M.Phil:Structural Research Methodology and Research Writing. Session I

Following note prepared by Lissy Mathew based on the first session of Unit 4: Structural Research Methodology and Research Writing of Ph.D. Management cluster group taught by Anil Pinto


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Expectations from the sessions
Why research
How to do the literature review – how to identify what is the right literature
How to do the abstract – for research and for article / paper
Table of content, proposal writing
Bibliography – citation and references
Style of writing – MLA- APA , Harward style
Historical shifts in research, publication style
Choice of methods
Methodology, research plan
Hypothesis

Certain things will have to be discussed with the guides concerned.

Why Research ?

Main reasons :
1. Career development
2. to solve the concerns of humanities, in order to evolve in the society,
3. to be serve the desire of the state to be technologically ahead

Research question determines what kind of methodology is required

Historical shifts in research

Most of contemporary research practices do not have a history of more than 50 years. Most of the practices were developed after WW II.

Communication model was also developed in 1948. Many modern ideas were
developed after WW II. E.g Psycho metric tests .

States realized the need to reduce the time required to do research. As a result methodologies and norms evloved.Citations styles are part of such tendencies.

The strenght of the research depends on literature review and methodology.


Knowledge should be democratic.

What is scientific research /
Karl Popper – suggested that to call scientific, it should predict,  and it should be falsifiable.

Epistemology: branch of philosophy dealing with knowledge
What is knowledge ?
What contributes knowledge ?
Philosophy – Kant – that which makes you reflect on one element
Deductive methodology
For Descartes -Proof of existence is thinking

21st century research is of methods,
- developed the writing styles
- there was no proposal, in the olden days

Structured Research Methodology

Developed at Christ University.
Argument was there is sturucture, apparent structure, not necessary. Latent structure is mandatory. In research, it is not only the apparent structure, but latent structure is must. Unravelling of the latent strucure strenthens research.


E.g. of Mungaru Male Kannada movie – Mysore boy and coorgy girl

When does a structure becomes epislomological?
Should have the steps and need to be acceptable and should be logical
Test the validity, methodology should be sound important/
Find out causal structure

Ontology
Nature of existence
Aristotle – categories exist in nature: men, women, water earth
Kant – Categories don’t exist in nature. Humans give it to nature.

Thesis
Statement – proposition to be maintained or proved
One report is supposed to have one thesis.

Reference to the way Karl Marx – unravels the latent structures in the process of understanding Capital

Summary – To constantly look for structure, apparent , latent. See structure that exists, and find latent structures.

Assignment :
Details of five books:

Author , full title, year of publication, place of publication , publisher. one book should be an edited book.

Journals – 2 articles and same information from the articles , plus – vol, no, year, month
Two articles from online. Same information should be taken