Research proposal MGT-602

Agenda Introduction Communication/Meeting Protocols Your background Why MS? Communication/Meeting Protocols Content to be covered What is research Basic elements of RP Check list of RP

Writing your research proposal Purposes of the research proposal To organise your ideas To convince your audience To get approval from you advisor/university To meet ethical requirements

Your Objective of research is to: Create knowledge by the method of gap-spotting: What Makes Questions Unique? : Understand the distinction between existing knowledge and new knowledge Typically, researchers create new knowledge through a three-step process they examine existing knowledge on a topic they try to find gaps and misunderstandings in that existing knowledge they focus their research precisely on those gaps and misunderstandings The goal is usually to identify something that the larger community of researchers does not understand, or does not understand well

The nature of research Definition: Something that people undertake in order to find things out in a systematic way, thereby increasing their knowledge’ (Saunders et al. , 2009)

Research Proposal What – How - Why means what this research is trying to find out (or do, or achieve). Phrased this way, it points directly to research questions, first general and then specific. ‘How’ means how the research proposes to answer its questions. Answering the ‘how’ question means dealing with the methods of the research. Methods are seen here as dependent on research questions. ‘Why’ means why this research is worth doing. This points to the justification (or significance, or importance, or contribution) of the research.

Role of Theory “ A formulation regarding the cause and effect relationship between two or more variables, which may or may not have been tested” (Gill & Johnson, 2002) If A is introduced, B will be effected Motivation leads to productivity

What is a Literature Review? According to Creswell (2005), a review of the literature “is a written summary of journal articles, books and other documents that describes the past and current state of information, organizes the literature into topics and documents a need for a proposed study.” (pp. 79) Creswell, J.W. (2005) Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Reasons for reviewing the literature To conduct a ‘preliminary’ search of existing material/knowledge To organise valuable ideas and findings To identify other research that may be in progress To generate research ideas To develop a critical perspective

Research Process at a Glance Source: Sekaran, 2009

Concept Mapping – An Example Concept Mapping – An Example

Types of Variable Independent -- Also called antecedent variable, experimental variable, treatment variable, causal variable, predictor variable Dependent (outcome variable) -- Variable something that might be affected by the change in the independent variable Moderating: strong contingent effect on the IV-DV relationship Intervening: that surfaces between the time the IV starts operating to influence the DV and the time their impact is felt on it. There is thus a temporal quality or time dimension to the intervening variable. (Tolman, 1938)

Research Framework Framework here means conceptual framework – the conceptual status of the things being studied, and their relationship to each other. Depicting the relationship of variable with each other with support/help of relevant theory

Example of Moderated Effect

Example of Mediated Effect

Moderating & Mediating Variables

Theoretical Framework

Schematic Diagrams Illustrating Moderation & Intervening Variables

Theoretical Framework with Intervening Variable

Theoretical Framework with Moderating Variable

Simplified model of research

Type of Study Description (what) Explanatory (why) A descriptive study asks, basically: ‘What is the case or situation here?’ Explanatory (why) This type of study asks, basically: ‘Why is this the case or situation?’ or ‘How does (or did) this situation come about?’. This description– explanation distinction applies to both quantitative and qualitative studies.

Research Proposal First gap analysis

Front Matter Words Limit Proposed title of the study 6-20 Introduction 500 1.1 Background of the study (significance/rationale of the study) 1.2 Broad problem area 1.3 Specific problem statement 1.4 Aim of the study 1.5 Research objective (s) 1.6 Research question (s) 1.7 Limitations/Delimitations of the study

2. Literature review 2000 2.1 Concepts & definitions 2.2 Theoretical reflections 2.3 Identify literature gap(s) pertaining to the topic under study 2.4 Substantiating evidences from the literature 2.5 Critical analysis of the literature 3. Research/Theoretical framework [With diagram] 3.1 Research Framework 3.2 Hypotheses 150

Should not be less than 30 Research Articles * 4. Proposed Research Methodology 350 4.1 Sample selection (with full justifications) 4.2 Population frame 4.3 Unit of analysis 4.4 Type of study 4.5 Time horizon 4.6 Researcher’s strength 4.7 Instrument development/selection New, or adopted/adapted with complete sources Validity and reliability 4.8 Proposed data collection procedures 4.9 Proposed data analysis techniques (with full justifications) Schedule of Your Dissertation Thesis completion time (CPM or GANTT chart) Reference list (APA, or Harvard style) Should not be less than 30 Research Articles * Appendices (if any)

Don’t……….. Asking your supervisor for research topic “Of course, I know the answer of the question” Relying only on your experience Using personal reflection without reviewing the relevant research articles Not reading thoroughly one well cited book on the area/theme/topic of your interest

Questions to Guide Proposal Development Questions about the context: Who will read my proposal? What will their expectations be? What is the process for approval of my proposal? What departmental and/or university guidelines are there for my proposal and its presentation?

Questions to Guide Proposal Development At the most general level: What What is my research about? What is its purpose? What is it trying to find out or achieve? Especially: What questions is it trying to answer? How How will my research answer its questions?

Questions to Guide Proposal Development Why Why is this research worth doing? More specifically: What is my research area? Have I clearly identified it? What is my topic? Have I clearly identified it and shown how it fits within the research area? What are my general research questions? What are my specific research questions? Does each specific research question meet the empirical criterion? Is it clear what data are required to answer each question?, and if yes, what type of data will be required and from where?

“there is no one best way for undertaking all research” And finally…….. “there is no one best way for undertaking all research” Saunders et al. (2009)

Thank You