.

hypothesis is a formal statement regard­ing the relationship between variables and is tested directly. The predicted relationship between the variables is either true or false. On the other hand, a research question is a formally stated question intended to provide indications about something; it is not lim­ited to investigating relationships between variables.

 Research questions are appropri­ate when a researcher is unsure about the nature of the problem under investigation. Although the intent is merely to gather pre­liminary data, testable hypotheses are often developed from information gathered during the research question phase of a study.

2.    A child's level of distortion of real­ity is directly related to the amount and types of television programs the child views.

3.    Parental discussions with children about make-believe play before, during, and after a child watches television programs involving make-believe play increase the child's time involved in make-believe play.

The difference between the two sets of statements is that

Research Questions	The Hypotheses
the research questions pose only general areas of investigation	whereas the hypotheses are testable statements about the relationship(s) between the variables.
The only intent in  the research question phase is to gather information to help the researchers	define and test hypotheses in later projects.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

The time and effort required for data analy^­sis and interpretation. It  depend on the study's purpose and the methodology used. Analy^­sis and interpretation may take from several days to several months

Every research study must be carefully planned and performed according to specific guidelines. When the analysis is completed, the researcher must step back and consider what has been discovered. The researcher must ask two questions: Are the results in­ternally and externally valid? Are the results accurate? Researchers must determine through analysis whether their work is both inter­nally and externally valid.

External validity refers to how well the re­sults of a study can be generalized across populations, settings, and time (Cook & Campbell, 1979). The external validity of a study can be severely affected by the in­teraction in an analysis of variables such as subject selection, instrumentation, and ex­perimental conditions (Campbell & Stanley, 1963). A study that lacks external validity cannot be projected to other situations; it is valid only for the sample tested

PRESENTING RESULTS

The format used to present results depends on the purpose of the study. Research in­tended for publication in academic journals

Replication

A study provides informa­tion that says, in effect  A research question or hypothesis must be investigated from many different per­spectives before any significance can be at­tributed to the results of one study.

Researchers overwhelmingly advocate the use of replication to establish scientific fact.

Source-Wimmer Domenick