Independent Studies 7BM998 Introduction to Conducting Research Dr Jill Hanson N509 [email protected].

Independent Studies7BM998

Introduction to Conducting ResearchDr Jill [email protected]

Content 1

Introduction to the module Introduction to conducting a research project

Why do we conduct research? What is a research project? Different levels of research

Developing ideas Choosing topics Searching and using the literature

Writing aims and objectives

Content 2 Introduction to research philosophy and study design

The different approaches and their strengths and weaknesses

Associated methodologies and their strengths and weaknesses

How do you choose the right design and methods? The Data Requirements Table Introduction to analytical techniques (choosing the

right analysis) ETHICS and the Ethics Approval form GANTT charts

Learning Outcomes

The student should be able to: Understand what the research project involves Be able to search the literature and select an

appropriate topic Write appropriate aims and objectives Devise an appropriate strategy/design and data

collection methods Produce a data requirements table Write a proposal and GANTT chart

Recommended Reading

Easterby-Smith et al (2008) Management Research. Sage

Lancaster, G. (2005) Research Methods in Management. Elsevier

Lee & Lings (2008) Doing Business Research. Sage Salkind, N. (2006) Exploring Research. Pearson. Saunders et al (various) Research methods for business

students. London: FT Pitman Publishing. Silverman, D. (2011) Qualitative Research. Sage

Introduction to the module

For many students this module represents their worst nightmare!

But remember we will equip you with the skills you need to design, conduct and write up the research

You will have an experienced supervisor to guide you all the way

It is an opportunity to explore something that interests YOU in more detail and discover something NEW!

Don’t be afraid, you can do it!

Things You Will Need to Do

Complete the topic submission form (at the back of your handbook and on blackboard) and return it to E5 by the deadline – see the handbook)

Write your proposal Design the research and collection methods Complete an ethics form and receive clearance Conduct the research Write up the research

Things You Can Expect From Your Supervisor

6 hours of their time for face to face meetings, reading the chapters of your dissertation as you progress and providing feedback on them

A final read through of your dissertation before you hand in (must be submitted to the supervisor4 weeks before the deadline)

Guidance on aims, objectives, design, methodologies, analysis and writing up

Things You Should Not Expect Spell checking Supervisors to chase you to get work completed Supervisors to write your project or do your work for you.

They provide feedback on your plans, not make your plans for you.

Supervisors to provide grades before submission Supervisors to provide feedback on each chapter more

than once Extensions because you haven’t done the work in time Feedback on work immediately. We all have very have

teaching loads and several students to supervise. Therefore it can take us a while to respond to emails and to read through chapters and provide feedback.

What we expect from you

Turn up to all meetings and come prepared (having done the work set/read the literature etc)

You to work independently and to meet the deadlines you set yourself

Adequate time to read your work and provide feedback

Introduction to conducting a research project: Why do we conduct research? To “find things out in a systematic way”

(Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 1997, pp.1) Systematic research – moving beyond beliefs or

assumptions to testing the existence and/or nature of logical relationships with scientific rigour

Finding out – can include identifying, describing, exploring, explaining, understanding, criticising and analysing

What Is A Research Project?

A programme of research that seeks to answer a series of questions pertaining to a relevant subject area

Will be between 12000 and 15000 words Not as scary as it sounds… Will fall somewhere on the academic-applied

continuum…

Academic and Applied Research (Source: Saunders et al, 1997)

Academic research Applied ResearchExpand knowledge of processes Improve understanding of particular

business or management problem

Results in universal principles relating to the process and its relationship to outcomes

Results in solution to problem

Findings of significance and value to society in general

New knowledge limited to problem

Choice of topic and objectives determined by researcher

Findings of practical relevance and of value to manager(s) in the organisation(s)

Flexible timescales Objectives negotiated with originator

Tight timescales

Different Levels of Research

Research can be used to find out information in different ways. When developing and planning research, think about whether you want to: Describe Identify Explore Explain

At masters level you MUST move beyond simply describing into the realms of identifying the existence of relationships and possibly attempting to explain relationships

What makes a good project?1. The project can be completed given your time, skill,

access, ethical and resource constraints

2. The project meets the universities assessment criteria

a. It involves some primary data collection

b. You will be able to write 12000-15000 words on it

c. It moves beyond simple description

d. It has a subject pathway relevant strategic element and a theoretical framework

3. Some aspect of the project is ‘original’

4. You find it reasonably interesting…

Typical pitfalls with project ideas… Project too big (you aren’t doing a PhD!) Project too small (you have to collect enough data to write 12-

15000 words about) No way you will get access (e.g. massive international

companies are unlikely to grant you access) You do not have the resources to carry out the actual research

(e.g. time, money, skills etc) Project is too simple (level of analysis is purely descriptive and

does not seek to explore/explain) Project aims and objectives are too vague Project has been done to death (e.g. motivation) or isn’t current Project has no theoretical framework and/or no strategic element

in place Project does not include any collection of primary data

Developing Ideas

This can be extremely difficult and sometimes is the part of the process that takes the longest amount of time and the most amount of work!

But there are things you can do to help and your supervisor will provide guidance

Remember that the research process of devise, plan, conduct and write up is not a linear activity. It is iterative! You will go back and forth between stages.

So, where do you start? Some ideas….1. Try to keep the fear under control….2. Think of issues in your work place or subjects in

the programme that interest you3. Do some background reading and pick out the

topical issues, theory/model that is most relevant (be able to defend your choice of theory)

4. Think about the organisations that you might be able to access and whether these topical issues could be important in these organisations

5. If not, perhaps investigate the organisations you can access and see what problems or issues they have then revisit the literature to clarify approaches to studying these issues and the models/theories that are relevant

Choosing Topics Usually best to choose something you are interested

in But sometimes that particular topic will not be

feasible given your restraints, e.g. CSR in Shell Sometimes need to compromise to produce a topic

that is obtainable without you dying trying! Don’t make your life more difficult than it needs to

be. To a large extent your topic choice will be constrained by where you can gain access to and the issues that particular organisation has

The Literature It is important to read around your topic early on.

WHY? Helps you to uncover and understand the key themes It helps you to establish a clear rationale for your project

(your proposal is graded on this) Helps you to establish which is the best theory to use as a

framework and WHY Helps you to formulate interesting research aims and

objectives Helps you to devise a rigorous methodology Helps you to find valid and reliable data collection

techniques

Searching and Using LiteratureSources of Literature (Saunders et al, 2009)PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY

Reports Newspapers Indexes

Theses Books Abstracts

Conference reports Journals Catalogues

Company reports Some government publications

Encyclopaedias

Some government publications

Dictionaries

Unpublished manuscripts Bibliographies

Defining Parameters

Includes things like language/country of publication, subject area, business sector, publication period and literature

Common problem is to define parameters too narrowly which leaves you with no literature

If this happens broaden your parameters until you do find something relevant

To build your list of parameters read through lecture notes and course texts, making notes on key themes and authors which you can then use in your key word searches

The Literature Search Plan, Plan and Plan some more The literature search is a time consuming

process and often takes much longer than expected

Planning will reduce the time you spend on it and will help to protect you from information overload

Saunders et al (09) suggest you begin by: Defining the parameters of your search Generating the key words and search terms Discussing your topic ideas with peers or tutors

Generating subject search areas and key words

Sources to read to generate subjects relevant to your project topic: Lecture notes Course texts General review articles

Then can identify key words: Discussion with colleagues, peers, librarians and tutors Initial reading Handbooks and other reference books Brainstorming Relevance Trees

A Relevance Tree

Source: http://info.emeraldinsight.com/learning/study_skills/img/tree.jpg

Conducting A Literature Search – Where? Academic search engines such as google scholar

and emerald Library (remember them?) Articles referenced in books and journals you have

already read Websites of professional bodies e.g. CIPD Other tertiary sources Remember to check your spelling (American

spelling/UK spelling), parameters, search words…

Getting Hold of the Literature Check to see whether the library has access

to the journal online or holds the paper version If not can do an interlibrary loan request (

http://www.derby.ac.uk/library/ill/general-guide-for-students-and-staff)

Check to see whether the library holds the book (or do an inter library loan as above)

Scan the abstract/contents pages/relevant chapters to see if literature holds relevance

What Next? What do I read first? My advice is to begin with the most general, beginner

level material Usually this will be a generic text book

This will introduce the basics to you – it’s important to understand them before launching into complex journal articles (but they should NOT form the basis of your literature review)

Take notes of the key issues and key authors in the field Do you see interesting aims emerging from the material

yet? NB the introductory text is not a good source to be

using when you actually write your literature review because the lit. review should be a review of research.

Then….

Once you are familiar with the fundamentals of the topic and understand all the terms and key issues you can move onto: Specific textbooks or edited books Review journal articles Again with each piece you read take notes –

what are the key theories/models/themes? What are the key criticisms of theories/research?

(your literature review should be a CRITICAL review)

Good Research Ideas Good research often flows from

addressing the shortcomings of what has gone before testing aspects of theories that have not been adequately

tested before looking at weaknesses in theories and seeing if you can

improve them by adding/removing variables Comparing two theories ability to predict outcomes Seeing if a theory applies in a range of different

circumstances Testing a range of variables and generating your own

theory (much more difficult though) Identifying a workplace issue, applying a theoretical

framework to attempt to explain it and then seeing if the theory does explain the issue

Then… Once you have read review articles you can move on to

reading specific journal articles that directly assess specific issues

These are more complex – always read with a dictionary at hand and look up terms you do not understand

You will need to try to understand their methodology: Because you need to evaluate their research in your

lit. review and because you can ‘borrow’ methodologies

Make notes on what they have examined and HOW they did it

Now you are ready to develop your own aims and objectives

What is a Literature Review? Your Literature Review should be just that: a review

of the relevant literature Note that ‘review’ does NOT mean ‘describe’ Review actually means YOUR interpretation of what

others have said/done/concluded AND some discussion of whether what they have said/done/concluded is valid/reliable/accurate

Relevant means it covers material that you are examining in your objectives

It is NOT an essay, it is a critical review of relevant research

The structure of a literature review

Start broad and work towards reviewing specifics Sometimes appropriate to spend a little time discussing the general area

(a paragraph) and sorts of theories/models that exist in that area (1 or 2 paragraphs) to set the scene for what YOU are looking at

Then make sure you describe the theory/theories you are using as a framework and be able to justify WHY you are using that theory as your framework

Follow this with an evaluation of the theory itself – what are its strengths and what are its weaknesses? USE PUBLISHED RESEARCH TO SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT

Remember the key aim is to REVIEW relevant literature i.e. research that has examined similar things to your project

At Masters level you are also required to show that you have some understanding of the research on that model/theory

Using Research in the Literature Review The whole point of a literature review is TO REVIEW

RELEVANT LITERATURE. It is NOT an essay Research evidence critical for supporting arguments

or points You should be able to describe and evaluate the

relevant research To do this you need to be able to sum up and

evaluate research concisely: What were the research aims and methodology? What did they find and conclude? What were the research shortcomings (usually discussed in

the discussion section of an article) and how much do these shortcomings impact on the validity and reliability of the findings?

Thinking Critically You must therefore stop reading everything as if it is

completely true! Question everything you read and do not accept it as

fact Think about the reliability of the source of your

information : The Sun The Times The Harvard Business Review Journal of CIPD website Wikipedia

Think about the research design and weaknesses Make sure you demonstrate in your write up that you are

aware of these weaknesses!

Writing aims and objectives A project needs one over-riding aim that

should specify the area and particular issues under investigation

A project then needs three or four objectives These flow from the overall aim Are very specific in terms of the variables and

process required Are related to each other Have some sensible order