Researches help improve life chances: Expert

Former director of Madras Institute of Development Sciences V K Nataraj suggested students to take up researches to help improve their life chances.

Speaking at the inauguration of nine-day ‘national workshop on advanced research methodology in Social Sciences’ organised by Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and
Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP), University of Mysore (UoM) sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi  here on Wednesday.

He said, candidates usually head towards researches to enhance their educational qualification and economical rewards. Researches should not be done for this sake but to improve one’s life chances. It is a life time pursuit and not just an educational qualification.

He opined that though not always true, more education will likely make people more sensitive towards environment. Researches will also help in discovering physical, social, spiritual and economical environment as well as to understand how these environments interact with each other.

Noting that not all researches turn out to be classics, he said, generally people produce good thesis but not the best. Researchers dig into more facts of subject of the thesis.
“Face  challenges and never accept any research of the past as right. Anyone could be wrong,” Nataraj added.
Solution

Mentioning that every problem has a solution, he said, every new solution gives rise to new problems. He cited that death rate has reduced but now there are no effective factors to reduce birth rate.

Nataraj asked students to develop researches on the basis of truth witnessed and not to meddle with facts.

Chairman of department of management sciences and dean of faculties of commerce and management, University of Mysore B Shivaraj said that research is seen as just an extension in masters.

Briefing upon necessary quality of researchers, he said, they should be motivated to conduct research. Researchers often fail to bifurcate relevant and irrelevant information among those gathered by them. Many of them even have problem in formulating hypothesis. Abuse of statistical methods has become common now which should be avoided.

He explained that researchers should work hard for an outstanding output and curb illicit generalisations.

Titles of any research has an equal role as of the content of the thesis, he added, as face is said to be index of mind.

Director of UGC-CSSEIP  Ramesh was present.