Chapter 1 Understanding Research

Business Re Business Researc search: h: A pract practical ical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate student Chapter 1:

Understanding Research Jill Husey and Roger Husey

Outline • • • • •

Definition and purpose of research Qualities of good researcher Type of research The research process Characteristics Characteristics of a good research project

Definition • Process of enquiry and investigation (thorough and rigorous !" organi#ed • $yste%atical and %ethodical (coherent and logical route !" using appropriate %ethod to collect data and analy#e • &ncrease 'noledge !" address specific pro)le% * research pro)le%

Purpose • To revie and synthesi#e e+isting 'noledge • To investigate so%e e+isting situation or pro)le% • To provide solutions to a pro)le% • To e+plore and analyses %ore general issues • To construct or create a ne procedure or syste% • To e+plain a ne pheno%enon • To generate ne 'noledge  , co%)ination of any or a)ove

Qualities of a good researcher

Perseverance

1. Communication Sills •  ,)ility to co%%unicate (ritten and ver)ally  your understanding of the research area • -+a%ple. discussing your project ith your supervisor/ negotiating access to sources of data/ conducting intervies/ designing a questionnaires/ leading a focus group/ riting and presenting report

!. "ntellectual Sills • 0noledge. a)ility to recall facts/ no%enclature/ practical techniques/ las/ theories/ co%putation

• Co%prehension. a)ility to translate fro% one for% to another1 to interpret or deduce the significant of data/ to solve si%ple pro)le%s relying on those a)ilities

•  ,pplication. a)ility to apply 'noledge/ e+perience/ and s'ill to a ne situation presented in a novel %anner

•  ,nalysis. a)ility to )rea' don infor%ation into its various parts • $ynthesis. a)ility to )uild up infor%ation fro% other infor%ation • -valuation. a)ility to %a'e quantitative or qualitative judg%ent1 to set out a reasoned argu%ent through a series of steps/ usually of gradually increasing difficulty1 to critici#e constructively 

#. "nformation technolog$ sills •  ,ccess to co%puter •  ,)ility of )asic &T s'ills (ord processing/ e+cel/ statistical pac'ages/ data)ase %anage%ent/ access to internet for references/ -nd 2ote

%. Organi&ational sills • Ti%e %anage%ent !" ti%e ta)les of research

'. (oti)ation • 3aintaining and increasing interest in your research

*. "ndependence • -%poered • $elf %otivated • Highly independent

Personal strengths and +eanesses •  ,areness of on strengths/ ea'ness and  values • Clarity of thought • $ensitivity of events and feelings • -%otional resilience • 4le+i)ility  • Creativity 

"ndi)idual Assessment on Qualities of ,ood researcher

-$pes of Research • Purpose * reason hy • Process * ay in hich you collect and analy#e data • 5ogic * general to specific or vice versa • 6utco%e * solve particular pro)le% or %a'e contri)ution to 'noledge

Purpose of research 78 -+ploratory . Conduct a research pro)le% or issue here there are  very fe or no earlier studies8  ,i% to loo' for pattern/ ideas or hypotheses (not confir%ing or testing !" through cases studies/ o)servation or e+perience Hypotheses. idea or proposition hich can )e tested for causality or association )y deducing logical consequences hich can )e tested against e%pirical evidence (data

98 Descriptive • Descri)e pheno%ena as they e+ist to identify or o)tain infor%ation on the characteristics of a particular issue or pro)le%8 • :sing quantitative or qualitative statistical techniques • ;oes further in e+a%ining a pro)le% than e+ploratory research as to ascertain and descri)e significant issue

8 Predictive  ,i% to generali#e fro% the analysis )y predicting certain pheno%ena on the )asis of hypothesi#ed general relationships Provides ho/ hy/ and here ansers to current events and also si%ilar events in the future

Process of research • Quantitative 6)jective in nature Concentrates on %easuring pheno%ena (collecting/ analy#ing nu%erical data and applying statistical tests • Qualitative $u)jective in nature -+a%ining/ reflecting on perception to gain and understanding of social and hu%an activities

ogic of research • Deductive a study hich a conceptual and theoretical structure is developed and then tested )y e%pirical o)servation !" particular instances are deduced fro% general inferences (general to particular • &nductive a study in hich theory is developed fro% the o)servation of e%pirical reality !" general inferences are induced fro% particular instances (specific to general

Outcome of research • ?asic 4unda%ental=pure research Research pro)le% is less specific nature Conducted to i%prove our understanding of general issues ithout e%phasis on its i%%ediate application •  ,pplied Design to apply its findings to solving a specific/ e+isting pro)le%

-he Research Process

&dentify research topic

Define research pro)le%

Deter%ine ho to conduct research

Collect research data

 ,nalyse and interpret research data

 @rite

Characteristics of a good research pro/ect • ;ood literature revie  • $ound pri%ary research • 5ogical structure •  ,nalytical • Theory integrated • :nderpinned )y conceptual fra%eor'  • &ntegration )eteen %ethodology/ literature/ analysis/ conclusions/ etc