Research Methodology & Special Skills

• Research: Meaning, Definition, Methodology, Research process, Criterion of good research 

• Types of Research: Fundamental or Basic, Applied, Historical, Descriptive, Analytical quantitative, qualitative, Conceptual   Experimental, Case study

• Research Design: Meaning, Concepts, need,  designs for different types of research; library, laboratory and field research; Advantages of Designing Research

• Research Problem and Developing Research proposal: Selection of research area and topic, statement of the research problem, its scope, steps involved in defining the problem.

• Literature Search: Reviewing related literature, referencing, abstracting, Computer search, bibliography, evaluation of the problem.

• Defining concepts, objectives, basic assumptions, delimitations and limitations of the problem, Statement of Hypothesis.  

• Variables: Independent and dependent variables, qualitative and quantitative variables, discrete and continuous variables, confounding variables, methods of controlling variables. Measurement of variables.
• Sampling:  Meaning, Characteristics of a good sample design, steps in sampling design, types, advantages
• Techniques of Data Collection:
• Primary data: Questionnaire, Schedules, Interview observation & other methods
• Secondary data: Reliability, suitability & Adequacy of data.
• Processing and Analysis of Data: Processing Operations: Editing, coding, classification and tabulation of data, Elements of Data Analysis, Role of statistics in Data Analysis. Statistical Tables

Report writing: Types, Format

• Probability: Basic Aspects, probability of combination of events, probability distribution of random variable
• Statistical Methods: Measures of Central tendency- Arithmetic Mean, absolute measures of dispersion, coefficient of variation. 
• Regression and Correlation: Least square method of fitting a regression line, correlation coefficient(Karl Pearson and Rank).

• Common Distribution functions: Binomial probability distribution, Poisson distribution and normal distribution curve.
• Errors in Experiments: Errors in observations: random errors, systematic errors; Normal law of errors; Average error, Standard error and probable error; significant figures; percentage error.
• Errors in Calculations: Approximate numbers and significant figures; Rounding of numbers; Absolute and relative errors, Relation between relative Error and significant figures; General formula for Errors; Application of Error formulas to fundamental operations of Arithmetics.

Numerical Analysis:

• Solution of algebraic and transcendental equations:
• Bisection method, Regula-Falsi method, Iteration method, Newton-Raphson method, rate of convergence of Newton’s method.
• Newton’s forward and backward formulae of differences, Lagrange’s interpolation formula, Newton’s general interpolation formula.

Numerical integration: Trapezoidal rule, Simpson’s 1/3^rd rule, Simpson’s 3/8^th rule and their error estimation.