Bhubaneswar, Jan. 6: A 10-day long workshop on Research Methodology in Social Sciences, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of research scholars, began at the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) here on Monday.
The primary objective of the workshop is to equip research scholars with essential skills and knowledge required for excelling in their research pursuits so that they could make substantial contribution in the realm of social sciences, Prof. Gayatribala Panda, Head of SOA’s Preservation, Propagation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN), said.
The workshop, which has been sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and organised by PPRACHIN, is being attended by 40 research scholars drawn from Social Science and Humanities background from different states.
Prof. R. Siva Prasad, former Professor and Head of the Department of Anthropology, University of Hyderabad, who attended the inaugural program as chief guest, underlined the importance of Research methodology saying it ensured the quality of research.
“At the higher level, all disciplines merge,” he said adding “training in research methodology helps us look at facts differently.”
Stating that research looked for reliability, Prof. Prasad said no research could be a single person’s effort as it was always meant to be a collaborative endeavour.
Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of SOA, who chaired the inaugural session, said SOA was focusing on research methodology which had been made the norm for all research work in the university.
Prof. Nanda said that creativity and innovative thinking played a major role in research which had to be pursued systematically.
Pointing out that obtaining a Ph.D degree was not the end of research, he said that earning a doctorate degree only meant that the person was now trained to think conduct more research.
The workshop was designed to equip research scholars in social sciences for rigorous research endeavours, to publish their finding successfully in reputed academic journals and play a significant role in advancing knowledge within their respective fields.
Dr. Nihar Ranjan Mishra, Associate Professor, Anthropology and Tribal Studies at PPRACHIN and Course Director of the workshop, proposed the vote of thanks.