Eco. 391 —26-8-2021 (Online Discussion Quiz 2—Purpose/Importance of Research and Challenges of Conducting Research in LDCs)

Name: Ugwu Emmanuel Onyekachi
Reg no. 2015/203177
Dpt: C.S.S Economics/psychology
Course code: Eco 391
Course title: Research Methods in Economics 1

1. The purpose of research and importance of research.

-From weather forecasts to the discovery of antibiotics, researchers are constantly trying to find new ways to understand the world and how things work – with the ultimate goal of improving our lives.

Research often follows a systematic approach known as a Scientific Method, which is carried out using an hourglass model.

A research project first starts with a problem statement, or rather, the research purpose for engaging in the study. This can take the form of the ‘scope of the study’ or ‘aims and objectives’ of your research topic.

Subsequently, a literature review is carried out and a hypothesis is formed. The researcher then creates a research methodology and collects the data.

The data is then analysed using various statistical methods and the null hypothesis is either accepted or rejected.

In both cases, the study and its conclusion are officially written up as a report or research paper, and the researcher may also recommend lines of further questioning. The report or research paper is then shared with the wider research community, and the cycle begins all over again.

Although these steps outline the overall research process, keep in mind that research projects are highly dynamic and are therefore considered an iterative process with continued refinements and not a series of fixed stages.

The purpose of research is therefore to find out what is known, what is not and what we can develop further. In this way, scientists can develop new theories, ideas and products that shape our society and our everyday lives.
The purpose of research is to further understand the world and to learn how this knowledge can be applied to better everyday life. It is an integral part of problem solving.
Although research can take many forms, there are three main purposes of research:

1. Exploratory: Exploratory research is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. Exploration research therefore aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables us to conduct more in-depth research later on.
2. Descriptive: Descriptive research expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its characteristics and population. Descriptive research focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, but not on the ‘why’.
3. Explanatory: Explanatory research, also referred to as casual research, is conducted to determine how variables interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Explanatory research deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.

Summary

The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts and ideas. A research purpose is met through forming hypotheses, collecting data, analysing results, forming conclusions, implementing findings into real-life applications and forming new research questions.

2. Importance of research

-RESEARCH IS NECESSARY because research improves services and treatments not just for us but for future generations, since research is a tool by which we can test our own and each others theories, to find an answer and advance knowledge. The purpose of research is really an ongoing process of correcting and refining hypotheses, which should lead to the acceptance of certain scientific truths.

So not only is research an invaluable tool for building on crucial knowledge, it is also the most reliable way we can begin to understand complexities of various issues to maintain our integrity as we disprove lies and uphold important truth to serve as seed for analyzing sets of data.

Scientific research is the research performed by applying systematic and constructed scientific methods to obtain, analyze and interpret data which provides us with the information and knowledge needed for problem solving and making decisions.

In medical field research is essential to find out which treatments work better for patients. Some of the common aim for conducting research studies are to diagnose desease and health problem.

-Research is as important as life itself. It provides the building block upon which societal growth and advancement is hinged. Our understanding of the way things are, how things happen and what is responsible for such occurrences is due to the help of research. Research also helps us study patterns in the past, feelings, attitudes and opinion then use it to determine what should happen next.

With research we can extrapolate how a city would likely expand and the level of infrastructural development such a city would require to cope with the expansion. It also helps to ascertain per capital income, medical needs, birth rates and death rates. It helps organizations understand what their consumers need and where they need improvement. It also helps to determine how to innovate…so and so.

Research has left an indelible mark on society and will forever be the basis for any genuine advancement in human society… hence countries and organizations fund research heavily.

SECTION 2.
Clinical discuss and analyse the problems of conducting social science research in developing countries.

1. Introduction
1.1 In this section i want to explore some of the particular ethical issues that arise for social scientists working in developing countries. This is an inherently difficult topic to address for a number of reasons, but especially in relation to problems of definition. As with any attempt to draw boundaries around regions, and characterise them according to various features, there is the tendency to draw upon highly loaded simplifications. Our ways of thinking and writing about development often rely on distinctions which are far from uniform and in many ways fall short of complex reality.

2. The Globalisation of Social Science Research.
SSR is becoming ever more globalised with an increasing focus on research in developing countries.
2.1 An ever-increasing number of researchers are now encouraged, even mandated through assessment programmes like the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), to operate on an international basis. More frequently, this involves conducting research in underdeveloped and highly stressed regions where the burden of risk borne by the researched is more severe than in more affluent contexts. Many of the specific features of these risks, peculiar to underdeveloped contexts, are explored in greater detail below. For now, we will concern ourselves with some of the factors that have been instrumental in shaping the increased focus of SSR in poorer regions.
2.2 Of course, it would be naïve to assume that these changing patterns of research will lead inevitably to improved conditions for less advantaged regions of the world. The global patterning of social science research expresses difficult tensions, many of which are ethically problematic for research practitioners and sponsoring agencies alike. Illustrating this are the huge shifts that have taken place within development economics and sociology over the latter half of the 20th Century. For example, the functionalist perspectives of the 1960/70s were highly influential on agencies like the World Bank. And yet they provided what is now widely viewed as a flawed intellectual rationale for instituting Western Industrialisation as the primary model for development, regardless of economic and cultural differences. This has now largely given way to perspectives that recognise the way ‘aid’ and ‘development’ in themselves sometime contribute to conditions of chronic impoverishment through new patterns of dependency (Leys 1996).
2.4 Our point here is that the globalisation of research prompts difficult ethical dilemmas for researchers and for those institutions that fund them, and that these tensions are likely to become more acute as the global reach of SSR extends. The central tension or dilemma facing international research policy arises because the globalisation of knowledge is paralleled by a growth in disparities in regional wealth and living standards. As Bhutta observes:
‘It is likely that the accelerating trend towards globalization, without the requisite safeguards and protection of humans rights, will only worsen inequalities’ (Bhutta 2002, 114).

3. The ethics of problem focussed research in developing regions.
3.1 Developing countries are also characterised by the often devastating effects of political, religious and territorial conflict resulting in unprecedented levels of migration and displacement (Haug 2002). International provision for refugee communities has often been accompanied by social scientific forms of enquiry, for example into the psychological implications of catastrophic trauma, especially arising from mass genocidal events exemplified by Rwanda in the mid 1990s and the Democratic Republic of Congo more recently. These include documentary research into highly sensitive aspects of such events, particularly those exploring torture, bereavement and sexual violence (Lindsey 2002). Numerous journals have emerged as specialist areas of social science research in these and related fields including The Journal of Genocide Research, International Migration, Journal of Refugee Studies, Disasters, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and so on.
Our point here is that developing regions suffer some of the most extreme forms of stress experienced by the world’s peoples. Given these acute vulnerabilities they are also deserving of the most stringent ethical oversight possible. And yet, they are regions of the world which present sometimes prohibitively difficult challenges to the organisation and implementation of ethical oversight. As Jacobson and Landau observe:
‘Research into vulnerable populations like refugees, some of whom might be engaged in illegal or semi-illegal activities, raises many ethical problems. The political and legal marginality of refugees and IDPs means that they have few rights and are vulnerable to arbitrary action on the part of state authorities, and sometimes even the international relief community. In conflict zones, or in situations of state collapse, few authorities are willing to protect refugees from those who may do them harm, including researchers’ whose action may have less than ideal outcomes’ (Jacobson and Landau 2002 187).
3.2 It is fair to say that there is a notable paucity of literature that deals specifically with the ethical dimensions of social science in developing contexts. Whilst extensive work has been undertaken to both comment upon and critique medical research oversight, this is far from true for social science research ethics generally. Of the few disciplines to more directly reflect on these issues, anthropology has been engaged in sustained debate, especially since the early 1970s (Asad 1973; Bleek 1979; Mauch 1989; Anatoloy 1996; Eipper 1996; Erman 1997). With a few notable exceptions (Clark 2002), very little from within quantitative social science has been published on the ethical difficulties presented by the methodological complexities of underdeveloped regions since Warwick’s (1983) edited collection in the early 1980s.

4. Inequities of advantage between the researched and the researcher.
Research in these contexts involves some of the world’s least powerful and most vulnerable populations.
4.1 It seems obvious that the relationships between the researcher and the researched in such stressed contexts are likely to be asymmetrical, and that this is indeed likely to have an impact both on the welfare of participants and the veracity of findings. Still, these kinds of considerations are notably absent from reported studies conducted amongst disadvantaged populations (Jacobson and Lanua 2002). As with many of the issues addressed in this paper, questions of both structural and more situational inequities come to the fore.
4.2 In structural terms, we have already alluded to the obvious wealth disparities which, in the first place, create the opportunities for researchers from wealthy regions to conduct research in less advantaged contexts, but less frequently the other way around. To be sure, most research conducted on vulnerable communities comes with an obligation to provide data that may ameliorate problems and guide policy. And a great number of studies are initiated with reciprocal arrangements that provide opportunities for researchers from developing countries. Nevertheless, as Benetar points out, ‘While researchers are generally privileged people, many research subjects are among the most vulnerable in our world, living in the worst conditions of deprivation and exploitation… [and hence] appreciation of concerns regarding research in developing countries requires some knowledge of the growing global disparities in wealth and health, and of the lifestyle and worldview of potential research subjects’ (Benetar 2002: 1131).
Importantly, additional challenges may arise for co-researchers from developing countries and their equality within the research team. This may extend both into shaping the direction of research, agenda setting, research prioritisation. At the same time, however, it is not always easy to be aware of ways in which an ‘external researcher’ based in the West may be making culture- bound assumptions about the research process and acting as a ‘powerful outsider’.
Considering this matter further, let us remember that those who are ‘the researched’ could also do research. There are power issues here related to establishing research teams that might lead one to consider the ethics of research. Even if researchers from developed countries consider that they are conducting their own research, those from developing countries may see them as useful resources of knowledge. Considerations arise about the extent to which research is a one-off exercise or, alternatively, is a process contributing to the long-term transformation of developing contexts. This also generates considerations about the ethics of researchers conducting research in the form of ‘transactions’ (i.e. periodic visits while funding lasts), or in the form of ‘transformations’ (i.e. preparing researchers in developing countries to continue with research).
Considerations arise also about researchers from developed countries being used for purposes other than research (for example, for political purposes, legitimising the authority of certain stakeholders) (Cordoba 2004).
Issues of intellectual property and knowledge transfer arise also in the case where developed countries’ companies use natural resources to conduct research to produce new biogenetic medicines. The transfer of knowledge to the developing world does not happen in many of these cases (Cordoba 2004).
4.3 Inequities in access to research resources are matched by parallel deficiencies in adequate ethical oversight and the institutional structures to support them. Whilst this situation is changing, research originating in the affluent North has often been seen to take advantage of such absences – through ‘research tourism’ – rather than seek to foster better ethical arrangements. As Bhutta notes, it has become difficult to overlook the fact that many of the most controversial research events of recent years have been conducted in contexts with poor ethical governance: ‘Although it is accepted that ethics play a central role in health research in developing countries, much of the recent debate has focused on controversies surrounding internationally sponsored research and has taken place largely without adequate participation of the developing countries’ (Bhutta 2002).
This has led to strong criticism and sensitivities about whether and how research originating in wealthy regions has taken account of the problems and diversity of views in the contexts where research is conducted. ‘So long as all the ethicists are in the North, and the South is just the recipient of ethical principles, nothing will change’ (Daar and Singer 2001).
4.4 These asymmetries in the institutional and professional embedding of ethics discourse and practice can have a significant and detrimental impact at a more local and situational level in the encounters between researchers and the researched. Anthropological enquiry in particular has been challenged by the way in which the presence of exogenous researchers can have a detrimental affect on communities. The researcher can become the focus of new tensions in relationships, destabilising existing alliances, causing conflicts which may well persist long after the research has been completed. Bleek’s (1979) account of ‘envy and inequality in fieldwork’ is just one illustration of the disruption that can be caused by a lack of sensitivity to actual and perceived differences in wealth and status between social scientists and research subjects.
4.5 There are therefore important connections between professional considerations such as these and the particular ethical difficulties of conducting research in disadvantaged regions. These issues are in turn closely connected to the relationship between ethics and methodology, as we now discuss.

5. Methodological Questions
Such contexts also present unique sampling difficulties for SSR, undermining the validity of findings and therefore the ethics of the research conducted.

5.1 A number of studies have observed the way in which SSR in developing regions can be susceptible to various factors that undermine the methodological, and therefore ethical, status of research. For instance, Jacobsen and Landau point out that many sponsoring organisations involved in overseas development are sometimes poorly placed to judge the methodological rigour of research proposals (2002). However, weaknesses in peer review and audit are often lessened through the creation of trans-organisational research associations involved in selecting and administering research. Nevertheless, serious considerations of methodological integrity remain: ‘…that much of the current research on forced migration is based on unsound methodology, and that the data and subsequent policy conclusions are often flawed or ethically suspect… humanitarian studies in general reveal a paucity of good social science, are rooted in a lack of rigorous conceptualisation and research design, weak methods and a general failure to address the ethical problems of researching vulnerable communities (Jacobsen and Landau, 2002, 187).

5.2 Additionally, funding is more likely to be linked to various normative goals which in themselves can predispose research findings to results that are in keeping with the aspirations of the funding body (Silverman 1985; Opie 1992), or the aspirations of researchers to empower the researched. As Long and Long (1992) argued it often seems to be the case that research with disadvantaged groups can, in fact, struggle to balance normative and analytical priorities: ‘Although the word [empowerment] stresses the need to ‘listen to the people’ in order to arrive at appropriate alternatives ‘from below’, it is difficult to deny the connotation of an ‘injection of power’ from outside… no matter how firm the commitment to good intentions, the notion of ‘powerful outsiders’ helping ‘powerless insiders’ slips constantly in’ (1992, 275).
5.3 In addition to the priorities of aid and humanitarian organisations, researchers in developing countries often find themselves presented with acute political pressures. Zuniga, for instance, offers an account of the ethical problems confronted by social scientists under Chile’s Allende regime and the pressures they were under to formulate findings that were politically acceptable in that climate (Zuniga, 1983). Whilst these kinds of considerations are far from unique to developing countries, they are rarely accompanied by issues of personal security that can arise in contexts where stability and the rule of law may be poorly enforced.
But such ‘political pressures’ are often defined according to what the developed world sees as valid. The uncritical acceptance of such views has led to the academic impoverishment of countries like Cuba, where access to electronic journals is banned not by the government but by developed nations. Or Iraq and Palestine, where sanctions in the 1990s and occupation, respectively, makes any research difficult to conduct. This presents ethical dilemmas for researchers who wish to conduct research and transfer knowledge to such nations despite political and legal pressure. The point here is that these political pressures need to be examined in the context of the implications for developing countries and their research knowledge base.
5.4. Greater differences in power between researchers and the researched are more likely to give rise to problems of bias, etc.
We have already alluded above to questions of the asymmetries in power and privilege between the researcher and the researched, and how this can be the cause of harm. And of course, this raises methodological issues too. It is fundamentally important for researchers to be sensitive to the aspirational goals with which they may be associated. Research always involves complex questions of identity and identification around issues of ethnicity, education, class, gender and will necessarily have an influence on the data generated. The greater these differences, the more likely it is that findings will reflect artefactual considerations of the relationship between researcher and researched. This might result in what, in social science parlance is commonly described as ‘positive bias’ or ‘extreme’ and ‘acquiescence’ responsestyles (or ERS/ARS). As Cheung and Rensvold note ‘Differences in ERS and ARS, if undetected, may give rise to spurious results that do not reflect genuine differences in attitudes or perceptions’ (2000). On the other hand, tensions in research relationships can give rise to hostile antagonism producing negative bias and a disinclination to collaborate with research (Bleek 1979).
5.5 Statistical research instruments which depend on the availability of population data may have limited value in developing regions

The difficulties faced by quantitative studies are no less problematic. Methodologically, statistical social science research often depends on population and census data and is therefore more suited to studies in contexts where public administration is highly developed. In many developing countries this kind of data may not be available, or if it is, then it may be of limited relevance in rapidly changing circumstances (Warwick 1983). This quite clearly contrasts with those countries where public records and statistical data may be both more accessible and reliable.
5.6 The interpretation and analysis of findings consistently raises issues of ethnocentrism and elitism
The interpretation and analysis of data adds to the methodological difficulties of research conducted in developing contexts, particularly where interpretation is formulated from a non- indigenous position. We have already alluded to the way functionalist development studies mistakenly attributed many of the problems of the developing world to absence of various cultural attributes, such as industriousness, instead of exploring structural and financial forms of dependency and ‘neo-colonialism’. We can reasonably expect therefore that our interpretation will embody values that may implicitly endorse the mechanisms of underdevelopment that we seek to relieve. Gidwani, for instance, questions the notion of ‘cultural capital’ in numerous accounts of underdevelopment arguing that, as an interpretative framework, it has diverted ‘… attention from the role of political society and de-politicized the process of development in pernicious ways’ (2002:86).
5.7 Similarly, using analysis to ‘give voice’ to otherwise marginalised groups can be far from ethically innocent. Lindsey’s observations about the role of social science in reporting the Balkan conflict are particularly striking here (2000). Sexual violence in the atrocities of Former Yugoslavia have been at the centre of numerous social science research accounts, each seeking to represent the experiences of rape victims. She argues that many of these studies have been skewed towards material evidence to prove that rapes had taken place and were systematically related to ethnic cleansing. The result, she suggests, has been ‘… an overarching emphasis on evidence that has dominated the description, analysis and theorizing of the rapes and has led to the marginalizing and silencing of a range of voices, particularly of those working with survivor communities and the survivors themselves. The evidence-led debate has created a genre in which there has been an almost casual use of survivor testimony by academics to illustrate the types of violence that have taken place. This appropriation of survivors’ stories has degraded survivor testimony’ (Lindsey 2002).
This exemplifies the way in which the consideration of ethics in such contexts has to go far beyond the conventional terrain of confidentiality, consent, and risk/benefit considerations: clearly, in these cases, ethics is as much about being attentive to a collective morality, a political economy of ethics as it is anything to do with respect for the individual rights of the subject. As mentioned above, dominant political discourses may also serve to define what is appropriate research and bias research choices in favour of developed countries’ agendas.
5.8 Research results raise acute questions of property and appropriation
Health related research has clearly been associated with accusations of material and biological appropriation where products have been developed on the basis of research conducted in developing regions. Nevertheless, though in very different ways, social scientists too have had to reflect on the way research involves processes of appropriation and even commodification.
Lindsey’s account above is one illustration amongst many where research subjects, their identities, ways of life and experiences become available to others as symbolic and material resources. At the most general level, social science and anthropology have been intricately tied to the popularisation of indigenous cultures in ways that have been criticised for debasing identities, traditions and symbols. And yet this has had to be balanced with a whole range of other priorities including the moral duties of cultural conservation and the representation of marginal groups. 5.9 Nevertheless, developing regions are complex environments in which it is proper that researchers are sensitive to the historical role of social science in colonial and neo-colonial practices. Green (1996) for instance has written about the role of participatory development and research projects in appropriating the agency of the poor: ‘Despite the claims of participatory development ideologies to foster the empowerment of the poor, the interventions it promotes are premised on a denial of poor people’s capacity to bring about change for themselves. Agency can only be effected through the imposed institutional structures for participation’ (1996, 67). Fairhead and Leach (2003) have also shown how the analytical tradition of western SSR has ignored local realities and understandings within poorer African countries, even that form of ethnography whose aims are to understand and perhaps empower indigenous communities.
In such highly stressed contexts as these, we can see inexhaustible connections between ethics and methodology – at all tiers of research design, implementation and analysis.
6. Normative ethics and cultural pluralism
Vulnerable populations are poorly placed to exercise their right to chose and give consent to participation in research.
6.1 One of the main points that we would like to stress in this paper is that research ethics in developing regions raises difficulties for the very basis of what we mean by ethics, and therefore how we conceptualise notions of rights (consent, choice, volition, self-determination, etc). Most social science operating in developing countries stresses the importance of a pluralistic position on cultural variation and diversity. In most respects, the analyst has an obligation not to compare cultures hierarchically thereby suspending any single position from which to judge or assess the objects of their analysis. And yet, this is clearly in tension with the classical western model of ethics and its basis in universalistic normative rights.
It is clearly difficult to resolve these kinds of tensions in any straightforward way and both are open to question. The pluralistic orientation embedded in social science research is open to problems of cultural relativism whereby it becomes increasingly difficult to exercise moral judgement. In a sense, good social science suspends any single authoritative position from which to form a moral position. Additionally, pluralistic approaches force us to consider questions of representation and who exactly has the right to lay claim to a culture and represent its foundational moral attributes.
6.2 Without over simplifying the underlying basis of most research ethics, as noted in Discussion Paper 1, it tends to involve the exercise of judgements regardless of cultural variation and in reference to a timeless/invariant body of principles that apply universally (Clark 2002). Considerations of context and circumstance are often taken into account, but core notions of intrinsic value usually prevail.
6.3 Additionally, most classical western models of ethics tend to rest on principles such as the ‘primacy of the individual’, which can seem alien in some contexts. The individual here is both the repository of rights and the bearer of reciprocal duties to the rights of others. Nevertheless, this emphasis on the individual can seem curious outside the cultural ambit of western philosophical ethics, where the individual may take lesser precedence to broader notions of kin or community.
One example of this is the sometimes difficult balance struck between individual and public health priorities. Bhutta suggests that the Western framework, and its individually oriented ethical orientation, has sometimes inappropriately usurped frameworks that may have greater relevance in developing countries. ‘It is in the field of public health that the application of the broad principles of ethics of public health lags far behind those of the ethics of the individual, and is not sufficiently addressed by existing guidelines’ (2002, 116). Or, as Benetar puts it: ‘it is vital now for the ethics debate to include the best interests of whole populations, the ethics of how institutions should function, and the ethics of international relations’ (Benetar 2002, 1132).
As noted by the Nuffield Council (2002), this focus on the individual also has practical implications for researchers when seeking informed consent from individuals located in highly deferential communities:
‘… participants in research may feel much more able to discuss research and ask questions within a meeting of the local community than on a one-to-one basis with researchers. In some regions, individuals may feel unable to refuse to participate in research that their elders, family members or community have assented to [p6]… In many developing countries, concepts of respect for family and community are equally as important as, or more important than, concepts of individual autonomy and rights’ (p43).
The lack of the concept of the individual in East Asian cultures – and hence the difficulty of individual consent procedures as we know them in the west, and the idea of debate and discussion around this issue – is discussed in terms of culture and systems of thought by Nisbett et al (2001).
Cordoba (2004) argues that the ethics of professions also contributes to tension between ethical and collective ethics. With the growth in interdisciplinary research, the ethics of different professions and their impact on developing countries should be recognised. This recognition then translates to the question: whose ethics prevail? Researchers doing research in the developing world need to pay attention to the possibility of adapting the ‘universal ethics’ of their own disciplines (medicine, biotechnology etc.) to local social conditions in such a way that those ‘being researched’ understand, respect and agree with the ethical decisions made throughout the research process.
6.4 Ultimately, most resolutions to these kinds of tensions follow some form of deliberative work directed towards negotiation and bargaining, or what Holm calls a ‘negotiated universalism’ (2003: 10). Here, moral pluralism does not necessarily imply a form of nihilistic cultural relativism, but instead opens the door to reflection between different ethical frames of reference but without reducing the debate to normative absolutes. The way forward, according to Crigger et al (2001) is unavoidably difficult, but necessary, as stakeholders become involved in a philosophically hybrid process of ‘ethical multiculturalism’.
7. Institutional Development
Institutional forms of governance in such contexts rarely parallel those in the countries providing the largest share of funds for SSR.
7.1 Without doubt there is now a growing awareness of the requirement to put in place institutional arrangements that advance both the benefits of research whilst respecting the particular difficulties of developing countries and other highly stressed research contexts. Whereas this is now somewhat advanced in the context of health related research (Slowther et al 2001), it is far less so the case for social science research more generally (Crosby et al 2002; Pievskaya 2000; Simek et al 2000).

8. General Conclusions:
The ethics of social science research in developing countries
We would like to conclude with a number of key observations and questions which will be of relevance for those whose work is likely to include or impact upon research subjects in potentially disadvantaged regions of the world:

8.1Explicitenquiriesneedtobemaderegardingexistingethicalandinstitutional arrangements in the locations where research is to be conducted – those conducting the fieldwork should be formally obliged to observe professional standards that are (at least) comparable with those in the UK, and understood and agreed by research partners and collaborators in the developing world.

8.2 Consent documentation, in respect to language and literacy, should be as inclusive as possible with strategies in place to deal with questions of cross-cultural communication.

8.3The increasingly globalised focus of research exposes those in developingcountries to new levels of ‘research scrutiny’. These tendencies are often not sufficiently accompanied by parallel developments in research ethics, either institutionally or culturally. Researchers also need to be especially attentive to the ways in which such scrutiny carries an analytical and methodological baggage that might well work against the local interests of the researched.

8.4Without over stating the differences,the way in which social scientists engage with research ethics in developing countries will very probably be on a very unfamiliar basis to that in more developed contexts. For instance, it is probably the case that far more energy and resources will need to be channelled into securing an ethical basis for research than would normally be the case. This has resource and time implications since project leaders should be prepared for much more sustained engagement with research subjects and local (or collaborating) institutions.

8.5The basis of research ethics,in the secircumstances,is far more likely to be the result of deliberative negotiation and dialogue than might normally be the case where standard principles and procedures have already been embedded in research culture and practice.

8.6Routes of accountability with which Western university sector researchers are normally familiar are likely to be different in non-western contexts. This might require the greater involvement of local civic authorities, party officials, community and religious leaders. Failure to both understand and acknowledge structures of authority exposes researchers to accusations of negligence, and more seriously, can have disastrous consequences for research subjects whose involvement may be viewed negatively.

8.7More scrutiny and accountability is needed regarding the roles that researchers from developed countries play in the research effort, and the long-term consequences of the research in terms of sustainability and implications for different groups, once researchers leave the developing country setting.

8.8 Consent issues might well have to be addressed at the level of the community as a whole and make much greater use of public fora, where the merits or otherwise of the research can be publicly debated. In China for instance, most villages below township level operate as self governing councils where research is more likely to be seen as a matter for village-wide debate rather than individual or personal consent (Pieke 1996).

8.9Research ethics training research for collaborators indeveloping countries should be a requirement for those bodies sponsoring overseas research, even at individual project level.

8.10Planning needs to pay much greater attention to questions of how researchers represent themselves and, indeed, are likely to be represented amongst research subjects. In any context, the presence of researchers can be disruptive, but in highly stressed and sometimes impoverished contexts, researchers may find themselves at the centre of highly charged tensions over resources, etc.

8.11 An effort should be made to explore and include local forms of research governance and problematisation about ethics in the design of research processes and structures or mechanisms for governance.

8.12Finally,there is a need for researchers’ own employing organisations to ensure that research in unstable countries does not put the researchers themselves at significant risk. Often, this may lead to arrangements where local third party research teams are used to undertaken potentially hazardous fieldwork. While this solution might resolve the problem of the rights of the researcher to minimal risk, it can abrogate responsibility for the proper conduct of field research to agencies that are not subject to proper forms of research governance.

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from Gujarat, India. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 37, 2, 83-112.
Green, M. (1996) Participatory development and the appropriation of agency in Southern
Tanzania, Critique of Anthropology, 20, 1, 67-78.
Haug, R. (2002) Forced migration, processes of return and livelihood construction among
pastoralists in Northern Sudan, Disasters, 26, 1, 70-84.
Holm, Soren. Moral Pluralism. 7-10. 2003. Luxembourg, Luxembourg: Office for Official
Publications of the European Communities, 2003. The ethical aspects of biomedical researching
developing countries – Proceedings of the roundtable – Brussels 2002 .
Hveem H (2004) Globalisation, Governance and Development: A Political Economy Perspective.
The European Journal of Development Research 14, 1, 219-243.

Name: Ugwuegede Chiamaka Precious
Reg no: 2017/249463
Dept: Combined Social Sciences (Economics /Geography)
course Code: Eco 391
Course Title: Research Methods 1

ASSIGNMENT.

During a paper presented at the Centre for Economic Research and Scientific Analysis, the Director of the Centre argued that “Research is “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”.It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion of past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole.Importance/Purpose of research”. As the Special Adviser to Mr President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.

Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.
What will you tell your audience?

ANSWER.

As a special Adviser to Mr President on Research matters invited to grace the occasion of the paper presented at the Centre for Economic Research and scientific Analysis. I would, first of all, explain to the audience who supposedly have little knowledge about Research methodology, the purpose and importance of Research.

• PURPOSE OF RESEARCH:

The purpose of research is to find out what is known, what is not and what we can develop further. In this way, scientists can develop new theories, ideas and products that shape our society and our everyday lives.
The purpose of research is to further understand the world and to learn how this knowledge can be applied to better everyday life. It is an integral part of problem-solving.
Although research can take many forms, there are three main purposes of research:

1. Exploratory: Exploratory research is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. Exploration research, therefore, aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables us to conduct more in-depth research later on.
2. Descriptive: Descriptive research expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its characteristics and population. Descriptive research focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, but not on the ‘why’.
3. Explanatory: Explanatory research, also referred to as casual research, is conducted to determine how variables interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Explanatory research deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and are therefore often based on experiments.

* IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH:
The following include reasons as to why Research remains an integral part of our lives:

1. It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
2. It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
3. It helps us succeed in business.
4. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
5. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
6. It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
7. It provides nourishment and exercise for the mind.

All of the above are reasons and also the importance and value of Research in our everyday lives. But also conducting Research especially in a Developing country like Nigeria has its own challenges. Nigeria is regarded as a Developing country regardless of its abundant natural resources because of the high level of corruption and poor economic performance.
Therefore the problems of conducting Research in Developing countries include:

* INEFFECTIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: A lot of academics in Nigeria consider research methodology as just a systematic technique of carrying out a study; however, the truth is that methodology encompasses all the guidelines, strategies and principles a researcher should follow when carrying out his research. Methodology aids in the identification of the system to be adopted by the researcher for a thorough study. In Nigeria, however, many researchers adopt the wrong methods for their research works which inadvertently affects the result that will be gotten. Indeed, Nigerians work hard to emerge as the best in their chosen field; it doesn’t mean that all the accepted standards are being followed when carrying out a study.

* INEFFECTIVE EDUCATION SYSTEM: The most important tool needed to surmount the challenges of research in Nigeria is adequate training. However, how do you train researchers adequately when the educational system itself is inadequate? There are myriads of the problem facing the educational sector in Nigeria, ranging from the continuous industrial strikes of lecturers in tertiary institutions, inadequate funding from the government to mention just a few. There is a need for a complete overhaul of the current setup of the educational sector in Nigeria.

* LOW ACCESSIBILITY OF DATA AND INFORMATION: Although there is numerous information on the internet, getting valid information is not cheap in Nigeria, which is aided by the ineffective educational and library systems. Hence, the difficulty in accessing information poses a serious challenge for researchers when carrying out a study. In addition to this, the lack of a database for information and records that can be easily accessed from anywhere poses a serious barrier for researchers. Also, the price to access journals, reports, and statistics to carry out research work is quite high, thus demotivating the researcher from carrying out the work.

* INSECURITY: Another major challenge for research in Nigeria is insecurity. Researchers’ inability to move freely within the country while carrying out research affects many researchers in Nigeria. When you couple insecurity with the unavailability of published works from academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and many more, one begins to understand the magnitude of the problems facing a researcher in Nigeria.

NAME:AGBOEZE LOVINA CHIDERA
REG NO:2017/249297
DEPARTMENT:COMBINED SOCIAL SCIENCE (ECONOMICS/GEOGRAPHY)
Email:lovinachidera20@gmail.com
COURSE:RESEARCH METHOD IN ECONOMICS 1 (ECO 391)
LEVEL:400L

ASSIGNMENT
PURPOSE/IMPORTANT OF RESEARCH AND CHALLENGES OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN LDCS.

The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts and ideas.
The main important of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study. This article discusses the significance of research and the many reasons why it is important for everyone—not just students and scientists.
Understanding that research is important might seem like a no-brainer, but many people avoid it like the plague. Yet, for those who like to learn, whether they are members of a research institution or not, conducting research is not just important—it’s imperative.This below are major important of research:

1. It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
2. It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
3. It helps us succeed in business.
4. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
5. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
6. It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
7. It provides nourishment and exercise for the mind
Challenges of conducting research in LDCS :
Research requires several ingredients; some difficult to manage, while others are difficult to arrange. It is done by a single individual, but requires the acceptance/approval of several others; guides, supervisors, defense committee members, interviewees, focus group members, etc.
In developing nations, research is in its incessant stage. Researchers face challenges in choosing a research topic, statement etc. In addition, researchers are faced with challenges associated with growth, infrastructural deficiencies, financial crunches, etc. Here’s a list of top challenges that we found intimidating for budding researchers:
Lack of Scientific Training: The research methodology is not systematic. Many researchers undertake research work without having actual knowledge of the research methods. Even the guides do not have a thorough knowledge of the various methodologies. Before undertaking research projects, researchers should be well equipped with all the methodological aspects.
Lack of communication with the supervisor: A university professor is a busy person. It is important to have guidance on a research project. Poor communication gets on the way of the progress of the research. It is important to communicate with the supervisor to clarify the doubts regarding the research topic, to know what the supervisor expects from you and to learn more about your research topic.
Time management: Spending ample time in learning the skills and practical implementation consumes a lot of time. In such a scenario, taking out time for intense research and to draft a top-notch research paper becomes impossible.
Not having a definite deadline: Deadlines are stressful. But not having a deadline can be troublesome during the Ph.D. journey. Deadlines help you get closer to your goals. Many times, Universities fail to implement a due date to submit the research paper, leading to confusion and improper time management among the scholars.
A quantity of literature: It can be difficult to deal with the quantity of literature that one might have accessed. The literature review is iterative. This involves managing the literature, accessing data that supports the framework of the research, identifying keywords and alternative keywords, as well as constantly looking for new sources.
Implementing quality of writing within the literature review: A literature review has to go beyond being a series of references and citations. You need to interpret the literature and be able to position it within the context of your study. This requires careful and measured interpretation and writing in which you synthesize and bring together the materials that you have read.
Insufficient data: Insufficiency of data is a potential problem. Most of the business establishments are of the opinion that researchers may misuse the data provided by them. This affects the purpose of research studies for which that particular data may be of ultmost importance.
Lack of confidence: Lack of confidence is one of the most common problems among researchers. Researchers with low self-esteem feel less motivated thereby affecting the quality of the work.
Concern that your focus is either still too broad or too narrow: This concern is inevitable. Be prepared to adapt your research as you look through the literature. This might require you to either increase its focus or narrow down so that the research is manageable. A broad focus for research might be narrowed down by adding an appropriate context or by looking for another variable within the research question or by focusing upon a theoretical viewpoint.
Library management: Library management and functioning is not satisfactory in many Universities; A lot of time and energy is spent on tracing appropriate books, journals, reports etc. Also, many of the libraries are not able to get copies of new reports and other publications on time.
Research demands immediate action on the part of the concerned authorities or personnel at national levels, so as to transform these challenges into major opportunities.

Name Iheukwumere Chinedu Kingsley
Department: economics/political science
Reg number: 2018/243099

Questions:
During a paper presentation at the Centre for Economic Research and Scientific Analysis, the Director of the Centre argued that “Research is “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”.It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole.Importance/Purpose of research”. As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.

Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.

What will you tell your audience?

Answer:
Question One:
Purpose/Importance of Research
1. It’s a Tool for Building Knowledge and Facilitating Learning
Research is required not just for students and academics but for all professionals and nonprofessionals alike. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online.
For nonprofessionals who value learning, doing research equips them with knowledge about the world and skills to help them survive and improve their lives. Among professionals and scribes, on the other hand, finding an interesting topic to discuss and/or to write about should go beyond personal experience. Determining either what the general public may want to know or what researchers want others to realize or to think about can serve as a reason to do research. Thus, research is an essential component in generating knowledge, and vice-versa.
Knowledge is commonly described as a factual proposition in the mind of an individual. It essentially refers to facts based on objective insights and/or study findings processed by the human brain. It can be acquired through various means, such as reading books and articles, listening to experts, watching documentaries or investigative shows, conducting scientific experiments, and interacting with other people, among others. Facts collected during research can be checked against other sources to ensure their truthfulness and accuracy

2. It’s a Means to Understand Issues and Increase Public Awareness
Using Research to Understand Current Issues
Television shows and movies—both fictional and nonfictional—ooze with research. For instance, Oprah Winfrey would have not achieved remarkable success as a news anchor and television show host had she eschewed doing her own research about certain topics and public figures. According to entrepreneur and lifestyle coach Paul C. Brunson, in his interview with emotional intelligence expert and author Justin Bariso (2017):
“Oprah spends a disproportionate amount of her time gathering information from communities of people outside of her core (different age groups, social classes, ethnicities, education levels, careers, etc.) and then she shares that information within her community.”
This kind of effort shows the necessary role of research in helping others and raising social consciousness.
Using Research to Understand People
Many film and TV actors also take time to interview individuals to better understand their roles. Actors have worked with detectives, boxers, scientists, business owners, criminals, and teachers, among others to gain an inside understanding of what it’s like to have a certain identity. Others even go through immersion so they can begin to understand their characters’ issues better. This might look like living in jail or in a drug rehabilitation center for a while, gaining or losing a significant amount of weight, or learning to captain a sailboat. Many read literature, biographies, or journals to have a better view or context of the story they’ve been hired to tell.

3. It Helps Us Succeed in Business
The Importance of Research and Development (R&D)
Research benefits business. Many successful companies, such as those producing consumer goods or mass-market items, invest in research and development, or R and D. Different industries that involve science and engineering processes (like agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, computer software, semiconductor, information and communication technology, construction, robotics, aerospace, aviation, and energy) have high R and D expenses because it is critical to the creation and improvement of their products and services.
R and D can also help secure an advantage over competitors. Finding out how to make things happen more efficiently and differentiate a business’s offerings from those of its competitors can raise a company’s market value.
Market Research and Targeted Marketing
Research can also help a company maintain a positive commercial image, retain existing customers, and attract new customers through targeted marketing. Marketing is a type of communication, and for that communication to be effective, businesses need to understand their customers.
This usually happens through market research, which can involve examining psychological studies about consumption, hosting focus groups, beta testing products with a select group of customers, sending satisfaction surveys to existing customers, and researching the business’s main competitors, among other strategies. The most successful businesses, large and small, base their product design, service offerings, and marketing communications on insights gleaned from thorough research processes.

4. It Allows Us to Disprove Lies and Support Truths
Background Research and Private Investigations
Have you ever experienced the feeling that your partner is having an affair behind your back? Some people would overlook this and say that it’s better not to know; others though would take discreet action, hiring a private detective to find out for sure. What does research have to do with this situation? A lot. Doing research to reveal lies or truths involving personal affairs can contribute to either making a relationship work or breaking away from a dysfunctional one. For the monogamous lot, doing research to disprove or prove infidelity is one way to find out the truth.
Field Testing and Peer Reviews
Scientists also deal with research to test the validity and reliability of their claims or those of other scientists. Their integrity and competence depend on the quality of their research. Nevertheless, not everything scientists come up with gets accepted. Scientific work is typically peer-reviewed before being published. This means that when an individual publishes research, it is fact-checked and investigated for common biases, statistical errors, and methodological issues by others in the field before being shared with the scientific community at large.

Question Two:
Challenges of Conducting Research in LDCs):

Lack of Scientific Training: The research methodology is not systematic. Many researchers undertake research work without having actual knowledge of the research methods. Even the guides do not have a thorough knowledge of the various methodologies. Before undertaking research projects, researchers should be well equipped with all the methodological aspects.

Lack of communication with the supervisor: A university professor is a busy person. It is important to have guidance on a research project. Poor communication gets on the way of the progress of the research. It is important to communicate with the supervisor to clarify the doubts regarding the research topic, to know what the supervisor expects from you and to learn more about your research topic.
Time management: Spending ample time in learning the skills and practical implementation consumes a lot of time. In such a scenario, taking out time for intense research and to draft a top-notch research paper becomes impossible.

Not having a definite deadline: Deadlines are stressful. But not having a deadline can be troublesome during the Ph.D. journey. Deadlines help you get closer to your goals. Many times, Universities fail to implement a due date to submit the research paper, leading to confusion and improper time management among the scholars.

A quantity of literature: It can be difficult to deal with the quantity of literature that one might have accessed. The literature review is iterative. This involves managing the literature, accessing data that supports the framework of the research, identifying keywords and alternative keywords, as well as constantly looking for new sources.

Implementing quality of writing within the literature review: A literature review has to go beyond being a series of references and citations. You need to interpret the literature and be able to position it within the context of your study. This requires careful and measured interpretation and writing in which you synthesize and bring together the materials that you have read.

Insufficient data: Insufficiency of data is a potential problem. Most of the business establishments are of the opinion that researchers may misuse the data provided by them. This affects the purpose of research studies for which that particular data may be of utmost importance.

Lack of confidence: Lack of confidence is one of the most common problems among researchers. Researchers with low self-esteem feel less motivated thereby affecting the quality of the work.

Concern that your focus is either still too broad or too narrow: This concern is inevitable. Be prepared to adapt your research as you look through the cliterature. This might require you to either increase its focus or narrow down so that the research is manageable. A broad focus for research might be narrowed down by adding an appropriate context or by looking for another variable within the research question or by focusing upon a theoretical viewpoint.

Library management: Library management and functioning is not satisfactory in many Universities; A lot of time and energy is spent on tracing appropriate books, journals, reports etc. Also, many of the libraries are not able to get copies of new reports and other publications on time.

Clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.

The social sciences have always been treated as a poor cousin of the natural and physical sciences. The latter have for long enjoyed the enviable status of the darlings of the state. And the reasons are not far to seek. It is they, so runs the argument, who find solutions for areas ranging all the way from agriculture to the country’s defence. That virtually every problem which science and technology tackles has societal ramifications is rarely perceived with any degree of clarity. Worse, it is all too easy to overlook the fact that policy, be it in agriculture, irrigation or defence, has to be informed by a more holistic understanding of social processes. And not many in the higher echelons of power are guilty of such a broad view. Inevitably such a technocentric view results in gross unfairness in resource allocation between the physical and social sciences. Admittedly the former need more resources given their input requirements but even so the social sciences get short shrift. The inequity is compounded by the declining share of higher education in the overall budget for education.

What are the major problems and challenges in social science research and let us proposed comprehensive solution accordingly. The considerable known challenges are development of conceptualisations, problem of maintaining objectivity, difficulty in the verification of the inferences, unpredictability and problem of universalisation etc? Besides above mentioned problems, what would be other other challenges in respect to different societies, conditions and different nations.

NAME: EZEMA CHARITY CHIADIKOBI
REG NO:2018/245943
DEPARTMENT: ECONOMICS
1:what are the purpose of research
2:what are the important of research
3:what are the problems of research

. PURPOSES OF RESEARCH
Research is the process of discovering new knowledge. This knowledge can be either the development of new concepts or the advancement of existing knowledge and theories, leading to a new understanding that was not previously known. Its purposes includes;
1. Information gathering or
a. Exploratory: for example, discovering, uncovering, exploring
b. Descriptive: for example, gathering info, describing, summarizing
2. Theory testing
a. Explanatory: For example, testing and understanding causal relations.
b. Predictive: for example, predicting what might happen in various scenarios.

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1. Research expands your knowledge base
The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.

2. Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.

3. Research helps you know what you’re up against
In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if your “enemy” isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.

4. Research builds your credibility
People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. When you’ve done the research, it’s much harder for someone to poke holes in what you’re saying. Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.

5. Research helps you narrow your scope
When you’re circling a topic for the first time, you might not be exactly sure where to start. Most of the time, the amount of work ahead of you is overwhelming. Whether you’re writing a paper or formulating a business plan, it’s important to narrow the scope at some point. Research helps you identify the most unique and/or important themes. You can choose the themes that fit best with the project and its goals.

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
1: Lack of Training: It is a big problem faced by researchers in developing countries. There is scarcity of qualified research workers. Many research workers take a step in the dark not understanding research techniques. The majority of the work, which goes in the name of research is not methodologically sound. Research to a lot of investigators is mainly a cut and paste job with no insight shed on the collated materials. The impact is obvious, viz., the research results, frequently, don’t reveal the reality. Therefore, an organized study of research methodology is definitely an immediate requirement. Prior to undertaking research projects, investigators must be well equipped with all the methodological aspects. As such, efforts need to be made to provide short term intensive courses for achieving this requirement.

2: Lack of confidence: The business houses are usually unwilling to provide the necessary information to researchers because of fear of misuse of information.

3:Repetition: Research studies overlapping one another are carried out in many cases for want of adequate information.

4:Lack of Interaction: You will find inadequate interaction between the university research department, on one side and business establishments, government departments and research institutions, on the other.

5:llliteracy: This has affected the appreciation of the value of research findings by the vast majority of the people (social workers and business executive)

6:Lack of Code of Conduct: There doesn’t exist a code of conduct for researchers and inter-University and inter-departmental rivalries are also quite common.

7:Shortage of Resources: For performing a quality research sufficient funds are not provided. This discourages research of all types.

8:Absence of Coordination: There exists lack of coordination among various organizations responsible for performing research.

9:Problem of Conceptualization: Many a time problems of conceptualization and problems concerning the procedure for data collection and related things crop up leading to frittering of resources.

10:Scanty Information Base: This narrows down the volume and quality of literature accessible to a researcher. Put simply, not much research findings have been collected from where a researcher can take help.

NAME: OFILI BELUCHI JOAN
REG NO: 2018/241862
DEPARTMENT:ECONOMICS MAJOR

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
As we go about our everyday lives , we are bombarded with a lot of information from adverts, news, social media, and even on products we consume. A lot of this information were as it is refined into their consumable state through research which enlightens us on a particular use of a thing, event or product. Knowing impact of research on our lives, what exactly are its purpose as an academic:
i) Research can be conducted for exploratory purposes on an issue or study that has not been clearly explored or defined. This is carried out to get a better understanding of the issue or study which the researcher has little insight on.
ii) When a researchers want to know the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of a case study or problem either of a population or its characteristics, such a purpose of research is a descriptive one. It does not necessarily ask questions of the ‘why’ in research.
iii) Most times in conducting research, a researcher may also like to know how various variables in a model interact by studying and explaining the cause-effect relationship that exists among the variables. Such purpose explains and questions the ‘why’ and is often experiment based.

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
These three purposes from the fundamental purpose for conducting research any field of study. Having now an idea as to why we conduct research, what are its importance not just to the researcher and professionals but also the non-professionals alike.
1. Research gives insight into a subject matter which the researcher seeks to inquire and also helps to find the cause-effect relationship between variables. This insight is both beneficial to the researcher and all the actors in the society, depending on the study.
2.Results of the research serves as a means of awareness to the public as it pertains to all aspects of their life. It is research that aids in the public to become aware of the new innovations that can aid daily activities.
3.Many discoveries in various fields of study, are products of research all of which gives us insight and understanding to the subject matter in discussion
4.Businesses also benefit from the research like companies that produce consumer products. They invest in research to discover new and innovative ways to either ease production or the quality of the products produced all while reducing the cost of producing them.
5. Research also has become a means to test and watch against lies and the approval of the truth. If research is done by a researcher and he has a result, such result must be attainable by another person using the same methods of experiments.

RPROBLEMS OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Given the plethora of issues that plague most LDC’s, researchers in these countries are faced with a lot of handicaps to conduct their research in their country some of which includes:
a. Human Resources: Given the lack of educational infrastructures in LDC’s, students who are studying abroad do not find it of benefit to come back to their country. This also contributes to the lack of innovativeness within that country because their graduated students have no reason to stay and develop their country instead when offered a higher paying job oversees, they take it.
b. Funding: This is a major problem faced by researchers in developing countries. Support doesn’t come as a right to researchers but as a sponsorship to foster more innovativeness. This is because most governments of most LDC’s do not view research as anything substantial enough to contribute to the economy. They see research as an activity where money apparently comes out of. Research is an inquiry and it costs a lot of money to carry out.
c. Lack of facilities: The expensiveness of research comes to no surprise that the facilities to carry them out efficiently and effectively are also on the high side. Although most researchers can source for the funds to start, they quickly become handicap as money becomes a constraint.

Name: Obiesie Mmesoma Rejoice
Reg. No: 2018/245427
Department: Economics/Education
E-mail: obiesiemmesoma@gmail.com
Quiz 2
During a paper presentation at the Centre for Economic Research and Scientific Analysis, the Director of the Centre argued that “Research is “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”.It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole.Importance/Purpose of research”. As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.
Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.
What will you tell your audience?
As the special adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters, I’m humbly speaking on what I understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.
1. It’s a Tool for Building Knowledge and Facilitating Learning
Research is required not just for students and academics but for all professionals and nonprofessionals alike. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online.
Knowledge is commonly described as a factual proposition in the mind of an individual. It essentially refers to facts based on objective insights and/or study findings processed by the human brain. It can be acquired through various means, such as reading books and articles, listening to experts, watching documentaries or investigative shows, conducting scientific experiments, and interacting with other people, among others. Facts collected during research can be checked against other sources to ensure their truthfulness and accuracy.
2. It’s a Means to Understand Issues and Increase Public Awareness
Using Research to Understand Current Issues
Television shows and movies—both fictional and nonfictional—ooze with research. For instance, Oprah Winfrey would have not achieved remarkable success as a news anchor and television show host had she eschewed doing her own research about certain topics and public figures. According to entrepreneur and lifestyle coach Paul C. Brunson, in his interview with emotional intelligence expert and author Justin Bariso (2017):
3. It Helps Us Succeed in Business
The Importance of Research and Development (R&D)
Research benefits business. Many successful companies, such as those producing consumer goods or mass-market items, invest in research and development, or R and D. Different industries that involve science and engineering processes (like agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, computer software, semiconductor, information and communication technology, construction, robotics, aerospace, aviation, and energy) have high R and D expenses because it is critical to the creation and improvement of their products and services. R and D can also help secure an advantage over competitors. Finding out how to make things happen more efficiently and differentiate a business’s offerings from those of its competitors can raise a company’s market value.
4. It Allows Us to Disprove Lies and Support Truths
Background Research and Private Investigations
Have you ever experienced the feeling that your partner is having an affair behind your back? Some people would overlook this and say that it’s better not to know; others though would take discreet action, hiring a private detective to find out for sure. What does research have to do with this situation? A lot. Doing research to reveal lies or truths involving personal affairs can contribute to either making a relationship work or breaking away from a dysfunctional one. For the monogamous lot, doing research to disprove or prove infidelity is one way to find out the truth.
5. It Is a Means to Find, Gauge, and Seize Opportunities
Research helps people nurture their potential and achieve goals by taking advantage of various opportunities. This can mean securing employment, being awarded scholarships or grants, securing project funding, initiating a business collaboration, finding budget travel opportunities, or securing other little wins.
6. Using Research to Maximize Job and Career Options
For those looking for a job or seeking greener pastures, research is necessary. With thorough research, an individual can increase their chances of finding employment by scouring job-posting sites, contacting employment agencies. Research can also help inform them if work opportunities are legitimate. Without research, the gullible-yet-hopeful jobseeker or traveling worker may fall prey to unscrupulous headhunters, bogus employment opportunities, or even full-on scams. Sites like Glassdoor and organizations like the Better Business Bureau allow job candidates to find out what experiences others have had with an employer they are considering or a placement agency they are thinking of using. After finding a free or low-cost academic course or skills-development training, students and professionals can assess their eligibility for certain roles and find out about application requirements and deadlines by conducting additional research.
1. Research expands your knowledge base
The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.
2. Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.
3. Research helps you know what you’re up against
In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if your “enemy” isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.
4. Research builds your credibility
People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. When you’ve done the research, it’s much harder for someone to poke holes in what you’re saying. Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.
5. Research helps you narrow your scope
When you’re circling a topic for the first time, you might not be exactly sure where to start. Most of the time, the amount of work ahead of you is overwhelming. Whether you’re writing a paper or formulating a business plan, it’s important to narrow the scope at some point. Research helps you identify the most unique and important themes. You can choose the themes that fit best with the project and its goals.

Name : IZUEKE CHIDERA MAXIMILIAN
REG NO: 2018/246268
DEPARTMENT : Combined social sciences
(Economics/political science)
Purpose/importance of research
Research aids us to find out issues that surrounds a business, how to address it in order to achieve a goal
Research is a systematic way of building knowledge and facilitating learning.
Research promotes truth and disproves lies in the society.
It promotes a love and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
Research is a way to find, measure, and grab opportunities.
We understand issues and create public awareness when we carry out a research.
Research helps us to identify the most unique and/or important themes so as to narrow our scope in a study.
It gives current information and expands knowledge base
2. Challenges to conducting a research and how to overcome them
Choosing the Right Topic
Your research topic is the foundation on which everything else rests, so it is of paramount importance to choose carefully. When choosing a topic, you must pick a topic that is of interest to you and that is researchable.

Choosing the Right Methodology
After you have chosen a topic, you will need procedure for conducting your research. It is important for you to formulate a research question to adopt the best methodology. Then you can now allow your answers to guide you, be clear with your studies and honest about your abilities, give time to the planning process.

Assembling a Research Team
Once you selected your topic and methodology, the next thing you will need is a research team to support your study. Research is never conducted in a space. You must look out for useful feedback and be certain about your needs.

Finding Study Participants
Once you have your team together, you then look for participants to help conduct your study. You must be bold to reach out and avoid wastage of resource.

Getting Institutions to Participate
Sometimes recruiting study participants requires going through institutions. This institutions may put up barriers, mainly if your research is controversial or sensitive. This brings up an additional challenge. To overcome this, build relationships with the persons who will help you gain access, always percevere, do not give up at the first rejection, and pursue alternative opportunities.

Staying Motivated and Working Your Plan
Maintaining the motivation to keep going despite obstacles in your research, pressures of work and personal commitments in a large research is indeed a great internal challenge. This challenge can be addressed by following your passion and purpose, learn to monitor your attitude, and ask for help.

Dealing With Your Data
The final challenge is knowing how to make sense of the data that you have collected when you have completed the study. You can solve this by grounding yourself in the research, get back to your methodology and account for biases.

Other challenges includes
Lack of funds for research
Time management
Change
Lack of proper research ethics
Low accessibility to data and information
Poor Technological Advancement
Insecurity
Ineffective Educational System

NAME: IGWILO UGOCHUKWU HENRY
REG NO: 2017/249345
DEPT: ECONOMICS/SOCIOLOGY (COMBINED SOCIAL SCIENCE)
COURSE: RESEARCH METHOD (ECO 391)

QUESTION

During a paper presentation at the Centre for Economic Research and Scientific Analysis, the Director of the Centre argued that“Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole. Importance/Purpose of research”. As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.

Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.

ANSWERS

PURPOSE OF A RESEARCH

The purpose of research is to inform action. Thus, your study should seek to contextualize its findings within the larger body of research. Research must always be of high quality in order to produce knowledge that is applicable outside of the research setting. Furthermore, the results of your study may have implications for policy and future project implementation.

Basically, Social research can serve a variety of purposes. Three of the most influential and common purposes of research are exploration, description and explanation.

Exploration involves familiarizing a researcher with a topic. Exploration satisfies the researcher’s curiosity and desire for improved understanding. Exploration tests the feasibility of undertaking a more extensive study. Exploration helps develop the methods that will be used in a study.

Description involves describing situations and events through scientific observation. Scientific descriptions are typically more accurate and precise than causal ones. For example, the U. S. Census uses descriptive social research in its examination of characteristics of the U. S. population.

Explanation involves answering the questions of what, where, when, and how. Explanatory studies answer questions of why. For example, an explanatory analysis of the 2002 General Social Survey (GSS) data indicates that 38 percent of men and 30 percent of women said marijuana should be legalized, while 55 percent of liberals and 27 percent of conservatives said the same. Given these statistics, you could start to develop an explanation for attitudes toward marijuana legalization. In addition, further study of gender and political orientation could lead to a deeper explanation of this issue.

IMPORTANCE OF A RESEARCH

i) More fact corroboration: When you find a fact in one reference source that is supported in another reference source, you can be assured that the fact you are using in your business paper or assignment is accurate.

ii) More viewpoints: The more resources you use, the more viewpoints you will consider during your topic exploration. This allows you to consider more ideas than the original one you may have been assigned.
More facts: When you use more research skills and sources, you will be able to gain more facts for your final project.
° Larger frame of understanding: Because different research sources offer different kinds of information, you can find different ways to understand your topic, depending on the manner in which you need to present your findings.

iii) Gain knowledge quickly: If you need to prepare for a presentation or a test, you want to be able to find the facts about your topic quickly. With basic research skills, you will find what you need promptly.

TO DISCUSS AND ANALYSE THE PROBLEMS OF CONDUCTING SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Various issues have clogged on the wheels of social research in Nigeria. Thereby, slowing the pace of its growth or keeping it stagnated. It has been observed that the proper environment for research is not yet available in Nigeria. As stated in Odia and Omofonmwan (2013), a conducive environment is needed for growth and utilization of research. For this to happen, many things have to be considered, among which include: adequate infrastructure, trained manpower, institutional capacity, and sufficient funding. The entire population must also be motivated to adopt a science culture as a pattern of life. These and other matters call for the urgent attention
of practitioners, policy makers and other significant persons in Nigeria by the New Growth Theory, nations are expected to grow on the bases of human resources they possess.

These human resources are responsible for the brewing of knowledge, finding solutions to problems and as well applications. But this is not so in Nigeria, in spite of the numerous human and material resources with which they are blessed. Based on the precedent set above, we can now explore further on areas that have affected our
developmental strides with particular reference to those issues that impede on the astuteness and quality of social
research. Scholars have taken varying positions on this particular phenomenon.

Nevertheless, they all concur to the fact that social research in Nigeria could have done better, especially when in comparison with what is obtainable in those nations usually referred to as advanced.

Among legion of problems that have bedeviled the progress of social research in
Nigeria, some of them include:

i. Absence of a clear cut philosophy of national development: The foundation to achieving harmony
between the demands/expectations of a state and the response/obligation of its citizens, is enshrined in clear cut philosophies that are engraved in the minds of the citizens through conscious teachings. If research in Nigeria becomes an inalienable philosophy for its development, citizens would concertedly
act to achieving development via the production and reproduction of ideas, innovations and new
technologies. It is in the presence of such philosophies that the instability of government would no
longer be a challenged since everyone must have to tailor his/her actions to the demands of the stated philosophies. In nations where this is present, people out of even involuntary compulsion tend to see themselves living in such ideals. A consistent, coherent and comprehensive philosophy of national
development is essential for concerted research effort.

ii) Poor attention given to the development of Human Capacity: Human resource is a major precedent for development whose importance cannot be overemphasized. It goes beyond population to the quality of the population evident in what is brought to the table by these humans for development to happen. In Nigeria, the poor attention given to the development of human capacity in all ramifications is worrisome and has affected the quality of social research both on the part of the researchers and their
respondents. An enlightened and astute researcher might not get the best of results from a respondent who lacks fundamental features of being properly educated. A social researcher who does not have the penchant for research owing to lack of motivations and a research enabled environ might also not get the best of results no matter how enlightened his/her respondents might be. All of these boils down to
the absence of quality attention offered to the development of human capacity, most importantly at institutional levels.
The foregoing was captured in Kamba (2008) who stated that expected outcomes of a functional research and development initiatives entail equipping the people with the needed capacity with which they need to carry out their economic activities with appreciable degree of proficiency leading to the attainment of maximum output. They
further inferred that these capacities encompass enhancing the people with the skills and competences
needed to effectively harness and utilize the potentials found in one’s environment. In conclusion, they maintained that Nigeria’s case today is evidence of the fact that it is a nation highly populated with
whole lot of potentials but with inadequate competences needed to translate these potentials into socio-economic transformations for the nation.

iii) Absence of Quality Tertiary Education: Tertiary education all over the world are known to be seats of research. They occupy a vital position in the heart of research.
They are instrumental to carrying out these researches for contribution to knowledge base and for applied purposes. They also train researchers at different levels. Most research centres are located within these tertiary institutions for the
purpose of intelligence, logistics and manpower. Tertiary institutions are supposedly to assume a mentorship position for those at the secondary level of education via exchange of ideas either on special invites, provision of secondary schools’research educators, provision of text materials, to mention but few. It is pathetic that a Nigerian student spends six years all through secondary education without having an introduction or quality experience in proper research ventures. This has adversely affected the quality of social research in Nigeria.
It has also affected the quality of social research results especially when these students in these secondary schools are expected to be respondents for a particular study. More so, disciplines like psychology and archeology lack those special equipment and
apparatus that make experimental studies veritable, which to a very large extent affect the degree of
their productivity in having excellent research results. This poses limits on the scope of what they can do, thus, having them to be poorly rated when in comparison with their contemporaries in advanced nations. In a study conducted by Odia and Omofonmwan (2007), they lamented the poor synergy that
exists between tertiary institutions and secondary education and those of research outcomes and intelligence for industries. This brings to the fore that social research conducted in Nigeria is mainly for academic purposes and promotional requirements as against proper application by significant persons
and bodies to better the lots of the people. The absence of these and many more is no motivation at all.

To this end, it is obvious that the absence of quality tertiary education in content, logistics and synergies have clamped on the advancement of social research in Nigeria.

As rightly stated by Odia and Omofonmwan (2013), nations in the world that have attained a reasonable degree of development and those who aspire to attain similar height are nations that have identified and embraced the tenets of qualitative education, research and development as well as making their services accessible to its people.

Thus, the university serves as a broker between government and private interests. It also has the opportunity to serve the public and common good by provoking public debates with unbiased research. In a study conducted by Odia and Omofonmwan (2013) on Research and Development Initiatives in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects, using the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, a significant large percentage of the respondents concurred to the fact that a nation’s level of development is a function of its research initiatives and development structure which is navigated by the works of
quality tertiary institutions. Hence, social research in Nigeria would become only as good as the quality of tertiary institutions within the nation.

v) Funding: this has been a major issue for most ventures all over the world, owing to scarce resources. Nonetheless, nations have resorted to getting priorities right to circumvent the ills of poor funding on productivity. This is evident in the fact that areas that are capable of yielding more resources are prioritized in their budgets. One of such areas is education and research which have been proven to be major precursors and requisites for development to happen. In the Nigeria’s case, these areas have
long been affected which tells on its development. Lack of adequate funds for a people-centred research like that of the social research has clogged the wheels of advancement for such developmental germane venture.
The overbearing preference given to the pure and physical sciences over the social sciences has also affected the funding of social research. The Nigerian government and related institutions could spend so much on space science, meteorological studies, geological mining and other relatives. Studies
and research in the social sciences such as gerontology, criminology, religion studies, conflict management, human resource management, public relations, juvenile care, child welfare, policy studies and among others, when in comparison with their contemporaries in the pure and physical sciences, suffer for lack of adequate funding.
This has led to disciplines who are adequately funded to scorn those who are not, thus undermining their relevance. This has equally affected the real application of such knowledge within those areas of neglect to the actual course for which they have been informed. Suffice
here that the myriad of social problems faced by Nigeria is a show of the neglect of these areas responsible to social research, which has been described people-centred. Therefore, development as a people-centered project becomes untenable for such a nation. To confirm the above, Okunamiri, Okoli
and Okunamiri (2008) in their study, asserted that a nation’s pace of development is determined by its
level of research funding.

NAME: OKORONKWO UCHECHUKWU DAVID
REG: 2017/241455
DEPARTMENT: ECONOMICS
EMAIL: okoronkwo762@gmail.com

The main purposes of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study.
The purpose of a research generally is for it be able to open our eyes more into the depths of the study, thus we have the following purposes which are;
1, The Exploratory: which as the name suggests, researchers conduct exploratory studies to explore a group of questions, although answers and analytics may not offer a conclusion to the perceived problem. It is undertaken to handle new problem areas that haven’t been explored before.
This exploratory process lays the foundation for more conclusive data collection and analysis.
2, Descriptive: focuses on expanding knowledge on current issues through a process of data collection. A Descriptive research describes the behavior of a sample population, Only one variable is required to conduct the study and the three primary purposes of descriptive studies are describing, explaining, and validating the findings. For example, a study conducted to know if top-level management leaders in the 21st century possess the moral right to receive a considerable sum of money from the company profit.
3, Explanatory: Causal or explanatory research is conducted to understand the impact of specific changes in existing standard procedures and running experiments is the most popular form.
For instance, a study that is conducted to understand the effect of rebranding on customer loyalty.
Some importance of Research are;
It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
It helps us succeed in business.
It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
It helps in writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.

Performing clinical research in the developing countries has multiple barriers and they are;
1, Lack of Training: It is a big problem faced by researchers in developing countries. There is scarcity of qualified research workers. Many research workers take a step in the dark not understanding research techniques. The majority of the work, which goes in the name of research is not methodologically sound. Research to a lot of investigators is mainly a cut and paste job with no insight shed on the collated materials. The impact is obvious, the research results, frequently, don’t reveal the reality. Therefore, an organized study of research methodology is definitely an immediate requirement. Prior to undertaking research projects, investigators must be well equipped with all the methodological aspects. As such, efforts need to be made to provide short term intensive courses for achieving this requirement.
2, Repetition: Research studies overlapping one another are carried out in many cases for want of adequate information.
3, Lack of Interaction: You will find inadequate interaction between the university research department, on one side and business establishments, government departments and research institutions, on the other.
4, Illiteracy: This has affected the appreciation of the value of research findings by the vast majority of the people (social workers and business executive)
5, Lack of Code of Conduct: There doesn’t exist a code of conduct for researchers and inter-University and inter-departmental rivalries are also quite common.
6, Shortage of Resources: For performing a quality research sufficient funds are not provided. This discourages research of all types. Governments, institutions/organizations don’t appreciate the contributions of research findings to economic development and for that reason do not offer adequate amounts for research of all types.
7, Absence of Coordination: There exists lack of coordination among various organizations responsible for performing research.
8, Problem of Conceptualization: Many a time problems of conceptualization and problems concerning the procedure for data collection and related things crop up leading to frittering of resources.
9, Scanty Information Base: This narrows down the volume and quality of literature accessible to a researcher. Put simply, not much research findings have been collected from where a researcher can take help.
10, Lack of confidence: The business houses are usually unwilling to provide the necessary information to researchers because of fear of misuse of information.

Name: ozoemena Chukwuebuka sabastine
Reg:no 2017/250816
Course: assignment on Eco 391 purpose and important of research and challenges in conducting research in less developed countries.

To explore the unique challenges that occur when conducting research in developing countries so the reader can consider approaches for providing ethically and culturally-appropriate research strategies applicable for the context of the host country.
Organizing Construct
This article presents an overview of the challenges, which are organized based on the phases of the research period: pre-enrollment, enrollment, and post-enrollment. At each stage, examples of adaptation to meet the challenges are presented and recommendations are posited.
Conclusions
Strategies for research should protect the rights of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations while balancing the needs of society at-large, provide culturally relevant ethical informed consent while balancing institutional review board requirements, and conduct research in a culturally-appropriate manner for the host country while balancing the principles of ethical research established by developed countries.
Clinical Relevance
Researchers are implored to focus on the ethical and cultural appropriateness of each aspect of the study process to afford the highest level of research credibility and validity.Keywords: cultural issues, international health, ethical issues, research trends
Research should be conducted in a manner that is appropriate for the unique community and the culture of the proposed research site. While this may seem straightforward, significant challenges have been encountered when conducting research in developing countries where cultural perspectives often vary significantly from those of developed countries. These challenges include: protecting the rights of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations while balancing the needs of the many providing a relevant informed consent that is truly appropriate for the culture of study while balancing an institutional review board’s set of rules, and conducting research in a culturally-appropriate manner for the host country while balancing the principles of ethical research established by developed countries.Beneficence, justice, and respect for the rights of each human being should be expressed throughout the research plan. Ethical research can only be conducted when the unique circumstances and constraints of the host country are considered and the standards of research are upheld, yet adapted, to address these needs.One might question, why should we conduct research in developing countries? Many developing countries have insufficient resources or a weak infrastructure to support their own research.The Global Forum for Health Research reports that only 10% of research funding is spent on 90% of the world’s health problems; therefore using funds from developed countries to address health disparities in the lesser developed countries is appropriate to reduce the inequality that Constituents of the United States (US) or other developed countries might question the exportation of research dollars to other countries. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) support research outside the US when the research has the potential to impact global health issues that affect many countries. Indigenous knowledge may hold keys to scientific advances. Also, the incidence of specific diseases may not be high in the US or other developed countries and therefore no longer a developed-world focus. Researchers must travel to the geographical regions where the diseases are more prevalent and those suffering are in continued need of care. For example, diarrhea remains the second leading cause of mortality for children under the age of five worldwide. Yet this is a health concern found primarily in developing countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), malaria remains a leading cause of illness and death in developing countries. Clearly, the staggering rates of these diseases warrant further research to reduce mortalities.The majority of published literature related to conducting research in developing countries is currently written by ethicists. Normative global health ethics seeks to identify “wrongdoings” and readdress those issues in an ethical manner which is appropriate to “specific circumstances and constraints. In consideration of this ethical framework, nursing must take a pro-active stance and join the conversation in order to lead health initiatives on a global front in a more ethical manner.Researchers commonly initiate research studies with the best intentions. Unfortunately a lack of understanding by the researchers of the social determinants of health and the unique cultural factors of the community inhibit attempts to attain successful outcomes. A systematic review of 27 studies focusing on improving patient knowledge of informed consent found evidence of comprehension issues related to the meaning of randomization, placebo, benefits, and risks Of the 27 studies, three were conducted outside the US and reported a lack of understanding related to terminology in the presence of low literacy levels. During a community-directed treatment study for onchocerciasis (river blindness) in Tanzania, people failed to participate in the treatment due to a lack of understanding about the cause of the disease, the benefit of the medication, and fears of sterility and impotence that might be associated with the medication.. Consideration of the low literacy levels in this community and the availability of visual education materials would likely have improved the outcomes of the program. Also, the lack of education for the community-directed distributors of the medication played a pivotal role in the less-than-optimal implementation of the program.The Declaration of Helsinki, established in 1964, provides guidance on ethical issues in research; however, it offers little guidance to address specific issues that arise when conducting research in developing countries.This document was originally intended for use by physicians conducting biomedical research and suggests a portion of participants be assigned to a control group. The participants in the control group may receive a placebo; therefore they are not always provided the best treatment. For example, clinical trials regarding the use of zidovudine, in developing countries in 1994, deemed the drug too expensive for developing countries; thus placebos were used in one arm of the study. Clearly, the participants who were placed in the placebo group (participants received no treatment) were not provided with the best treatment. This lead to ethical questions about the research associated with preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in developing countries.A great debate exists about what is “ethical” care that should be provided, both during and after the study. What should be provided: the standard of care for a developed country or the standard of care in the host country? Can the host country afford to provide the best care? What happens after the research is over? Can a level of best care be maintained? An updated version of the Declaration in 2008, continues to fuel the debate. The declaration continues to support the use of placebos when no effective treatment is available or there are compelling reasons to support the use of the placebo and participants will not be subject to any serious harm.It is important to develop a research plan with health interventions that will be available and can be sustained in the host country.
These issues and questions provide a small glimpse of the challenges associated with research in developing countries. The following sections address specific challenges from published literature, as well as the encounters of two experienced researchers working with indigenous populations in the developing countries of Guatemala and Kenya. The following challenges and recommendations are organized based on the phases of the research periods: pre-enrollment, enrollment, and post-enrollment.
Pre-enrollment Phase
The pre-enrollment phase involves determining how to convey the meaning and protocol of the research study, assessing the community for issues that may impact the research study, and demonstrating respect of the potential research participants (Woodsong & Abdool Karim, 2005). An ethical challenge for the professional conducting research in a cross-cultural environment, often within a vulnerable population, is to ensure “truly voluntary and fully informed” consent.Challenges related to the informed consent protocol have been encountered in multiple and diverse studies worldwide. According to Igoumenidis and Zyga (2011), “informed consent is the cornerstone of modern ethics, but it tends to lose its true meaning when put in the context of a developing country” (p. 247). Low education levels often affect the participant’s full understanding of what research entails (Stapleton et al., 2014). In sub-Saharan Africa, researchers participating in the HIV/AIDS Prevention Trials were challenged to find ways to develop informed consents that conveyed basic research concepts in a society where few participants had even the basic education levels to understand what is meant by “experiment” (Woodsong & Abdool Karim, 2005). Many Maasai in Kenya continue to live very traditional lifestyles in a predominately oral society, and have limited or no formal schooling (Strang & Mixer, 2015). While conducting research in Kenya, pre-enrollment involved the careful translation of the informed consent using forward and backward procedures along with community input; training of the translators about the research process and importance of fully informing the participants; and allowing a time for questions by the participant prior to each interview.Other challenges related to the informed consent arise in diverse cultures. Informed consent is a process and requires community input, formal or informal, depending on the culture of the community. For many countries, autonomous decision-making is not a communal social structure concept (Woodsong & Abdool Karim, 2005). For example, in Maasailand, Kenya, research involvement required the overall, initial permission to be given by the area chief and Maasai elders for the villagers to participate. When granted permission, the researcher was informed that individual consents were no longer needed. Word had traveled to the villages prior to the arrival of the researcher that they had permission to share their stories. In accordance with institutional review board (IRB) protocol, the procedure to garner individual consents was still fully followed. During a study in rural Guatemala, permission was sought from the cocode (local mayor and town council) prior to beginning focus groups or household surveys. some cases, informed consent may be more heavily focused on protecting the rights of the researchers from developed countries, and not the rights of participants. Based on the standards of the developed world, the informed consent may be lengthy; may include complicated concepts that are foreign to collectivistic cultures; and is often impractical in an oral society.The standard protocol for informed consent requires an explanation of the study, benefits, risks, incentives, privacy, confidentiality, and contact information for the researchers as well as the sponsoring university. The provision of contact information for the researcher’s IRB, which is located in a foreign country, for all practical purposes, is irrelevant for poor, non-technological communities and participants. In Guatemala, participants often consult their family members before giving their permission to participate in the research. The western concept of confidentiality often seems at odds with their family-oriented culture. Language differences create significant barriers for true informed consent. All words are not completely translatable into another language. Words such as “placebo” and “randomization” may not translate, if no equivalent word exists in the indigenous language. Researchers must consider these issues and balance them with the requirements of the IRB for their institution.Gaining permission in a developing country with different social structures presents additional challenges. Commonly, patriarchal or matriarchal social structures may require non-research participants to give consent for others to participate. The process of gaining permission frequently is a lengthy process. In Massailand, this process required almost two years. The researcher visited the host country to gain gatekeeper permissions, hear potential community concerns about the research process, confirm interest in and need for the study topic within the community, and seek opportunities for pragmatic use of data gathered for the research participants or community at large.Prior to the actual study date, this initial effort paved the way for an overwhelming response to participate in a large ethnonursing study of 48 participants from the Maasai community. In Guatemala, this process was reduced to approximately six months by the presence of an in-country host, who served as a liaison with the community.This host, with a well-established reputation within the local community, facilitated meetings and introductions to gatekeepers of the village. Also, one of the researchers had been working in the community periodically for over 3 years.Age of consent varies depending upon the host country and should also be considered in the context of the country of study. In Guatemala, the age of consent is 18. According to NIH guidelines, the age of consent is 21 years; thereby necessitating a waiver from the IRB to allow participants to provide their own consent.Indigenous cultures may have alternative definitions of adulthood that do not fit with a chronological age. For example, marriage and motherhood may signify adulthood, while occurring far less than 18 years of age. Within the Maasai culture, it was important to seek the malaria care practices from all generations of malaria sufferers and care givers. To hear the full story, the researcher sought and was granted IRB approval for mothers and fathers age 14 and above (Strang & Mixer, 2015). Not only is age an important consideration, gender practices may influence how consent is given. In certain cultures, male consent must be given for females to participate (Woodsong & Abdool Karim, 2005). Many variations of the consent process must be considered prior to development of a culturally appropriate consent.Opportunities to gather credible data are the responsibilities of all researchers. In the Maasailand study, villagers were very hesitant to participate in the interviews because as they stated researchers in the past had come, interviewed them, promised to return with information, but never had (Strang & Mixer, 2015). In addition to apologies that previous researchers had not kept their word, much time was spent with the leaders of the village to assure them the researcher would return with the study results and a training seminar on the topic of malaria care.
Enrollment Phase
Ethical considerations continue in the enrollment phase, the research period during which informed individuals agree to participant in the study. Often in a cross-cultural research study, a different language is used with which the research team is not completely familiar. Some have debated that the research team should be representative of the community and cultural. This is not feasible in many indigenous communities. Finding an indigenous member of the community with the required education levels, language skills, and expertise to conduct or lead the research may be highly improbable. In addition, the participants of an oral culture such as the Maasai do not often read. Ensuring comprehension of the study to each participant is critical, yet may not follow the standard IRB approach to confirm the best understanding. Because participants may find the consent process long and boring with untranslatable terms or concepts, consent should only include essential and relevant information. In countries with low formal education levels, non-readers or non-writers require the entire process to be oral. Consent forms that require a signature or mark from the participant often raise issues of mistrust, especially if the participant cannot read or write. In cultures with an oral tradition, a person’s verbal consent is highly valued. As both authors have witnessed while conducting research, asking for a signature to confirm the contract may actually imply an insult to the individual’s integrity.
Demonstration of comprehension is essential. Providing a verbal agreement for consent does not always ensure that participants are choosing to enroll for the appropriate reason. Research participants may be influenced by others within their community (i.e., community leaders) or by family members who urge them to participate.Participants may have unrealistic expectations of the benefits or risks. In Guatemala, potential community health workers were informed that minimal reading skills were required to participate as a promotora (promotor of health). Even when this was repeated daily, women continued to come to training sessions with less than adequate literacy skills.To assist in comprehension, incorporating community members into the research process is strongly supported by community-based research protocols, but this also can add challenges. Standard IRB protocols require members of a research team (i.e., anyone collecting data) to complete training on human research ethics. However, ethics training in the developed world is not always amendable in a developing world context.Members of the community frequently also have low literacy skills and a lack of formal education.
Cultural practices sometimes conflict with the treatment and inventions of the study. Information about voluntary withdrawal must be balanced with acknowledgement of their value to the research program and encouragement not to withdraw. If too many people withdraw, then the research may be jeopardized. During HIV Prevention trials, researchers balanced the enrollment of women to the condom-only groups with the microbicide groups of the study (Woodsong & Abdool Karim, 2005). It was feared that women would withdraw from the condom-only group. Researchers in this study focused on the importance and value to the community of the participants’ willingness to remain in the study.
Post-enrollment Phase
The post-enrollment phase is the timeframe when the study is underway and may extend past the actual period of research. This phase ensures continuation of the study and also entails its own unique challenges. If a study continues over a long period of time, misunderstandings about the research and interventions may occur. Many Maasai informants requested clinics with malaria medicines and distribution of free insecticide treated nets (ITNs), but immediate fulfillment of these were outside the scope of the research study. It was important, during the study period of two months, to listen carefully and quell rumors that certain areas would receive such benefits. In Guatemala, rumors began to circulate that promotoras were being paid to provide education to families. This belief led to an expectation that families should also receive payment. In fact, promotoras only received a small quota of cell phone minutes in order to communicate with the researchers. Reasonable incentives for the culture, context, host country, and individual’s time are important to reiterate during each stage of the research.
Some of the challenges of international research extend beyond the period of intervention. The information gathered and opportunities for care relevant to the data are often difficult to share because: (1) the researcher may have returned to their country to review and determine findings;
(2) the cost to return to the research setting may not be included in the research funds; and
(3) needed care related to research findings may not be affordable or accessible for the participants. The responsibility of the researcher to address the discoveries of needed professional care for the participants should also be considered prior to the onset of the study.
Recommendations
Each of these challenges, that are more commonly encountered in developing countries, need nurses to acknowledge the dilemmas that arise and promote ethical and culturally-appropriate research in order to fully protect every research participant. In a study conducted with registered nurses serving as research coordinators (n=266), scientific misconduct in the form of informed consent violations occurred in approximately a quarter (26.6%) of the research studies.The International Code of Ethics for Nurses.Includes the universal mandate for all nurses to uphold ethical practices, respect the cultural rights of each human being, and provide culturally appropriate information. The code is intended for application in every aspect of nursing practice, including research among vulnerable populations. Researchers can develop partnerships of accountability among international, regional, community, and local persons who share the topic of interest.Prior to, during, and post research study; the primary researcher met with international, national, community, and local leaders for the fight against malaria to ensure relevance of study, and shared information, sought research needs, and brainstormed post-research resources for the Maasai community. Researchers are further encouraged to consider Meleis’s eight criteria for culturally competent scholarship throughout all phases of the research process. These criteria address contextuality, relevance, communication styles, awareness of identity and power differentials, disclosure, reciprocation, empowerment, and time. The authors, whose expertise is working in developing countries, make the following recommendations to conduct an ethical study. The recommendations support and expand upon the three phases outlined by Woodsong and Abdool Karim (2005) and support Meleis’ guidelines for culturally competent research.
Pre-enrollment Phase
Externally-sponsored research should be reviewed by an independent reviewer from the host country in addition to the sponsoring country.Ethical research practices require an added layer of accountability when data is collected within a developing countries.Initially, the researcher should consider how best to offer cross-cultural care over the span of the study. This would include cultural and participant factors, such as the cultural context, education level, socio-economic status, and translation needs in relation to informed consent, translation needs, compensation, and benefits to the participants.To discover this information, formal and informal community leaders should be involved. This will enhance the overall understanding of the entire research process for both the researchers and the participating parties sought an external review with a non-governmental organization (NGO) working in Guatemala to ensure the protocol was appropriate for the cultural context. This type of input is essential to develop health care interventions which are culturally and economically suitable for the host country.Advisory boards and focus groups should be established to represent the concerns of participants prior to enrollment.In Guatemala, meeting with the cocode allowed the researchers to seek permission to work in the community, but also to answer questions about the intent of the research and how the information would be used. Community representatives need to be involved in the decision-making process to clarify the types of activities that participants will engage in during the research. It is critically important that researchers make an effort to learn what the community wants and expects from the study prior to the initiation of enrollment procedures. Researchers and community members should agree in advance about the materials and/or interventions that will be shared as a result of the research.Also anticipating common health problems that occur outside the parameters of the research protocol may prevent ethical scenarios associated with failure to provide treatment. For example, promotoras were trained to recognize and make referrals for children who were exhibiting signs of dehydration. While they did provide education, they also performed consultations for children with diarrhea. should consider the length of the consent and how to include all the necessary information to fulfill ethical standards in a concise manner while incorporating the cultural perspectives of the country. Maasai elders, community leaders, and others in the Maasai community-at-large were consulted by the researcher as to the relevance and cultural respect of the research inquiry guide (Strang & Mixer, 2015). This information was then used to construct important concepts of the informed consent. Researchers may choose to conduct a pilot study with the consent form to determine its usefulness in the target community.To enhance communication and culturally appropriate interactions during the research period, the use of translators who are fluent in the languages used and an expert in the culture is important. Careful translation of the informed consent in the language of the participants will enable the highest possible level of comprehension. Consideration prior to IRB approval is necessary to determine the need of a written or oral format for the informed consent. Researchers should consider avoiding the use of signed consent forms when possible. The need for an oral consent procedure should be anticipated during the pre-enrollment phase and researchers should gain an IRB waiver for a signed consent.To best enable community members to assist in the pre-enrollment phase, to engage in the research process, and to enhance the comprehension of participants; training materials must be adapted to their culture, language, and education level. Materials available through the Family Health International’s Research Ethics Training Curriculum provide an excellent starting point, but should be adapted to the specific community.
Enrollment Phase
Most developed countries’ IRB policies are focused on the rights of the individual, yet this focus may conflict with the values of collectivistic cultures.Informed consent should be provided in a manner that allows for the whole family to be involved when appropriate to the culture. If the consent is read to the participants, it is suggested to read each section then follow with a period of questions and answers before moving to the next section of the consent. Allowing interested family members sufficient time to ask questions and to be involved may be more consistent with the norms of the culture.Community-based research occurs in homes and villages where arrival is public and members of the community at-large may view the research participant as getting special privileges.Research incentives may be viewed by others as special privileges; thus creating some level of animosity within close communities. It is essential to keep these cultural variations in mind when conducting research. Compensation and incentives should be relevant to the cultural context. In Maasailand, it was suggested by a Western researcher that each participant should receive an ITN as an incentive for a malaria study. However, the cost of an ITN was equivalent to the pay from three days of work and it had not yet been discovered if the Maasai communities had knowledge of the use or benefits of an ITN. It is often difficult to determine non-coercive compensation in a developing world context.A pre-research visit to the Maasai culture revealed that an ITN was actually not a culturally appropriate incentive.Health problems may be identified during the research study which will not be treated by the research intervention. It is important to foster relationships with local agencies or NGOs who can provide ancillary health care needs. For example, some of the Maasai participants did not desire to talk about malaria, but about their current concerns for clean water or of the problem with bed bugs. It is important that the researcher is aware of the closest health care facility to each interview site, so to refer persons for assistance.
Post-enrollment Phase
Both during and following the study time frame, efforts to maintain cultural and ethical practices continue. Researchers should continuously check for rumors or misconceptions that are occurring in the community that may affect enrollment.Participants may expect special privileges or incentives that were not anticipated or planned by the researchers. Ethics boards may limit incentives, yet communities may expect some type of incentives for their participation. Eventually, the products or knowledge gained from the research should be shared with the local community in addition to higher levels within the host country. Any product developed through the research efforts should be made available to participants in a reasonable manner.Following the completion of the research in Guatemala, the training materials were shared with the local health post and the regional office. The promotoras were urged to connect with the local clinic and continue to assist with training and consultations within the community. resources provide guidance for researchers working outside developed countries. The Ethical Aspects of Clinical Research in Developing Countries provides a framework of 8 principles to be considered when conducting research in a developing country. This report also provides 31 benchmarks to assist researchers to evaluate the ethical appropriateness of their study. A report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (2002) provides four principles to guide research in developing countries.
These principles include:
(a) the duty to alleviate suffering
(b) the duty to show respect for persons
(c) the duty to be sensitive to cultural differences; and the duty not to exploit the vulnerable.

Name: Nwajuagu Divine Ndubuisi
Reg no: 2018/248278
Email: nwajuagudivine22@gmail.com

As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.

The purpose of a research simply put are the objectives a researcher aims to achieve by conducting a research. The laid down aims, the reasons why a researcher decided to conduct a research is the purpose of a research. They may include; To understand existing subject matter better.
To provide more answers to unknown problems.
To make predictions on how to tackle similar problems.
To formulate new theories to enrich the frontiers of knowledge.
To bridge gaps left by previous research works.
The importance of research include:
It helps in finding explanations to unexplained occurrence, event or phenomenon
It helps in creating generally applicable new knowledge.
It helps in expansion and verification of existing knowledge.
It helps in development of theories that can be used for forecasting and policy purpose.
It helps in problem diagnosis and analysis.

Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries. What will you tell your audience?

* Lack of training: In developing countries, most researchers are not properly trained. They are not equipped with the full knowledge of how to condudct research. This results in most research works being poorly done and the result of the research nor being accurate.
* Lack of funding: In developing countries researchers are not properly funded to carry out their research. This may be due to the government nor seeing research as an important thing, or them not holding it in high regard. This results in researchers being discouraged or research works not properly done.
* Illiteracy: The disadvantages of illiteracy in this world are widely known and research works also suffer from it. Many people due to illiteracy refuse to cooperate with researchers when they are conducting their researches. This leads to the researchers not having proper data to conduct their research.

Name:Kalu Divine Oluchi
Reg No: 2018/249490
Course code: ECO 391

*During a paper presentation at the Centre for Economic Research and Scientific Analysis, the Director of the Centre argued that “Research is “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”.It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole.Importance/Purpose of research”. As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

Exploration involves familiarizing a researcher with a topic. Exploration satisfies the researcher’s curiosity and desire for improved understanding. Exploration tests the feasibility of undertaking a more extensive study. Exploration helps develop the methods that will be used in a study.
Description involves describing situations and events through scientific observation. Scientific descriptions are typically more accurate and precise than causal ones. For example, the U. S. Census uses descriptive social research in its examination of characteristics of the U. S. population.
Explanation involves answering the questions of what, where, when, and how. Explanatory studies answer questions of why. For example, an explanatory analysis of the 2002 General Social Survey (GSS) data indicates that 38 percent of men and 30 percent of women said marijuana should be legalized, while 55 percent of liberals and 27 percent of conservatives said the same. Given these statistics, you could start to develop an explanation for attitudes toward marijuana legalization. In addition, further study of gender and political orientation could lead to a deeper explanation of this issue.

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH

1. It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
2. It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
3. It helps us succeed in business.
4. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
5. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
6. It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.

**Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.

Lack of Training: It is a big problem faced by researchers in developing countries. There is scarcity of qualified research workers. Many research workers take a step in the dark not understanding research techniques. The majority of the work, which goes in the name of research is not methodologically sound. Research to a lot of investigators is mainly a cut and paste job with no insight shed on the collated materials. The impact is obvious, viz., the research results, frequently, don’t reveal the reality. Therefore, an organized study of research methodology is definitely an immediate requirement. Prior to undertaking research projects, investigators must be well equipped with all the methodological aspects. As such, efforts need to be made to provide short term intensive courses for achieving this requirement.

Lack of confidence: The business houses are usually unwilling to provide the necessary information to researchers because of fear of misuse of information.

Repetition: Research studies overlapping one another are carried out in many cases for want of adequate information.

Lack of Interaction: You will find inadequate interaction between the university research department, on one side and business establishments, government departments and research institutions, on the other.
Illiteracy: This has affected the appreciation of the value of research findings by the vast majority of the people (social workers and business executive)

Lack of Code of Conduct: There doesn’t exist a code of conduct for researchers and inter-University and inter-departmental rivalries are also quite common.

Shortage of Resources: For performing a quality research sufficient funds are not provided. This discourages research of all types. Governments, institutions/organizations don’t appreciate the contributions of research findings to economic development and for that reason do not offer adequate amounts for research of all types.

Absence of Coordination: There exists lack of coordination among various organizations responsible for performing research.

Problem of Conceptualization: Many a time problems of conceptualization and problems concerning the procedure for data collection and related things crop up leading to frittering of resources.

Scanty Information Base: This narrows down the volume and quality of literature accessible to a researcher. Put simply, not much research findings have been collected from where a researcher can take help.

Name; ONWUJIUBA OBIANUJU NNENNA
DEPARTMENT: ECONOMICS/POLITICAL SCIENCE (CSS)
REG NO: 2018/247080
ASSIGNMENT
What are the purposes and importance of research?
There are many purposes why people conduct a research and some of these purposes are:
1. Information gathering:one of the main purposes of conducting a research is to discover, uncover and explore data and Information that one didn’t know about.
2. Theory testing: this can come in two forms which are:
I. Explanatory: this is testing and understanding causal relations.
II. Predictions: that is the act of predicting what might happen in different scenarios based on the data collected during the research.
3. The purpose of research is therefore to find out what is known, what is not and what we can develop further.When you perform research, you are essentially trying to solve a mystery—you want to know how something works or why something happened. In other words, you want to answer a question that you (and other people) have about the world. This is one of the most basic reasons for performing research.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1. It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth
2. It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
3. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
4. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
5. It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
6. Research helps you narrow your scope
When you’re circling a topic for the first time, you might not be exactly sure where to start. Most of the time, the amount of work ahead of you is overwhelming. Whether you’re writing a paper or formulating a business plan, it’s important to narrow the scope at some point. Research helps you identify the most unique and/or important themes
7. Research introduces you to new ideas
You may already have opinions and ideas about a topic when you start researching. The more you research, the more viewpoints you’ll come across. This encourages you to entertain new ideas and perhaps take a closer look at yours
CHALLENGES OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN LDC’s
Lack of Training: It is a big problem faced by researchers in developing countries. There is scarcity of qualified research workers. Many research workers take a step in the dark not understanding research techniques. The majority of the work, which goes in the name of research is not methodologically sound.
Repetition: Research studies overlapping one another are carried out in many cases for want of adequate information.
Illiteracy: This has affected the appreciation of the value of research findings by the vast majority of the people
Lack of Code of Conduct: There doesn’t exist a code of conduct for researchers and inter-University and inter-departmental rivalries are also quite common.
Shortage of Resources: For performing a quality research sufficient funds are not provided. This discourages research of all types. Governments, institutions/organizations don’t appreciate the contributions of research findings to economic development and for that reason do not offer adequate amounts for research of all types.
Problem of Conceptualization: Many a time problems of conceptualization and problems concerning the procedure for data collection and related things crop up leading to frittering of resources.
Scanty Information Base: This narrows down the volume and quality of literature accessible to a researcher. Put simply, not much research findings have been collected from where a researcher can take help.

NAME: ONAH OGOCHUKWU JULIET

REG NO: 2018/248266

DEPT: ECONOMICS/SOCIOLOGY (COMBINED SOCIAL SCIENCES)

SECOND ASSIGNMENT ON ECO 391:

As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters I would say
The purpose of research
There are two main purpose of research, which are;
Information gathering and theory testing
• Information Gathering : Information Gathering is the act of gathering different kinds of information about something or someone. Examples of information gathering are, surveys, interviews, tests, observation etc.
• Theory-testing: This is the process of ascertaining whether the empirical evidence in a case or in a sample of cases either supports or does not support a given theory. Example, hypothesis testing.

The importance of research
#1. Research expands your knowledge base
The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.

#2. Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.

#3. Research helps you know what you’re up against
In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if your “enemy” isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.

#4. Research introduces you to new ideas
You may already have opinions and ideas about a topic when you start researching. The more you research, the more viewpoints you’ll come across. This encourages you to entertain new ideas and perhaps take a closer look at yours. You might change your mind about something or, at least, figure out how to position your ideas as the best ones.

#5. Research helps with problem-solving
Whether it’s a personal or professional problem, it helps to look outside yourself for help. Depending on what the issue is, your research can focus on what others have done before. You might just need more information, so you can make an informed plan of attack and an informed decision. When you know you’ve collected good information, you’ll feel much more confident in your solution.

Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.
Some of the problem of conducting social science research in developing countries are
1. Poor attention in development of Human Capacity: Most universities don’t necessary take it serious to develop human capacity in the sense that they don’t provide the necessary things needed for the research. Mostly, it’s all about coming to class and teaching without letting the students practice what they are supposed to know by practicing. Although some lecturers do try their best in as much as how low they are paid.

2. Lack of qualified tertiary teachers: Some universities in developing countries may choose to employ some first class graduates that just finished from the department without minding if the person is actually qualified to handle that in spite of the person’s result for example, a graduate may be first class without knowing how to teach or rather impact knowledge.

NAME: OGBONNA LOVETH NNEDINSO
DEPARTMENT: CSS (ECONOMICS/POLITICAL SCIENCE)
REG. NO: 2018/248354
ASSIGNMENT
What are the purposes/importance of research and the challenges of research in LDCs.
ANSWER
The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts and ideas.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1. Research expands your knowledge base: Research helps us to learn more about a topic.
2. Research gives you the latest information: Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made.
3. Research helps you know what you’re up against: In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies.
4. People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. When you’ve done the research, it’s much harder for someone to poke holes in what you’re saying. Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.
5. Doing a lot of research helps you sift through low-quality and high-quality information. The more research you do on a topic, the better you’ll get at discerning what’s accurate and what’s not.
6. Research introduces you to new ideas: You may already have opinions and ideas about a topic when you start researching. The more you research, the more viewpoints you’ll come across. This encourages you to entertain new ideas and perhaps take a closer look at yours. You might change your mind about something or, at least, figure out how to position your ideas as the best ones.
7. Research helps with problem-solving: Whether it’s a personal or professional problem, it helps to look outside yourself for help. Depending on what the issue is, your research can focus on what others have done before.
8. Research helps you reach people: Research is used to help raise awareness of issues like climate change, racial discrimination, gender inequality, and more. Without hard facts, it’s very difficult to prove that climate change is getting worse or that gender inequality isn’t progressing as quickly as it should.
9. Research encourages curiosity: Having curiosity and a love of learning take you far in life. Research opens you up to different opinions and new ideas. It also builds discerning and analytical skills. The research process rewards curiosity. When you’re committed to learning, you’re always in a place of growth.
CHALLENGES IF RESEARCH IN LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
1. Lack of Scientific Training
2.Lack of communication with the supervisor: A university professor is a busy person. It is important to have guidance on a research project. Poor communication gets on the way of the progress of the research.
3.Time management
4.Not having a definite deadline: Deadlines are stressful. But not having a deadline can be troublesome during the Ph.D. journey. Deadlines help you get closer to your goals. Many times, Universities fail to implement a due date to submit the research paper, leading to confusion and improper time management among the scholars.
5.A quantity of literature: It can be difficult to deal with the quantity of literature that one might have accessed. The literature review is iterative.
6. Implementing quality of writing within the literature review: A literature review has to go beyond being a series of references and citations. You need to interpret the literature and be able to position it within the context of your study.
7. Insufficient data: Insufficiency of data is a potential problem. Most of the business establishments are of the opinion that researchers may misuse the data provided by them and so don’t always give out their data.
8. Lack of confidence: Researchers with low self-esteem feel less motivated thereby affecting the quality of the work.
9. Concern that your focus is either still too broad or too narrow: This concern is inevitable. Be prepared to adapt your research as you look through the literature.
10. Library management: Library management and functioning is not satisfactory in many Universities; A lot of time and energy is spent on tracing appropriate books, journals, reports etc. Also, many of the libraries are not able to get copies of new reports and other publications on time.

NAME: E-PATRICK DALOSAH
REG NUMBER: 2018/242457
DEPARTMENT:ECONOMICS
LEVEL:300
COURSE CODE: ECO 361

Answer
No matter what career field you’re in or how high up you are, there’s always more to learn. The same applies to your personal life. No matter how many experiences you have or how diverse your social circle, there are things you don’t know. Research unlocks the unknowns, lets you explore the world from different perspectives, and fuels a deeper understanding. In some areas, research is an essential part of success. In others, it may not be absolutely necessary, but it has many benefits. Here are ten reasons why research is important:

#1. Research expands your knowledge base
The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.

#2. Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.

#3. Research helps you know what you’re up against
In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if your “enemy” isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.

#4. Research builds your credibility
People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. When you’ve done the research, it’s much harder for someone to poke holes in what you’re saying. Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.

#5. Research helps you narrow your scope
When you’re circling a topic for the first time, you might not be exactly sure where to start. Most of the time, the amount of work ahead of you is overwhelming. Whether you’re writing a paper or formulating a business plan, it’s important to narrow the scope at some point. Research helps you identify the most unique and/or important themes. You can choose the themes that fit best with the project and its goals.

Name: Onah Amarachi Jane
Reg no:2018/246265
Dept: Economics

Purposes of Research
.i.Exploratory: Exploratory research is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. Exploration research therefore aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables us to conduct more in-depth research later on.

ii.Descriptive: Descriptive research expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its characteristics and population. Descriptive research focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, but not on the ‘why’.

iii.Explanatory: Explanatory research, also referred to as casual research, is conducted to determine how variables interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Explanatory research deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.
Importance of Research
a. Research expands your knowledge base
The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.

b. Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.

c.Research helps you know what you’re up against
In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if your “enemy” isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.

d.Research teaches you better discernment
Doing a lot of research helps you sift through low-quality and high-quality information. The more research you do on a topic, the better you’ll get at discerning what’s accurate and what’s not. You’ll also get better at discerning the gray areas where information may be technically correct but used to draw questionable conclusions.

e. Research introduces you to new ideas
You may already have opinions and ideas about a topic when you start researching. The more you research, the more viewpoints you’ll come across. This encourages you to entertain new ideas and perhaps take a closer look at yours. You might change your mind about something or, at least, figure out how to position your ideas as the best ones.

f. Research helps with problem-solving
Whether it’s a personal or professional problem, it helps to look outside yourself for help. Depending on what the issue is, your research can focus on what others have done before. You might just need more information, so you can make an informed plan of attack and an informed decision. When you know you’ve collected good information, you’ll feel much more confident in your solution.

Challenges of Research
i.INEFFECTIVE EDUCATION SYSTEM
In other to tackle the problems of research in Nigeria and find possible solutions, researchers must be well trained. How do you train your people to be professional without a functional education system? “Import Knowledge”.
Nigeria needs a total makeover in her education sector from basic up to tertiary level. The truth is that our education system is badly broken and barely functional; and it is not necessarily about the education structure, the education systems or the philosophies but our education system is completely ineffective because of the way we teach our future researchers.

ii.INEFFECTIVE LIBRARY SYSTEM
A system with a badly broken education system is likely to also have a badly broken library system. School-owned libraries in Nigeria usually offer limited research materials and membership restrictions; public libraries are usually scanty; the best libraries in Nigeria are usually private-owned libraries and also the most valuable libraries.The understocked libraries in Nigeria is another major problem of research in Nigeria. Libraries around Nigeria should be stocked with copies of old and new acts, rules, reports, and other academic, economic and government publications.

iii.INSECURITY
Security generally is a problem in Nigeria. The improvised availability of published data from academic institutes, government agencies and other corporate agencies operating in Nigeria is a huge problem of research in Nigeria.

.iv.LACK OF FUNDS FOR RESEARCH
Time and Money are the two most valuable factors in life and the only two factors you can invest. Another problem of research in Nigeria is the lack of money and time.
Research facilities are not cheap to set up these days; neither is the cost of research equipment needed to conduct these research and then the need to properly manage these research facilities and apparatus effectively.
Time also is a limiting factor of research in Nigeria because most professionals in Nigeria are either joggling two jobs or too occupied in one job to give time to research. For instance a university lecturer who is also a clinical psychologist.

v.POOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT
Most of Nigeria researchers are generally old school (pen and paper) and this is a major problem of research in Nigeria because most of these journals, reports and data needed to conduct research are stored in a retrievable technological data base like a secured server by government agencies or corporate organisations operating in Nigeria.
A researcher with a limited technological skill would probably spend all his time surfing through useful data on a technological data base without fully knowing the usefulness of such data because of a restricted technological skills or knowledge.
In other to effective tackle this problem of research in Nigeria, technological skill should be imbibed school curricula to efficiently prepare the researcher.

Nweke Chelsea Kenechi
2018/243075
Combined social sciences ( Economics and Psychology)
Eco 391
During a paper presentation at the Centre for Economic Research and Scientific Analysis, the Director of the Centre argued that “Research is “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”.It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole.Importance/Purpose of research”. As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.

According to Albertson Georgia, “research is to see what everyone has seen but to think what nobody has thought”
Purpose of research includes:
To indict further knowledge about a phenomenon:
One basic purpose of research is to understand a phenomenon better and further. A researcher may decide to carry out a research for the sole purpose of understanding that phenomenon, concept or topic further. Conducting research gives the research opportunity to better understand the research concept.
To explain certain phenomena:
Another purpose why a research might be conducted is in order to explain a phenomenon, concept, or situation. For example, research were carried out to explain the situation of unemployment(what causes it an all), inflation, depression, and factors that might influence it presence in the economy.
To increase the knowledge of the public on a phenomenon(s):
When we conduct research, we get new information about the research topic. So by conducting a research, we are able to dig deeper to collect information that will then be notified/ updated to the public to further increase their knowledge. For example, the case of covid 19 virus, research were initially carried out to give the causes and ways of prevention to the general public thereby increasing knowledge.
Importance of research
Research brings about innovation thereby making life easier:
An important importance of research is the fact that it gives us chances to explore and innovate. For example, the person who invented the airplane did some research even though they weren’t solid and was able to come up with the great innovation of airplane which made transportation easier and include the standard of living. And in turn, other researchers/ Inventors, used his work to come up with even better model of airplane making life more easier.
It helps to create solutions to problems:
One major importance of research is the actuality that it helps to solve problems. As fact has , research is a detailed search that gives us better understanding of a problem enough for us researchers to come up with solutions to solve such problems, be it a new found problem, or an already existing one.
It helps verify the accuracy of an existing theory:
Because of it systematic nature, research is able to check if existing theories are actually accurate.

economy pharmacy

In performing a research, there are aims, goals or objectives which the researcher holds in mind. These aims are referred to as the purpose of a research. However, one could say that the purpose of a research are the solutions or answers a researcher hopes to get from performing a research. These purposes or aims include:
*To create understanding of existing theories or phenomenon.
*To provide solutions or answers to previously asked questions.
*To formulate policies to help answer questions
*To formulate theories aimed at enriching those who seek knowledge on the same research work.
*To bridge gaps left by previous researchers or research work.

From the above listed, one could easily state the importance of a conducting a research, and they include:
* The main importance of conducting a research project is to give answers to already asked questions.
* A research helps in the development of theories for policy formulation purposes.
* It also helps in verifying existing knowledge.

Now they problems of conducting Social science research are outlined below:
*Inadequate Funding:
This problem is seen both from the government and private organizations.
* Problems of Illiteracy:
Most people view research as an academic exercise, thus they see no need in conducting one.
*Low or poor infrastructural base
* The problems of time management.
*Lack of support from both public and private sectors.

Mbaso Raluchi
2018/242437
mbasoraluchi@gmail.com

During a paper presentation at the Centre for Economic Research and Scientific Analysis, the Director of the Centre argued that “Research is “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole.Importance/Purpose of research”. As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.

Research has been argued as “creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole.
Hence, we can say the main purposes of research is to communicate knowledge, confirm the truths behind theories, and contribute to the advancement in the general understanding or awareness in a field. However, conducting a research is essential and extremely important. The purposes of conducting a research includes;
#1. Research increases your knowledge base
The major reason to carry out a research is to learn more. There’s always more to learn about a subject, even if you are reasonably prudent. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.

#2. Research gives you the most recent information
Research motivates you to find the latest information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.

#3. Research helps you to understand and manoeuvre your competitors. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to help you to organize your set of intended actions. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if what you’re up against isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.

#4. Research builds your credibility
People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. When you’ve done the research, it’s much harder for someone to poke holes in what you’re saying. Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.

#5. Research helps you narrow your scope
When you’re circling a topic for the first time, you might not be exactly sure where to start. Most of the time, the amount of work ahead of you is overwhelming. Whether you’re writing a paper or formulating a business plan, it’s important to narrow the scope at some point. Research helps you identify the most unique and/or important themes. You can choose the themes that fit best with the project and its goals. It helps to you not divert away from the topic you actually want to know more about this is because research follows a procedure.

#6. Research teaches you better discernment
Doing a lot of research helps you sift through low-quality and high-quality information. The more research you do on a topic, the better you’ll get at discerning what’s accurate and what’s not. You’ll also get better at discerning the gray areas where information may be technically correct but used to draw questionable conclusions. This generally means that reserch helps us to make better decisions.

#7. Research introduces you to previously unknown ideas.
The extent of exposure you could experience due to research cannot be overemphasized. You may already have opinions and ideas about a topic when you start researching. The more you research, the more viewpoints you’ll come across. This encourages you to entertain new ideas and perhaps take a closer look at yours. You might change your mind about something or, at least, figure out how to position your ideas as the best ones.

#8. Research helps with providing solutions to difficulties.
Whether it’s a personal or professional difficulty, it helps to look outside yourself for help. Depending on what the issue is, your research can focus on what others have done before. You might just need more information, so you can make an informed plan of attack and an informed choice. When you know you’ve collected good information, you’ll feel much more confident in your solution.

#9. Research induces communication
Research is used to help raise awareness of issues like climate change, racial discrimination, gender inequality, and more. Without hard facts, it’s very difficult to prove that climate change is getting worse or that gender inequality isn’t progressing as quickly as it should. The public needs to know what the facts are, so they have a clear idea of what “getting worse” or “not progressing” actually means. Research also entails going beyond the raw data and sharing real-life stories that have a more personal impact on people.

#10. Research fosters inquisitiveness.
Wanting to know and a love of learning would take you far in life. Research opens you up to different opinions and new ideas. It also builds discerning and analytical skills. The research process rewards curiosity. When you’re committed to learning, you’re always in a place of growth. Curiosity is also good for your health. Studies show curiosity is associated with higher levels of positivity, better satisfaction with life, and lower anxiety.

Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.
What will you tell your audience?
There are various problems which affect the conducting of a proper social science research in developing countries, which includes;
The lack of a scientific training in the implementation of research is a great impediment for researchers in our country. There is paucity of competent researchers. Many researcher stake a leap in the dark without knowing research methods. Most of the work, which goes in the name of research is not methodologically sound. Research to many researchers and even to their guides, is mostly a scissor and paste job without any insight shed on the collated materials. The consequence is obvious, vi., the research results, quite often, do not reflect the reality or realities. Thus, a systematic study of research methodology is an urgent necessity. Before undertaking research projects, researchers should be well equipped with all the methodological aspects. As such, efforts should be made to provide shortcutting courses for meeting this requirement.

Research studies extending over another are undertaken quite often for want of adequate information. This results in duplication and fritters away resources. This problem can be solved by proper compilation and revision, at regular intervals, of a list of subjects on which and the places where the research is going on. Due attention should be given toward identification of research problems in various disciplines of applied science which are of immediate concern to the industries.

The management and functioning of libraries is not satisfactory at many places and much of the time and energy of researchers are spent in tracing out the books, journals, reports, etc.,rather than in tracing out relevant material from them.There is also the problem that many of our libraries are not able to get copies of old and new Acts/Rules, reports and other government publications in time. Thus, efforts should be made for the regular and speedy supply of all governmental publications to reach our libraries.

The availability of published data from various government and other agencies doing this job in developing countries are ill-timed. Researcher also faces the problem on account of the fact that the published data vary quite significantly because of differences in coverage by the concerning agencies.

Research laboratories in developing countries lack not only modern equipment, but may even lack functional equipment. While the high cost of modern equipment presents an obstacle in the way to acquire these equipment in developing countries, timely and professional servicing of mostly outdated equipment seems to be an impossible task. In this regards, awaiting a spare part from a foreign manufacturer or source may take months, which comes at the expense of research progress. Absence of skilled technicians is another dilemma that is frequently encountered in developing countries.

Some research projects require kits, isotopes and/or fine chemicals; costly supplies that may not always be available locally. Although it may sometimes be possible to schedule one’s research to accommodate lengthy purchasing and shipping procedures as well as possible custom delays, short half-lives of some isotopes and instability of other products at ambient temperature make them absolutely out of reach of researchers in developing countries. This may very likely limit the scope and direction, and possibly success of certain research projects.

As computers have become an integral part of any research laboratory in the developed countries, and as advances in computer technology makes it a necessity to upgrade existing computers every few years, it becomes difficult to see modern computers in laboratories in developing countries. The same applies to specialized software programs necessary for some research projects. Another dimension to the technology gap scientists in developing countries suffer from is the lack of availability of high-speed internet, assuming that dependable internet services are available at all. It is now paramount to have electronic access to databases, journals and books, to keep up with the latest developments in research around the world. Unreliable internet services obviously hinders one’s ability to keep up with such developments. Most scientists in the developing countries with whom I communicate do not have email addresses affiliated with their place of work; they simply have public domain emails, sometimes with unprofessional users’ names. This confers a sense of a lack of professionalism in their communications with the outside world.Many researchers in developing countries also face the difficulty of adequate and timely secretarial assistance.

It is also important to note the fact that scientists in developing countries work in crowded and debilitated, facilities lacking essential amenities, such as clean bathrooms and breakrooms, as well as air-conditioned space. Indeed, sometimes they may totally lack office space and supplies. This is in a stark contrast to what one would usually find at sites where scientific research is performed in developed countries (academic, industrial, private or governmental), where clean bathrooms, fully staffed cafeterias and adequate office supplies are the norm. This is in addition to a comfortable ambient temperature, summer and winter, necessary for a productive research environment.

Name ; Urama Isaac Anenechukwu
Reg no ; 2018/243823
Department ; Economics
Email : zik.edu.ng@gmail.com
course ; Eco 391(research methods in Economics )
Quize 2
QUESTION:
As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.
ANSWER:
PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
Purpose of research are simply the objectives, that a researcher in undertaking a research exercise, seeks to fulfill. It may also be seen as the solution a researcher hopes to obtain from undertaking a research venture or activity, the purposes of research are numerous but I will mention few and explain few of them since they are self explanatory

Purpose of research includes the following:
(1). Research helps us to understand current or existing phenomena.
(2). Research helps us to provide solution s to unknown problems
(3). Research helps us to make predictions and formulate policies to tackle similar problems
(4). Research also helps us to formulate new theories to enrich the frontiers of knowledge
(5). Research helps us to bridge gaps left by previous research works
(6). Research serves as a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
(7). Research serves as a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
(8). Research helps us succeed in business.
(9). Research allows and gives us the privilege to disprove lies and support truths.
(10). Research is also a very good means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.

Research helps us to understand current or existing phenomena: A good
research should be able to let us know and understand the current or existing phenomena concerning the Study
Research as a Tool for Building Knowledge and Facilitating Learning
Research is required not just for students and academics but for all professionals and nonprofessionals alike. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online.
Knowledge is commonly described as a factual proposition in the mind of an individual. It essentially refers to facts based on objective insights and/or study findings processed by the human brain. It can be acquired through various means, such as reading books and articles, listening to experts, watching documentaries or investigative shows, conducting scientific experiments, and interacting with other people, among others. Facts collected during research can be checked against other sources to ensure their truthfulness and accuracy.

It’s a Means to Understand Issues and Increase Public Awareness
Using Research to Understand Current Issues
Television shows and movies—both fictional and nonfictional—ooze with research. For instance, Oprah Winfrey would have not achieved remarkable success as a news anchor and television show host had she eschewed doing her own research about certain topics and public figures. According to entrepreneur and lifestyle coach Paul C. Brunson, in his interview with emotional intelligence expert and author Justin Bariso (2017):

It Helps Us Succeed in BusinesS: The Importance of Research and Development (R&D), Research benefits business. Many successful companies, such as those producing consumer goods or mass-market items, invest in research and development, or R and D. Different industries that involve science and engineering processes (like agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, computer software, semiconductor, information and communication technology, construction, robotics, aerospace, aviation, and energy) have high R and D expenses because it is critical to the creation and improvement of their products and services. R and D can also help secure an advantage over competitors. Finding out how to make things happen more efficiently and differentiate a business’s offerings from those of its competitors can raise a company’s market value.

It Allows Us to Disprove Lies and Support Truths
Background Research and Private Investigations
Have you ever experienced the feeling that your partner is having an affair behind your back? Some people would overlook this and say that it’s better not to know; others though would take discreet action, hiring a private detective to find out for sure. What does research have to do with this situation? A lot. Doing research to reveal lies or truths involving personal affairs can contribute to either making a relationship work or breaking away from a dysfunctional one. For the monogamous lot, doing research to disprove or prove infidelity is one way to find out the truth.

It Is a Means to Find, Gauge, and Seize Opportunities
Research helps people nurture their potential and achieve goals by taking advantage of various opportunities. This can mean securing employment, being awarded scholarships or grants, securing project funding, initiating a business collaboration, finding budget travel opportunities, or securing other little wins.

USing Research to Maximize Job and Career Options
For those looking for a job or seeking greener pastures, research is necessary. With thorough research, an individual can increase their chances of finding employment by scouring job-posting sites, contacting employment agencies. Research can also help inform them if work opportunities are legitimate. Without research, the gullible-yet-hopeful jobseeker or traveling worker may fall prey to unscrupulous headhunters, bogus employment opportunities, or even full-on scams. Sites like Glassdoor and organizations like the Better Business Bureau allow job candidates to find out what experiences others have had with an employer they are considering or a placement agency they are thinking of using. After finding a free or low-cost academic course or skills-development training, students and professionals can assess their eligibility for certain roles and find out about application requirements and deadlines by conducting additional research.
QUESTION 2.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
ANSWER:
There are many importance of research, but I’ll be going to mention but a few.
Research helps us to Know more about a particular topic

(1). Research helps us to Gather information about a particular topic
(2). Research helps us to Test existing knowledge, theories
(3). Research helps us to Make predictions based on the results of the research and existing knowledge

(4). Research helps us to Contribute/Add value to the existing knowledge of the field
(5). Research helps us in finding explanations to unexplained occurrence, event or phenomenon
(6). Research helps us in creating generally applicable new knowledge.
(7). Research helps us in expansion and verification of existing knowledge.
(8). Research helps in development of theories that can be used for forecasting and policy purpose.
(9). Research helps us in problem diagnosis and analysis
(10). Research is a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
(11). It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
(12). Research also helps us succeed in business.
(13). Research helps and allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
(14). Research is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
(15). Research helps us to promote love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
(16). Research helps provide nourishment and exercise for the mind.
(17). Research helps us to Research expands your knowledge base
(18). Research gives us the latest information
(19). Research helps us to know what you’re up against
(29). Research helps us build our credibility
(21). Research helps us narrow our scope
(22). It is a means of building knowledge and aiding learning
(23). Research helps to understand issues and create public awareness
(24). Research helps to disprove lies and support truths (through verification of existing knowledge)
(25). Conducting research adds to the existing body of knowledge.
(26). Research introduces us to new and various ideas
(27). Research encourages a love for learning and acquiring knowledge.

Obiyo, Uchechukwu Ngozi
2018/241841
When we talk about the purpose of something, we are referring to its reason for existence. Knowing what research is about, it is important to know its reason for being. To know if we actually fulfill that aim when we are carrying out any research.
The main purposes of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study. Understanding that research is important might seem like a no-brainer, but many people avoid it like the plague. Yet, for those who like to learn, whether they are members of a research institution or not, conducting research is not just important—it’s imperative.
Having an idea of the purpose of research, one can now ask the question, ‘why do we carry out research?’ We carry out research because of its importance, its advantages, and its necessity in human life. The following are some of the importance of carrying out research:
1. Research a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
2. It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
3. It helps us succeed in business.
4. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
5. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
6. It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
7. It provides nourishment and exercise for the mind.
8. It creates an important role in discovering new things,
9. It finds answers to things that are unknown, filling gaps in knowledge.

Generally, there are some problems attached with conducting research in social sciences. Bringing it to developing countries, where like the word implies, they are still developing, these problems are of great concern as they limit research processes. Some of these problems are:
1. Developing Concepts: This is greatly seen as the main problem of conducting a research in developing countries. If one isn’t able to conceive the idea for something, one will definitely won’t be able to come up with theories for that thing. To conceptualize means to interpret a phenomenon by forming a concept. Most research in developing countries find it difficult to interpret occurrences in the nation that need to undergo research which will in return affect the conducting of research.
2. Problem of maintaining objectivity: Most times people tend to be bias in coming up with an idea of focus. What some leaders in developing countries would see as a problem could be what the citizens see as less of a problem and vice versa. This will in return hinder research. As there is no general unbiased understanding amongst the people, research would be difficult to be conducted.
3. Financial crunch in the academia: Money is a very essential element in the conducting of research. Most developing countries lack the financial capacity to carry out some great research which would help their nations.
4. The problem of research accessibility: Most developing countries like Nigeria lack access to already stored data. In a case when one wants to carry out a research on the GDP of a nation which will require access to past GDP of past years in order to know how the country can do better, but then doesn’t have access to them, this will greatly hinder this research.

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Michael-Atu ifunanya
2018/243767
Economics Education
THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
Exploration involves familiarizing a researcher with a topic. Exploration satisfies the researcher’s curiosity and desire for improved understanding. Exploration tests the feasibility of undertaking a more extensive study. Exploration helps develop the methods that will be used in a study.
Description involves describing situations and events through scientific observation. Scientific descriptions are typically more accurate and precise than causal ones. For example, the U. S. Census uses descriptive social research in its examination of characteristics of the U. S. population.
Explanation involves answering the questions of what, where, when, and how. Explanatory studies answer questions of why. For example, an explanatory analysis of the 2002 General Social Survey (GSS) data indicates that 38 percent of men and 30 percent of women said marijuana should be legalized, while 55 percent of liberals and 27 percent of conservatives said the same. Given these statistics, you could start to develop an explanation for attitudes toward marijuana legalization. In addition, further study of gender and political orientation could lead to a deeper explanation of this issue.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1.It encourages a love of learning that extends beyond classrooms.
2.The importance of research can be visible if we see it as the only means of proving theories.
3.Through research, we can gather updated information and to-the-point data.
4.By differentiating between valuable and vague data, it creates credibility.
5.Proper research of products and markets will make your business succeed.
6.Research facilitates learning process
THE PROBLEMS OF CONDUCTING SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Research in developing countries must overcome many difficulties and barriers that are not present in developed countries. Governments often encourage dissolution of the scientific community’s isolated nature, yet on the other hand, maintain the institutional structure of basic and applied research and the associated linear model of knowledge application (Beesley, 2003). In the developing countries context, these contradictions are even more complex, including a mismatch between scopes and approaches used for commercialization; short-term development needs overriding long-term investments in science and technology; lacks of financial resources, political will, stable policies, and law enforcement; and unsuccessful copying of developed countries’ commercialization models that do not suit to the specific social, economic, and scientific contexts .
Performing clinical research in the developing countries has multiple barriers including: lack of planning, lack of moral and financial incentives, and shortage of time available for research; underdeveloped health informatics structure; and lack of available funding.

Name :Aneke Nelson Maduakonam
Reg no: 2018/242192
Dept: Education Economics
Gmail: nelsonmadu80@gmail.com
PURPOSE OF RESARCH
The purposes of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study.
The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts and ideas. A research purpose is met through forming hypotheses, collecting data, analysing results, forming conclusions, implementing findings into real-life applications and forming new research questions.

Although research can take many forms, there are three main purposes of research:

Exploratory:
Exploratory research is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. Exploration research therefore aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables us to conduct more in-depth research later on.

Descriptive:
Descriptive research expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its characteristics and population. Descriptive research focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, but not on the ‘why’.

Explanatory:
Explanatory research, also referred to as casual research, is conducted to determine how variables interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Explanatory research deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.
IMPORTANCE OF RESARCH

1.Research expands your knowledge base
The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.
2. Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.
3. It’s a Tool for Building Knowledge and Facilitating Learning
Research is required not just for students and academics but for all professionals and nonprofessionals alike. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online.
For nonprofessionals who value learning, doing research equips them with knowledge about the world and skills to help them survive and improve their lives. Among professionals and scribes, on the other hand, finding an interesting topic to discuss and/or to write about should go beyond personal experience.
4. It Allows Us to Disprove Lies and Support Truths
Doing research to reveal lies or truths involving personal affairs can contribute to either making a relationship work or breaking away from a dysfunctional one. For the monogamous lot, doing research to disprove or prove infidelity is one way to find out the truth.

Molokwu Chiamaka Goodness
2018/242393
Economics

PURPOSES OF RESEARCH
Research is the process of discovering new knowledge. This knowledge can be either the development of new concepts or the advancement of existing knowledge and theories, leading to a new understanding that was not previously known. Its purposes includes;
1. Information gathering or
a. Exploratory: for example, discovering, uncovering, exploring
b. Descriptive: for example, gathering info, describing, summarizing
2. Theory testing
a. Explanatory: For example, testing and understanding causal relations.
b. Predictive: for example, predicting what might happen in various scenarios.

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1. Research expands your knowledge base
The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.

2. Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.

3. Research helps you know what you’re up against
In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if your “enemy” isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.

4. Research builds your credibility
People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. When you’ve done the research, it’s much harder for someone to poke holes in what you’re saying. Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.

5. Research helps you narrow your scope
When you’re circling a topic for the first time, you might not be exactly sure where to start. Most of the time, the amount of work ahead of you is overwhelming. Whether you’re writing a paper or formulating a business plan, it’s important to narrow the scope at some point. Research helps you identify the most unique and/or important themes. You can choose the themes that fit best with the project and its goals.

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

1. Lack of Training: It is a big problem faced by researchers in developing countries. There is scarcity of qualified research workers. Many research workers take a step in the dark not understanding research techniques. The majority of the work, which goes in the name of research is not methodologically sound. Research to a lot of investigators is mainly a cut and paste job with no insight shed on the collated materials. The impact is obvious, viz., the research results, frequently, don’t reveal the reality. Therefore, an organized study of research methodology is definitely an immediate requirement. Prior to undertaking research projects, investigators must be well equipped with all the methodological aspects. As such, efforts need to be made to provide short term intensive courses for achieving this requirement.

2. Lack of confidence: The business houses are usually unwilling to provide the necessary information to researchers because of fear of misuse of information.

3. Repetition: Research studies overlapping one another are carried out in many cases for want of adequate information.

4. Lack of Interaction: You will find inadequate interaction between the university research department, on one side and business establishments, government departments and research institutions, on the other.

5. Illiteracy: This has affected the appreciation of the value of research findings by the vast majority of the people; social workers and business executive.

6. Lack of Code of Conduct: There doesn’t exist a code of conduct for researchers and inter-University and inter-departmental rivalries are also quite common.

Ochonwu Lotachi Vivian
2018/248806
Economics
Julietrecheal@gmail84.com
Assignments:As the special Adviser to Mr.President on Research Matters, what is the purpose and importance of research.
(2).Clinically discuss and analyse the problems of conducting social science research in developing countries.

Answer: As the special Adviser to Mr.President on Research Matters,

What is the Purpose of Research?

From the weather predictions to the discovery of antibiotics, researchers are constantly trying to find new ways to understand the world and how things work – with the ultimate goal of improving our lives.

The purpose of research is therefore to find out what is known, what is not and what we can develop further. In this way, scientists can develop new theories, ideas and products that shape our society and our everyday lives.

Exploration: Exploration is finding out about some previously unexamined phenomenon. It is particularly useful when researchers lack a clear idea of the problems they will meet during the course of the study. Through exploration, researchers develop concepts more clearly,establish priorities,develop operational definitions,formulate research hypotheses, and improve the final research design. Explorative studies tend toward loose structures with the objective of discovering future research tasks.
One might think, for example, of initiating an exploratory research in the following situations where crime is increasing in the city at an alarming rate, the reasons for which remain unknown. The problem is ambiguous and what is actually happening is to be cleared.  A new product is to be marketed, the manufacturer remains in worry if the product will be accepted by the people or not.

Description: Description refers to the data based information-gathering activities.The situations and events which are described through studies are referred to as descriptive studies. Descriptive studies try to discover answers to the questions who, what, when, where and sometimes how. A descriptive study may be feasible in the following cases: What are the characteristics of the people who are involved in city crime? Are they young? Middle aged? Poor?. Who are the potential buyers of the new product? Men or women? Urban people or rural people?.

Explanation: An explanatory study goes beyond description and attempts to establish cause-and-effect relationship between variables.It explains the reason for the phenomenon that describes study observed.Thus, if a researcher finds that communities having higher family size have higher child death, she/he is performing a descriptive study. If researcher is explaining why it is so and tries to establish cause-and-effect relationship, she/he is performing an explanatory study. Such studies are also called causal studies. Following examples fit to causal studies – Why people are involved in crime? Can we explain this as a consequence of present crisis in the job market? Or for lack of parental care? Will buyers be motivated to purchase the new product in a new container? Can attractive advertisement motivate them?.

Prediction: Prediction seeks to answer when and in what situations the event will occur, if it can be provided plausible explanation for the vent in question. In addition to being able to explain an event after it has occurred, it will be able to predict when the event will occur. Hence, research objective of a given research study may fall under either of the following broad categories. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it. Portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group.Determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated. Test causal relationship between two or more than two facts or situations. Know and understand a phenomenon with a view to formulating the problem precisely.

Some others objectives of research may be listed out as follows:
To provide solutions to complex problems;
Investigate laws ,
Save costs.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1.Research facilitates learning.
2.Research highlights the issues.
3.Research helps in the growth of a business.
4.Academic research leads to personal growth of students.
5.Research improves the quality of life for people living with illness.

(2).Hence, there are fundamental difference between research in social sciences and that of physical or natural sciences.Some major problems are;

(a).Complexity of Social Data: It is a well-known that social science studies the human behavior which depends on several factors such a physical, social, temperamental, psychological, geographical, biological socio-cultural etc. Because of these factors a researcher is generally confused. It is therefore said that because of this complexity of social data human beings cannot be put to scientific test.

(b).Problems of Conceptualization: In social science research, one has to face number of problems among which of (a) abstraction, and (b) faulty reasoning, plays major role in formulating and defining the concepts and law. Abstraction is both the central strength and one of the weaknesses of economics, for example full-employment or perfect competition and pure competition. Faulty reasoning leads to wrong conclusion, for example classical theory of employment was based on a faulty reasoning that wage cut will increase employment was based on a faulty reasoning that wage cut will increase employment.

(c).Problems in Interpreting Relationship between Cause and effect: In social science research, we generally find interdependent relationship between cause and effect. The cause and effect are one and the same, for example, in underdeveloped countries, the economic development cannot be accelerated due to lack of technical know how and capital cannot be obtained due to underdevelopment of the country

(d).Dynamic Nature of Social Phenomena: Man is a social animal and the human societies undergo constant change. What is true today may be not useful tomorrow. The techniques used in past may prove useless for present and future studies. On account of this dynamic nature of social phenomena our task of analyzing data becomes very much complicated and the inferences drawn may be misleading.

(e).Problem of maintaining objectivity: The problem of impartiality is in part a problem of objectivity. It is generally argued that the social scientists are less objective than natural scientist because their own interest affected by the findings of their studies, hence leading to prejudice and bias.

(f).Unpredictability: Predictability is one of the most important characteristics of science. In case of physical science, high degree of predictability is possible but it is not so in case of social data. But this statement is also partially true; the social scientist can roughly estimate the behavior of the group.

(g).Difficulty in the Verification of the Inferences: In social science research, the events of social sciences are non repetitive and the social scientists are ill-equipped with their tools to verify inferences.

(h).Difficulty in the Use of Experimental Method: In case of social science research, its product being a human being cannot be put to laboratory test. Even if it is done, their responses wouldn’t be natural but subject to the awareness of the artificial condition. Thus the social scientist has to watch them in wide

(i).Target group unwillingness to participate either in the form of interaction or answering questions.

(j). Problem of time management.

(k).Quantification of qualitative data and,

(l).Problem of reparing the final repot/thesis/dissertation, etc.

zoloft brand

Name: Adigwe ifeoma Favour
Reg no :2018/241871
Course code: Eco 391
Department: Economics department

Assignment
As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research
Solution
The main purposes of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study.
The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts and ideas. A research purpose is met through forming hypotheses, collecting data, analysing results, forming conclusions, implementing findings into real-life applications and forming new research questions.
Understanding that research is important might seem like a no-brainer, but many people avoid it like the plague. Yet, for those who like to learn, whether they are members of a research institution or not, conducting research is not just important—it’s imperative

We have 5 purpose of research

1:Information gathering and exploratory: e.g., discovering, uncovering, exploring
2:Descriptive: e.g., gathering info, describing, summarizing
3: Theory testing
4:Explanatory: e.g., testing and understanding causal relations
5:Predictive: e.g., predicting what might happen in various scenarios

What is the importance of research

#1. Research expands your knowledge base
The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.

#2. Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.

#3. Research helps you know what you’re up against
In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if your “enemy” isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.

#4. Research builds your credibility
People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. When you’ve done the research, it’s much harder for someone to poke holes in what you’re saying. Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.

#5. Research helps you narrow your scope
When you’re circling a topic for the first time, you might not be exactly sure where to start. Most of the time, the amount of work ahead of you is overwhelming. Whether you’re writing a paper or formulating a business plan, it’s important to narrow the scope at some point. Research helps you identify the most unique and/or important themes. You can choose the themes that fit best with the project and its goals.
Other importance of research includes:
* It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
* It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
* It helps us succeed in business.
* It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
* It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
* It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
* It provides nourishment and exercise for the mind.
Question 2
Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.
What will you tell your audience?

Solution 2

1. Financial crunch in academia

Researchers face perpetual struggle to secure and sustain funding. While the scientific workforce is increasing, the funding in most countries has been on a decline over the past decade. The situation is particularly perilous for early career researchers who find it hard to compete for funds with senior researchers. This extreme competition is also impacting the way science is conducted. The respondents of the Vox survey pointed out that since most grants are allotted only for a couple of years, researchers tend to opt for short-term projects, which can sometimes be insufficient to study complex research questions. This means researchers make choices based on what would keep the funding bodies and their institutions happy. However, the consequences of these choices are an increasing number of published papers with sub-standard quality and low research impact.

2. Poor study design in published papers

Poorly designed studies have become a major concern for academia. One of the primary reasons behind this problem is that statistical flaws in published research often go undetected. Since breakthrough results are valued the most, researchers feel compelled to hype their results in order to get published. Moreover, they tend to focus on particular patterns in data and manipulate their study designs to make the results more attractive for the journals. Instances of “p-hacking” in which researchers report only those hypotheses that end in statistically significant results are also on a rise. In particular, biomedical studies have come under the spotlight for misusing p-values. Thus, a huge chunk of published results are scientifically insignificant, which also means a routine waste of money and resources.

3. Lack of replication studies

The inability to reproduce and replicate results is a major problem plaguing research. Recently, Nature published the results of a survey that attempted to understand researchers’ views on reproducibility and reported that a majority of participants believed the “crisis of reproducibility” is real. Inherent problems in studies also hinder replication, such as inadequate data and complicated study design. However, major stakeholders of science are in general skeptical about pursuing replication studies. Most journals prefer publishing original and groundbreaking results because replication studies lack novelty. Researchers and funding bodies are reluctant to invest their resources in replication studies on similar grounds. This is a major loss to academia since results of most experiments are never validated and tested.

4. Problems with peer review

Although peer review is often considered the backbone of scientific publishing, it is not without problems. Peer reviewers help in weeding out bad research and ensuring that a manuscript does not have any obvious flaws. However, because it is not an incentivized task, reviewers have been known to delay their work or provide unhelpful reviews. Moreover, authors regularly report facing reviewer bullying wherein reviewers force authors to conduct additional experiments, cite certain papers, make unnecessary changes, and so on. Most journals opt for single-blind peer review, which leaves room for biases and professional jealousy to creep in. Apart from this, the excessive dependence on the peer review system has led authors, editors, and third-party services to take advantage of it leading to peer review scams. As a result, the peer review system in its present form is questioned by many academics.

5. Lack of adequate and accurate science communication

It is a well-known fact that a wide communication gap exists between the scientific and the non-scientific community. This has resulted in miscommunication of science, divided opinions about scientific matters, and lack of informed decision-making among the public. Researchers are partly responsible for this because they lack time or sometimes the inclination to engage with the public about their research work. Therefore, the public is largely dependent on the media, which is often blamed for misconstruing scientific facts. The competitive nature of academic research is also responsible for poor communication of research. In an attempt to grab attention, sometimes researchers, universities, and even journals mislead the public by hyping the results or promoting only positive results. However, the science community should take the responsibility of projecting an accurate picture of science to the public since so that they can become cognizant of scientific issues and have a say in the way their tax money is invested in research.

NAME: OGBUEWU COSMOS NNACHETAM
REG NO: 2018/243754
DEPARTMENT: ECONOMICS

Apart from research been the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions, it can also be defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings for which it houses its own importance and purposes. For instance, Research conducts specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select, process, and analyze information about a topic. In a research paper, the methodology section allows the reader to critically evaluate a study’s overall validity and reliability of which in a sense highlights it’s importance and purposes. But according to wikibooks, there are 3 main purposes of research. which are –
1. Exploration
2. Description
3. Explanation

1. EXPLORATION: As the name implies, it showcases research’s objective to be the act of seeking, examining, investigating or searching for something. it involves familiarizing a researcher with a topic. Exploration satisfies the researcher’s curiosity and desire for improved understanding. Exploration tests the feasibility of undertaking a more extensive study. Exploration helps develop the methods that will be used in a study.

2. DESCRIPTION: This shows research as trying to analyze a phenomenon, it’s features, ways, acts and behaviours.
it also involves describing situations and events through scientific observation. Scientific descriptions are typically more accurate and precise than causal ones.

3. EXPLANATION: This purpose is mainly known as it portrays research’s ability to give a sufficiently detailed report about the reason for something, why something happened, a causal chain of events; how something works, how elements in a system interact; how to do something, the steps which need to be accomplished in order to accomplish a certain goal.
it involves answering the questions of what, where, when, why, and how.

Of all these objectives of research, it is of no doubt that Research has its own importance since it exists for positive reasons.
According to owlcation, these are the most significant importance for the existence of research to even a layman.

1. It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
2. It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
3. It helps us succeed in business.
4. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
5. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
6. It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
7. It provides nourishment and exercise for the mind.

Despite all these purposes and importance of Research, of no doubt there have to be some problems in conducting research in the field of social sciences especially in developing nations.

some key challenges such as;
1. Lack of Funds for Research
2. Ineffective Education System
3. Ineffective Library System
4. Low Accessibility of Data and Information
5. Insecurity
6. Lack of Proper Research Ethics
7. Poor Infrastructural Management
8. Poor Technological Advancement

1. Lack of Funds and adequate time for Research:
Generally, doing anything on planet earth always involves the use financial resources and research is not an exemption. The lack of funds and time is among if not the most challenge faced by researchers in developing countries. the purchase of research equipment, transportation, books, etc., are all essential for carrying out any essential research and it’s inadequacy is of a huge deficit to the researchers. furthermore, the lack of time is another problem. Many of the researchers are either juggling between two or three jobs, so they only have little time to spare for adequate research.

2. Ineffective Education System
Adequate training and skills enhancement is one of the most important tools needed to develop and researcher and it is the education system that houses this function.
But in developing countries, there are lots of problems facing the education system which renders it ineffective. problems like: continuous industrial strikes of lecturers in tertiary institutions, inadequate funding from the government, depleted structures and equipments etc. Furthermore, most of the courses taught in developing countries are taught theoretically even when there is a need for practical to make the students understand better, meanwhile researches are mainly practical with less to more theories involved.

3. Ineffective Library System
Due to the weak educational system in developing countries, it is only expect to find a malfunctioned library system. Most of the federal, state and even libraries in tertiary institutions in developing countries provide minimal research materials (books, journals, newspapers etc.) only privately owned libraries are modernly equipped and are up to standard.
A researcher needs modern libraries to help them update their researches and for further studies.

4. Low Accessibility of Data and Information:
Even when numerous informations are flooding the internet, getting valid information is not cheap in developing countries, which is aided by the ineffective educational and library systems. Hence, the difficulty in accessing information poses a serious challenge for researchers when carrying out a study.
Also, the lack of a database for information and records that can be easily accessed from anywhere poses a serious barrier for researchers.

5. Insecurity:
Another major challenge for research in developing countries is insecurity.
Researchers’ inability to move freely while carrying out research affects many researchers. With cases like Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers, gunmen, Boko Haram etc in Nigeria and other terror related events in other developing countries which limits a researchers movement.

6. Lack of Proper Research Ethics:
Ethics in research, means the usage of basic ethical guidelines to a wide range of issues involving research such as scientific research. Many researchers in developing countries ignore the appropriate ethical applications, methods and usage when carrying out their study to guarantee credibility.

7. Poor Infrastructural Management:
The poor state of infrastructure in developing countries is a substantial contributing factor to the underdevelopment of research. in cases such as good transportation network to allow the researcher move around to gather data needed for the research, good and reliable electricity, clean and useful water resources and a host of other basic amenities, are all lacking in the developing countries making it a hindrance for researchers to carry out their works professionally.

8. Poor Technological Advancement:
The majority of researchers in developing countries have not evolved with technology. Most researchers are only well versed with pen and paper, which is a challenge of research in the country. This is because most of the materials needed to carry out a study are now stored on a technological database. A lack of understanding of how this database works can lead to spending a lot of time surfing the internet for information without results to show for it. To combat this problem, there is a need for technological training to be inculcated into the educational curriculum to train the researcher on technological advancements.

To every problem, there is a remedy. from my perspective, there should be government intervention for researchers in developing countries in cases such as ensuring maximum security in the nation or providing special escorts for researchers, updating the libraries and keeping them in check, develop and enhance the nation’s infrastructures and basic amenities, and Create policies which can be of favour to the researchers financially.
furthermore, the researchers themselves need to train and develop themselves in all ramifications and get accustomed to the modern way of doing things and I believe with all these, researches can be done effortlessly to the growth and development of developing countries.

Reg no: 2018/242338
Course: Eco 361

As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.
Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.
What will you tell your audience?
ANSWER
Reasons Why Research Is Important
The main purposes of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study. This article discusses the significance of research and the many reasons why it is important for everyone—not just students and scientists.
Understanding that research is important might seem like a no-brainer, but many people avoid it like the plague. Yet, for those who like to learn, whether they are members of a research institution or not, conducting research is not just important—it’s imperative.
Why Research Is Necessary and Valuable in Our Daily Lives
It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.
It helps us succeed in business.
It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.
It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, a and analyzing.
PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
1). EXPLORATORY; Exploratory research is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. Exploration research therefore aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables us to conduct more in-depth research later on.

2).DESCRIPTIVE; descriptive research expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its characteristics and population. Descriptive research focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, but not on the ‘why’.

3). EXPLANATORY; Explanatory research, also referred to as casual research, is conducted to determine how variables interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Explanatory research deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.

In a nutshell,the purpose of research is to further understand the world and to learn how this knowledge can be applied to better everyday life. It is an integral part of problem solving.A research purpose is met through forming hypotheses, collecting data, analysing results, forming conclusions, implementing findings into real-life applications and forming new research questions.

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1).It is a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning :Research is required not just for students and academics but for all professionals and non professionals alike. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online.
For nonprofessionals who value learning, doing research equips them with knowledge about the world and skills to help them survive and improve their lives.

2).It is used to prove theories:we research a point of view where we do not have to keep things to ourselves, and instead, we do it to inform humankind about what change our theory might bring. The primary purpose of all the research has kept us connected.

3).Helps succeed in business; A successful business cannot be done without solid proves and case studies. That being said, it makes research the foremost step before doing any business.So, it is always better to do appropriate research in every way before jumping into any business. Businesses prosper because they had sensible owners who researched their product, and the market needs before launching it.

4).Research is essential to find out which treatments work better for patients. It plays an important role in discovering new treatments, and making sure that we use existing treatments in the best possible ways.

5).Learn to create a balance between collaborative and individual work; Individual work in which the student has to do, while the collaborative work means that work which has already been done by the previous researchers.
So, in this manner, the students get to know which points to take into consideration and which points are to be ignored.

PROBLEMS OF CONDUCTING SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Research requires several ingredients; some difficult to manage, while others are difficult to arrange. It is done by a single individual, but requires the acceptance/approval of several others; guides, supervisors, defense committee members, interviewees, focus group members, etc.Below is a compilation of some problems of conducting social science research in developing countries;

1).Insufficient data: Insufficiency of data is a potential problem. Most of the business establishments are of the opinion that researchers may misuse the data provided by them. This affects the purpose of research studies for which that particular data may be of utmost importance.

2).Library management: Library management and functioning is not satisfactory in many Universities; A lot of time and energy is spent on tracing appropriate books, journals, reports etc. Also, many of the libraries are not able to get copies of new reports and other publications on time.

3).Lack of Scientific Training: The research methodology is not systematic. Many researchers undertake research work without having actual knowledge of the research methods. Even the guides do not have a thorough knowledge of the various methodologies. Before undertaking research projects, researchers should be well equipped with all the methodological aspects.

4).Lack of Interaction: You will find inadequate interaction between the university research department, on one side and business establishments, government departments and research institutions.

5).Shortage of Resources: For performing a quality research sufficient funds are not provided. This discourages research of all types. Governments, institutions/organizations don’t appreciate the contributions of research findings to economic development and for that reason do not offer adequate amounts for research of all types.

6).Illiteracy: This has affected the appreciation of the value of research findings by the vast majority of the people (social workers and business executive)
Reply

NAME: uwa chioma Maryjane
Reg no: 2018/241876
Department: Economics
Email: chioma.uwa.241876@unn.edu.ng
Assignment
What do you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research?
Research is undertaken for the following purposes and they include:
1) Exploratory research is defined as a research used to investigate a problem which is not clearly defined. It is conducted to have a better understanding of the existing problem, but will not provide conclusive results. For such a research, a researcher starts with a general idea and uses this research as a medium to identify issues, that can be the focus for future research. An important aspect here is that the researcher should be willing to change his/her direction subject to the revelation of new data or insight. Such a research is usually carried out when the problem is at a preliminary stage.
2) Descriptive research : Descriptive research is defined as a research method that describes the characteristics of the population or phenomenon studied. This methodology focuses more on the “what” of the research subject than the “why” of the research subject.The descriptive research method primarily focuses on describing the nature of a demographic segment, without focusing on “why” a particular phenomenon occurs. In other words, it “describes” the subject of the research, without covering “why” it happens.
3) Explanatory research: Explanatory research allows researchers to find a phenomenon that was not studied in depth. Although it does not give a conclusion of such a study, it helps to efficiently understand the problem. People who conduct explanatory research, do so with the objective of studying in detail the interaction of the phenomenon.
4) Applied research: Applied research is designed to answer specific questions aimed at solving practical problems.Applied research is conducted when there is a need for facts or information regarding a policy or implications. Evaluation and policy/problem analysis are the two main types of applied research. Evaluation compares the results to the goal, whereas policy/problem analysis seeks to address future issues or implications of alternative decisions.
The following are reasons why research is important and they include:
1. Research expands your knowledge base: The most obvious reason to do research is that you’ll learn more. There’s always more to learn about a topic, even if you are already well-versed in it. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.
2. Research gives you the latest information: Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields, especially scientific ones, there’s always new information and discoveries being made. Staying updated prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest info, you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.

3. Research helps you know what you’re up against: In business, you’ll have competition. Researching your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies. You can figure out what sets you apart. In other types of research, like medicine, your research might identify diseases, classify symptoms, and come up with ways to tackle them. Even if your “enemy” isn’t an actual person or competitor, there’s always some kind of antagonist force or problem that research can help you deal with.
4. Research builds your credibility: People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. When you’ve done the research, it’s much harder for someone to poke holes in what you’re saying. Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.
5. Research helps you narrow your scope: When you’re circling a topic for the first time, you might not be exactly sure where to start. Most of the time, the amount of work ahead of you is overwhelming. Whether you’re writing a paper or formulating a business plan, it’s important to narrow the scope at some point. Research helps you identify the most unique and/or important themes. You can choose the themes that fit best with the project and its goals.
6. Research introduces you to new ideas: You may already have opinions and ideas about a topic when you start researching. The more you research, the more viewpoints you’ll come across. This encourages you to entertain new ideas and perhaps take a closer look at yours. You might change your mind about something or, at least, figure out how to position your ideas as the best ones.
7. Research helps with problem-solving: Whether it’s a personal or professional problem, it helps to look outside yourself for help. Depending on what the issue is, your research can focus on what others have done before. You might just need more information, so you can make an informed plan of attack and an informed decision. When you know you’ve collected good information, you’ll feel much more confident in your solution.
Question 2:
Clinically discuss and analyze the problems of conducting social science research in developing countries:
The following are some of the problems encountered by researchers when undertaking research in social sciences;
1. Complexity of Social Data: It is a well-known that social science studies the human behavior which depends on several factors such a physical, social, temperamental, psychological, geographical, biological socio-cultural etc. Because of these factors a researcher is generally confused. It is therefore said that because of this complexity of social fata human beings cannot be put to scientific test.
2. Problems of Concepts: In social science research, one has to face number of problems among which of a) abstraction, and b) faulty reasoning, plays major role in formulating and defining the concepts and law. Abstraction is both the central strength and one of the weaknesses of economics, for example full-employment or perfect competition and pure competition. Faulty reasoning leads to wrong conclusion, for example classical theory of employment was based on a faulty reasoning that wage cut will increase employment was based on a faulty reasoning that wage cut will increase employment opportunities, however later on J.M.Keynes proved the faulty reasoning of this classical theory and presented alternative theory.
3. Problems in Interpreting Relationship between Cause and effect: In social science research, we generally find interdependent relationship between cause and effect. The cause and effect are one and the same, for example, in underdeveloped countries, the economic development cannot be accelerated due to lack of technical know how and capital cannot be obtained due to underdevelopment of the country.
4. Dynamic Nature of Social Phenomena: Man is a social animal and the human societies undergo constant change. What is true today may be not useful tomorrow. The techniques used in past may prove useless for present and future studies. On account of this dynamic nature of social phenomena our task of analyzing data becomes very much complicated and the inferences drawn may be misleading.
5. Problem of maintaining objectivity: The problem of impartiality is in part a problem of objectivity. It is generally argued that the social scientists are less objective than natural scientist because their own interest affected by the findings of their studies, hence leading to prejudice and bias.
6. Difficulty in the Verification of the Inferences: In social science research, the events of social sciences are non repetitive and the social scientists are ill-equipped with their tools to verify inferences.

Name: Ekpe Esther Chidinma
Reg. Number:2018/250324
Department: Economic
Question 1.What is the purpose of research.
The purpose of research is to find out what is known, what is not and what we can develop further in the future. By this, scientists can develop new theories, ideas and products that shape our societies and our everyday lives.
Research means trying to find new ways to understand the world and how things work with the ultimate goal of improving our lives.
The purpose of research is to further understand the world and to learn how this knowledge collected from the research can be applied to better our everyday life. It is an significant part of problem solving.
Although research can take different forms, but there are three main purposes of research:
A. Exploratory: This type is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. The goal of exploration research therefore is to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables researchers to conduct more in-depth research later on.
B.Descriptive:
Descriptive research expatiate knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its characteristics and population. Descriptive research focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, but not on the ‘why’.
C .Explanatory:
Explanatory research, also referred to as casual researchis carried out to determine how variables interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Explanatory research deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.
Question 2. What is the importance of research? The main purpose of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study.Research is a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.portant?
It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.
It’s a means to clearifyand increase in public awareness
It helps us to disprove lies and support truths.

It promotes love and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.
It provides nourishment and exercise for the mind.
Question 3.Challenges of conducting Research in LDCs
1.Domestic resource mobilisation?
There was strong emphasis on LDCs building capacity to mobilise financial resources locally. Tax reform – including the ability of the state to efficiently collect and manage tax revenues it could help to raise finance in LDCs.
2. Limited economic diversification?
Low Developed Countrirs depend solely on primary commodities, leaving them exposed to volatility in commodity prices. This leads to imbalances in balance of payment and economic instability.
3. Lack of progress on ‘means of implementation’
Many LDCs expressed frustration at lack of global support for means of implementation, including lack of reform to insistently unfavourable trade regimes, the divergence between pledged financial assistance and monies actually delivered, and token technology transfer.
4.Proliferation of goals and targets
Low Developed Countries delegates voiced concern about the mind-boggling number of goals and targets set by various global frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals, IPoA, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, to name a few.

Keeping track of all these targets is exhausting and not necessarily the most efficient way of implementing development agendas. A coherent process with streamlined reporting mechanisms is the preferred way.
5.The private sector: high expectation
This affected the role of emphasis on the role of the private sector both in financing and delivering development in LDCs. This has gained attention following growing donor fatigue and dwindling Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Indeed, it is evident that ODA flows to LDCs have declined in real terms in the past few years. This is due to some of reasons including a slowing economy in the developed world, corruption and ‘poor governance’ on the recipient side, the recent shift of resources to humanitarian crises, not to mention the rise of right-leaning populist governments .

But how will the private sector enhance aid effectiveness? For me, the incentives for private, for-profit stakeholders to engage in poverty eradication in the LDCs are still not clear.

Lawal precious
2018/243819
1>It encourages a love of learning that extends beyond classrooms.
2>The importance of research can be visible if we see it as the only means of proving theories.
3>Through research, we can gather updated information and to-the-point data.
4>By differentiating between valuable and vague data, it creates credibility.
5>Proper research of products and markets will make your business succeed.
6>Research facilitates learning process

2) Lack of Training: It is a big problem faced by researchers in developing countries. There is scarcity of qualified research workers. Many research workers take a step in the dark not understanding research techniques. The majority of the work, which goes in the name of research is not methodologically sound. Research to a lot of investigators is mainly a cut and paste job with no insight shed on the collated materials. The impact is obvious, viz., the research results, frequently, don’t reveal the reality. Therefore, an organized study of research methodology is definitely an immediate requirement. Prior to undertaking research projects, investigators must be well equipped with all the methodological aspects. As such, efforts need to be made to provide short term intensive courses for achieving this requirement.
Lack of confidence: The business houses are usually unwilling to provide the necessary information to researchers because of fear of misuse of information.
Repetition: Research studies overlapping one another are carried out in many cases for want of adequate information.
Lack of Interaction: You will find inadequate interaction between the university research department, on one side and business establishments, government departments and research institutions, on the other.
Illiteracy: This has affected the appreciation of the value of research findings by the vast majority of the people (social workers and business executive)
Lack of Code of Conduct: There doesn’t exist a code of conduct for researchers and inter-University and inter-departmental rivalries are also quite common.
Shortage of Resources: For performing a quality research sufficient funds are not provided. This discourages research of all types. Governments, institutions/organizations don’t appreciate the contributions of research findings to economic development and for that reason do not offer adequate amounts for research of all types.
Absence of Coordination: There exists lack of coordination among various organizations responsible for performing research.

Name :Akachukwu Christian Nonso
Dept:Economics
Reg No:2018/249531
Eco 391(development research)

(1)
All progress is born of inquiry. Doubt is often better than overconfidence, for this leads to inquiry, and inquiry leads to invention. Increased amounts of research make progress possible. Under this context, the importance of research can better be understood. Explained below are some of the major importance of research :-
The role of research in several fields of applied economics, whether related to business or to the economy as a whole, has greatly increased in modern times.
The increasingly complex nature of business and government has focused attention on the use of research in solving operational problems. Research, as an aid to economic policy, has gained added importance, both for government and business. •
Research provides the basis for nearly all government policies in our economic system. For instance, government’s budgets rest in part on an analysis of the needs and desires of the people and on the availability of revenues to meet these needs.
The cost of needs has to be equated to probable revenues and this is an aspect where research is mostly welcomed. Through research we can devise alternative policies and
can as well examine the implications of each of these alternative.
Decision-making may not be a part of research, but research certainly facilitates the decisions of the policy maker. Government has also to chalk out programmes for dealing with all facets of the country’s existence and most of these will be related directly or indirectly to economic conditions. The plight of cultivators, the problems of big and small business and industry, working conditions, trade union activities, the problems of distribution, even the size and nature of defence services are matters requiring investigation.
Thus, research is considered necessary with regard to the allocation of nations’ resources. • Research has its special significance in solving various operational and planning problems of business and industry.
Operations research and market research, along with motivational research, are considered crucial and their results assist, in more than one way, in taking business decisions. Market research is the investigation of the structure and development of a market for the purpose of formulating efficient policies for purchasing, production and sales. Operations research refers to the application of mathematical, logical and analytical techniques to the solution of business problems of cost minimization or of profit maximization or the combination of the two called optimization problems.
Motivational research of determining why people behave as they do is mainly concerned with market characteristics. In other words, it is concerned with the determination of drives underlying the consumer (market) behaviour. All these are of great help to people in business and industry who are responsible for business decisions making.
Research with regard to demand and market factors has great utility in business. Given knowledge of future demand, it is generally not difficult for a firm, or for an industry to alter its supply schedule within the bounds of its anticipated capacity. Market analysis has become an essential device of making business policy these days. Business budgeting, which eventually results in a projected profit and loss account, is founded primarily on sales estimates which in turn depend on business research. Once an organization is able to project her sales, efficient production and investment programmes can be planned, this will include the purchasing and financing plans. Research, thus, replaces intuitive business decisions by more logical and scientific decisions. •
Research is equally significant for social scientists in studying social relationships and in seeking answers to various social problems.
It provides the intellectual satisfaction of knowing a few things just for the sake of knowledge and also, it has practical utility for the social scientist to know for the sake of being able to do something better or in a more efficient manner.
Research is concerned with both knowledge for its own sake and knowledge for what it can contribute to practical concerns. “This double emphasis is perhaps especially appropriate in the case of social science.” On the one hand, its responsibility as a science is to develop a body of principles that make possible the understanding and prediction of the whole range of human interactions.
Objectives of Research :-
The purpose of any research is to find solutions to problems through the application of scientific procedures.
The main purpose of research is to find out the truth which is not known and is yet to be revealed.
Though each research study has its own specific purpose, we may think of research objectives as falling into a number of groups. These include: •
To gain acquaintance with a phenomenon or to have understandings into it (studies with this object in mind are tagged exploratory or formativeresearch); •

To show accurately the features of a particular individual, situation or a group (studies with this objective are known as descriptiveresearch); •

To determine the rate at which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else (studies with this kind of objective in view are known as diagnosticresearch);

To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between two or more variables (such studies are referred to as hypothesis-testingresearch).

(2) there are many problems associated with social science research in developing countries which includes the following:-
lack of money for well-equipped educational centers:-It is a great challenge for Nigeria since no one can do research without access to research facilities. For many, it seems impossible to work having no specially equipped libraries and laboratories.
The disinterest of researchers:-Those who search for the easiest and quickest way cannot be called researchers. Unfortunately, many are unwilling to go through thickets of proper writing. Such people are completely unmotivated. This is what gravely complicates the matter
Lack of money for well-equipped educational centers:- It is a great challenge for Nigeria since no one can do research without access to research facilities. For many, it seems impossible to work having no specially equipped libraries and laboratories.
The disinterest of researchers:-Those who search for the easiest and quickest way cannot be called researchers. Unfortunately, many are unwilling to go through thickets of proper writing. Such people are completely unmotivated. This is what gravely complicates the matter.
illiteracy :- Lots of Nigerians are not educated. It is impossible for them to value any findings. Researchers don’t try to impress.
Instability:-There is no golden standard in Nigeria all researcher would keep to. It can be explained by the frequently changed administration. New authorities bring new programmes, plans, and standards. It makes total disorientation among students and scientists.
Secrecy:-Data collection is not always easy as it might seem. Ministries don’t want to make much information public. It led to the small information base. The absence of reliable sources makes the process of research writing difficult.

Name :Onuh Onyinye
Reg number :2018 /241872
Department :Economics department
Email :onuhonyinye7@gmail.com

On the purpose and importance of research :

Whether it’s for a student assignment, a study, or in attempt in form policies, or the creation of a new innovation(technology), Research plays a very vital role in how we live our lives.

The purpose of research is to inform action. Thus, your study should seek to contextualize its findings within the larger body of research. Research must always be of high quality in order to produce knowledge that is applicable outside of the research setting. Furthermore, the results of your study may have implications for policy and future project implementation.

One problem that often plagues progress in global health is the slow translation of research into practice. Often, a disconnect exists between those who conduct research and those who are positioned to implement the research findings. The underlying problem is that “the production of evidence is organized institutionally with highly centralized mechanisms, whereas the application of that science is highly decentralized. This social distance prevails because scientists are more oriented to the international audiences of other scientists for which they publish than to the needs of practitioners, policy makers, or the local public.”

Thus, as researchers, it is imperative to take steps to overcome this barrier. Publishing your study may be one initial step to make your research known to the global community. Other proactive measures can be taken to encourage the uptake of evidence-based interventions. For example, you can present your research findings at various venues, such as Unite for Sight’s Global Health and Innovation Conference. Furthermore, you can send the results of your study to local officials, policy-makers, and community leaders.

Here are a few reasons why research is Important to our daily lives:
1. It’s a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning.

2. It’s a means to understand issues and increase public awareness.

3.It helps us succeed in business.

4. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths.

5. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.

6. It promotes a love of and confidence in reading, writing, analyzing, and sharing valuable information.

7. It provides nourishment and exercise for the mind.

Knowledge is commonly described as a factual proposition in the mind of an individual . It can be acquired through various means, such as reading books and articles, listening to experts, watching documentaries or investigative shows, conducting scientific experiments, and interacting with other people, among others. Facts collected during research can be checked against other sources to ensure their truthfulness and accuracy.

Problems of conducting social research in developing countries :

1. Insufficient data: Insufficiency of data is a potential problem. Most of the business establishments are of the opinion that researchers may misuse the data provided by them. This affects the purpose of research studies for which that particular data may be of utmost importance.

2.Lack of Scientific Training: The research methodology is not systematic. Many researchers undertake research work without having actual knowledge of the research methods. Even the guides do not have a thorough knowledge of the various methodologies. Before undertaking research projects, researchers should be well equipped with all the methodological aspects.

3. There is insufficient interaction between the university research departments on one side
and business establishments, government departments and research institutions on the other
side. A great deal of primary data of non-confidential nature remain untouched/untreated
by the researchers for want of proper contacts. Efforts should be made to develop
satisfactory liaison among all concerned for better and realistic researches. There is
need for developing some mechanisms of a university—industry interaction programme so
that academics can get ideas from practitioners on what needs to be researched and
practitioners can apply the research done by the academics.

4. Most of the business units in developing nations, do not have the confidence that the material supplied by them to researchers will not be misused and as such they are often reluctant in supplying the needed information to researchers. The concept of secrecy seems to be sacrosanct to business organisations in the country so much so that it proves an impermeable barrier to researchers. Thus, there is the need for generating the confidence that the information/data obtained from a business unit will not be misused.

5. There does not exist a code of conduct for researchers and inter-university and inter￾departmental rivalries are also quite common. Hence, there is need for developing a code
of conduct for researchers which, if adhered sincerely, can win over this problem.

In developing nations, research is in its incessant stage. Researchers face challenges in choosing a research topic, statement etc. In addition, researchers are faced with challenges associated with growth, infrastructural deficiencies, financial crunches, etc.

NAME: Nwokobia Adaeze
REG NO:2018/241865
DEPARTMENT: Economics
Assignment
As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.

Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.

THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

Research can satisfy various purposes but the exploratory, descriptive and explanatory purposes are the three most common purposes for research.
Exploratory purpose: This involves the researcher exploring i.e investigating or examining the topic of research. Exploration tests the possibility of embarking on a more extensive study. This provides useful information which could further be used as a tool or a method in various studies.
Descriptive purposes: This is when a research is carried out to describe certain events and conditions using scientific observation methods. Scientific observation methods are more precise and reliable than casual methods. For example, a consensus in Nigeria is a descriptive research used to examine the features and proportion of the population.
Explanatory purposes: In this case, research is executed to answer the questions of why, when, where ,who, what and how in order explain a situation or to provide a detailed report with the statistics developed.

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH

1) Research is a tool which facilitates knowledge and education: Research is required for both Educators and students for explicit explanation and and understanding.
Research gives a more practical illustration of the topic being discussed.

2) Research is an instrument used for understanding current issues an increasing public awareness: information conveyed by the media are all based on research. Without research, Societal issues would not be debatable and the public would not be fully aware of such issues.

3) Research is extremely benefital for business: Research is very crucial in any business venture. Many successful businesses invest in research which would lead to potential development. From efficient methods of production to effective marketing, research is required to achieve them. Research also gives the upper hand over competitors.

4) Research is used for maximizing career opportunities: With proper research, an individual can increase their chances of finding employment by examining job-posting sites and contacting employment agencies. Research can also help inform them if job opportunities are legitimate.

5) Research is used to maximize investment: research gives us valid information about the potentials, legitimacy, failures and risks associated with companies before investing in their stock or shares, therefore enabling investors to pinpoint the best and most profitable investment opportunity.

PROBLEMS OF CONDUCTING SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTIES

1) Lack of scientific training: Research needs scientific methods to be carried out systematically. Due to the lack of these scientific skills, proper research can not be executed.

2) Financial issues: Research can be quite expensive and it would need sufficient funding to be carried out. Limited funds and resources negatively affects research.

3) Problem of importation: Due to the lack of technological advancement in developing countries, equipments needed for research have to be imported leading to extra complications and cost which could be a limiting factor to scientific research.

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UKACHUKWU DIVINE AMARACHI
2018/242426
ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT
ECO 391 ASSIGNMENT

As special adviser to the president that attended the Paper Presentation on Economic Research and Scientific Analysis, I will explain to my audience that Research is carried out for the purposes of understanding the world around us and why things work the way it does.

The two main purposes of research include;
1. Information Gathering in which as a researcher you explore or discover information
and describe the information. Explorative and Descriptive purpose.
2. Theory Testing in which you explain causal relations and predict what might happen in
various scenarios. Explanatory and Predictive purpose.

Research is very important because;
1. It broadens your knowledge capacity and opens up new chances for learning and
growing.
2. It makes recent information available to you.
3. It gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions.
4. When you are working on a topic for the first time, research helps you to identify the
most unique subject.
5. Research helps you identify what is accurate and what is not.
6. Research helps you with problem-solving by making you think outside yourself.
7. It builds your analytical skills.
8. It creates awareness of issues like gender inequality, culture, climate changes etc.

Problems of Social Science Research in Developing Countries
1. Multiplicity of Social Data: Because human beings behaviour depends on several
factors like physical, biological, socio-cultural, psychological, temperamental, it is
difficult for them to put them to test.
2. Difficulty in interpretation of the relationship between cause and effect: in social
science it is difficult to explain the interdependent relationship between cause and
effect.
3. Constant change of social phenomena: Man is a social being that undergoes constant
changes therefore, techniques used in the previous experiment can’t be used in
present or future.
4. Complexity in using experimental technique: Human beings cannot be put to laboratory
test.
5. Difficulty in Predictability: predictability is an important characteristic of science. There
is high level of predictability in physical science than in social science.

NAME: Mbah Chisom Mary
DEPARTMENT: Social Science Education
REG: 2018/244295
EMAIL: chisommary111@gmail.com

ANSWERS
1) Research is an inevitable aspect of man’s existence, it plays a very vital role in our world today. For every inventions in place, research made it possible. Research is an inexcusable aspect of man. The purposes of research are numerous. They includes:

A) Information gathering: With the aid of research new discoverings have been made, new findings have come in place which have helped to solve problems. It also helps in uncovering and exploring new ideas.
B) Descriptive: It have also been in the position of research in gathering information, describing and summarizing them in other to solve problems and impact positively to mankind. Through research findings facts have been simplified and verified.
C) Theory testing /Explanatory: Research aids in theory testing in other to get to a verifiable conclusion e.g., testing and understanding causal relations.
D) Predictive: Research also helps in forcasting what might happen in various scenarios.
2) In whatever field you are, there’s always more to learn. The same applies to your personal life. No matter how many experiences or exposure you are been there are things you don’t know. Research unlocks the unknowns, lets you explore the world from different perspectives, and fuels a deeper understanding. The importance of research includes the following:
A) Research expands your knowledge base
A) One of the most important reason for research is that you’ll learn more. It gives you insight to know more,it widens your horizons of knowledge. Learning is continuous even if you are already well-versed in a field, there is always more learnt. If you aren’t, research allows you to build on any personal experience you have with the subject. The process of research opens up new opportunities for learning and growth.
B) Research gives you the latest information
Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In certain fields if not every new things keeps on evolving . Research equip you with the contemporary happening. It keeps one updated and prevents you from falling behind and giving info that’s inaccurate or doesn’t paint the whole picture. With the latest information you’ll be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.
C) credibility
People will take what you have to say more seriously when they can tell you’re informed. Doing research gives you a solid foundation on which you can build your ideas and opinions. You can speak with confidence about what you know is accurate. . Your research should be focused on the best sources. If your “research” consists of opinions from non-experts, you won’t be very credible. When your research is good, though, people are more likely to pay attention.

D). . Research helps you narrow your scope.
Research helps you to be focused and precise. Research helps you identify the most unique and/or important themes. You can choose the themes that fit best with the project and its goals.

E) Research teaches you better discernment.
Doing a lot of research helps you sift through low-quality and high-quality information. The more research you do on a topic, the better you’ll get at discerning what’s accurate and what’s not. You’ll also get better at discerning the gray areas where information may be technically correct but used to draw questionable conclusions.

F) Research introduces you to new ideas.
You may already have opinions and ideas about a topic when you start researching. The more you research, the more viewpoints you’ll come across. This makes for adjustment on the stock of existing knowledge. You might change your mind about something or, at least, figure out how to position your ideas as the best ones.
G) Research helps with problem-solving.
Whether it’s a personal or professional problem, it helps to look outside yourself for help. Depending on what the issue is, your research can focus on what others have done before. You might just need more information, so you can make an informed plan of attack and an informed decision. When you know you’ve collected good information, you’ll feel much more confident in your solution.
3) The problems of conducting social science research in developing countries includes the following:
A) Evolving a sound methodology for collection of field data
B) Interpretations of field data in relation to a conceptual and theoretical framework.
C) Reliability and validity of the collected data.
D) The background of the fieldworker(s) or researcher(s) (trained/untrained), etc.
E) Target group unwillingness to participate either in the form of interaction or answering questions.
F) Time management,
G) Quantification of qualitative data.
H) Limited knowledge or background on the needed software to run the data or conducting the data analysis.

Name : Ugochukwu Ugonnaya Judith
Dept : social science education (education economics)
Regno : 2018/244297.
.
What do you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research?
The main purposes of research are to inform action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to developing knowledge in a field of study. Research purpose is also to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts, and ideas. From weather forecasts to the discovery of antibiotics, researchers are constantly trying to find new ways to understand the world and how things work- with the ultimate goal of improving our lives. The purpose of research is therefore to find out what is known, what is unknown, and what can be developed further. In this way, researchers can develop new theories, ideas, and products that shape our society and our lives.
There are three main purposes of research;
1. Exploratory- it means the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. It aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a solution to the problem, this will enable further research later on.
2. Descriptive- it expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to it’s characteristics and population. It focuses on ‘how’ and ‘what’ but not ‘why’.
3. Explanatory- it is also refered to as casual research. It is conducted to determine how variables interact, e.g cause and effect relationships. It deals with ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.
Importance of research
1. Research is essential to find out which treatment works better for patients.
2. Research helps in discovering new treatments and making sure that we use existing treatment in the best possible way.
3. Research helps to give answers to things that are unknown, filling gaps in knowledge and changing the way we live.
4. Research expands your knowledge base because we learn more when we research.
5. Research builds your credibility because people will take you seriously when they can tell you are informed.
Discuss and analyse the problems of conducting social science research in developing countries
1. Covert research- It is still questionable whether or not it is ethical for social science researchers to covert research. According to Biber 2005 it is appropriate, where it is necessary to achieve a better understanding of certain social phenomenon. As pointed out by Williams 1996, it is impossible to ask for informed consent from members of communities because they do not want to be investigated. Even seeking consent from a research participants may prove difficult and cause change in attitude of the research participant towards giving information to researchers. Homan 1991 argues that covert research may be a negative impact on researchers. He believes that as long as the respondent trust the researcher there is no need to conduct covert research.
2. Researcher as participant observers- The main concern here is that the researcher should be neutral in order to maintain their aim of objectivity in their reservation project (Gans 1982). In research experience where the researcher also acts as a participant, he or she must normally develop and maintain close relationship with other community members. Researchers may find it difficult to make objective judgements in their research if they are personally connected with their respondents.
3. Nature of ethical regulations- Ethical regulations has produced a formulaic approach ethics, in which researchers may feel constrained to tick the right boxes, rather than to think through ethical principles themselves. There is also a prospect that basic ethical principles may lead to different and conflicting prescriptions.
4. Vulnerable groups- This group refers to children, young people, people with mental health problems and disabilities. Researchers has argued that this group of people should not be seen as vulnerable and cannot give useful and valuable information because researchers tend to exclude them from research and it may hamper research process.

NAME: Chukwudubem Chinemerem Peace
REG NO: 2018/245426
DEPARTMENT: Education/Economics
EMAIL: chukwudubemchinemerem459@gmail.com
ASSIGNMENT
1: During a paper presentation at the centre for Economics Research and Scientific Analysis, the director of the centre argued that “Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a topic or issue. A Research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole Importance/purpose of research. As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and then what you understand as the purpose of Research and the importance of Research.
ANSWER
According to Dieco Hardman and Hart 1996, Research is a systematic way of asking questions i.e a systematic method of inquiry.
THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
Research can search a variety of purposes. They include:
1: EXPLORATORY: Exploratory research is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. It involves familiarizing a researcher with a topic and to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem. It satisfies the researcher’s curiosity and desire for improved understanding.
2: DESCRIPTIVE: It expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to it’s characteristics and population.
3: EXPLANATORY: It is also referred to casual research. It is conducted to determine how variables interact, i.e to identity cause_and_effect relationship.
THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
1: RESEARCH INTRODUCES YOU TO NEW IDEAS:
For example, I’ve have this mindset that there is only two ways to finance a business but as i started researching on how to finance a business i found out that there are many ways to finance a business apart from the two ways I’ve already known. This encouraged me to entertain new ideas.
2: RESEARCH HELPS WITH PROBLEM_SOLVING: Whether it’s professional or personal problem, research helps you to think the box by researching about the present situation. For example, if an entrepreneur encountered problems as a start up, he will research on other businesses and try to find out how they arrived past that stage and he uses that information to improve his business.
3: RESEARCH HELPS YOU KNOW YOU’RE UP AGAINST: In business, there are competitions. Researching about your competitors and what they’re up to helps you formulate your plans and strategies and it helps you to improve where and when necessary.
4: RESEARCH BUILDS YOUR CREDIBILITY: Doing research gives you a solid foundation of what you can build your ideas and opinions on. You can speak with confidence to people about what you know when it’s accurate and they will take it seriously when they can tell you’re informed.
5: RESEARCH GIVES YOU THE LATEST INFORMATION: Research encourages you to find the most recent information available. In Economics there’s always new theories and models being discovered. Staying updated prevents you from lagging behind. With the latest information, you will be better equipped to talk about a subject and build on ideas.
2. Again u are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of conducting social science research in developing countries.
What will u tell your audience?
ANSWER
1: FUNDING: Funding has been a major issue for most ventures all over the world owing to scarce resources. Lack of adequate funds for a people_centred research like that of the social science research has clogged the wheel of advancement for such developmental germane venture.
2: INSUFFICIENT ADJUSTMENT TO THE DEMANDS OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TE CHNOLOGY: The social science research space has been largely affected by the demand of ICT. The problem is not the absence of ICT in Nigeria’s social science research nor the adjustment to it’s demands but the insufficiency of the expected adjustments required. Kamba(2008) highlighted that researchers and scholars need the interest for literature searches and data collection. Equally data can be processed and analysed using ICT and findings can be disseminated. Pathetically, several social science researchers in Nigeria cannot have access to such logistics to enable them bring the best to the table within the minutest of time, which portends enormous problem for social science research in Nigeria.
3:ETHICAL ISSUES: Social science research has long been concerned with ethical issues. Social science investigates complex issues which involves cultural, legal, economic and political phenomena(Freed Taylor_1994). This complexity means that social science research must concern itself with “Moral Integrity” to ensure that research process and findings are “trustworthy” and valid(Biber 2003). Research involving human subjects (or ‘participants’, in the current terminology) is required to show respect for ethical issues by obtaining approval from the Institution’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) prior to commencement.
4: ABSENCE OF QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION: Tertiary education all over the world are known to be seats of research. They occupy a vital position in the heart of research. They are instrumental to carrying out this researchers for contribution to knowledge base and for applied purposes. They also train researchers at different levels. Tertiary institutions are supposedly to assume a mentorship position for those at the secondary level of education via exchange of ideas either on special invites, provision of secondary schools’ research educators, provision of textbooks. It is pathetic that a Nigerian student spend six years all through secondary education without having an introduction or quality experience in proper research ventures.
To this end, it is obvious that the absence of quality tertiary education in content, logistics and synergies have clamped on the advancement of social research in Nigeria. As rightly stated by Odia and Omofonmwan(2013),nations in the world that have attained a reasonable degree of development and those who aspire to attain similar height are nations that have identified and embraced the tenets of qualitative education, research and development as well as making their services accessible to it’s people.

Chime Doris chinenye
2018/250191
Economics major

(i) Purpose/Importance of Research
1. It’s a Tool for Building Knowledge and Facilitating Learning
Research is required not just for students and academics but for all professionals and nonprofessionals alike. It is also important for budding and veteran writers, both offline and online.
For nonprofessionals who value learning, doing research equips them with knowledge about the world and skills to help them survive and improve their lives. Among professionals and scribes, on the other hand, finding an interesting topic to discuss and/or to write about should go beyond personal experience. Determining either what the general public may want to know or what researchers want others to realize or to think about can serve as a reason to do research. Thus, research is an essential component in generating knowledge, and vice-versa.
Knowledge is commonly described as a factual proposition in the mind of an individual. It essentially refers to facts based on objective insights and/or study findings processed by the human brain. It can be acquired through various means, such as reading books and articles, listening to experts, watching documentaries or investigative shows, conducting scientific experiments, and interacting with other people, among others. Facts collected during research can be checked against other sources to ensure their truthfulness and accuracy

2. It’s a Means to Understand Issues and Increase Public Awareness
Using Research to Understand Current Issues
Television shows and movies—both fictional and nonfictional—ooze with research. For instance, Oprah Winfrey would have not achieved remarkable success as a news anchor and television show host had she eschewed doing her own research about certain topics and public figures. According to entrepreneur and lifestyle coach Paul C. Brunson, in his interview with emotional intelligence expert and author Justin Bariso (2017):
“Oprah spends a disproportionate amount of her time gathering information from communities of people outside of her core (different age groups, social classes, ethnicities, education levels, careers, etc.) and then she shares that information within her community.”
This kind of effort shows the necessary role of research in helping others and raising social consciousness.
Using Research to Understand People
Many film and TV actors also take time to interview individuals to better understand their roles. Actors have worked with detectives, boxers, scientists, business owners, criminals, and teachers, among others to gain an inside understanding of what it’s like to have a certain identity. Others even go through immersion so they can begin to understand their characters’ issues better. This might look like living in jail or in a drug rehabilitation center for a while, gaining or losing a significant amount of weight, or learning to captain a sailboat. Many read literature, biographies, or journals to have a better view or context of the story they’ve been hired to tell.

3. It Helps Us Succeed in Business
The Importance of Research and Development (R&D)
Research benefits business. Many successful companies, such as those producing consumer goods or mass-market items, invest in research and development, or R and D. Different industries that involve science and engineering processes (like agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, computer software, semiconductor, information and communication technology, construction, robotics, aerospace, aviation, and energy) have high R and D expenses because it is critical to the creation and improvement of their products and services.
R and D can also help secure an advantage over competitors. Finding out how to make things happen more efficiently and differentiate a business’s offerings from those of its competitors can raise a company’s market value.
Market Research and Targeted Marketing
Research can also help a company maintain a positive commercial image, retain existing customers, and attract new customers through targeted marketing. Marketing is a type of communication, and for that communication to be effective, businesses need to understand their customers.
This usually happens through market research, which can involve examining psychological studies about consumption, hosting focus groups, beta testing products with a select group of customers, sending satisfaction surveys to existing customers, and researching the business’s main competitors, among other strategies. The most successful businesses, large and small, base their product design, service offerings, and marketing communications on insights gleaned from thorough research processes.

4. It Allows Us to Disprove Lies and Support Truths
Background Research and Private Investigations
Have you ever experienced the feeling that your partner is having an affair behind your back? Some people would overlook this and say that it’s better not to know; others though would take discreet action, hiring a private detective to find out for sure. What does research have to do with this situation? A lot. Doing research to reveal lies or truths involving personal affairs can contribute to either making a relationship work or breaking away from a dysfunctional one. For the monogamous lot, doing research to disprove or prove infidelity is one way to find out the truth.
Field Testing and Peer Reviews
Scientists also deal with research to test the validity and reliability of their claims or those of other scientists. Their integrity and competence depend on the quality of their research. Nevertheless, not everything scientists come up with gets accepted. Scientific work is typically peer-reviewed before being published. This means that when an individual publishes research, it is fact-checked and investigated for common biases, statistical errors, and methodological issues by others in the field before being shared with the scientific community at large.

(ii) Challenges of Conducting Research in LDCs)

Lack of Scientific Training: The research methodology is not systematic. Many researchers undertake research work without having actual knowledge of the research methods. Even the guides do not have a thorough knowledge of the various methodologies. Before undertaking research projects, researchers should be well equipped with all the methodological aspects.

Lack of communication with the supervisor: A university professor is a busy person. It is important to have guidance on a research project. Poor communication gets on the way of the progress of the research. It is important to communicate with the supervisor to clarify the doubts regarding the research topic, to know what the supervisor expects from you and to learn more about your research topic.
Time management: Spending ample time in learning the skills and practical implementation consumes a lot of time. In such a scenario, taking out time for intense research and to draft a top-notch research paper becomes impossible.

Not having a definite deadline: Deadlines are stressful. But not having a deadline can be troublesome during the Ph.D. journey. Deadlines help you get closer to your goals. Many times, Universities fail to implement a due date to submit the research paper, leading to confusion and improper time management among the scholars.

A quantity of literature: It can be difficult to deal with the quantity of literature that one might have accessed. The literature review is iterative. This involves managing the literature, accessing data that supports the framework of the research, identifying keywords and alternative keywords, as well as constantly looking for new sources.

Implementing quality of writing within the literature review: A literature review has to go beyond being a series of references and citations. You need to interpret the literature and be able to position it within the context of your study. This requires careful and measured interpretation and writing in which you synthesize and bring together the materials that you have read.

Insufficient data: Insufficiency of data is a potential problem. Most of the business establishments are of the opinion that researchers may misuse the data provided by them. This affects the purpose of research studies for which that particular data may be of utmost importance.

Lack of confidence: Lack of confidence is one of the most common problems among researchers. Researchers with low self-esteem feel less motivated thereby affecting the quality of the work.

Concern that your focus is either still too broad or too narrow: This concern is inevitable. Be prepared to adapt your research as you look through the cliterature. This might require you to either increase its focus or narrow down so that the research is manageable. A broad focus for research might be narrowed down by adding an appropriate context or by looking for another variable within the research question or by focusing upon a theoretical viewpoint.

Library management: Library management and functioning is not satisfactory in many Universities; A lot of time and energy is spent on tracing appropriate books, journals, reports etc. Also, many of the libraries are not able to get copies of new reports and other publications on time.

Clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries.

The social sciences have always been treated as a poor cousin of the natural and physical sciences. The latter have for long enjoyed the enviable status of the darlings of the state. And the reasons are not far to seek. It is they, so runs the argument, who find solutions for areas ranging all the way from agriculture to the country’s defence. That virtually every problem which science and technology tackles has societal ramifications is rarely perceived with any degree of clarity. Worse, it is all too easy to overlook the fact that policy, be it in agriculture, irrigation or defence, has to be informed by a more holistic understanding of social processes. And not many in the higher echelons of power are guilty of such a broad view. Inevitably such a technocentric view results in gross unfairness in resource allocation between the physical and social sciences. Admittedly the former need more resources given their input requirements but even so the social sciences get short shrift. The inequity is compounded by the declining share of higher education in the overall budget for education.

What are the major problems and challenges in social science research and let us proposed comprehensive solution accordingly. The considerable known challenges are development of conceptualisations, problem of maintaining objectivity, difficulty in the verification of the inferences, unpredictability and problem of universalisation etc? Besides above mentioned problems, what would be other other challenges in respect to different societies, conditions and different nations.
Prior to independence research in the social sciences was carried out almost exclusively in universities. There was hardly any funding from outside. Despite this Indian social scientists produced trail-blazing work. After independence the picture has changed dramatically. A host of institutions emerged mainly due to the initiative of the state, in particular the central government. At least in part the support extended to social sciences was a fairly explicit recognition of the contribution they could make to policy. A landmark was the creation of the ICSSR which even today is a sort of an apex body in this sphere

Name : Peter Emmanuel uzoma
Reg no: 2018/246577
Department: education economics
1. As the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Research Matters who was also invited to grace the occasion, you are required to address the audience and tell them what you understand as the purpose of research and the importance of research.
There are three main purposes:
1. Exploratory: As the name suggests, researchers conduct exploratory studies to explore a group of questions. The answers and analytics may not offer a conclusion to the perceived problem. It is undertaken to handle new problem areas that haven’t been explored before. This exploratory process lays the foundation for more conclusive data collection and analysis.
2. Descriptive: It focuses on expanding knowledge on current issues through a process of data collection. Descriptive research describe the behavior of a sample population. Only one variable is required to conduct the study. The three primary purposes of descriptive studies are describing, explaining, and validating the findings. For example, a study conducted to know if top-level management leaders in the 21st century possess the moral right to receive a considerable sum of money from the company profit.
3 Explanatory: Causal or explanatory research is conducted to understand the impact of specific changes in existing standard procedures. Running experiments is the most popular form. For example, a study that is conducted to understand the effect of rebranding on customer loyalty.
Research is conducted with a purpose to:
*Identify potential and new customers
*Understand existing customers
*Set pragmatic goals
*Develop productive market strategies
*Address business challenges
*Put together a business expansion plan
*Identify new business opportunities
Importance of research are:
1 Supports learning past the study hall:
The main thing which makes research significant is the way that it energizes learning. Exploration makes it important for us to continue to learn. The idea of learning past the limits of school/university/college was rather another thing.
2. It is utilized to demonstrate theories :
Actually like our mental health needs research, hypothetical verifications need research, as well. To comprehend the significance of exploration, we ought to understand that our life spins
around hypotheses, and in the event that we eliminate research from the situation, we can see that our lives are only a wreck.
3. Gives the most recent data :
Information is one of the center reasons people have wanted since the beginning of humanity. Being more learned amazing has made us dependent on the last mentioned. What’s more, this is valid too. The nations with the most information base are the ones that have shown advancement.
4. Examination assembles believability :
Examination gives a solid premise to you to develop your contemplations and convictions on. You might speak certainly about something you know to be right. At the point when you’ve gotten your work done, it’s undeniably more hard for somebody to discover imperfections in the thing you’re saying. Your investigation should focus on the most solid sources.
5. Prevails in business:
A business, similar to some other specialized work, requests a great deal of energy. A fruitful business is impossible without strong demonstrates and contextual analyses. That being said, it makes research the first step prior to doing any business. The level of organizations turning fruitless without appropriate exploration included is close 90%.

2. Again, you are also required to clinically discuss and analyse the problems of Conducting Social Science Research in Developing Countries. What will you tell your audience?
Some of the problems are
A. Absence of inspiration :
A research is a long undertaking so your inspiration will plunge and top en route. Set yourself some momentary undertakings while lacking inspiration so you can begin to gain ground once more. Distinguish what spurs you and give yourself normal prizes. It is simpler to propel yourself on the off chance that you know where you are going so plan your examination task and monitor achievements accomplished.
B: Lack of self-confidence
Doing a research can be highly exposing. Be aware of your level of self-confidence and self-belief. If it drops, try to boost your confidence by:
seeking positive feedback
acknowledging your achievements so far
taking stock of your competencies
stretching yourself by trying out new things.
C. Helpless using time productively :
Attempt to invest energy arranging, ensure you are giving a fitting measure of time to the assignments you are embraced and afterward audit how things are going. In case you are not accomplishing your objectives contemplate why and roll out an improvement. More guidance on using time productively is accessible.
D. Dread of disappointment/facing challenges :
You can gain more from your disappointments than triumphs: they are regularly impetuses for positive change in the medium/long haul. Try not to think about it literally. Recollect that you are preparing to be a scientist. Get what is generally anticipated of you and know where you can discover support.
E. Lack of important experience :
Recognize where your holes are and investigate all alternatives and accept open doors. Attempt to discover some work insight to widen your capabilities.