Scope and Purpose of Research

Today, knowledge is the biggest asset and valuable resource of mankind. Without knowledge, we are handicapped in every sphere of our life. Knowledge can be acquired through various sources, whatever it may be; research is the prime source of knowledge generation. Research provides new evidence; it reordered old evidence and gathered new facts.

1. Exploration: The first purpose of research is to explore the reality. By exploring the reality we will be familiar with social phenomena. When any research is conducted, exploration is the part, which brings better understanding the situation. For example: if we walk through Mandala at Maitighar we saw lots of people there doing strike, then we are curious and want to find why people are dong strike at there and we ask people who are there seeing the demonstration. In this way we make our confusion clear by exploring the phenomenon. 
2. Description: Description plays a wide role in research. It adds more to our existing knowledge. It explains nature of variables involved. It shows how the variables are interrelated.
3. Explanation: Although description and explanation have similar meaning, explanation goes beyond description and it explains reason for the phenomena. Explanatory research studies the relationships between two or more variables that contained in the situation to explain the phenomenon that exists.
4. Generalization: Generalization means the application of findings from sample to a large population. It can be happened when one could find the relationship between variables, how they involved in the situation.
5. Prediction: The aim of research will not end after formulating, generalizing. The purpose of research is also to predict the situation. The prediction in business research, medical research, etc plays a vital role.
6. Theory Building: The purpose of conducting research is to generate more knowledge and understanding the situation that occurs and to build the theories based on the research result. Such theories become the foundation for further study of the situation. So, the process of building on existing knowledge is the genesis of theory building.