Conducting Research

The Research Process

Various stages within research:
 Defining the research problem
 Undertaking a literature review
 Choosing the research methodology
 Designing the research
 Implementing your Research Design
 Evaluating the research implemented
 Presentation and discussion of findings
 Drawing conclusions, making recommendations
The Research Process
 Stages of research process are interdependent
 Decisions taken at one stage inform later stages of the
research process
 e.g., defining the research problem – informs research
design/methods.
A Scientific Attitude
Research should be carried out:
 Systematically. Giving serious thought to what you are
doing, and how and why you are doing it.
 Sceptically. Subjecting your ideas to possible
disconfirmation. Considering alternative assumptions,
interpretations and subjecting your results to scrutiny (by
yourself and others).
 Ethically. Following a code of conduct for the research
which ensure that the interests and concerns of those
taking part in, or affected by, the research are safeguarded.
Doing research…
 Research Philosophy
 Research Approach
 Methodology
 Research Strategy
 Time horizon
 Techniques
 Procedures
The “Research Onion”

(Saunders et. al, 2016)

The Outer Layers
 The outer layers of the “research onion” cannot be
discarded as unnecessary.
 Explicit consideration is essential to the development of
an appropriate and coherent research design.
 That is, a research design that can be both justified and
explained.
The “Research Onion”

(Saunders et. al, 2016)

Research Philosophy
Research Philosophy
 A researcher’s philosophy: own view on what constitutes
acceptable knowledge and the process by which is developed.
 The researcher’s view of the world, assumptions, previous
knowledge and experiences shape how a research question is
understood and the associated research design.
 E.g., compare the views on how a research should be
conducted between:
 A researcher concerned with observable phenomena, such as the
resources needed in a manufacturing process.
vs.
 A researcher concerned with understanding the subjective attitudes
and behaviour of the workers in the same manufacturing process.
 Research Philosophy

Developing your
research philosophy is a
reflexive process.

(Saunders et. al, 2016)

Research Philosophy: Positivism
 A researcher concerned with observing and predicting
outcomes and law-like generalisations (e.g., cause-effect),
reflects the philosophy of positivism.
 Follows the scientific method to propose and test theories.
 Data is highly structured and measurable.
 The research is not influenced by the the researcher’s values.
 Usually large samples of quantitative data and statistical
hypothesis testing.
 Where the theory is not confirmed by the findings, there is
a need to revise the theory.
Research Philosophy: Realism
 Reality exists independent of the mind.
 Independent of what the researcher senses as the truth.
 Two forms of realism
 Direct Realism – what is experienced through our senses
provides and accurate representation.
 Critical Realism – what is initially experienced through sense is
then processed subjectively by the mind.
− Thus, there is a need to find out both what is immediately
experienced and the relationships that lie beneath this.
 Data collection techniques and analysis procedures
comprise either or both quantitative and qualitative data.
Research Philosophy: Interpretivism
 Where the researcher is concerned with gathering rich insights into
subjective meanings.
 Interpretivism relates to the study of social phenomena in their
natural environment.
 Focuses on conducting research among people rather than upon
objects.
 Attempts at understanding their social world and the meaning people give
to it.
 Unlike positivism, Interpretivism considers research is value bound:
 A particular set of circumstances and individuals at a specific time.
 Data collection and analysis likely to involve qualitative data from
in-depth investigations with small samples.
Research Philosophy: Pragmatism
 For a Pragmatist, research starts with a problem, and
aims to contribute practical solutions that inform future
practice.
 Research values drive the process of enquiry
 Enquiry is initiated by doubt and a sense that something is
wrong or out of place.
 Considers that no single viewpoint can ever give the entire
picture and that there may be multiple realities.
 For a pragmatist researcher the research design should
enable credible, reliable and relevant data to be collected
that support subsequent action.
Research Philosophy
 What do you think would be your research philosophy?
 How would this influence your research project?
Research Approach
Research Approach
 Your research projects will involve the use of theory.
 The extent to which you are clear about the theory at the
beginning of your research raises an important question
concerning the design of your research project: the
reasoning you will adopt.
 Deductive
 Inductive
 Abductive
Research Approach
 Deductive approach - If your research starts with theory,
and you design a research strategy to test the theory, you are
using a deductive approach.
 Inductive approach - where your research starts by
collecting data to explore a phenomenon and then you
generate or build theory (often in the form of a conceptual
framework).
 Abductive approach - where you are collecting data to
explore a phenomenon, identify themes and explain patterns,
to generate a new or modify an existing theory which you
subsequently test through additional data collection.
 Research Approach

(Saunders et. al, 2016)

Research Approach
 What do you think would be your research approach?
 How would this influence your research project?
Methodological Choice
Quantitative and Qualitative
 Quantitative data are measures of values or counts and are
expressed as numbers.
 Data about numerical variables –e.g., how many, how much,
how often, etc.
 Qualitative data are measures of 'types' and may be
represented by a name, symbol, or a number code.
 Data about categorical variables –e.g., what type.
Quantitative research, features
 Measurement and quantification is central.
 Accuracy and precision of measurements is sought.
 The scientific approach is adhered to, with the same general principles as natural
science.
 Commonly, a deductive logic is adopted.
 Design of the research is pre-specified in detail at an early stage of the research
process.
 Reliability and validity of measurements are important.
 Detailed specification of procedures is provided so that replication is possible (i.e. it
can be repeated so that the findings can be checked).
 Statistical analysis of the data is expected.
 Generalisation of the findings is sought (based on the statistical analysis of the data;
which also requires a representative sample).
 Objective, distance between researcher and participants is maintained.
 Standardisation is sought in the interest of control and accuracy.
 A neutral value-free position is sought.
Qualitative research, features
 Accounts and findings are presented verbally or in other non-numerical form.
 An inductive logic is used.
 A focus on meanings.
 Context are seen as important. There is a need to understand the phenomena in
their setting.
 Situations are described from the perspective of those involved.
 The design of the research emerges as the research is carried out and is flexible
throughout the whole process.
 The existence and importance of the values of the researchers and others
involved are accepted.
 Objectivity is seen as distancing the researcher from participants - openness
and receptivity of the researcher is valued.
 Generalisation of findings is not a major concern.
 It takes place in natural settings.
 It is usually small-scale in terms of numbers of persons or situations
researched.
Qualitative vs. Quantitative?
 The claim that qualitative research does not use numbers and
that quantitative does, is simplistic -counter-examples exist.
 The claim that quantitative studies focus on meanings while
n s e
quantitative research is concern with behaviour is nott i o fullyiv
supported - both may be concerned with people's m t .. .
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 The association of qualitative research
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Methodological Choice

(Saunders et. al,

2016)
Methodological Choice
 Whether to use a qualitative or quantitative method(s) or a
mixture of both.
 Mono-method
 Quantitative design – data collection technique and data
analysis procedure are of quantitative nature e.g., data collected
using a questionnaire, analysed statistically.
 Qualitative design – data collection technique and data
analysis procedure are of qualitative nature e.g., data
collected through in-depth interviews, analysed as narratives.
 Methodological Choice
 Multi-method
− Multi-method quantitative design – more than one
technique used to collect quantitative data, with associated
data analysis procedures e.g., a questionnaire and structured
observation) with associated statistical analysis procedures
− Multi-method qualitative design – more than one technique
used to collect qualitative data, with associated data analysis
procedures e.g., in-depth interviews and diary accounts) are
used with associated analysis procedures.
Mixed-method
 Combines both quantitative and qualitative data
collection techniques and associated analysis procedures.
− Mixed method simple design –start with qualitative data gathering
technique and associated data procedure, and follow this with
quantitative data collection and analysis, or vice versa e.g., a series of
focus groups to help determine the breadth of possible factors) and
follow this with quantitative data collection and analysis (for example, a
questionnaire to determine the relative frequency of these different
factors.
− Mixed method complex design – using quantitative analysis procedures
for qualitative data, or vice versa e.g., comparing statistically the
frequency of occurrence of different concepts in in-depth interview
transcripts between different groups)
Methodological Choice
 What do you think would be your Methodology?
 How would this influence your research project?
Research Strategy
Research Strategy
 Researchers can use one or more strategies within their
research design as they plan how they go about answering
the research question.
Ethnography
Action Research
Experiment
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Survey
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Case Study Grounded Theory
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 Some researchers associate particular research
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is l
with particular research philosophies.
boundaries between them are th often flexible.
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Research Strategy
 What do you think would be your Strategy?
 How would this influence your research project?
Time Horizon
Time Horizon
 The time over which the research is undertaken to answer
a question or address a problem.
 Cross-sectional – Like a “snapshot”, data collected to
address a problem at a particular time.
 Longitudinal – When the problem requires data being
collected for an extended period of time.

 What do you think would be your Time Horizon?

Data Collection
Data Collection
 Understanding aspects of research philosophy,
methodological alternatives, strategies approaches and
time horizon is important
 As are the relationship among them.
 These help ensure that the data collection techniques and
data analysis procedures are appropriate and coherent.
 Designing research is always constrained by what is
practical and what is ethical.
Data Gathering Techniques
 Some common techniques:
 Interviews
 Focus groups
 Questionnaires
 Observation

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References
 Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill A. (2016). Research methods for
business students (7th ed.) Essex: Pearson Education.
 Gill, J. Johnson, P. & Clark, M. (2010). Research Methods for managers
(4th. ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
 Robson, C. (2011). Real world research (3rd ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: Willey