1. Research Methods
RESEARCH PROPOSAL

2. STARTING POINT
Where do I start? This is the point most learners find difficult, it is recommended, but not in all cases that the starting point should be the library.
Look through texts
Find areas of interest
Analysing other research that has taken place
Journals
Mintel reports
Issues that have arisen in the workplace
Newspaper articles

3. THINKING OF A RESEARCH TOPIC Blaxter (1996), suggests ten ways to think of a research topic;
Ask your supervisor, manager, friends, colleagues, customers, clients or family
Look at previous research
Develop some of your previous research, or your practice at work
Relate it to your other interests
Think of a title
Start from a quote that engages you
Follow your hunches
Draw yourself a picture or a diagram
Just start anywhere
Be prepared to change direction

4. ACTIVITY 1
Working in small groups, using post-it notes identify 10 possible topics that would make a good business research project.
Discuss each of the proposals you identify
Then, starting with what the group feels would make the best project first, stick the post-its on a wall in order of priority and present your ideas to the rest of the group

5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
CASE STUDY
ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELDWORK
SURVEYS
EXPERIMENTS
LONGITUDINAL STUDIES
NARRATIVE ENQUIRY
TRIANGULATION
ACTION RESEARCH

6. THE CASE STUDY
Needham (2001), states, “while the literature is replete to references to case studies and with examples of case study reports, there seems to be little agreement about what a case study is”.
However, since this statement there has been a slight consensus over the usage and meaning;
Yin (1994), indicated, “a case study is an empirical enquiry which ‘allows investigation into a contemporary phenomenon within its real life context, especially when the boundaries between the phenomenon and context are not too clearly evident”.
Stake (1995), describes doing case study research as,’coming to understand the activity (of a single case) within important circumstances’

7. THE CASE STUDY CONT’D A range of research methods
Not just about description or event
Evidence has to be systematically gathered and the interaction of the variables needs to be analysed
SEE EXAMPLE –

8. ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELDWORK
Depends on observation skills and integration into the situation being examined
In being a participant observer, this form of research allows the researcher to share the same experiences as the subjects, and by doing so, the researcher is better able to appreciate some of the issues and so develop a better understanding of why individuals behave in a particular way.
I.e. researching homeless people in London

9. SURVEYS Surveys obtain information so that it can be analysed.
There are generally two forms of surveys;
The census
The sample

10. The census Asking the same questions to all respondents
Target audience

11. The sample Sample a representative section of the population
Findings are then representative of the whole population
Need to make sure they are accurate to the target group
Careful piloting is required for wording questions to avoid ambiguity
Bell (1999), states, “Surveys can provide answers to the questions What? Where? When? And How?, but it is not so easy to find out Why?

12. EXPERIMENTS (intervention and non-intervention)
Research deliberately controls and manipulates the conditions which determines the events they are analysing

13. LONGITUDINAL STUDIES Study over a period of time
Focuses on a group of subjects or a range of variables
Researches the dynamics of a problem or issue
Needs repeated observations
Can be time consuming
E.g. T.V. programme 49up, impact of new working environment on staff at Stephenson College

14. NARRATIVE ENQUIRY Uses a story
Discuss examples of situations that may occur
Used for future planning of events in order to develop an understanding of how to make key decisions
E.g. emergency situations, atomic bomb, environmental issues

15. TRIANGULATION Researches can use more than one method
Can overcome some of the problems and issues arising from a single method of research
Helps produce more reliable results
Denzin (1`970), describes triangulation as, “the combination of methodologies in the study of the same phenomenon”.

16. ACTION RESEARCH
Researcher tries to identify their own solution to a problem or issue whilst working as a practitioner or employee
I.e. working as an action researcher you might go into a situation where there is a particular problem. Having diagnosed the problem, you would then come up with a solution which you would then implement and reflect upon.
For example: ‘How do I get on better with my customers and will this help to generate more sales?’ So, the researcher might then use a range of techniques to build better relationships. Reflecting upon these, they might see what works and what does not work, and again make changes accordingly.

17. CONCLUSION
You need to think about these methodologies and when you have narrowed down a topic or idea think about which method is most suitable for your work
You research methodology must be identified and justified within your proposal
Next week we will be looking at research questions and hypotheses