Article No.12 CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH: INTRICACIES AND AIDING SOFTWARE TOOLS BASED ON EXPECTED CHARACTERISTICS Dr. Munish Sabharwal Executive Director & Professor, KITE Group of Institutions, Meerut (U.P.) Abstract: The research work was conducted with the objectives to find the intricacies faced by students, research practitioners and professionalsduring their research and to suggest the best software alternatives for each category of problems faced by them, based on expected characteristics. Thestudy is intended to help researchersfrom diverse fields, especially those not belonging to information technology and its allied background. This study was pursued by the researcher collecting firsthand information for primary data through a face- to face interview of students, research practitioners and professionals from diverse fields using a structured open ended questionnaire querying about the intricacies faced by them during their research and the characteristics expected by them in the software aiding in research. The analysis is performed in three stages; at the first stage the researcher performs thematic textual analysis on the responses to the questionnaire, short listing the intricacies faced by researchers during their research and the characteristics expected by them in the software aiding in research. Secondly, a keyword search is performed on the shortlisted intricaciesto find the categories of software required to aid the researchers for each type of problem faced by them and then find software alternatives for each category of software along with a brief functional minutiae. Finally theresearcher conducts a thorough study of the related literature, websites, brochure of software companies as well as their products and services and also appliesobservation and application method examining the various short listed software alternatives for each category based on expected characteristics to suggests the best software alternatives for each category of intricacies faced by researchers. Keywords: Referencing Management Software, Numerical Analysis Software, Quantitative or Statistical Analysis Software, Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS or CAQDAS), Web-Based Survey,Plagiarism Detection Software, Group Collaboration and Research Facilitation Software 1.0 Introduction:The inspiration of penning this study came to the researcher on observing many undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students labour hard but still struggle to complete their research project timely and proficiently due to lack of awareness about the useof simple software tools aiding in referencing, decipher complex computations, surveying, data analysis and modelling etc.Donaldson et al., [2008]1 in their study state that basic research is typically driven by scientists’ personal interests and curiosity, and its purpose is to advance knowledge. In contrast, the purpose of applied research is to understand how to prevent or solve practical problems that affect “real” people, organizations, communities, and societies across the globe. Some applied research is descriptive and helps advance our understanding of practical problems and AIMA Journal of Management & Research, May 2016, Volume 10 Issue 2/4, ISSN 0974 – 497 Copy right© 2016 AJMR-AIMA Page 1 their potential solutions, while other efforts are evaluative and improve or determine the effectiveness of actions (e.g., programs and policies) to prevent and solve practical problems. Today the use of computer in contemporary research is so extensive that it is difficult to conceive a research project without the support of IT and it is an arduous task to timely conclude research studies, particularly those involving complex computations, data analysis and modeling without the use of computers. The study aims to suggest the aiding software tools for the problems faced by researcher at all stages of study right from proposal or budget stage to submission or presentation of findings, based on expected characteristics. 2.0 Review of Literature:Kern et al., [2011]2 state that Reference, instruction, and technology come together in the arena of research support. No matter the level of the researcher (from the student writing his or her first high school research paper to the Nobel prize–winning scientist) source citation is fundamental to good research.Beutler, E. [1987]3 defines Bibliography database managers are used to manage information resources: specifically, to maintain a database of references and create bibliographies and reference lists for written works. It should offer tools that let you find and retrieve references quickly, and it should be able to produce the bibliography in the format required for a particular publication. JA Cordon-Garcia, H Martin-Rodero, YJ Alonso- Arevalo [2009]4 in their study makes a comparative analysis of RefWorks, EndNote web and Zotero with a view to highlighting their strengths as well as the elements that could be improved in each tool.Ron Gilmour and Laura Cobus-Kuo Gilmour [2011]5compare four prominent RMs: CiteULike, RefWorks, Mendeley, and Zotero, in terms of features offered and the accuracy of the bibliographies that they generate. To test importing and data management features, fourteen references from seven bibliographic databases were imported into each RM, using automated features whenever possible. To test citation accuracy, bibliographies of these references were generated in five different styles. The authors found that RefWorks generated the most accurate citations. They found that the other RMs offered contrasting strengths: CiteULike in simplicity and social networking, Zotero in ease of automated importing, and Mendeley in PDF management. According to them the choice of an RM should reflect the user's needs and work habits. In order to prepare a good research report, the researcher needs to review prior literature and related research work as well as cite the referenced material in requisite or required formats; this job is efficiently handled by referencing management software. G. Wanner [2010]6 state that Numerical methods are usually constructed for solving mathematical problems such as differential equations or optimization problems. Abawi, K. [2008]7 in WHO’s, Research Methodology Workshop, APHI in Kabul in 2008 suggests that Quantitative research is a process of inquiry based on testing a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers, and analyzed using statistical techniques. The goal of quantitative methods is to determine whether the predictive AIMA Journal of Management & Research, May 2016, Volume 10 Issue 2/4, ISSN 0974 – 497 Copy right© 2016 AJMR-AIMA Page 2 generalization of a theory hold true or not. K B Keeling, R J Pavur [2007]8 provides insight into a relative comparison of a wide variety of numerical software packages including two free statistical software packages, basic and advanced statistical software packages, and the popular Excel package. Jirwe, M. [2011]9 in his study explains that qualitative research produces large amounts of textual data in the form of transcripts and observational fieldnotes. The systematic and rigorous preparation and analysis of these data is time consuming and labour intensive.Weitzman, E. A.[1999]10 in his study suggests that the software for qualitative data analysis can benefit the researcher in terms of speed, consistency, rigor, and access to analytic methods not available by hand. Software, however, is not a replacement for methodological training.Banner DJ and Albarrran JW [2009]11 in their research column includes a review of some of the advantages and debates related to the use and integration of qualitative data analysis software. These different types of approaches to data analysis depending on the type of data like Numerical Analysis, Quantitative or Statistical Analysis, Qualitative Data Analysis. Data analysis for all the different approaches can be easily pursued with the help of Numerical Analysis Software, Quantitative or Statistical Analysis Software, Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS or CAQDAS) depending on the type of data. Bakla, A et al., [2013]12 in their study state that survey research is a challenging and time-consuming process, but current technology offers educational researchers ample opportunities to design and administer time-efficient surveys. With the help of ubiquitous web-based technologies, it is now possible to design and administer a full-length survey on an online platform at no cost at all. The use of such open-source software or free web services makes it possible to design web surveys which are virtually impossible for the non-expert to design and publish online through coding oriented web design software. Survey methods are used to gatherinformation, in order to obtain the view or to learn something about a larger population; a sample is drawn in such a way that the results reliably projectthe larger population. These surveys can be implemented using technology, via web based surveys. The web surveys have their advantages like access to individuals in distant locations, convenience of having automated data collection and disadvantages like uncertainty over the validity of the data and sampling issues, and concerns surrounding the design, implementation, and evaluation of an online survey. The rise in web based surveys is due in no small measure to the increasingly widespread availability of computers. Slamecka [1963]13defines thesaurus as “prescribes the term to be assigned, and/or it suggests the concepts and terms to be considered instead