RELEVANCE OF RESEARCH IN

SOCIAL WORK
BENEFITS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH
Social research has a crucial role to play in guiding social planning.
Social research provides firsthand knowledge about the organization and
working of society and its institutions, gives as a greater power of control
our social phenomena and action.
It provides a better understanding of social cohesion.
Scientific social research provides sound guidelines for appropriate
measures of welfare of reforms. It is no accidental that a large portion of
legislation and reformative measures own its origin to reports of social
surveys.
The success of planning for social development depends to a great extent
on our intimate knowledge of our own society as also of other societies.
Thus social research has the effect of initiating and guiding social growth
on proper lines and towards cherished goals
WHAT IS SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH
A social research is the systematic
investigation conducted in the field of social
science and also in behavioral sciences. It
involves the application of scientific method
for the understanding, studying and analyzing
of social life in order to modify, correct or
verify the existing knowledge system.
Objectives of social research
Social research aims at understanding the human
behavior and its interaction with social
institution.
Social research tries to acquire new knowledge to
gain insight into the existing problems.
Primary aim of social research is to understand
social life and thereby to gain greater measure of
control own social behavior.
Social research aims at increasing the knowledge
of social variables, thereby enabling to protect
the social events with far greater accuracy
Motivating factors of social research
1. Desire to understand the cause and effect
relationship of some social phenomenon.
2. Desire to discover new theories, concepts
and techniques in order to gain knowledge
more efficiently.
3. Curiosity and necessity to know the
unknown
Utility of social research
1. Social research can give greater power of
control over the social phenomena.
2. It is valuable in procuring the necessary
information and data for social planning.
3. It reveals the truth by dispelling
superstitious and ignorance.
4. It can be used to predict social facts, which
in turn helps to have better social control and
planning.
REQUISITES OR CHARACTERISTICS OF
A GOOD RESEARCH PROBLEM

1.Clear and unambiquos
The problem defined should be clear and unambiguous. It should not give
scope for divergent expressions and thus become conforming.
2. Logical and systematic.
The Research is guided by logic or reasoning. The problem defined should
be studied in a specified sequence in accordance with the well defined set
of rules and methods. Systematic approach rejects the use of guess and
intuitions in arriving at conclusions.
3. Empirical
It is data based research coming up with conclusions capable of being
verified by observation or experiments. It can be called experimental
research. Empirical research starts works with hypothesis. He then works
out to get enough tasks to prove or disprove his hypothesis. It may lead to
induction or deduction. On the basis of this the researcher may be able to
arrive at generalisations, develop new theories and principles.
4. Relationship between variables
The problem selected for studying should express a relationship
between the variables contained in the study. It is through this
process of establishing effective relationship between variables that
meaningful conclusions are derived from the study.
5. Verifiable
I.e.the study should be replicable.
6. Interesting
The problem selected should be interesting to the students,
respondents and also to the people working in that field. For
getting co-operation this is necessary.


Source of research problem (How
does research problem arises?)
Contemporary interest
Own interest
Gaps in the field
Contemporary interest
It depends on the skill of the researcher to
convert a problem of contemporary interest
into a good topic of research .One can think of
several problem of the contemporary interest
depending on his field of knowledge.
Own interest
One may have a fascination to study a particular
aspect which he is interested. On controversial
topics a researcher may be especially interested
to find out the real truth involved in the matter.
Gaps in the field
On the basis of the results of some surveys, the
researcher may sometimes alter, modify, or revise
the existing theories or principles. Thus the
researcher can fill the gap between existing
theory and result of the research.

Criteria for selecting a research
problem
. Researchers interest
The researcher should be interested in the problem.
Otherwise even in a small difficulty will become an
excuse for discontinuing the study.
2. Competency of the researcher
The researcher should be competent to carry out a
study of the problem.
3. Resources of the research
Research is expensive and time consuming. So the
financial resources and the time resources of the
researcher influence the selection of the topic.
4. Researchability
The problem selected should be suitable for finding
answer through scientific method.
5. Importance and urgency:
In selecting the problem, their relative importance and
significance should be considered.
6. Originality:
The problem should selected must have novelty and
originality. There is no use of wasting ones time and
energy on problems already studied by others.

7. Feasibility:
If no research is feasible on a particular problem, it
should not be selected.
8. Usefulness:
The problem selected for research should make
significant contribution to the body of knowledge
9. Controversial problem:
Controversial subject should not become the choice of
an average research.
10. Narrow and vague:
Too narrow and vague problem should be avoided.


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