Assignment No.

Dr. M. Waseem Bari

Business Research Methods
M. Talha
21801
6th Semester
BBA Evening A
12-August 2020

Department of Business Administration & Management Sciences

Government College University Faisalabad

Question 1:
Please explain the main implications of using a deductive analytical
approach for the way in which you conduct the process of
qualitative analysis?
Analyzing Qualitative Data:
Qualitative data analysis works a touch differently from quantitative data, primarily because
qualitative data is formed from words, observations, images, and even symbols. Deriving
absolute meaning from such data is almost impossible; hence, it's mostly used for exploratory
research. While in quantitative research there's a transparent distinction between the
info preparation and data analysis stage, analysis for qualitative research often begins as
soon because the data is out there.

Data Preparation and Basic Data Analysis:

Analysis and preparation happen in parallel and include the subsequent steps:
1. Getting conversant in the data: Since most qualitative data is simply words, the researcher
should start by reading the info several times to urge conversant in it and begin trying to
find basic observations or patterns. This also includes transcribing the information.
2. Revisiting research objectives: Here, the researcher revisits the research objective and
identifies the questions which will be answered through the collected data.
3. Developing a framework: Also referred to as coding or indexing, here the researcher
identifies broad ideas, concepts, behaviors, or phrases and assigns codes to them. for
instance, coding age, gender, socio-economic status, and even concepts like the positive
or negative response to an issue. Coding is useful in structuring and labeling the info.
4. Identifying patterns and connections: Once the info is coded, the research can start
identifying themes, trying to find the foremost common responses to questions,
identifying data or patterns which will answer research questions, and finding
areas which will be explored further.

Qualitative Data Analysis Methods:

Several methods are available to research qualitative data. The foremost commonly used data
analysis methods are:

Content analysis:
This is often one among the foremost common methods to research qualitative data. It’s wont
to analyze documented information within the sort of texts, media, or maybe physical items.
When to use this method depends on the research questions. Content analysis is typically wont
to analyze responses from interviewees.
Content analysis may be a research tool wont to determine the presence of certain words, themes,
or concepts within some given qualitative data (i.e. text). Using content analysis, researchers can
quantify and analyze the presence, meanings and relationships of such certain words, themes, or
concepts. Researchers can then make inferences about the messages within the texts, the writers,
the audience, and even the culture and time of surrounding the text.
Sources of knowledge might be from interviews, open-ended questions, field research notes,
conversations, or literally any occurrence of communicative language (for example, books,
essays, discussions, newspaper headlines, speeches, media, historical documents). one study may
analyze various sorts of text in its analysis. to research the text using content analysis, the text
must be coded, or weakened, into manageable code categories for analysis (i.e. “codes”).

Narrative analysis:
This method is employed to research content from various sources, like interviews of
respondents, observations from the sector, or surveys. It focuses on using the stories and
experiences shared by people to answer the research questions.
Narrative analysis may be a genre of analytic frames whereby researchers interpret stories that
are told within the context of research and/or are shared in lifestyle. Scholars who conduct this
sort of study make diverse yet equally substantial and meaningful interpretations and conclusions
by that specialize in different elements. These elements include, but aren't limited to, how the
story is structured, what functions the story serves, what's the substance of the story, and the
way the story is performed. Communication scholars from a spread of perspectives starting
from quantitative to qualitative also as traditional to postmodern conduct narrative analyses,
which makes it challenging to hide all of its nuances; however, broad strokes are possible.

Discourse analysis:
Like narrative analysis, discourse analysis is employed to research interactions with people.
However, it focuses on analyzing the social context during which the communication between
the researcher and therefore the respondent occurred. Discourse analysis also looks at the
respondent’s day-to-day environment and uses that information during analysis.
Discourse analysis may be a research method for studying written or speech in reference to its
social context. It aims to know how language is employed in real world situations.
When you do discourse analysis, you would possibly focus on:
 The purposes and effects of various sorts of language
 Cultural rules and conventions in communication
 How values, beliefs and assumptions are communicated
 How language use relates to its social, political and historical context
 Discourse analysis may be a common qualitative research method in many humanities
and science disciplines, including linguistics, sociology, anthropology, psychology and
cultural studies.
Grounded theory:
This refers to using qualitative data to elucidate why a particular phenomenon happened. It does
this by studying a spread of comparable cases in several settings and using the info to derive
causal explanations. Researchers may alter the reasons or create new ones as they study more
cases until they reach evidence that matches all cases.
Grounded theory (GT) may be a systematic methodology within the social sciences involving the
development of theories through methodical gathering and analysis of knowledge. This research
methodology uses generalization, in contrast to the hypothetic-deductive model of
the methodology. A study using grounded theory is probably going to start with an issue, or
maybe just with the gathering of qualitative data. As researchers review the info collected,
repeated ideas, concepts or elements become apparent, and are tagged with codes,
which are extracted from the info. As more data are collected, and re-reviewed, codes are
often grouped into concepts, then into categories. These categories may become the idea for
brand spanking new theory. Thus, grounded theory is sort of different from the normal model of
research, where the researcher chooses an existing theoretical framework, and only then collects
data to point out how the idea does or doesn't apply to the phenomenon under study.
Question 2:
Which sorts of data will you need to retain and file while you are
undertaking qualitative research?
Data collection is defined because the “process of gathering and measuring information on
variables of interest, in a longtime systematic fashion that permits one to answer queries, stated
research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes.”
There are numerous reasons for data collection, but here I’m getting to focus totally on business
and marketing related ones:
 It helps you learn more about your customers
 It enables you to get trends within the way people change their opinions and behavior
over time or in several circumstances
 It allows you to segment your audience into different customer groups and direct
different marketing strategies at each of the groups supported their individual need
 It facilitates deciding and improves the standard of selections made
 It helps resolve issues and improve the standard of your product or service supported the
feedback obtained

Before we dive deeper into different data collection techniques and methods, let’s just briefly
make a difference between the main sorts of data quantitative and qualitative.
Unlike quantitative data, which deals with numbers and figures, qualitative data is descriptive in
nature instead of numerical. Qualitative data is typically not easily measurable as
quantitative and may be gained through observation or open-ended survey or interview
questions. Data collection is a systematic process of gathering observations or measurements.
Whether you are performing research for business, governmental or academic purposes, data
collection allows you to gain first-hand knowledge and original insights into your problem.
While methods and aims may differ between fields, the overall process of data collection
remains largely the same.

Qualitative research is presumably to supply answers to questions like “why?” and “how?”

As mentioned, qualitative data collection methods are presumably to contains open-ended
questions and descriptive answers and tiny or no numerical value. Qualitative data is a
superb thanks to gain insight into your audience’s thoughts and behavior (maybe those you
identified using quantitative research, but wasn’t ready to analyze in greater detail).

Data obtained using qualitative data collection methods are often wont to find new ideas,
opportunities, and problems, test their value and accuracy, formulate predictions, explore a
particular field in additional detail, and explain the numbers obtained using quantitative data
collection techniques. As quantitative data collection methods usually don't involve numbers and
mathematical calculations but are rather concerned with words, sounds, thoughts, feelings, and
other non-quantifiable data, qualitative data is usually seen as more subjective, but at an
equivalent time, it allows a greater depth of understanding.
Some of the foremost common qualitative data collection techniques include open-ended surveys
and questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observation, case studies, and so on.

Qualitative data collection methods:

Open-Ended Surveys and Questionnaires:
Opposite to closed-ended are open-ended surveys and questionnaires. The most difference
between the 2 is that the incontrovertible fact that closed-ended surveys offer predefined answer
options the respondent must choose between, whereas open-ended surveys allow the
respondents far more freedom and adaptability when providing their answers.
the optimal number of question, as answering open-ended questions are often time-consuming
and demanding, and you don’t want to overwhelm your respondents.
Compared to closed-ended surveys, one among the quantitative data collection methods, the
findings of open-ended surveys are harder to compile and analyze thanks to the very fact that
there are not any uniform answer options to settle.

Interviews:
One-on-one (or face-to-face) interviews are one among the foremost common sorts of data
collection methods in qualitative research. Here, the interviewer collects data directly from the
interviewee. Thanks to it being a really personal approach, this data collection technique is
ideal once you got to gather highly-personalized data.
Depending on your specific needs, the interview are often informal, unstructured, conversational,
and even spontaneous (as if you were lecture your friend) – during which case it’s harder and
time-consuming to process the obtained data – or it are often semi-structured and standardized
to a particular extent (if you, for instance , ask an equivalent series of open-ended questions).

Focus groups:
The focus groups data collection method is actually an interview method, but rather than being
done 1-on-1, here we've a gaggle discussion. Whenever the resources for 1-on-1 interviews are
limited (whether in terms of individuals, money, or time) otherwise you got to recreate a
specific social situation so as to collect data on people’s attitudes and behaviors, focus groups
can are available very handy.
Ideally, attention group should have 3-10 people, plus a moderator. Of course, counting on the
research goal and what the info obtained is to be used for, there should be some common
denominators for all the members of the main target group.
For example, if you’re doing a study on the rehabilitation of teenage female drug users, all the
members of your focus group need to be girls recovering from white plague. Other
parameters, like age, education, employment, legal status doesn’t need to be similar.
Direct observation:
Direct observation is one among the foremost passive qualitative data collection methods.
Here, the info collector takes a participatory stance, observing the setting during which the
themes of their observation are while taking down notes, video/audio recordings, photos, and so
on.
Due to its participatory nature, direct observation can cause bias in research, because
the participation may influence the attitudes and opinions of the researcher, making it
challenging for them to stay objective. Plus, the very fact that the researcher may be
a participant can also affect the naturalness of the actions and behaviors of subjects who know
they’re being observed.

Conclusion:
Above, I’ve presented you with 5 different data collection methods which will assist you gather
all the quantitative and qualitative data you would like. Albeit I’ve classified the
techniques consistent with the sort of knowledge you’re presumably to get, many of the methods
used above are often wont to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data.
Surveys, as you'll have noticed, are particularly effective in collecting both sorts
of data, counting on whether you structure your survey questions as open-ended or closed-ended.
Question No 3:
Friend and colleague are concerned about preparing her or him
presentation what advice will you give to help him or her
presentation?
Giving a presentation terrifies most of us, especially when talking before a crowd of people
about an unfamiliar topic. Never fear! There are ways to make a good presentation. The more
presentations you do, the easier they will become!

Focus your presentation:

 Having a long, rambling presentation that is hard to follow is not going to win you any audience
interest. You need to make sure that your presentation is clear and focused and that any asides
you throw into it are there to back up the main point.
It's best to have one main thesis statement or overarching theme and three main points that back-
up or flesh-out your main theme. Any more than that and your audience are going to start losing
interest. This means that any facts and information that are a part of your presentation should
back up these 3 main points and overarching theme.

Decide whether to use media or not:

It isn't always necessary to use a PowerPoint, or visual representation, especially if you're
already an engaging speaker and have interesting subject matter. In fact, a lot of times, using
visual media simply distracts from the focal point, that is the presentation. Make sure you're
using media to enhance your presentation and not to drown it out. The presentation is key.
Anything else is just accessorizing.
For example: to get back to 17th century alchemy, to back up your information about alchemy in
the public opinion, you might want to show images from public pamphlets about the dangers of
alchemy and see what people of the time period had to say about it and see what the more
famous alchemists had to say about it.

Practice:
This is one that for some reason, lack of time perhaps, people neglect to do and it is absolutely
key to giving a good presentation. Running through the presentation before the actual event gives
you time work out any kinks or problems with your notes and with your technology and makes
the presentation itself go more smoothly.

A good tip is to film yourself or audiotape of yourself giving your practice presentation so you
can see what distracting verbal and physical tics you have, so that you can work on eliminating
them before the presentation itself. (Verbs tics would be things like "um..." and "uh..." and using
"like" inappropriately; physical tics are things like shifting your weight from foot to foot or
messing with your hair.)

Just remember that rehearsals usually run about 20% shorter than your actual presentation, so
take that into account if you're running on a time limit.

Visualize success:
 It may seem like a silly thing to do, but visualizing a successful presentation can actually help
you achieve a successful presentation. You'll be more inclined towards success if you've been
prepping your brain for it. So beforehand, sit somewhere quietly for a few minutes and picture
the presentation going well.

Dress appropriately:
You want to dress for success. Wearing nicer clothes can help get you into the mindset of giving
a good presentation. You also want to be comfortable, however, so you should try to find a
reasonable medium between dressing super snazzy and dressing comfortably.

For example, if you aren't comfortable wearing heels, don't wear them just for the presentation.
You'll be distracted by your discomfort and that will come across in the presentation. There are
plenty of good shoe choices that have no or a low heel. Clean, nice slacks or a skirt and nice,
button-down shirt in neutral colors are always good choices for presentation wear. You also don't
particularly want your clothing choice to distract from the presentation, so perhaps avoid that
brilliant hot pink shirt

Deal with the jitters:

Pretty much everyone gets nervous about presenting, even when it isn't in front of a bunch of
people. That's okay. All you have to do is mask the fact that you're nervous, since you won't be
able to avoid the jitters themselves. Before the presentation, clench and unclench your hands
several times to deal with the adrenaline and then take 3 deep, slow breaths.
Call up a smile, even if you feel like hurling. You can trick your brain into thinking that you're
less anxious than you actually are and you'll also be able to hide your nervousness from your
audience.

Engage the audience:

One way to make your presentation memorable and interesting is to interact with your audience.
Don't act like there's a wall between you and your audience, engage them in the material. Talk
directly to them, not at them or at the back wall, but to your audience. Make eye contact with
your audience. Don't stare at one particular person, but section up the room and make eye contact
with someone in each section on a rotational basis.

Ask questions of your audience and take questions during your presentation. This will make it
more of a conversation and therefore more interesting.
Give an engaging performance:
 Giving an engaging performance isn't the exact same thing as engaging your audience (although,
hopefully, your performance will engage your audience). It simply means that you make the
performance itself interesting and dynamic. Move around, but make your movements deliberate.
Don't nervously shift your feet (in fact, it's a good idea to imagine that your feet are nailed to the
floor except for those times you deliberately choose to move).

Treat your presentation as a story:

To get your audience's interest you'll need to connect them with the material on an emotional
level and the best way to do that is to think of your presentation like a story you're telling.
Quickly introduce your topic and don't assume that your audience is familiar with all the terms,
especially if your topic is one that isn't widely known.

Have a killer closing:

The beginning and the closing of a presentation are the parts that people tend to remember, so
you want to make sure that you end with a punch to the gut (figuratively speaking; don't hit your
audience). You'll need to reiterate those 3 most important points and make sure the listener
knows why they should care about your topic. Make it clear what the listeners now know and
why it is important that they have this new information. Conclude with examples or stories about
your main point and take-home message. You might want a slide which summarizes your
presentation.
Question 4:
Your project tutor has returned your draft project report with the
suggestion that you make a clearer distinction between your results
and your conclusions. How will you go about this?
Five steps make up most scientific experiments, beginning with the research question. The next
step is the formulation of a hypothesis, which is a statement of what you expect your project will
show. The procedure is your step-by-step plan for the experiment. The final two steps are the
results, or what happens, and, finally, the conclusion, or what the results showed.

The Results:
When you record the results of a scientific experiment, you record what happens as you follow
your procedure. Results should be raw data that is measurable rather than general observations,
and it should relate directly to your research question and hypothesis. For example, if your
experiment involves growing plants, the results will be data about one aspect of the plants’
growth, such as how much each plant grows over a particular period of time or which seed
sprouts first. The results should also include notations of any variations in the conditions of the
experiment, which in this case might be an unexpected overnight freeze or which seed received
the most water. The Results (or Findings) section follows the Methods and precedes the
Discussion section. This is where the authors provide the data collected during their study. That
data can sometimes be difficult to understand because it is often quite technical. Do not let this
intimidate you; you will discover the significance of the results next.

Data Organization:
At the end of your experiment’s procedure, you have data that tells what happened, but at this
point it is just a collection of facts or numbers. The data needs to be organized before you can
understand it, but how you organize the data depends on the factor tested in your experiment. If
you entered the data into a chart as you collected it, you may already see a pattern. Another way
to organize the data is with a line graph to show change over time, especially temperature
changes. In the example of plant growth, a bar graph can illustrate how much each plant grew
between measurements.

The Conclusion:
After all the data is organized in a form that relates it to your hypothesis, you can interpret it and
reach a conclusion about the experiment. The conclusion is simply a report about what you
learned based on whether the results agree or disagree with your hypothesis. It usually contains a
summary of the actual procedure and makes note of anything unexpected that happened during
the experiment. Your conclusion should consider all possible explanations of the data, including
any errors you might have made, such as forgetting to water the plants one day. It can also give
you a point from No Right or Wrong. The conclusion, which is also sometimes called a
discussion or interpretation, is a statement about the experiment’s results. As a report of your
data, it can’t be considered wrong even if the results don’t support your hypothesis. You have
learned that your hypothesis does not answer your original research question. Which to create
further hypotheses relating to the experiment

Conclusion vs. Results:

Conclusion and Results are two terms used in thesis writing and surveys or experiments
respectively. Conclusion forms the end part of a thesis or a dissertation. On the other hand,
results from the end part of a survey or a chemical experiment. This is one of the main
differences between conclusion and results. Conclusion aims at the briefing of the research
findings of the researcher. It should be short and concise. It should contain concise and short
paragraphs. A conclusion should not contain long paragraphs. On the other hand, results can be
statistical in composition and sometimes descriptive too. If they are descriptive in nature then
they can contain long paragraphs too. The aim of the conclusion is to impress upon the reader the
validity of the research findings by the researcher. On the other hand, the results of a chemical
experiment or a survey aim at presenting before the reader the valid information about the
exactness of the statistical data and the outcomes therein. This is an important difference
between conclusion and results.

It is said that a dissertation or a thesis should never be submitted without a conclusion. In other
words, ‘conclusion’ forms a very important part of a research thesis. On the other hand, results of
a survey or a chemical experiment prove the validity of the experiment or the survey as the case
may be. Any scientist will proceed from the results of his experiments. If the results are not to his
satisfaction then he would continue with his experimentation. On the other hand, a conclusion is
a final say in the preparation of a thesis. This is one of the most important differences between a
conclusion and results. A thesis is often evaluated on the basis of the conclusion therein.

Discussion:
The Discussion section follows the Results and precedes the Conclusions and Recommendations
section. It is here that the authors indicate the significance of their results. They answer the
question, “Why did we get the results we did?” This section provides logical explanations for the
results from the study. Those explanations are often reached by comparing and contrasting the
results to prior studies’ findings, so citations to the studies discussed in the Literature Review
generally reappear here. This section also usually discusses the limitations of the study and
speculates on what the results say about the problems identified in the research questions.

This section is very important because it is finally moving towards an argument. Since the
researchers interpret their results according to theoretical underpinnings in this section, there is
more room for difference of opinion. The way the authors interpret their results may be quite
different from the way you would interpret them or the way another researcher would interpret
them. The way the authors interpret their results may be quite different from the way you would
interpret them or the way another researcher would interpret them.