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BRMM 575 Chapter 2

The document discusses formulating and clarifying the research topic for a business research methods course. It provides guidance on choosing a good topic, including ensuring it is feasible, appropriate, and exciting to study. Rational and creative thinking techniques are presented for generating topic ideas. The document also discusses refining topics, turning ideas into research projects by developing the research question, aim, and objectives. It addresses determining the appropriate research approach and writing a proposal that structures the planned research project.

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Moni Tafech
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89 views5 pages

BRMM 575 Chapter 2

The document discusses formulating and clarifying the research topic for a business research methods course. It provides guidance on choosing a good topic, including ensuring it is feasible, appropriate, and exciting to study. Rational and creative thinking techniques are presented for generating topic ideas. The document also discusses refining topics, turning ideas into research projects by developing the research question, aim, and objectives. It addresses determining the appropriate research approach and writing a proposal that structures the planned research project.

Uploaded by

Moni Tafech
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BRMM575

Business Research Methods


Chapter 2
Formulating and clarifying the research topic

Introduction:
• Choosing the research topic is the most exciting part of the course
• You need to decide on the topic
• Have at least some idea of what you want to do
• The starting point is:
- Formulating and clarifying the research topic
• Formulating and clarifying process is time consuming
- Without spending time on this stage
• Project may not be successful
• Choosing and formulating your research topic will involve you in a period of intense intellectual activity
• Related to this will be personal reflexivity
• Reflexivity
- Process of reflecting critically on the self as researcher

Attributes of a good research topic:


- Choose your topic with care
- Consider whether
o Data should be collected
o Using existing data
o Undertake an organization based piece of applied research
o It must be within the subject matter of your course or program
o Your research topic must be:
o Something you are capable of undertaking
o One that excites your imagination

Capability: is it feasible?
✓ Is the topic something with which you are really fascinated?
✓ Do you have, or can you develop within the project time frame, the necessary research skills to undertake the topic?
✓ Is the research topic achievable within the available time?
✓ Will the topic still be current when you finish your project?
✓ Is the topic achievable within the financial resources that are likely to be available?
✓ Are you reasonably certain of being able to gain access to data you are likely to require for this topic?

Appropriateness: is it worthwhile?
✓ Does the topic fit the specifications and meet the standards set by the examining institution?
✓ Does your topic contain issues that have a clear link to theory?
✓ Are you able to state your research question(s), aim and objectives clearly?
✓ Will your proposed research be able to provide fresh insights into this topic?
✓ Does your topic relate clearly to the idea you have been given (perhaps by an organisation)?
✓ Are the findings for this topic likely to be symmetrical: that is, of similar value whatever the outcome?
✓ Does the topic match your career goals?

Generating and refining research ideas:


• A range of techniques can be used to find and select a topic that you would like to research.
• They can be thought of as
- Rational thinking or
- Creative thinking
Table 2.1 More frequently used techniques for generating and refining research ideas:

Rational thinking Creative thinking

Examining your own strengths and Keeping a notebook of your ideas


interests

Examining academic staff research Exploring personal preferences using


interests past projects

Looking at past project titles Exploring relevance to business using


the literature

Discussion Relevance trees

Searching existing literature Brainstorming

Scanning the media


Rational thinking:
1. Examining your own strengths and interests
➢ Choose a topic in which you are likely to do well and, if possible, already have some academic knowledge
2. Examining academic staff research interests
3. Looking at past project titles
➢ Dissertations: undergraduate and taught master’s degrees
➢ Theses: For research degrees
4. Discussion
➢ Colleagues, friends, University tutors
5. Searching existing literature
➢ Articles in academic or professional journals, reports, or books
6. Scanning the media
➢ Online and traditional print print versions
Creative thinking:
1. Keeping a notebook of your ideas
➢ Noting down any interesting research ideas as you think of them
➢ What sparked off your thought
2. Exploring personal preferences using past projects
➢ Projects that you like:
➢ What do you like in the project?
➢ Why do you like the project?
➢ Which ideas in the project appeal to you?
➢ Projects that you dislike
➢ What do you dislike in general about the project?
➢ Why do you dislike the project?
➢ Which ideas in the project do not appeal to you?
3. Exploring relevance to business using the literature
4. Relevance trees
➢ Starting with a broad concept then generating more specific topics
5. Brainstorming
➢ Define the problem
➢ Ask for suggestions
➢ Record suggestions
➢ No suggestion should be criticized or evaluated in any way before all ideas have been considered
➢ All suggestions, however wild, should be recorded and considered
➢ As many suggestions as possible should be recorded
➢ Review suggestions
➢ Analyze suggestions
Refining Research Ideas:
The Delphi Technique
➢ Encourages the identification of alternatives to an initial research idea.
➢ It involves using an informal group of people, such as some of your classmates or colleagues who are interested in
the initial idea, to:
➢ Generate related ideas
➢ Evaluate these ideas
➢ Arrive at a consensus around a specific research idea

To use the Delphi Technique, you should:


1. Brief the members of the group about the initial research idea (they can make notes if they wish);
2. Encourage group members to seek clarification and more information as appropriate
3. Ask each member to generate independently up to three alternative research ideas based on the initial idea
4. Collect the research ideas in an unedited and non-attributable form and to distribute them to all members of the
group to reflect on
5. Encourage group members to comment on each research idea
6. Have a second cycle and encourage further refinements or new options in light of what others have said during the
first cycle;
7. Have subsequent cycles of the process until an outcome is reached. This may be a consensus.

The preliminary Inquiry:


Preliminary inquiry
➢ Initial inquiry.
➢ This is likely to involve searching for and evaluating relevant literature and other related sources
➢ May also include informal discussions with people who have personal experience of and knowledge about your
research ideas
➢ May also involve shadowing

Turning Research Ideas into Research Projects:


Research Question
➢ Allows you to say what the issue or problem is that you wish to study
➢ What your research project will seek to find out, explain and answer.
➢ Any research question you ask is likely to begin with or include either:
➢ ‘What’, ‘When’, ‘Where’, ‘Who’, ‘Why’, or ‘How’.

Research aim and research objective:


Research aim
➢ Brief statement of the purpose of the research project.
➢ It is often written as a sentence stating what you intend to achieve through your research
Research objectives
➢ Evidence of the researcher’s clear sense of purpose and direction
➢ Allow you to operationalize your question
➢ To state the steps you intend to take to answer it
What is theory?
Theory
➢ Composed of four elements, related to ‘what’, ‘how’, ‘why’ and a fourth group of ‘who’, ‘where’ and ‘when’.
➢ A key aspect here is causality.
➢ Theory is concerned with cause and effect.
➢ It must also use logical reasoning to explain why the relationship exists

Deductive approach
➢ Adopting a clear theoretical position
➢ Testing through collection of data
➢ Research will be theory driven

Inductive approach
➢ Explore a topic
➢ Develop a theoretical explanation as the data are collected and analyzed
➢ Research project will be data driven
➢ At the empirical level, a theory may be developed with inductive approach.
Figure 2.1 Grand, middle-range and substantive theories:

• Grand theories’ are usually thought to be the province of the natural scientists (e.g. Newton’s theory of gravity, or
Einstein’s theory of relativity
• Grand theories are contrasted by Middle-range theories
• Substantive theories are restricted to particular time, research setting, group or population problem
– Ex: Studying the implications of cost-saving strategy in a certain company

Writing your research proposal:


Research proposal
➢ A protocol or outline
➢ A structured plan of your proposed research project
➢ Should include evidence of coherence and lucidity
➢ i.e. rationality and reason

How may your research project be structured?


➢ Title
➢ Background
➢ Research questions, aim and objectives
➢ Method
➢ Research Design
➢ Quantitative, Qualitative, or mixed
➢ Timescale
➢ Resources (Finance, Data access, and equipment)
➢ References

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