Research
Methodology
Learn how to ask better research questions, evaluate existing knowledge, choose appropriate research designs, collect credible data and build a research proposal with confidence.
Build the foundation for credible research.
Research begins long before data collection.
A strong research project is not simply a collection of information. It begins with a meaningful problem, develops precise questions, chooses an appropriate design and follows a defensible method.
This course takes you through that entire journey—from the first research idea to the design of a study and the preparation of a research proposal.
Built for researchers at different stages.
Whether you are writing your first university project or developing a doctoral research proposal, the course builds from fundamentals towards independent research design.
Undergraduate Students
Postgraduate Students
MPhil / PhD Scholars
Faculty
Independent Researchers
Concepts become research practice.
The course is designed around application rather than passive content consumption.
Concept
Understand the principles behind research.
Examples
See how research decisions work in practice.
Application
Apply each concept to your own research.
Assessment
Test, refine and demonstrate what you learned.
By the end of the course, you should be able to think like a researcher.
Identify
Recognise meaningful research problems instead of simply selecting topics.
Question
Convert problems into clear research questions and objectives.
Design
Choose research approaches and methods appropriate to your question.
Develop
Build a coherent research proposal from beginning to end.
10 modules. One complete research journey.
Move systematically from understanding research to designing and presenting your own research project.
Module 01 — Understanding Research
What research is—and what makes it research.
- —What is research?
- —Research vs information gathering
- —Characteristics of good research
- —Types of research
- —Basic vs applied research
- —Qualitative vs quantitative research
- —Exploratory, descriptive and explanatory research
- —The research process
Module 02 — Choosing a Research Problem
Turn a broad interest into a researchable problem.
- —Topic vs problem
- —How researchers identify problems
- —Turning an interest into a research problem
- —Scope and delimitations
- —Research problem statements
- —Research objectives
- —Research questions
- —Hypotheses
- —Variables and concepts
Module 03 — Literature Review
Learn how researchers discover what is already known.
- —What is a literature review?
- —Why literature reviews matter
- —Finding scholarly literature
- —Evaluating sources
- —Reading academic papers
- —Organising literature
- —Identifying patterns
- —Identifying contradictions
- —Finding research gaps
- —Writing a literature review
Module 04 — Research Philosophy & Approaches
Understand the assumptions behind research.
- —Objectivity and subjectivity
- —Positivism
- —Interpretivism
- —Constructivism
- —Pragmatism
- —Deductive reasoning
- —Inductive reasoning
- —Abductive reasoning
- —Ontology
- —Epistemology
- —Methodology vs method
Module 05 — Research Design
Choose a design that fits the question you are asking.
- —What is research design?
- —Experimental design
- —Descriptive design
- —Survey research
- —Case study
- —Ethnography
- —Historical research
- —Comparative research
- —Correlational research
- —Cross-sectional studies
- —Longitudinal studies
- —Mixed-method research
Module 06 — Sampling & Data Collection
Decide who or what you will study—and how you will collect evidence.
- —Population
- —Sample
- —Sampling frame
- —Probability sampling
- —Simple random sampling
- —Stratified sampling
- —Cluster sampling
- —Systematic sampling
- —Convenience sampling
- —Purposive sampling
- —Snowball sampling
- —Sample size considerations
- —Questionnaires
- —Interviews
- —Observation
- —Focus groups
- —Documents
- —Field notes
- —Secondary data
Module 07 — Research Ethics
Conduct research responsibly.
- —Informed consent
- —Confidentiality
- —Anonymity
- —Data protection
- —Researcher responsibility
- —Plagiarism
- —Fabrication
- —Falsification
- —Authorship
- —Conflicts of interest
- —Ethical publication
- —Responsible use of AI
Module 08 — Research Data
Understand data before you analyse it.
- —Types of data
- —Variables
- —Measurement scales
- —Coding
- —Data entry
- —Data cleaning
- —Missing values
- —Qualitative data
- —Quantitative data
Module 09 — Analysing & Interpreting Research
Understand what analysis your research question actually requires.
- —Descriptive statistics
- —Inferential reasoning
- —Tables
- —Charts
- —Basic hypothesis testing
- —Qualitative coding
- —Themes
- —Interpretation
- —Findings vs discussion
Module 10 — Writing the Research Proposal
Bring your entire research design together.
- —Title
- —Background
- —Research problem
- —Literature review
- —Research gap
- —Objectives
- —Research questions
- —Hypothesis where appropriate
- —Methodology
- —Sampling
- —Data collection
- —Analysis plan
- —Ethical considerations
- —Expected contribution
- —References
Start researching before you start the course.
Useful resources designed to help students and researchers make better research decisions.
Research Methodology Roadmap
A visual overview of the journey from research idea to completed study.
Research Question Checklist
A practical checklist for evaluating the quality of a research question.
Literature Review Matrix
Organise authors, methods, findings, limitations and research gaps.
Research Proposal Template
A structured framework for planning a complete research proposal.
Research Design Decision Tree
Work backwards from your research question to the appropriate design.
Sampling Cheat Sheet
Understand major sampling methods at a glance.
Research Ethics Checklist
Review essential ethical considerations before collecting data.
Research Article Reading Template
Read academic papers systematically instead of passively.
The SRS Researcher's Toolkit
A comprehensive research planning system designed to accompany your research journey beyond the course.
- 30+ research worksheets
- Research proposal template
- Literature review system
- Interview templates
- Questionnaire templates
- Sampling worksheets
- Research design decision trees
- Research ethics checklist
- Research planning calendar
- Thesis planning framework
- Research presentation template
- Research project planner
You don't finish with a certificate. You finish with a research proposal.
The capstone brings together the decisions you made throughout the course into one coherent research document.
01 · Title
02 · Background
03 · Research Problem
04 · Literature Review
05 · Research Gap
06 · Objectives
07 · Research Questions
08 · Hypothesis
09 · Methodology
10 · Sampling
11 · Data Collection
12 · Analysis Plan
13 · Ethics
14 · Expected Contribution
15 · References
Research methodology with academic depth.
This course is designed around the principle that research methodology should not be reduced to a collection of technical steps.
Under the academic direction of Prof. P. C. Pattanaik, learners are introduced to research as a process of questioning, reasoning, interpretation and disciplined inquiry.
His academic experience across comparative Indian literature, linguistics, anthropology, field work and research methodology allows the course to connect methodological principles with the larger intellectual process of doing research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need previous research experience?
No. The course begins with the fundamentals and progressively moves towards advanced research design and proposal development.
Is this course only for PhD scholars?
No. The course is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students, doctoral scholars, faculty and independent researchers.
Will I learn statistics in this course?
The course introduces the logic of research analysis and helps you understand what kind of analysis your research question requires. Detailed statistical techniques are covered separately in the SRS Data Analysis course.
What will I produce during the course?
You will work through research questions, literature review, research design, sampling, data collection and analysis decisions, culminating in a complete research proposal.
How long is the course?
The recommended learning period is 8–10 weeks, depending on the learner’s pace and the amount of time devoted to assignments.
Don't just learn research methodology. Learn how to do research.
Build the knowledge, judgement and practical framework required to move from an idea to a defensible research design.