Course Details

1. Identify and understand the need for and methods to search for, extract, and synthesize information in a particular subject and topic area.
2. Evaluate and obtain information from a variety of sources.
3. Appraise information sources on the basis of quality and reliability.
4. Collect and analyze data using qualitative methods.
5. Demonstrate how different research strategies can help structure the research project.
6. Orally present the research project.

Nature of Business Research

Clarify the research topic
Attributes of a good research topic

Rational and creating thinking

Refining and turning research ideas into research projects

Critically Reviewing the Literature

Purpose content and structure of critical review

Literature sources available

Planning obtaining evaluating and recording the literature

Research Strategy – Negotiating Access – Ethics

Different research strategies

Ethics of research design

Problems and strategies to gain access

Allow sufficient time, use contacts, provide the type of access required

Overcome concerns, benefits to the organization

Data Collection using Interviews and Questionnaires

Types of interviews

Situations favouring qualitative research interviews

Way to conduct interviews

When to use questionnaires, different types and choices

Deciding what data to be collected

Designing the questionnaire

Pilot testing and assessing validity

Analysing Qualitative Data

Categorization and Unitization

Recognizing relationships and developing categories

Developing and testing hypotheses to reach conclusions

Ethical Issues

Ethics in data collection

Ethics related to the analysis and reporting stages

Writing the Project

Getting started with writing

Structuring your project

Developing an appropriate writing style

• Saunders, M., P. Lewis and A. Thornhill. Research Methods for Business Students, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2006

• Crowther David and Lancaster Geoff Research Methods: A concise introduction to research in management and business consultancy, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008
• Sekaran, U. Research methods for business: A skill building approach, 4th edition, New Jersey, John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 2003
• Cooper Donald and Schindler P, Business Research methods, 9th edition, McGraw Hill, 2006