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Research Methodology for Agricultural Economics
About this book
Having a thorough knowledge on the fundamental aspects of conducting research and its methodology will help the students and researchers to pursue research programmes in an efficient manner. The same is conceptualized in this text book entitled, 'Research Methodology for Agricultural Economics', as it dealt with all the basic concepts of research methodology. Though several books were authored in the field of conceptualizing the methodological aspects of conducting agro-economic research, this book is relatively a significant achievement, as it offered simple and lucid explanation regarding the methodological aspects of conducting research. This book especially serves as an aid for the Academicians, who are actively involved in teaching research methodology. This material is, therefore, relevant to the students of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management and suitable for both postgraduate and doctoral degree courses. This book harbours an up-dated and standard material on the various aspects of Research Methodology duly covering the latest syllabi as prescribed by the several State Agricultural Universities in India. Hope this volume will also be very useful to the students, who desire to be competent enough in various competitive examinations.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Foreword
- Preface
- Author-Note
- Acronyms
- 1. Research Methodology
- Definitions
- Importance of research methodology
- marketing
- Types of marketing
- 2. Research and Types of Research
- What is research?
- Principles or Characteristics of Quality Research Work
- Objectives of research
- Qualities of a good researcher
- Motivations in research
- Ethical considerations of research
- Importance of Research
- Problems/Limitations of Research in India
- Issues and Trends in Research
- Typology of research
- Basic (Pure or Fundamental) research
- Applied research
- Practical research
- Exploratory research
- Descriptive research
- Explanatory research or Analytical research
- Predictive research
- Quantitative research
- Qualitative research
- Structured approach
- Unstructured approach
- Deductive research
- Inductive research
- Cross section research
- Longitudinal research
- Experimental Research
- Survey research
- Causal-Comparative Research
- Case Study
- Correlational Research
- Historical Research
- Ex-post facto research
- Academic levels of research
- Research Method vs Research Design
- Research Method vs Research Methodology
- Research design vs Research methodology
- Importance of Research Methodology in Research Studies
- 3. Research Process
- Conception/Identification of Research Problem
- Formulation of Research Problem
- Review of Literature
- Formulation of Testable Hypothesis
- Preparation of Research Design (Methodology)
- Execution of Research Project
- Data Collection
- Data Processing and Analysis
- Testing of Hypothesis and Interpretation of the Findings
- Writing Research Report
- 4. Conception/Identification of Research Problem
- What is research problem
- The Five ‘W’s of research problem
- What makes a good research problem?
- Sub-problems vs Pseudo-Sub-problems
- Factors to be considered, while identifying a research problem
- Situations to avoid when identifying a research problem
- Applying for funding
- Delimiting the research
- Practical problem vs Research problem
- Research problem vs Topic
- 5. Formulation of Research Problem
- Components involved in formulating the research problem
- Statement about the problem (Problem statement)
- Functions of a Problem Statement
- Problem statements across different research methods
- How to write a problem statement
- Common Deficiencies of Problem Statement
- Justification of study of the selected research problem
- How to write a Justification of the selected problem or Significance of the study
- Scope of the selected research problem
- How to write ‘scope of the research study’
- General (Main) objective
- Specific (Sub) objectives
- Features of research objectives
- Objectives across different research methods
- Importance of framing the research objectives
- How to write ‘objectives for the research study’
- Framing the objectives for the selected problem
- Identification of key terms and concepts of the selected problem
- Identification of variables relevant to the selected problem
- Criteria for selection of variables
- Assumptions, Limitations and Delimitations of the research study
- 6. Review of Literature
- Why to collect review of literature?
- Checklist for Selection of Literature to be included in Literature Review
- Characteristics of a good literature review
- Importance of collecting review of literature
- Four Ws before writing literature review
- Sources of literature review
- Primary sources
- Secondary sources
- Tertiary sources
- Search for existing literature
- Books
- Journals
- Internet
- Review the literature collected
- Steps in reviewing the literature
- Characteristics of a Good Research Question for a Literature Review
- What the researcher should do before writing the literature review?
- Common mistakes the researchers do in reviewing the literature/Problems faced when writing a Literature Review
- Advantages of Literature Review
- Disadvantages of literature review
- What do examiners look for in a literature review?
- 7. Formulation of Testable Hypothesis
- Defintions
- Characteristics of ‘good’ hypothesis
- Examples of ‘good’ hypotheses
- Importance of hypothesis
- Sources of Hypothesis
- Classification of hypothesis
- Main hypothesis
- Sub-hypothesis
- Descriptive hypothesis
- Relational hypothesis
- Causal hypothesis
- Tentative hypothesis
- Working hypothesis
- Research hypothesis
- Directional hypothesis
- Non-directional hypothesis
- Statistical hypothesis
- Null hypothesis
- Alternative hypothesis
- Directional Alternative hypothesis
- Non-directional Alternative hypothesis
- Null hypothesis vs Alternative Hypothesis
- Declarative hypothesis
- Simple hypothesis
- Complex Hypothesis
- Parametric hypothesis
- Non-Parametric Hypothesis
- Limitations or difficulties in the formulation of testable hypothesis
- 8. Preparation of Research Design (Methodology)
- Definitions of research design
- Steps in planning the research design
- Components dealt in research design
- Preparation of sampling design
- Universe or Population
- Sampling
- Sample
- Features of good sample
- Sample unit
- Sample design
- Statistic and Parameter
- Sampling frame
- Sampling fraction
- Elevation factor
- Sampling error
- Random sampling error
- Non-sampling error
- Methods to reduce sampling error
- Relation between Random sampling error and Variance
- Census study
- Census study vis-Ã -vis Sample study
- Precision and Accuracy of research findings
- Bias
- Steps in sampling process
- Determining sample design
- Characteristics of good sample design
- Types of sampling techniques
- Probability (or Random) sampling
- Differences between Probability and Non-probability sampling methods
- Simple Random Sampling (SRS)
- SRS without Replacement (SRSWOR) and SRS with Replacement (SRSWR)
- Possible number of samples can be drawn by SRSWOR technique
- Possible number of samples can be drawn by SRSWR technique
- Methods of selecting simple random sample
- Merits of SRS
- Demerits of SRS
- Stratified Random Sampling
- Examples of stratified random sample
- Selecting a Stratified Random Sample
- Types of Stratified Random Sampling
- Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling
- Disproportionate Stratified Random Sampling
- Disproportionate allocation for within strata
- Disproportionate allocation for between-strata
- Optimum allocation
- Stratified random sampling vis-Ã -vis SRS
- Merits of Stratified random sampling
- Demerits of Stratified random sampling
- Systematic Sampling
- Steps in Selecting a Systematic Sample
- Sub-types of systematic sampling
- Examples for systematic sampling
- Merits of Systematic sampling
- Demerits of Systematic sampling
- Cluster Sampling
- Sub-types of Cluster Sampling
- Sub-types Based on Number of Stages of drawing sample
- Single-stage cluster sampling
- Two-stage cluster sampling
- Multi-stage cluster sampling
- Sub-types Based on the Proportional Representation of Clusters in Sample
- Equi-probability sampling
- Probability Proportion to Size (PPS)
- Numerical example to derive sample from different clusters based on PPS
- Differences between Cluster sampling and Stratified random sampling
- Merits of Cluster Sampling
- Demerits of Cluster Sampling
- When to Use Cluster Sampling
- Choice between SRS, stratified random sampling and cluster sampling
- Sampling with Probability Proportional to Size
- Merits of PPS sampling
- Demerits of PPS sampling
- Multistage Sampling
- Merits of multi-stage sampling
- Demerits of multi-stage sampling
- Multi-phase sampling
- Differences between multi-stage sampling and multi-phase sampling
- Merits of multi-phase sampling
- Demerits of multi-phase sampling
- Non-probability (Non-random or Judgment) sampling
- Quota sampling
- Merits of Quota sampling
- Demerits of Quota sampling
- Convenience sampling
- Merits of Convenience sampling
- Demerits of Convenience sampling
- Judgement Sampling
- Merits of Judgement sampling
- Demerits of Judgement sampling
- Snowball Sampling
- Merits of Snowball sampling
- Demerits of Snowball sampling
- Volunteer Sampling
- Merits of Volunteer sampling
- Demerits of Volunteer sampling
- Panel Sampling
- Expert Sampling
- Opportunity Sampling
- Guidelines to use the sampling techniques
- Determination of representative sample size for conducting research study
- Formulae used to determine sample size
- Common misconception in selecting the sample size
- Advantages of sampling
- Disadvantages of sampling
- Identification of variables relevant to the objectives framed for the study
- Characteristics of the variables
- Types of variables
- Independent variable
- Dependent variable
- Differences between Independent variable and Dependent variable
- Qualitative (Categorical) Variable
- Nominal variable
- Dichotomous variable
- Ordinal variable
- Quantitative Variable
- Continuous variable
- Discontinuous or Discrete variable
- Extraneous Variable (EV)
- Confounded Variable (CV)
- Moderating Variable (MV)
- Controlled Variable
- Mediating Variable
- Endogenous Variable
- Exogenous Variable
- Types of data to be collected
- Primary data and Secondary data
- Cross-sectional data and Time series data
- Qualitative data and Quantitative data
- Univariate data, Bivariate data and Multivariate data
- Subjective data and Objective data
- Identification of the sources of data
- Primary sources
- Secondary sources
- Tertiary sources
- Census survey
- Sample survey
- 9. Execution of Research Project
- Schedule or Interview schedule
- Open-ended questions and Closed-ended questions
- Direct questions and Indirect questions
- Primary questions and Secondary questions
- Nominal, Ordinal and Interval questions
- Contingency questions
- Characteristics of good schedule
- Design of Schedule
- Types of Schedules
- Structured schedules
- Unstructured schedules
- Observation Schedule
- Rating Schedules
- Document Schedule
- Interview Schedule
- Steps in construction of schedule
- Advantages of using schedule in data collection
- Disadvantages of using schedule in data collection
- Questionnaire
- Similarities between schedule and questionnaire
- Schedule vis-Ã -vis Questionnaire
- 10. Data Collection
- Survey method
- Techniques of Survey Method
- Telephone survey
- Personal survey
- Mail Survey
- Electronic survey
- Types of Surveys
- Cross-Sectional Surveys
- Longitudinal Surveys
- Trend studies
- Cohort studies
- Panel studies
- Merits of Survey Method
- Demerits of survey (schedule) method
- Different measures to promote response rate of the respondents
- Case study
- Basic assumptions of a case study
- Steps involved in case study method
- Sources of evidence in case studies
- Types of Case Study Research
- Intrinsic case study
- Instrumental case study
- Collective case study
- Depending on the type of research question
- Depending on the disciplinary orientation
- Ethnographic case study
- Historical case study
- Psychological case study
- Sociological case study
- Depending on the overall intent of the study
- Descriptive case study
- Interpretative case study
- Evaluative case study
- Pilot case study
- Depending on the number of case studies handled by the researcher
- Differences between Survey method and Case study
- Merits of case study
- Demerits of case study.
- 11. Data Processing and Analysis
- Processing of data
- Checking
- Editing
- Coding
- Classification
- Tabulation
- Data analysis
- Phases of data analysis
- Data cleaning (Data cleansing or data scrubbing)
- Initial data analysis
- Main data analysis phase
- Statistical analysis to be employed
- Graphical representation of the analytical findings
- Concept of Scaling
- Types of Scales
- Scaling based on Response Form
- Categorical scales
- Comparative scales
- Scaling based on Subjectivity
- Scaling based on properties
- Nominal Scale
- Ordinal Scale
- Interval Scale
- Ratio scale
- Scaling based on judging the attitude
- Rating scale
- Attitude scale
- Thurstone’s Scale (Differential scale)
- Likert’s scale
- Guttman’s scaling
- Choosing the scaling technique
- 12. Testing of Hypothesis and Interpretation of the Findings
- Steps in testing of hypothesis
- Specify the statistical hypothesis viz., HO and HA
- Select the Significant Level
- Find the critical value at the required level of significance and degrees of freedom
- One Sided or Two Sided Hypothesis
- Calculate the Test Statistic and Corresponding Probability (P) Value
- Drawing a Conclusion
- Errors in drawing conclusions in research
- Type I Error
- Type II Error
- Size of test vs Power of a test
- Benefits of Hypothesis testing
- Interpretation of analytical findings
- 13. Writing Research Report
- Layout of the Thesis
- Preliminary Pages or Preliminaries
- Title page
- Declaration
- Certificates
- Acknowledgements
- List of contents
- List of tables
- List of figures
- List of symbols and abbreviations
- List of appendices
- Abstract
- Main Text
- Introduction
- Review of literature
- Material and Methods
- Agro-Economic Features
- Results and Discussion
- Summary and Conclusions
- End Matter
- Literature cited
- Appendices
- Other important guidelines the researcher should follow in presenting the style of thesis.
- References