Lecture 2 Flashcards
What are the steps in academic research?
- Question
- Method
- Results
- Conclusion
What is a Main RQ
What issue or problem will you study and what your research will seek to find out, explain and answer.
In quantitative studies RQ should …
…be in line with conceptual model
In qualitative studies RQ guides …
…all steps in the research process
Research question of quantitative
Specific, Static, Concepts
Research question of qualitative
General, Evolving, Phenomena
To what extent do entrepreneurial competences of the founder influence a success of a start-up firm?
Quantitative
How do entrepreneurial competences of start-up founders develop over time?
Qualitative
To what extent do internet-based recruitment and selection of potential students influence the number of students’ enrollment?
Quantitative
In what ways do the issue of coupons at supermarket checkouts affect buyer behavior?
Qualitative
Exploratory RQ
How, What
Explanatory RQ
Why
Evaluative RQ
To what extent, How, What
What are characteristics of good research question?
- Researchable
- Not too broad or too narrow
- Relevant
- Indicating the type of research
- Specifying the subject
- Specifying concepts (and relations between them)
- Clear and accurate
- Manageable (time and your abilities)
Sources of research ideas - Rational thinking
• Examining your own strengths and interests • Examining staff research interests • Looking at past project titles • Discussion • Searching existing literature Scanning the media
Sources of research ideas - Creative thinking
• Keeping a notebook of your ideas
• Exploring personal preferences using past projects
• Exploring relevance to business using literature
• Relevance threes
Brainstorming
If your RQ is unique, how will you set it up in the existing literature (theoretical framework)!!!
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In order to come up with a good RQ you need a good understanding of the literature around the topic of interest!!!
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When developing your RQ, think beyond what you have already done (related but new)!!!
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Not too large, not too small!!!
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What is literature review and how to conduct it?
“The selection of available documents (both published and unpublished) on the topic, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfil certain aims or express certain views on the nature of the topic and to how it is to be investigated, and the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being proposed.”
Literature review
- Shares the results of other studies.
- Relates the study to the larger dialog in the literature.
- Provides a framework for establishing the importance of the study.
- Provides a benchmark for comparing the results to other findings.
Literature review meaning
o a constructively critical analysis of the relevant literature,
o a critical judgement of the literature.
IT IS NOT:
o a description or
o a summary of what was said in the literature.
Literature search and evaluation
- Identify the parameters of your search.
- Identify the search terms, phrases, key words.
- Identify selection criteria for relevant and useful material.
- Search in the databases/search engines.
- Locate about 50 articles and/or books.
- Skim this material and identify relevant publications. Save the relevant material.
- Design a literature map.
