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Bcom MBM Year 2 S2
Research Methodologies and Marketing Research
| Question | Answer | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name the 10 steps of the research process. | 1) Begin with an idea and refine it. 2) Research question/statement. 3) Aims and objectives. 4) Literature review. 5) Select methodology. 6) Devise data collection methods. 7) Gather data. 8) Analyse data. 9) Draw conclusions. 10) Complete write-up. | ||
| Name the two different approaches to the relationship between theory and research (researchers approach the building and testing of theory from these two directions) | Inductive reasoning and Deductive reasoning. | ||
| Explain the inductive approach. | Using an inductive approach, you gather all the evidence, information and data available and then you formulate a generalisation that provides a reasonable and logical explanation for all of them. | ||
| Explain the deductive approach. | Using a deductive approach you make some prediction based on evidence, and you test that prediction. | ||
| How do you use the inductive approach? | Using an inductive approach, you begin with detailed observations on the phenomenon and you move toward more abstract generalisations and ideas. | ||
| How do you use the deductive approach? | Using deductive reasoning, you develop a research hypothesis/hypotheses from existing theory and you then test it. | ||
| Name the 4 frameworks of the 4 frameworks approach. | The conceptual framework. The theoretical framework. The methodological framework. The analytical framework. | ||
| What is important to know about the first framework? | The first framework, the conceptual framework, shapes, supports and directs the other three frameworks. | ||
| Where are each of the frameworks contained? | Conceptual framework: Research statement/question. Theoretical framework: Literature review. Methodological framework: Research methodology. Analytical framework: Data analysis. | ||
| Explain the research question/statement. | Once you have decided on your topic for your research project it is a good discipline to be able to express this idea in one sentence. This one sentence then becomes the conceptual framework for the research project. | ||
| Why is the research question/statement one sentence? | This defining of the research project in one sentence helps you exclude all of the concepts which are not relevant to the research, and it facilitates you in considering and exploring every concept which is relevant to the research. | ||
| What is included in the research question/statement? | All of the key concepts in the research project Should be included in this sentence. | ||
| Where is the research methodology of the research project first outlined? | In the research question/statement. | ||
| Why does a researcher construct the theoretical framework? (Read literature) | They do this in order to assess the state of knowledge in the field, and to identify any gaps in knowledge in the field. They also do this in order to develop their own expertise in the area or field of their research. | ||
| What gives the researcher an idea as to what literature they should read? | The key concepts in the conceptual framework give the researcher guidance and direction in terms of the reading they need to undertake and the areas of reading which they need to engage with. | ||
| What does the methodological framework contain? | It contains all of the detail on how the research was conducted. | ||
| Give a few examples of research methodologies. | Case study, survey, experimental design, meta analysis, attitude research, action research, ethnography, feminist research, grounded theory, semiotics, image-based research, phenomenology. | ||
| What framework does the research methodology section of a research project PROVIDE? | The research methodology chosen for the research provides the philosophical framework for the research project. | ||
| Is the methodology chosen for a research project arbitrary? Why? | No. The methodology selected should be the appropriate methodology for the research project. | ||
| With reference to which 4 things are the decisions around methodology made? | Decisions around methodology are made with reference to the aim and objectives of the research project, the population and sample of the research, the kinds of data needed for the research project and how best to gather that data. | ||
| What is the analytical framework and where is it presented? | This framework contains all of the analysis carried out for the research that is to be presented in the written account of the research project. | ||
| Which two frameworks guide carrying out and presenting of the analytical framework? | Conceptual framework and theoretical framework. | ||
| What is a research diary? | This written, often scribbled, record of your thoughts and decisions will be invaluable to you when you are writing the formal written account of the research, the research report or thesis. | ||
| When is a research diary used? | From the beginning of the research project. | ||
| Why is it important to keep a research diary? | You will be able to refer back to the research diary for inspiration and ideas for the writing and this will save you a lot of time in the writing process, as well as radically improving the formal written account of the research. | ||
| Can the notebook used as your research diary be used for other purposes? | No. The research diary is a notebook which you have designated your research diary and set aside for use solely as your research diary. | ||
| Should the research diary be soft cover or hard cover and why? | It needs to be a hardback notebook because it will be used a lot throughout the research project and you don’t want it to fall apart and you certainly don’t want to lose any pages from it. | ||
| What is positivism? | Positivism in social research is associated with quantitative research. | ||
| What is constructivism? | (Interpretivist framework) Constructivism in social research is associated with qualitative research. | ||
| What is quantitative research? | .The production and study of numbers and statistics. | ||
| What is qualitative research? | it is concerned with social situations and with the manner in which groups and individuals experience and interpret them | ||
| Name a few examples of qualitative research. | Interviews, participant observation, oral histories and life histories, historical data, and visual images. | ||
| How do positivists see the world? | Positivists see the world as having one reality of which we are all a part. | ||
| How do social constructionists see the world? | Social constructionists see the world as being co-constituted, co-created, socially constructed, and made up of many different realities. | ||
| Explain what interpretivists and social constructionists argue. | They argue that reality is unique to each individual, and to the manner in which each individual, given their own unique set of circumstances and life experiences, construct, experience and/or interpret their world. | ||
| What is epistemology? | Epistemology is the theory of knowledge, and it is the branch of philosophy concerned with what is knowledge, what constitutes knowledge, and how knowledge is created. | ||
| What is ontology? | Ontology is the study of the nature of reality. | ||
| What is the goal of all research conducted in an academic setting? | The objective in all research conducted within an academic setting is to contribute to a body of knowledge, is to create new knowledge, to expand the knowledge base. | ||
| What is important when conducting research in an academic setting? | The validity of any newly created knowledge must be established. | ||
| If the manner in which new knowledge can be examined, what can be done to the knowledge? | If the manner in which the knowledge was created can be examined, the new knowledge can be judged, critiqued, evaluated, and finally accepted or rejected. | ||
| How do interpretivists and positivists hold (view) reality? | Positivists hold reality to be singular and objective. Interpretivists hold reality to be multiple and subjective. | ||
| What is data and why is it presented in the research project? | Data is evidence; it is presented as evidence in the research project in order to establish the argument, the case, or the hypothesis of the research. | ||
| Name a few examples of data collection methods. | Observation, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups, scales and projective techniques, visual methods, photographs, pictures, maps, videos, films and so on, the gathering of narratives, the use of field diaries. | ||
| How are the most appropriate data collection methods indicated to the researcher? | The type of data required for the project, the population or sample population used in the project, and the methodology proposed for the project. | ||
| What is important about your research project/idea in relation to academics? | It must be completed within the time allowed, it must be completed within the word count and it must be within the scope of the resources available to you for the research; and it must be to the standard required by your programme of study. | ||
| What is the test of researchability? | In order to assess whether or not you could undertake and complete your research project, it is a good idea to apply ‘the test of research-ability’. In this simple test you examine whether or not you have the resources to complete the research project. | ||
| How do you test researchability? | See if you have the time needed to complete the research, if you have the money needed to conduct the research and if you have access to the information needed to conduct the research. | ||
| Does a research project change? | Yes. The changes happen in tiny shifts in emphasis, rather than giant changes or u-turns. In any case, any and all changes affect the entire project, and so the researcher is constantly engaged in a process of editing the thesis or report as it develops. | ||
| What is a thesis? | The thesis is the written record of the research project. It is a synopsis of the work that was carried out. As the word count is always quite constrained, it is not possible for this written record to be anything more than a synopsis. | ||
| What does the quality of a research project depend on? | The quality of every research project is dependent upon the integrity of the researcher. | ||
| Describe the ethical researcher. | The ethical researcher is informed. S/he must be organised and systematic. S/he is sensitive to the people involved in the investigation and engages with them, and with the entire research process, in an ethical manner. | ||
| What must the researcher do when reporting the research details? | The researcher in reporting the research details what s/he set out to do, how s/he did, what s/he found and what that means. Obviously, the account of the research must be accurate and honest. It must have detail to allow the reader to evaluate the work. | ||
| What must the researcher make sure of in relation to the literature review? | The literature review must be comprehensive, complete and up-to-date. | ||
| What must the researcher make sure of in relation to the data? | The data must be properly gathered and properly managed, and analysed appropriately. | ||
| What must the researcher make sure of in relation to the research analysis? | The conclusions drawn from the research must be drawn from the findings of the research, and these findings must emerge from the data gathered. | ||
| Every researcher has responsibilities to a number of constituencies. Name them. | These constituencies include the institution within which and/or under whose auspices the research is being carried out; and all individuals, groups, institutions and organisations participating in the research. | ||
| Which 2 duties do researchers have towards these constituencies? | The researcher has a duty of care towards all participants, and must, above all, do no harm. All participation in the research should be on an informed, voluntary basis. | ||
| Name the five basic skills required of every researcher. | 1) Be able to generate ideas for RPs. 2) Be able to get and use appropriate literature. 3) Be able to develop RPs that are congruent and have a good fit. 4) Be able to develop good compiled bibliographies. 5) Be able to communicate well through writing. | ||
| Do research projects have to be situated within your discipline? | It is important to remember that your research project must be situated within your discipline. If, for example, you are taking a degree in business, then your research project must be undertaken on some aspect of business. | ||
| What is key to turning research ideas into research projects? (3) | The key to this process is focus – what precisely are you interested in researching? What exactly do you wish to focus on in your research project? The test of researchability. | ||
| What is the first step in a research project? | Once you have a good idea then you outline a simple research statement, or question which clearly expresses your idea for your research project. | ||
| What is contained in the first framework? | The conceptual framework containsall of the key concepts in the research project. | ||
| What is an aim? | The aim of the research is simply the research statement or question re-stated as an aim. | ||
| What emerges from the aim of the research? | The objectives of the research emerge from the aim of the research. | ||
| What are the objectives? | The objectives of the research are the steps, or the actions, the researcher takes in order to accomplish the aim of the research. | ||
| When do you start reading literature about the research topic? | Begin reading for your research project as soon as possible. | ||
| What is literature? | Literature, in the context of the research project, is research that has already been carried out and published. | ||
| Name the 8 ways of identifying appropriate literature. | 1) Be discerning. 2) Check the date of publication. 3) Be up-to-date. 4) Be sure to include seminal works. 5)Check the authors credentials. 6)Read the written account of the research. 7)Be critical. 8)Trace the steps of the research process while reading. | ||
| Describe the methodological pyramid from bottom to top. | Fundamental philosophies (Positivism etc). Research methodologies (Surveys etc). Data collection methods (Observation etc.) | ||
| What is plagiarism? | Plagiarism is the use and/or presentation of somebody else’s work or ideas as your own. It is a most serious offence. | ||
| How can one avoid plagiarism? | You can avoid plagiarism and/or accusations of plagiarism by properly referencing everything you take from any and every source. | ||
| What is a bibliography and what is evident in it? | The bibliography is a list, in alphabetical order, of all of the published work used and cited in the research project. The reading you have undertaken for the research project is evident in the bibliography compiled and presented. | ||
| What is important to note when compiling a bibliography? (6) | 1) Use the style specified. 2) Ensure you copied reference details properly. 3) Use punctuation. 4) No spelling errors. 5) Place references in the correct order. 6) Do not use bullet points or any other styling or formatting in the bibliography. | ||
| What are appendices? | Appendices are used to detail any document or artefact relevant to the research but not detailed in the body of the work. | ||
| Where do appendices appear? | Appendices appear after the bibliography in the thesis or the report of the research. | ||
| What is important with regard to appendices? | Do not include unnecessary material in the appendices of the research project. | ||
| Name 2 things that appear in appendices. | Copies of letters written for the research project are placed in appendices. Copies of data gathering methods used, for example questionnaires and interview or focus group schedules are placed in appendices. | ||
| Which kind of graphs are useful in a research diary? | Spidergrams. | ||
| What should give you research ideas? (4) | Everything youve studied so in your work toward a qualification, everything youve seen, watched + experienced in your working life, everything that interests you about the business world and every person that you have encountered in the business world. | ||
| What shouldnt be the problem with research ideas be and what should it be? | The problem should not be one of having no ideas; the problem should be in deciding on which idea to focus on for your research project. | ||
| How can a researcher limit the scope of a research project? | In limiting the scope of a given research project, researchers examine the research statement or question in terms of its scope. The critical question is whether or not the research is do-able, given the resources available. | ||
| Name the 5 questions in relation to developing a sense of the scope of the research. | Whats the research standard? Whats the wordcount? Is the research for under or postgraduate degree? Are you tasked with designing/conduct the research? Are you restricted in any way? | ||
| What is a sample literature review? | A sample literature review, which is what you are required to write for a research proposal is a sample, or a small example of the actual or proposed literature review. | ||
| What is the wordcount for a sample literature review? | In general, the sample literature review would consist of 300 – 800 words, depending on the overall wordcount given for the research proposal. | ||
| How can basic quantitative data analysis be carried out? | Basic quantitative data analysis can be carried out by simply adding up or summarising the numbers in a data set. | ||
| How can more complex quantitative data analysis be carried out? | More complex quantitative data analysis can be carried out using a calculator or a spreadsheet, for example an excel spreadsheet. | ||
| How can large quantitative data set analysis be carried out? | Large quantitative data sets can be analysed using the computer software package SPSS, (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). | ||
| What is secondary data? | Researchers work with secondary data, data that already exists, for example national statistics or government statistics (see Chapter Nine, Using Secondary Data and Archival Sources). | ||
| What is the unit of measurement in quantitative data analysis? | In quantitative analysis the unit of measurement is the variable. | ||
| What is a variable? | A variable is a characteristic with more than one value. | ||
| What are the three different level variables? | There are different level variables, nominal, ordinal and interval variables. | ||
| Why are the different variables important? | The different levels are important because they determine the kind of analysis that can be carried out on each variable or with each variable. | ||
| In order to calculate average, which level variable would you need? | In order to calculate an average, you must have an interval level variable. | ||
| Explain nominal level variables. | Nominal is the lowest level of measurement. No assumptions can be made about relations between the values of a nominal level variable. The categories cannot be ranked. Each value is a distinct category and serves simply as a label. | ||
| Name a few examples of nominal level variables. | Examples of nominal level variables include gender, nationality, race, religion, type of business. | ||
| Explain ordinal level variables. | Ordinal is the intermediate level of measurement. Values are ranked according to some criteria; there is distance between the different values in the scale. There is a distance between values, its impossible to calculate the distance between the values. | ||
| Explain an example of ordinal level variables. | Level of education is an ordinal level variable. There are, let us say, three levels of education. While we understand the distances between the different levels of education, it is not possible to mathematically measure those distances. | ||
| What is the simplest ordinal level scale? Explain it. | Ranking. If you ask respondents to rank the tasks they undertake in their daily work in some order, for example, from the most important to the least important, you are asking them to create an ordinal scale of preference. | ||
| Explain interval level variables. | Interval is the highest unit of measurement. Interval level variables are distributed in an even, continuous manner. In interval level variables, as well as scale there is meaningful and measurable distance between the values. | ||
| Name 2 examples of interval level variables. | Age is an example of an interval level variable. Income, when it is disaggregated, is an interval level variable. | ||
| What is the difference between interval level variables and ordinal level variables? | There is meaningful distance between the values in an interval level variable. The distance is equal. The distance between the values can be measured or quantified. A wide range of statistical analyses can be carried out on interval level data. | ||
| What is a dichotomous variable? | A dichotomous variable is one that has only two values. | ||
| Explain dichotomous variables. | Questions that elicit yes/no responses are dichotomous questions. The responses to such questions are dichotomous responses. The effect is called the dependent variable. The assumed cause is called the independent variable. | ||
| What is an intervening variable? | An intervening variable is the means by which the independent variable affects the dependent variable. | ||
| Name the 2 types of statistic uses in quantitative data analysis and name what they are used for. | Statistics are used in quantitative data analysis for two purposes, description, using descriptive statistics, and prediction, using inferential statistics. | ||
| What are descriptive statistics? | Descriptive statistics are used to describe the data gathered. | ||
| Name an example of descriptive statistics. | Summarising statistics are examples of descriptive statistics. | ||
| Explain descriptive statistics. | Each variable in the data gathered, gender, level of education, income, age, and so on, can be described using descriptive statistics. Using descriptive statistics, each variable can be described in a number of different ways. | ||
| Name the 6 most generally used descriptive statistics? | The most generally used descriptive statistics are frequencies, ranges, means, modes, medians, and standard deviations. | ||
| Define statistical inference. | Statistical inference uses the data gathered from a sample population to draw conclusions (or inferences) about the population from which the sample was drawn. | ||
| Explain inferential statistics. | With inferential statistics the researcher is trying to go beyond the data, to go beyond describing the data, to reach conclusions that extend beyond the data. | ||
| What becomes critical when a researcher engages in quantitative analysis? | When a researcher engages in quantitative analysis using inferential statistics, the sampling method used in selecting participants for the research project becomes critical. | ||
| What sampling method should be used when a researcher engages in quantitative analysis? | Probability sampling methods must be used. These sampling methods are designed to minimise biases and to ensure that the sample is as representative as possible of the population of the study. | ||
| Name and explain the 3 ways in which data analysis could be carried out. | Univariate analysis, the use of one variable in analysis. Bivariate analysis, the use of two variables in analysis. Multivariate analysis, the use of three or more variables in analysis. | ||
| What is graphing data? | Graphing data, like tabulating data, allows for the communication of large quantities of data in a very succinct manner. In addition, graphing data, visually displaying data, can make trends and patterns in the data apparent. | ||
| Name the Four Stages in the Data Analysis Process. | 1) Descriptive analysis (describing what you see in the data). 2) Interpretation (interpreting the data). 3) Conclusions (Draw conclusions from interpretations) 4) Theorisation (Compare findings with literature theories). | ||
| Outline the structure for a research proposal. | Heading. Research question/statement. Aim and objectives. Sample literature review. Research methodology. (sub) Population of the study. (sub) Data collection methods. (sub) context for the research. Rationale for the research. | ||
| Outline the structure for a literature review. | Introduction. 3-5 paragraphs. Conclusion. | ||
| What is quantitative data and what is quantitative data analysis? | Quantitative data are numerical data and quantitative data analysis is the analysis of quantitative data using statistical methods. | ||
| How can basic quantitative data analysis be carried out? | Basic quantitative data analysis can be carried out by simply adding up or summarising the numbers in a data set. | ||
| How can more complex quantitative data analysis be carried out? | More complex quantitative data analysis can be carried out using a calculator or a spreadsheet, for example an excel spreadsheet. | ||
| How can large quantitative data sets be analysed? | Large quantitative data sets can be analysed using the computer software package SPSS, (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). | ||
| What does the data analysis section of a research report contain? | The chapter on data analysis contains a full account of the analysis carried out on the data, and a complete presentation of the findings that emerge from that data analysis. | ||
| How do researchers create their own quantitative data sets? | In order to create a quantitative data set, researchers develop questionnaires or scales, or they use questionnaires and/or scales that another researcher has developed and already validated. | ||
| Why is it a good idea for a researcher to browse through data available on statistical websites? | Such browsing gives a sense of what data is available, and browsing through data may help with the development of ideas for research projects. | ||
| What s the main function of qualitative data analysis? | One of the main functions of qualitative data analysis is to develop as thick and rich and as complete an account of the phenomenon under investigation as possible. | ||
| Compare the language of qualitative research to quantitative research. (This is one of the 2 major differences between the two. The other difference is the presence of the researcher.) | The language of qualitative research and qualitative data analysis is softer in a sense than the language of quantitative research and quantitative data analysis. | The language of quantitative research is in some respects a technicist instrumentalist language. The vocabulary of quantitative research, for example, tends to include words like instrument, subject, experiment, and test. | In qualitative research the word used is method, and rather than research subjects, qualitative researchers tend to talk about research participants, rather than experiment or test, qualitative researchers tend to explore, describe, detail and construct. |
| What is reflexivity in qualitative research? | Reflexivity in qualitative research is the account that the researcher provides of themselves and their role in the construction of meaning in the research process. | ||
| What are 2 simple ways of analysing qualitative data? | Close reading (reading the data over and over again) and thematic analysis (reading over and over to record the main themes.) | ||
| What is Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS)? | In particular with large data sets, it is very helpful. Using it, the computer software stores and manages the data. This is important in data management. When all the qualitative data gathered are kept in a file in the software, the data is safe. | Also, the management of the data throughout the data analysis is simple and safe; it is highly organised in the software. Using a computer software package for qualitative data analysis, the data are coded and interpreted using the software. | The data is as well coded and interpreted by using the software. The process is organized and less liable to error. |
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