- ‘What is research?’ and the methodological considerations towards a research project/proposal
Welcome to the 2nd video in the BRS module – What is research?
*(Idea) – Highlight some previous undergraduate research topics?
As we can see, a wide variety of research has been undertaken from past students within the School of Business and Enterprise at UWS.
Before looking at the research process, it is first necessary to understand – what is research?
The term ‘research’ can be a confusing one as the term is used by a number of people to mean different things. Simply looking up the term in a dictionary can add to the confusion as the term is only loosely related to what the lecturing team on the BRS module are referring to throughout this course.
But one must remember that conducting research is a skill in itself which can be learned and the BRS module will help and guide you in conducting effective research for yourself.
Why conduct research in the first place? They are many reasons, ranging from improving existing solutions to understanding the world better. Essentially, we research in order to understand society and social processes, as well as to test and or create theories in order that we are better able to inform about social action and potentially ‘improve’ social conditions.
The definition that states that research is about the careful study aimed at discovering new knowledge about something while correct, will not prove sufficient for the BRS module.
Researchers do a lot more than simply gather and look for information.
Some students say “I am conducting research by searching relevant information on line using Google.” This is searching but not research. Research involves gaining knowledge, interpreting data and disseminating the findings.
When one looks at the academic textbooks (many have been highlighted to you already and can be referenced in the module handbook located on Moodle) research is defined by academics as a logical, systematic and in-depth and rigorous investigation of a question or problem. This investigation is conceptualised, designed and carried out using specific procedures supported by theory and evidence in order to maintain high quality results.
Gathering our data can take many shapes and forms ranging from direct and indirect sources. For example researchers may conduct experiments or interviews; questionnaires or observations depending on the type of research being undertaken and all of these data gathering techniques will be further explained to you as the BRS module progresses (quantitative research in week 10 and qualitative in Week 12).
When we present our data for interpretation numerically or verbally one tends to finds that this data is presented through the use of statistics or themes or perspectives being presented. And again both will be further emphasized throughout the coming weeks. And this dissemination of one’s findings will be presented in a dissertation and I have already highlighted some of the previous research topics undertaken by previous students at the beginning of this video. When we conduct research, one should remember that it should be systematic and non-discriminatory.
Quality research articles can be found in peer-reviewed journals (and indeed throughout this module we encourage you to utilise peer-reviewed journals) and have a specific layout that contain key information about a study that was done and are usually organised into four main sections.
- Introduction
- Methodology or Design
- Results or Findings
- Discussion
Sometimes these sections will have slightly different names but they contain the same information. For example, the section methods, methodology and design are often interchangeable. As headings for this section it will often inform the reader about the decisions the researcher made when planning and carrying out the study.
One thing to note is that quantitative papers will normally use the term ‘results’ whereas qualitative papers will often use the term ‘findings’.
The methodological considerations towards a research project must also be given consideration. For example researchers can use unobtrusive measures.
An unobtrusive measure of observation is any indicator that does not influence the phenomenon studied and the observer is not related to the situations being studied. The use of unobtrusive measures is a way of verification of the research.
When choosing and developing primary research, one must consider the most appropriate method, to include its reliability and validity.
Validity in one’s research is also an important consideration. The validity of data refers to the truth that it tells about the subject being studied. A valid statement provides an explanation of what it is claiming to measure. Both qualitative and quantitative methods needs to consider their approaches and the validity of their methods and findings. For more information on the validity of research, I refer you to the Bryman text indicated on your reading list.
I referred to peer reviewed journals papers previously and this is the type of research we expect you to use throughout your time at UWS. Within the School of Business and Enterprise we don’t want you to use just any form of research – especially research found on websites such as Wikipedia or UK Essays. Throughout the coming weeks this will be further explained to you and you will be directed to the Library website and library staff within the university who can aid you when the time comes to conduct your own research. (Librarian assigned to the business school?)
So to conclude, this module aims to give you the opportunity to learn more about research methods and data in both an academic context, for when you are researching for assignments as well as well as a professional context in order to give you a better understanding of the role and use of research.