All-encompassing book on research methods

‘Paryeshana Lokayata Pivisemu’
(Let us Enter Research World)
Author : Dr. Godwin Kodithuwakku
Published by The Institute for Research and Development Battaramulla

Reviewed by Anil Pagoda Arachchi

Admittedly, there seems to be a significant development in the field of educational research done not only by higher educational institution such as universities and the National Institute of Education but also by professionals including teachers, lecturers and other officers.

One major difficulty the professionals continually encounter for this is the dearth of textbooks on the pedagogical and practical aspects of doing research in Sinhala language.

To make the problem worse, even the few available textbooks puzzle the novices in the field, for they provide only theoretical aspects of research genres with little attention being paid to explaining the research process in a simple way.

Dr. Godwin Kodithuwakku’s textbook on research Paryeshana Lokayata Pivisemu can be considered a wonderful piece of work to fill this gap. His style of writing, presentation of facts and the illustrations and examples given can educate the beginner researchers on all the areas of research, namely what research is, the main types of research, research methodology and research process.

The book will not bore the readers with sophisticated research jargon generally found in research textbooks, and, instead, it will be appealing to them because of its readability.

The first chapter deals with the strategies of raising questions, an important skill of becoming a good researcher.

The materials present meaningful contexts for the reader to comprehend the logic behind raising such questions. And the next four chapters vividly delve on the epistemological and ontological paradigms of which knowledge is essentially important for the researchers to have an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of both quantitative and qualitative research.

Deductive reasoning

The chapters on deductive and inductive reasoning that forms the basis of the division of both paradigms have been written drawing in examples from meaningful contexts that in turn enable the novice researchers to grasp the fundamentals underlying the two types. However, the writer does not make efforts to polarise the research genres into the formally accepted traditional classification, yet he brings in accounts of how all major types of research such as survey research, case study research, ethnographical research and phenomenological research are carried out with very suitable examples.

Acceptably, what really worries the beginning researchers is how to locate and review research literature.

This is an extremely necessary area because it demonstrates the underlying assumptions behind the general research questions, demonstrates that the researcher is knowledgeable about related research and intellectual traditions that surround the study and shows that the researcher has identified some gaps in previous research.

Also, it is a literature review that helps the researcher to redefine his research questions by embodying them in larger empirical traditions.

The information in the chapter on literature review will definitely equip the readers with the appropriate methodology of doing such review including the commonly used tools for it.

Concepts

Particular note must also be made about the way he uses illustrations to explain the difficult concepts related to research namely, developing hypotheses, classification of disciplines, development of knowledge, dimensions of knowledge, two basic approaches to research, research process and sampling methods.

His simple approach however does not make the reader overlook the rigour of research process. Why his book must be taken as a milestone in Sri Lankan context is because of the attempts he makes to give all aspects of research to the reader with examples drawn from the day to day life experiences.

What strikes me most is the last chapter titled ‘Art, song and research’ that takes us into a hitherto unknown world of research.

This enlightens us on how to locate researchable areas in poetry, novels dramas and films’ and how art can be very effectively used to teach research methodology.

Dr. Kodithuwakku, an eminent practitioner of educational research, seems to deviate from the traditional aspects of doing research by introducing new vitas to research field yet without damaging to the commonly evolved research traditions.

The book provides worthwhile information on doing research to novice researchers.

However, it does not necessarely mean that this book aims at only educational researchers but it will also be helpful for any professional in many profession to acquire the basic knowledge of research. Though an emphasis is placed on novice researchers here, even professional researchers can benefit immensely from the book.