5 Steps in the Research Process
Every research starts with a desire or a need to find answers to a particular question/topic. There are two main types of research – quantitative and qualitative. While quantitative research requires statistical analysis using numbers, qualitative research collects non-numeric data to find a context. We will look at different steps one needs to take during the research process, but it can vary depending on the research type and topic.
Identify Your Question and Topic
You need to be concise on what topic you need to have your research on. For instance, how does the unemployment rate affect the depression rate among young people? You can choose a topic around this question and carry on with your research. Try not to divide your research into too many subcategories in order to avoid getting off-topic.
Get Background Information
After identifying your research topic, it is time to get basic background information about it. You may need different books, articles, or online research to get a sense of what is expecting you until you get desired results. It is worth mentioning that not every research has the same result, so you should take any result on the topic with a grain of salt. Your research can get you a completely different result.
Methods of Research
You will need to make sure what methods you will use to get answers to your questions. The main methods include experiments, surveys, interviews, and observations. Qualitative research requires constant interviews with various participants in video or audio format.
Transcription of Audio/Video Content
Recording videos or audio as part of an interview can give you hours of content. You need to analyze that content afterward. Of course, you can listen to them, but it is going to take quite a long time. Other than that, listening does not let you search the content unless you listen to all of it. Alternatively, you can transcribe your file – convert it into text. It is quite easy now with the help of automatic transcription software that uses speech recognition technology. Get your transcript in just a few minutes. It offers you a ‘search by keyword’ function, so you don’t even need to read the whole transcript. Additionally, it can also identify different speakers. It is the fastest, safest, and cheapest way to get your transcript.
Analyze the Data and Write a Report
After having your documents and transcripts, analyze all the information to find a trend in respondents’ feedback. It is generally accepted that you need to have repeated answers to the same question in order to consider your research having a result. Otherwise, you may need to do additional research until you see a pattern in the feedback of participants. After finding a trend, you can draw conclusions from your research and write a report. The report can be in the form of a book, newspaper/magazine article, presentation, and so on.