MA ECONOMICS SEMESTER II - 2020 ADMISSION

KNRCMPC08- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR ECONOMICS (4 Credits & 75 Hours)

 Course Objectives: Many of the students at post-graduate level intend to pursue research degree programmes after completion of their Masters' degree in Economics. The proposed course will be an effort to develop such an aptitude among them. The objective of the course is to equip the learners with the research methods, which are applied in undertaking the research projects/programmes in Economics. This course will introduce and familiarize the students the 28 issues and perspectives of research methodology, research design, tools of data analysis and database of the Indian economy.

 Module-1 (15 Hours) Meaning and definition of research-- classification of research (pure, applied, exploratory, descriptive, historical, diagnostic, experimental, qualitative, quantitative) -- importance, applications and limitations of social science research-- interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches-- Statistics and information---communication technology in research--Basic elements of the scientific method-- theory and research-- the meaning of methodology.

 Module-2 (15 Hours) An overview of the different steps in research process--selection of the topic and formulation of the research problem in Economics with illustrations-- review of literature-- Research design, features of a good design--different research designs for exploratory, descriptive, diagnostic and experimental research .

 Module-3 (15 Hours) Sample design--probability and non probability sampling--complex random sampling designsMethods of collecting primary data-- questionnaire and schedules-- sources of secondary data on Indian economy-- case study method- -processing of data- Descriptive measures.

 Module-4 (20 Hours) Meaning, assumptions and limitations of simple correlation and regression analysis; Pearson’s product movement and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients and their properties; Concept of the least squares and lines of regression; Standard error of estimate.Analysis of Variance (one way and two way).

 Module-5 (15 Hours) Presentation Interpretation and report writing- steps- bibliography- quality of a good research report-- methods of footnotes and referencing. 

Selected Text Books 1. William J Goode and Paul K Hatt (1981): Methods in social Research, McGraw- Hill 

2. Wilkinson and Bhandarkar (2002): Methodology and Techniques of Social Research, Himalaya 

3. Marc Blaug, ( ) the Methodology of Economics, or How Economics Explain, Cambridge University

 4. C. R. Kothari (2004): Research Methodology, Methods and Techniques, New Age International 

 5. W. Lawrence Neuman (2006): Social Research Methods, Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches, Pearson

 6. Laxmi Devi (1997): Encyclopedia of Social Science Research, Anmol Publications, New Delhi. 

7 Pauline V Young ( ): Scientific Social Surveys and Research, Prentice Hall India , New Delhi 8 Modern Language (2009): The MLA Handbook for Writers of Association of America, Research Papers 

9 P.S Mohanakumar (1998, ed.): A Handbook on Research Methodology. Right Publishers, Kudavechoor. 

10. W.G. Cochran, Sampling Techniques, John Wiley, New York, 1963. Applications