Social research is the scientific activity or process by which ideas can be formed with principles or rules touching social life based on the analysis of social life events in a scientific manner.
The main steps of social research:
Social research is a scientific process and its main steps are as follows.
$1.$ Selection of research problem:
The first step in social research is selection of research problem.
Considering different research fields from all aspects, the researcher needs to select the topic of research in a precise way.
It is very important to select the topic or the problem in any kind of research work because in absence of this, research is not possible.
A researcher can select a research problem such as problem of sex$-$ratio in Gujarat, for example.
$2.$ Planning of research:
Scientific research requires pre$-$planning.
Planning of research is a logical and designed tool that helps the researcher in deciding the direction of research.
However, complexity of social events makes precise planning a little difficult and as research work proceeds it
becomes necessary for the researcher to make some changes in the planning of research.
Therefore, it can be said that pre$-$planning is a temporary one and helps only in identifying the direction of research.
The researcher, thus, needs to take some important decisions such as from when to start research work,
deciding the limit of research$-$field, method to be adopted for data collection etc. as these decisions play
an important role in the planning of research.
$3.$ Formation of hypothesis:
Formation of hypothesis is an important and fundamental part of the process of research, though all scholars do not consider it as an independent step of research.
Hypothesis is a temporary statement about the correlation between facts and substances of an actual event which is to be verified.
For formation of hypothesis, the researcher makes an attempt to identify the variables responsible for the similar kind of event in the past and then makes an interrogative statement about relations between them.
This interrogative statement is hypothesis which is examined in the process of research.
For example, with the increase in the rate of female$-$infanticide the number of women declines.
$4.$ Selection of tools for data collection:
This is also an important step of research and the researcher with the help of tools She selects, collects the information regarding her/his topic of research.
She has to examine the hypothesis on the basis of information gathered.
It is very important for the examination of hypothesis that the information collected is precise, valid and reliable.
For this purpose, the researcher has to carefully select the tools of data collection such as observation, interview, questionnaire, etc. considering the field of research, source of information, size and form of information etc.
For example, for the research study of sex$-$ratio in Gujarat, the researcher needs to decide about tools for data collection.
$5.$ Data collection:
It is essential to collect data in order to examine the hypothesis formed by the researcher relating to is research problem.
Hypothesis, if not examined is not accepted by the science.
The researcher needs to validate his hypothesis on the basis of precise information.
The collection of precise information is based on the use of data collection and collection of data in an objective manner.
Prejudices of researcher proves harmful in research.
$6.$ Classification and analysis of data:
In order to make the information collected meaningful, the researcher needs to link them reciprocally on the basis of logical relation.
This requires classification and analysis of data collected.
This is also necessary for the understanding of relation between various data.
No scientific theory or finding can be accomplished on the basis of scattered information.
Therefore, it becomes necessary for the researcher to classify the information on the basis of its similarities and dissimilarities.
For example, for above mentioned research topic, data can be classified by sex, marital status, caste etc.
$7.$ Findings of research and generalization $($report writing$):$
This is the last step of research process.
Through classification of data the researcher attempts to understand relation between different facts and then makes precise statements about those facts.
These statements are the conclusions or findings of his/her research which are then presented in a research report.
It is not that the conclusions made by the researcher are only applicable to the event she has studied.
They may also be applicable to other similar events.
Thus, when conclusions made by studying an event are made applicable to other similar events, it is known as generalization.
These generalizations lead to the emergence of theories.