In the field of social science research, particularly for grassroots initiatives, project management plays a vital role akin to a guiding compass, directing practitioners towards successful outcomes. Social scientists utilize a range of methods to analyze a vast array of social phenomena. Conducting research in the social sciences is a lengthy, slow, and challenging process that can sometimes yield false results due to methodological weaknesses. Keeping this in mind, the book will focus on project management tools and techniques for identifying, formulating, implementing, and evaluating social science research projects.
The objectives of this book are as follows:
1. To provide background information and tools to guide project identification and formulation.
2. To emphasize the importance of project design.
3. To explain how sound choices can be guided by using tools such as Long Frame Analysis in social science research.
The two weeks Capacity Building Program (CBP) is being organised on the broad theme of "Under standing Project Management Practices from Social Science Research Perspectives" at RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar during January 4-15, 2024. The programme is fully sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi. In the realm of social science research & especially for grass root level work, Project Management plays crucial role akin to a guiding compass, steering practitioners towards successful outcome Social Scientists employee a range of methods in order to analyze a vast breadth of social phenomena. Research in social science is long, slow & difficult process that sometimes produces false result because of methodological weaknesses.
Introduction "Research is the systematic approach to obtaining and confirming new and reliable knowledge." It is a systematic and orderly (following a series of steps). Purpose is new knowledge, which must be reliable. Thus research is: 1. Searching for explanation of events, phenomena, relationships and causes What, how and why things occur Are there interactions? 2. A process Planned and managed - to make the information generated credible The process is creative It is circular - always leads to more questions
1. Introduction Social research refers to study of social trends, dynamics and principles existing between individuals and within societies. Professionals perform social research in order to better understand the social factors that motivate and influence human beings and to analyze how and why humans interact with each other, and thus create new knowledge and theories or tests and verify existing theories. The purposes of social research are manifold and can be classified as exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, community change / action and evaluative.
Importance of Statistical Data In the modern era economic and social life of the people and the functional system of industry and business, educational and medical facilities and other activities of the community have undergone substantial changes due to spectacular developments in the field of science and technology. Now the emphasis is on specialization in mass production and utilization of goods and services of a given type with a view to get the maximum possible benefit per unit of cost.
Introduction The term 'research ethics' in social science research refers to human values, norms, and society approved arrangements that regulate scientific understanding go for society. It consists of the set of values, standards, and principles that serve as benchmark to determine appropriate and acceptable conduct tall stage soft he research process. It is the implementation of ethical practices that specifies norms and values as well as responsibility towards the academic community and society as a whole.
Background Farming system is a complex inter-related matrix of soils, plants, animals, implements, labour and capital, inter-dependent farming enterprises. The farm is viewed in a holistic manner (multi-disciplinary approach). Farming system approach requires commonly homogenous type of farmers. It is an inter-disciplinary, participatory and bottom-up planning approach. It is an approach for developing farm household systems. It is built on the principles of productivity, profitability, stability and sustainability which complement component oriented approach to development.
Kaushik Kumar Design Thinking Design thinking has emerged as one of the skill set in the recent competitive environment.Basic science has been mainly involved in development of various models that fulfills the requirements of engineering domain. However, the engineering graduates being produced did not possess the required industrial skills and hence were perceived by academia and industrialists as ineligible to be employed in various industries.
Introduction Impact assessment (IA) is defined as "a set of logical steps to be followed in the preparation of policy proposals. It is an essential tool to ensure that policies are crafted based on transparent, inclusive, and balanced procedures, define the various quality standards, and provide basic instructions to the impact assessment process" (European Commission).
What is AHP Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a decision-making methodology that helps individuals and groups systematically analyze and prioritize complex decisions. Developed by Thomas L. Saaty (1987), AHP breaks down a decision problem into a hierarchical structure and uses pairwise comparisons to assess the relative importance of different criteria and alternatives.
Introduction A case study involves a thorough examination of an individual, group, or event, delving into nearly every facet of their life and history to identify patterns and causes of behaviour. This investigative approach finds application across diverse fields such as psychology, medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social work. The primary objective of a case study is to acquire comprehensive knowledge about a specific individual or group, enabling the generalization of information to a broader audience. However, it is worth noting that case studies often exhibit a high degree of subjectivity, making it challenging at times to extrapolate results to a larger population.
In the vast landscape of research methodologies, case study research stands as a compelling and multifaceted approach, allowing researchers to delve into the intricacies of a phenomenon, event, or context. The richness and depth offered by case studies make them invaluable tools for exploring complexities that may elude traditional research methods.
Project Planning Matrix Generally, a project represents a single, focused effort. Programs are collections of projects together that constitute a complete package of work. The program's overall objectives are achieved through the complementarily of the various projects. The PPM is a matrix of four columns and four rows providing sixteen squares for a comprehensive description of a project. PPM shows both the project's logical structure (the links between the inputs/activities and the objectives to be achieved under certain Assumptions), and its major quantitative data.
Bibliometric Analysis 1. What is? Bibliometric analysis is a quantitative research method used to examine and analyze the bibliographic data present in scientific publications. 2. It involves? The systematic evaluation of publication patterns, citation relationships, and other bibliographic characteristics to gain insights into the scholarly landscape. 3. How? By applying various metrics and indicators, bibliometric analysis helps researchers and institutions assess research impact, identify emerging trends, map collaborations, and make informed decisions.
Writing funded project proposals involves crafting detailed documents tailored to specific purposes, such as consulting project proposals or sponsored research projects. For instance, a consulting project proposal emphasizes understanding a client's needs, offering solutions, and outlining services to address those needs effectively. On the other hand, sponsored research proposals focus on academic or scientific exploration, detailing methodologies, expected outcomes, and potential impacts within a scholarly context.
Project management in recent years has proliferated, reaching new heights of sophistication. It has emerged as a distinct area of management practices to meet the challenges of new economic environment, globalization process, rapid technological advancement, and quality concerns of the stakeholders. Project in general refers to a new endeavour with specific objective and varies so widely that it is very difficult to precisely define it or Project is a unique process, consist of a set of coordinated and controlled activities with start and finish dates, undertaken to achieve an objective confirming to specific requirements, including the constraints of time cost and resource.
American Sociological Association.(2008). Code of Ethics and Policies and Procedures. as a net. org/sites/default/files/savy/images/asa/docs/pdf/Code of Ethics. pdf Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. Cochran, W.G. (1977). Sampling Techniques.Wiley Eastern Limited, New Delhi. Cochran, W.G.: Sampling Techniques, Third Edition, John Wiley and Sons, New Delhi. Creswell, J.W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
