Management Research Methods

EFIMM0149

Seminar 1:
Formulating a Research Question
Making informed choices

 Your choice of research methods needs to be consistent with your

research paradigm and approach.

 Your choice of research methods must be dictated by what is the

optimal approach to answering your research questions and meeting
your research objectives.

 Research limitations need to be recognised and will have a moderating

effect on your optimal choices.
 Research
question(s)/objective(s)

Methodological
choices
What is a research question?

• A research question is a clear, focused, concise, complex and

arguable question around which you centre your research.

• You should ask a question about an issue that you are genuinely
curious about.

• The specificity of a well-developed research question helps writers

avoid the “all I know about…” approach and work toward
supporting a specific, arguable thesis.
The Importance of a Good Research Question

• A good research question defines the focus of your research project.

• A research question can set boundaries to help you figure out where

to go next.

• Consider research you have already done.

• Your own interests and experiences are a great source of topic ideas.

• Sustainable Development Goals

• Current events or timely issues are also a good place to start:

Newslink

• Business and Management topics

A 'What, Why, and How' Framework for Crafting Research

Source: Watson (1994b: S80)

Searching for a research question:

1. Choose an interesting general topic

• you may think of a unit/lecture/book/article that you found particularly

interesting;

• you may be inspired by your work experience or a business/organization you

are familiar with;

• you may be inspired by an issue you care about, e.g. a sustainable

development goal or a current affairs issue.

2. Do some preliminary research on your general topic.

• best chance of inspiration is to read academic literature in your area of interest.

3. Consider your audience. Would that audience be interested in the question

you pose? Why?

Task 1: Group task (5 min)

(1) Choose an area of study that you have enjoyed so far.

(2) Think about the UN Sustainable Development Goals: what are the issues that

interest you?

(3) Is there any way that your chosen area of study can inform or be informed by

the issue that interests you?

(4) How?

(5) What specific context could work best to focus your idea?
Task 2: Group task (5 min)

(1) Drawing on your conclusions from Task 1, draft a broad research

question.

(2) Now use your first attempt and think about how you might:

(a) express it more clearly;

(b) make it more specific.

Task 3: Group task (5 min)

Evaluate your question:

• Is your research question clear?
• With so much research available on any given topic, research questions must
be as clear as possible in order to be effective in helping the writer direct their
research.
• Is your research question focused?
• Research questions must be specific enough to be well covered in the space
available.
• Is your research question complex?
• Research questions should not be answerable with a simple “yes” or “no” or by
easily-found facts. They should, instead, require both research and analysis on
the part of the writer.
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QUESTIONS?