Paper I: Research Methodology and Special Skills (Compulsory paper)

Research: Meaning, Definition, Methodology, research processes, criteria of good research.

Types of research:  Fundamental or basic, applied, Historical, descriptive, analytical, qualitative, quantitative, experimental, conceptual, case study.

Research design: Meaning, concepts, need, designs for different types of research.

Research problem and developing research proposal: Selection of research area and topic, statement of the research problem, its scope steps involved in defining the problem.

Literature search: reviewing related literature, referencing, abstracting, computer search, bibliography, evaluation of the problem.

Defining concepts: objectives, basic assumptions delimitations and limitations of the problem, statement of hypothesis.

Variables: independent and dependent variables, qualitative and quantitative variables, discrete and continuous variables, methods of controlling variables. Measurement of variables.

Sampling: Meaning, characteristics of good sample design, steps in sample design ,types and advantages.

Techniques of data collection: Primary data; Questionnaire, schedules, interview, observation and other methods; Secondary data: Reliability, suitability and adequacy of data

Processing and analysis of data: Processing operations: editing, coding, classification and tabulation of data, role of statistics in data analysis, statistical tables.

Report writing: types, format

Theory of probability: Probability sampling. Simple, random, systematic random sampling. Two stage and multistage sampling. Cluster sampling, non-probability sampling: purposive, quota and volunteer sampling, snow ball sampling.

Common distribution function: binomial probability distribution, Poisson distribution and normal distribution curve.

Standard deviation, Standard error

Test of significance:t-test, chi-test, ANOVA,F-test

Microscopy: Light, dark field, phase contrast, interference, polarization, florescence, transmission and scanning electron microscope, Confocal, Deconvolution.

Separation Techniques: Chromatography - Thin layer chromatography, absorption column chromatography, Ion exchange chromatography, High performance liquid chromatography, Size exclusion Chromatography; Electrophoresis SDS-PAGE, Agarose Gels, Electrofocusing, Capillary.

Centrifugation: Differential and density gradient centrifugation, zonal and isopycnic separation (Brief account).

Modern tools for inventory, monitoring and conservation of biodiversity: GIS and GPS.

Spectrophotometry: Colorimetry, spectrophotometry, atomic absorption spectroscopy, Flame emission spectroscopy.

P.C.R. and Types: Inverse PCR, Anchored PCR, PCR for site directed mutagenesis, Cloning and expression of the PCR product, Asymmetric PCR for DNA sequencing.