Research Methods Outline

Start of Block: Introduction

Page 1 of 17
WMG Full-time MSc Research Methods Outline
2023

Page 2 of 17
Welcome to the Research Methods Outline on Qualtrics
To complete the "Research Methods Outline and Ethics Form" monitoring point on Tabula (17 April 2023
- 19 May 2023), you will need to submit this form on Qualtrics as well as the Ethics Form. Receiving an
email record of responses to this form is confirmation that this form has been successfully submitted.

What is this for? The Research Methods Outline supplements your submission of the Ethics Form since
this Research Methods Outline enables you to communicate deeply about the design of your research
and methods to conduct the research project. The Research Methods Outline is also an opportunity to
reflect on your professional development to enhance your employability whilst studying at WMG.

It is also a way to communicate changes to the design of your research project since the completion of
the Project Outline.

On completion of this form, you and your supervisor will receive an email with your responses.

Who needs to take part? All taught post-graduate students on a full-time course at WMG in order to
complete one part of a mandatory monitoring point on Tabula.

What information will be asked? You will be asked to provide details about yourself, your supervisor,
your course, your project, and your professional development. Please ensure the email addresses you
provide are correct so you and your supervisor receive a record of your responses to this form. If there is
an error in an email address provided, you can resubmit the form or forward your responses to your
supervisor.

When do you need to submit this form? Please submit this form before 19 May 2023 as one part of a
mandatory monitoring point on Tabula. You are encouraged to submit this form at least a week in
advance of meeting your supervisor as the form can be used to discuss the development of your
research project along with your Ethics Form.

How many times can I submit this form? Please submit this form only once. However, if there is an
error, you may resubmit.

How much time will it take to complete this form? It is anticipated that completion of this form will
take around 30 minutes. You can access the Analytical Skills Sessions in SPA to help you complete this
form: https://moodle.warwick.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=50057&section=5.

How will this data be used? The data from this form will be shared with the SPA team, Your Supervisor,
Discipline Group Leads, Course Leaders, Programme Coordinators, and Student Office to develop
teaching and learning and support student research.

Will my data be safe? The information will be stored in a password protected file.

Page 3 of 17
What if I have a question?
 For questions about project requirements of your course, contact the Course Leader
 For questions about this form, research methodology or research ethics, contact the SPA Team
at WMG-FT-SPA@warwick.ac.uk

By continuing with this form, you agree and consent to your data to be shared with relevant WMG staff.

End of Block: Introduction

Start of Block: Before you start

Before you start

View the guidance on completing this Research Methods Outline available by the SPA Team (link below),
which includes a list of questions contained in this form. You can download and fill in a Word version of
this Research Methods Outline, then copy and paste your responses to this Qualtrics form.

You will need to have the following information ready to complete this Qualtrics form:
1. Your student ID and email
2. Your course details
3. Your supervisor's name and email address (this can be found on Tabula)
4. Your drafted responses to the Research Methods Outline

Partially completed forms will not be saved online.

Useful links
Guidance on completing this Research Methods Outline, SPA module
Analytical Skills, SPA module
Project information, WMG Full-time MSc intranet

End of Block: Before you start

Start of Block: Student information

Page 4 of 17
Part 1. Student and supervisor Information
This section asks you for information about you, your course, and your supervisor. Please take care to
enter email addresses correctly to ensure a record of responses to this form are sent to you and your
supervisor.

What is your name?

__________________________Guan
Deng__________________________________________________________

______________________________________

What is your student ID number? If you are part of a group project, please list all of your student
numbers more than one student please write down all student numbers separated by a semi-colon [;]
Your student number is written on your ID card in the bottom right-hand corner above the Warwick
emblem.

______________________u2291477______________________________________________

What is your Warwick student email? If more than one student please write down all student emails
separated by a semi-colon [;] - for example, jane.andrews@warwick.ac.uk;
lauren.schrock@warwick.ac.uk. YOU MUST ONLY INCLUDE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK EMAIL ADDRESSES.

________________________Guan.DENG@warwick.ac.uk__________________________________
____________

What course are you enrolled on? Please take care to select the correct course.
MSc (FT) Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Page 5 of 17
What is the name of your project supervisor?

________________________________________________________________
Braganca, Christopher

What is your supervisor's Warwick email? Your supervisor's Warwick email is listed on their Tabula
profile.

__________c.braganca@warwick.ac.uk_________________________________________________
_____

End of Block: Student information

Start of Block: Project topic

Part 2. Your research

This section asks you to provide information about your research question, objectives, aim, potential
contributions, and alignment with the project requirements of your degree. These are significant to
explaining the design of your research and relate to the Dissertation Marking Criteria.

You may copy information from your Project Outline to complete this section. Or your responses to
these questions may have changed following supervisor feedback after your submission of the Project
Outline.

Please note that you may continue to change or modify your research topic after you submit this
Research Methods Outline, though changes and modifications must be made with your supervisor's
guidance. Changing data collection methods may require additional ethical approval, so make sure to
discuss any changes with your supervisor prior to data collection.

The University is committed to promoting a quality research culture by ensuring high standards of
research integrity are followed. This means that no research can take place until all of the required
approvals and authorisations have been given from the appropriate institutions. You can only start data
collection after your ethical approval has been granted.

Page 6 of 17
What is your one research question?

What SMART Elderly Care Platform is needed to address the needs of a growing elderly population
in China?

What are your research objectives? Please state 4-5 objectives.

1. To review and define the methods and techniques best suitable to determine the existing
problems and gaps in China’s present aged care service infrastructure that a smart platform can
solve, describe how to envision the service running, and list the technologies that will be
needed to make it a reality.

2. To review and define and what requirements are needed from objective 1 and where
technologies advances can help to make an impact analyse the size and characteristics of
Chinese market for technological advances and innovations in aged care services, with a focus
on the size and makeup of the ageing population and the specific demands and needs of that
population.

3. To review and define the best BM to define the value proposition of a platform that helps
address the needs identified in objective 1 and reflects how the technologies can match the
need and benefits in the context of elder care in China and outlining the commercial strategies
and models that will be utilised to construct it.

4. To address through a FM how to ensure the feasibility, impact and durability of a smart senior
care service platform in China could provide within a sustainable business.

What is your research aim?

This study examines the effectiveness of China's Smart Elderly Care Service Platform in order to
better serve the ageing population of the nation. The study examines the platform's functionality,
effectiveness, and level of customer support. This study is crucial because it will assist practitioners and
policymakers understand the economic and social impacts of technology on aged care. The findings are
helpful for structuring and enhancing senior care in China.

What are the potential contributions of your research? For example, how will your project make a
contribution to practice (e.g., industry, organisation) and/or knowledge (e.g., literature gap)?

The following contributions coincides with the degree requirements of MSc Management, as it deters to
the planning and coordinating the care of elderly patients. The study of management entirely contends
to the improvement in coordination of necessary healthcare, leading to better healthcare outcomes.

Page 7 of 17
 1. Informed Design Improvements: The study's findings may have a big impact on how the
platform is being built. The Technology Adoption Model (TAM), put out by Davis (1989), explains
how new technologies are accepted by their target users. Therefore, a careful examination can
spot flaws in these areas, enabling design adjustments that can increase user engagement and
the platform's overall effectiveness. Overall, the contribution better reflect the concepts of
management and theoretical models which can be employed in order to provide improved
healthcare outcomes.

2. Quality of Elderly Care: The increasing ageing population of China makes it urgently necessary
to increase the standard of care provided to the elderly. According to Valenzuela et al. (2018),
technology-based treatments have been found to significantly improve the level of care. By
evaluating the platform's performance in meeting the needs of the elderly, one may determine
how technology could be used to improve senior care and the quality of life for the old.

3. Policy Implications: The study's findings might be a precious resource for decision-makers.
According to the World Health Organisation, thoughtful policy decisions may help create a
healthcare system that is more hospitable and flexible (WHO, 2021). Therefore, future policies
and initiatives in the field of elder care may be shaped by the evaluation's findings.

4. Economic Impact: With the aid of a well-thought-out, uncomplicated Smart Elderly Care Service
Platform, the elderly care sector may be expanded to boost the economy. According to the
findings of a KPMG (2021) study, it might aid in boosting the service industry and creating new
employment.

5. Global Relevance: In light of the widespread demographic changes that are now taking place in
many nations, the findings of this study may have global repercussions. According to the United
Nations report on global ageing (UN, 2020), research along these lines can make a substantial
contribution to the global conversation on utilising technology to provide efficient aged care.

Please explain how your project meets your course requirements. If you are unsure whether your
project meets the project requirements of your course, please contact your supervisor and Course Leader.

My Innovation in Management project is about the Smart Elderly Care Service Platform in China.
Because it requires me to identify a substantial commercial opportunity and then develop, implement,
and manage a unique strategy to capitalise on that potential, this project is extremely relevant to my
degree.

The aged care industry offers a significant commercial potential for this initiative as China's
population ages. Given the ageing population in the nation, providing intelligent, data-driven, and
accessible care via a smart platform has enormous promise.

In light of this potential, the study and development of a Smart Senior Care Service Platform that
makes use of cutting-edge technology to enhance the level of care for the elderly is the main objective
of this dissertation. Both management—setting up, organising, and ensuring that the platform is
operating properly—and innovation—creating a solution specifically for China—are necessary. I have
the skills I need for this thanks to my degree in innovation in management, including the capacity to

Page 8 of 17
allocate resources wisely, manage the interests of several stakeholders, and make wise strategic
decisions.

End of Block: Project topic

Start of Block: Research Methods

Part 3. Research Methods

This section asks you to provide information about the research methods you intend to use to complete
your research project. This is significant to supplement the responses you provide on submission of the
Ethics Form to ensure you are conducting research that is ethically appropriate and feasible.

You may copy information from your Project Outline to complete this section. Or your responses to
these questions may have changed following supervisor feedback after your submission of the Project
Outline. Please note that you may continue to change or modify your research methods after you
submit this Research Methods Outline, though changes and modifications must be made with your
supervisor's guidance. Changing data collection methods may require additional ethical approval, so
make sure to discuss any changes with your supervisor prior to data collection.

Taught postgraduate students enrolled on a full-time course are not permitted to travel overseas for
data collection. All fieldwork and other investigations relating to a non-UK matter, issue or phenomena
must be undertaken virtually whilst the student is physically resident in the UK.

What type of data will you be using?

o Primary Data (1)

o Secondary Data (2)

o Both Primary and Secondary Data (3)

What is your justification for your data choice?

The most reliable and legitimate source of information is primary data, which is gathered directly from
the information stakeholders connected with the smart elder care service platform. This provides the
researcher with a comprehensive insight of the platform's design, usability, and effectiveness. It helps in
the correction of secondary data that is biased or otherwise erroneous.

Page 9 of 17
Display This Question:
If What type of data will you be using? = Primary Data

Do you have access to the research field in which you will collect data for your project?

o Yes

o No

Display This Question:

If What type of data will you be using? = Primary Data
Or What type of data will you be using? = Both Primary and Secondary Data

Primary Data

Answer

policymakers, policy implementers, and policy

Target population(s)
beneficiaries.

Sampling technique(s) Random sampling

Sample size(s) 20

Page 10 of 17
Display This Question:
If What type of data will you be using? = Secondary Data
Or What type of data will you be using? = Both Primary and Secondary Data

Secondary Data

Answer

Source(s) of data Google Scholar

Number of source(s) 50 or more

Data type (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed) Qualitative

Sampling technique(s) Systematic sampling

Sample size(s) 50 or more

Page 11 of 17
To supplement your Ethics Form where you summarised your intended methods on data collection
(see 14D), please provide a summary of how you will conduct data analysis. Please note your response
must be at least 400 characters. Focus your answer on describing how you will analyse your data, where
will you store your data securely, and how you will protect confidentiality and privacy of participants,
and any relevant software/tools you may use for data analysis. To help you answer this question, you
can review guidance on data analysis in SPA: https://moodle.warwick.ac.uk/mod/book/view.php?
id=1958082

Data Analysis:

The data acquired through the interviews and questionnaires will be evaluated using both
qualitative and quantitative techniques. The qualitative interview data will be examined with a theme
analysis approach. Transcribing interviews, identifying themes, accurately classifying data, and
interpreting themes within the context of the research subject are all necessary steps.

Statistical software like SPSS and R will be used to examine quantitative survey results. Examples of
what might be used include descriptive statistics (like means and standard deviations), inferential
statistics (like t-tests and chi-square tests) for determining correlations or differences between variables,
and regression analysis (if the data are appropriate for analysing predicted relationships).

Data Storage and Confidentiality:

All information will be kept on a password-protected computer and in an encrypted cloud storage
system. This information will only be accessible to the researcher and authorised study team members.

To ensure that our participants' privacy is protected, all data will be de-identified. Personal
information like names and addresses will be replaced by numbers throughout the data processing
phase. The database holding the crucial connecting codes to identifying information will be deleted after
the study is finished.

The data will be safely erased after being retained for the bare minimum of time necessary to
comply with legal or ethical standards.

Protection of Participant Privacy:

The researcher will ask participants' informed consent after having explained the study's objectives,
methods, and participants' rights (including the right to discontinue participation at any time). The
identity of participants will be concealed in any papers or publications that could result from this
research in order to preserve their privacy.

Software/Tools for Data Analysis:

With their built-in features for coding and theme design, NVivo and Atlas.ti are two excellent
software for assessing qualitative data. Utilising statistical software like SPSS or R, quantitative data will
be evaluated. These tools are often used in social science research and provide a variety of options for
assessing the data gathered.

Page 12 of 17
End of Block: Research Methods

Start of Block: Ethical considerations and limitations

Part 3. Ethical considerations

This section asks you to provide information about the ethical risks and how these will
mitigated/avoided to complete your research project. This is significant to supplement the responses
you provide on submission of the Ethics Form to demonstrate critical awareness in your research design
that aligns with the guidance, practices, processes, and regulations of WMG and the University of
Warwick.

How will you mitigate or avoid ethical risks in your research? Note this question is important to answer
as you must "consider risks in carrying out the project appropriately, applying suitable mitigations" in
your dissertation.

I have a duty to conduct myself in a wholly ethical manner at all times as the primary researcher. I will
make sure everyone who participates in the research is aware of the risks and the intentions for the data
they provide. Data will be stored in firewall-protected, encrypted cloud services to protect users' privacy
and anonymity. By thoughtfully arranging questions and enabling participants to pause or skip through
questions as necessary, it is feasible to reduce participants' discomfort during interviews. To avoid any
misrepresentation, the investigation will be handled in an open and sincere way. I commit to always
treating each participant with respect and decency. Finally, in order to ensure conformity to all pertinent
ethical norms and standards, I shall acquire ethics authorization before starting the project. I wish to
prevent or lessen any potential ethical issues by prioritising the interests of participants.

End of Block: Ethical considerations and limitations

Start of Block: Professional development

Part 4. Professional development

This section asks you to reflect on your development as you complete your research project. This is
important since the research project is a key opportunity to develop your employability whilst studying
at WMG.

Page 13 of 17
Select the Warwick Core Skills that you have been working to improve whilst completing your research
project.

▢ Communication

▢ Critical thinking

▢ Digital literacy

▢ Ethical values

▢ Information literacy

▢ Intercultural awareness

▢ Organisational awareness

▢ Problem solving

▢ Professionalism

▢ Self-awareness

▢ Sustainability

▢ Teamwork and working effectively with others

Using the STAR technique, provide one example of a Warwick Core Skill that you have developed so
far whilst completing your research project. Please note your response must be at least 400 characters.

Situation:

Page 14 of 17
 During the course of my research on China's Smart Elderly Care Service Platform, I had to connect
and communicate with a wide range of stakeholders from a culture extremely different from my own.
Both those who create and implement policies and those who stand to gain from them participated.

Task:

My objective was to learn about and evaluate their opinions about the aesthetics and functionality
of the platform. The geriatric care system and the digital platform must be implemented successfully,
which depends on efficient communication and respect for cultural variations.

Action:

I made a commitment to fully acquaint myself with Chinese culture. I conducted in-depth reviews of
the literature on how cultural factors may influence the use of digital technologies for geriatric care in
China. In order to further my comprehension, I also took part in a number of webinars and cultural
exchange programmes. I was conscious of cultural norms during interviews and asked questions that
wouldn't upset anyone because I was aware of them. In addition, I followed up with participants when I
wasn't sure I understood their responses completely.

Result:

This approach had a significant positive impact on both the data I acquired and my interactions with
the participants. I was able to form more nuanced ideas and avoid any misunderstandings by learning
about various cultures. The training I acquired here has helped me do research in a range of cultural
contexts better. Through this research, I have learned about cultural diversity, and it has become a
crucial part of my professional toolset.

End of Block: Professional development

Start of Block: Project reminders

Page 15 of 17
For the 2022-2023 academic year, please be aware that for Full-time MSc students at WMG:
 Dissertation deadline is 12:00 noon on Tuesday, 5th September 2023 to Tabula
 Penalty for late submission of a dissertation is 5 marks per working day (this is applied up to a
maximum of 10 working days)
 Dissertation is 60 CATs or 15,000 words
 Ethical approval is required before the collection of primary data and/or non-publicly available
secondary data
 Oral exams for most students are only needed in exceptional circumstances, such as serious
issues related to academic misconduct
 Some courses (e.g., SAE, SCAV, IMS) require an oral assessment as part of their project module
(please contact the respective Course Leader for further information)

To complete the "Research Methods Outline and Ethics Form" monitoring point on Tabula, you will
need to submit this form as well as the Ethics Form on Qualtrics by 19 May 2023.

Our supervisors appreciate when you...

 Communicate your planned absences in advance and submit the relevant form for 'time away
from the university'
 Initiate requests for monthly meetings by sending a calendar invite and providing draft work at
an agreed time before the meeting
 Proactively seek answers to questions by reviewing the Project Help (see below)

Project Help
You are likely to find an answer to your question within one or more of the following sources:
 A-Z, WMG Full-time MSc intranet
 Project information, WMG Full-time MSc intranet
 Analytical skills (e.g., designing and conducting research), SPA module
 Study skills (e.g., academic integrity and academic writing), SPA module
 Professional skills (e.g., critical thinking and information literacy), SPA module

You can also contact your Course Leader for project help, including guidance on project requirements.

Your wellbeing is important. Do not hesitate to contact your personal tutor, a Senior Personal Tutor,
Wellbeing Services and/or the Warwick SU Advice Centre for support.

End of Block: Project reminders

Start of Block: Comments

Page 16 of 17
If you have any further comments or questions for your supervisor, please include them in the text box.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

End of Block: Comments

Page 17 of 17