Research Methodology and Ethics -

Spring 2024

Assistant Professor Dr. Çağla Özgören

 Chapter 2
Choosing a research topic and
developing your research
proposal

Copyright © 2019, 2016, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Outline for this week
• Where do research ideas come from?
• What are the characteristics of a good research topic?
• Discussion on research question(s), and as an aim and objectives?
• Developing a written research proposal that outlines your proposed research project.
Where do research ideas come from?

Choosing a research topic is starting point and most exciting.

—-choose something that will sustain your interest throughout the months that
you will need to complete it

—-You need to have at least some idea of what you want to do

—-being clear about this will ensure your ability to choose the most appropriate
research strategy and analysis techniques.
 From theory?

From imagination?

From context?

The most important thing is to find the problem within the context

-limitations of previous studies?

-new context? Developing new measurements?

-borrowing from other disciplines?

-highlight how your research will extend our understanding of the interested phenomenon.
 Some Commonly Researched Areas in Business

Employee behaviors such as performance, absenteeism, and turnover.

Employee attitudes such as job satisfaction, loyalty, and organizational commitment.

Supervisory performance, managerial leadership style, and performance appraisal systems.

Employee selection, recruitment, training, and retention.

Validation of performance appraisal systems.

Human resource management choices and organizational strategy.

The dynamics of rating and rating errors in the judgment of human performance.
Strategy formulation and implementation
Generating and refining research ideas

Your ideas?
 Generating research ideas:

• Examining your own strength and interests

• Looking at past project titles
• Examining staff research interest
• Searching the literatures (check ABS list!)
• Discussions: (e.g. supervisor, colleagues, practitioners, conferences)
• Scanning the media

Saunders et al. 2016

• Keeping a notebook of your ideas
• Exploring personal preferences using past projects
• Exploring relevance to business using the literature
• Brainstorming
• Relevance tree
Where do research ideas come from?

Choosing a research topic is starting point and most exciting.

—-choose something that will sustain your interest throughout the months that
you will need to complete it

—-You need to have at least some idea of what you want to do

—-being clear about this will ensure your ability to choose the most appropriate
research strategy and analysis techniques.
 From theory?

From imagination?

From context?

The most important thing is to find the problem within the context

-limitations of previous studies?

-new context? Developing new measurements?

-borrowing from other disciplines?

-highlight how your research will extend our understanding of the interested phenomenon.
 Some Commonly Researched Areas in Business

Employee behaviors such as performance, absenteeism, and turnover.

Employee attitudes such as job satisfaction, loyalty, and organizational commitment.

Supervisory performance, managerial leadership style, and performance appraisal systems.

Employee selection, recruitment, training, and retention.

Validation of performance appraisal systems.

Human resource management choices and organizational strategy.

The dynamics of rating and rating errors in the judgment of human performance.
Strategy formulation and implementation
Generating and refining research ideas

Your ideas?
 Generating research ideas:

• Examining your own strength and interests

• Looking at past project titles
• Examining staff research interest
• Searching the literatures (check ABS list!)
• Discussions: (e.g. supervisor, colleagues, practitioners, conferences)
• Scanning the media

Saunders et al. 2016

• Keeping a notebook of your ideas
• Exploring personal preferences using past projects
• Exploring relevance to business using the literature
• Brainstorming
• Relevance tree
 Brainstorming
Defining the problem.
‘I am interested in marketing but don’t
know what to do for my research topic’.

Asking for suggestions. Wild ideas are welcome!

Recording suggestions. No criticism!
Reviewing suggestions. Focus on quantity!
Analyzing suggestions. Combine and improve ideas!
 Think about your own interests, strengths,
future career path and desires…
• Your interest: football and part-time working at the football club
• Strengths : marketing
• Ideas on future career path : sports goods manufacturer
• Research idea: some aspects of marketing, preferably linked to
football club
• Brainstorming
• Over 100 ideas on flipchart sheets…
• Getting back to the academic papers or field (preliminary
inquiry) –case study about English Premier League football club –
organisational culture maintained a long history of success
• Second round of brainstorming –
• The impact of factors that perpetuate (maintain)
organisational culture on the development of
marketing strategies at local football clubs
Example of relevance tree
 Delphi technique-Refining research
ideas

Initial broad research idea: The decision-making processes

associated with mortgage applications and loan advances
Considering different aspects: ??

-- encourage group members to provide ideas and justification

--3 subsequent cycle until an outcome is reached)

Delphi technique-Refining research ideas

Considering different aspects: ??

--particular situation of buyers
--relationship between buyers and financial
institutions
--effect of being first time house purchaser
--effect of interpersonal contact
--the attributes that potential applicants look for in
financial institutions
REFINED RESEARCH IDEA: an evaluation of the
factors that influence potential first-time buyers`
choice of lending institution
 Evaluate your research topic:
Attributes of a good research topic (I)

Capability: Is it feasible?

Are you fascinated by the topic?

Do you have the necessary research skills?

Can you complete the project in the time available?

Will the research still be current when you finish?

Do you have sufficient financial or other resources?

Will you be able to access to data?

Saunders et al. 2016

Evaluate your research topic: Attributes of a good research
topic (II)
Appropriateness: Is it worthwhile?

Will the examining institute's standards be met?

Does the topic contain issues with clear links the theory?

Are the research questions and objectives clearly stated?

Will the proposed research provide fresh insights into the topic?

Are the findings likely to be symmetrical?

Does the research topic match your career goals?

Saunders et al. 2016

Criteria to devise useful research objectives

Criterion
Transparency (What does it mean?)
Specificity (What am I going to do?)
Relevance (Why I am going to do this?)
Interconnectivity (How will it help to complete the research
project?)
Answerability (Will this be possible?) (Where shall I obtain
data?)
Measurability (When will it be done?)
 Business Problem translated into problem statement
Problem
Frequent and long delays may
translate into much frustration
among airline passengers, to
switching behavior, and to
negative word-of-month
communication. These feelings
and behaviors eventually have
negative effects on the
performance and the profitability
of the firm
Problem statement
Research Objective
The purpose of this study is
twofold:
1) To identify the factors that
influence the passengers` waiting
experience and
2) To investigate the possible
impact of waiting on customer
satisfaction and service
evaluations
Research questions
1) What are the factors that
affect the perceived waiting
experience of airline
passengers and to what extent
do these factors affect the
perception of waiting times?
2) What are the affective
consequences of waiting and
how does affect mediate the
relationship between waiting
and service evaluations
3) How do situational variables
influence customer reactions
to the waiting experience?
Examples of research ideas and resulting
general focus research questions
Table 2.3
Examples of research questions and
related research aims (1 of 2)
Table 2.3
Examples of research questions and
related research aims (2 of 2)
 Characteristics of good RQs
The RQs are precise and concise, there are no unnecessary
word
The RQs are manageable and contain appropriate
restriction, qualification, and delineation
The RQs arise logically from the problem statement
The RQs reflect the type of study that will be conducted
The RQs are of sufficient depth to warrant graduate level
research

(Durkheim, 1999)
Characteristics of good RQs
The RQ do not require a binary (yes/no) or numerical response
There are no pronouns such as you, they, we, us, etc. in the RQs
The RQs are broad enough to guide the entire study
The purpose statement explains how the RQs will be answered
Each RQ is answerable by the methodological tools available to
you.
The Independent Variable(s) (IV) and the Dependent Variable(s)
(DV) are delineated as is the relationship between them

(Durkheim, 1999)
Characteristics of good RQs

The research questions should be well grounded in current

theoretical and empirical knowledge (the researcher should
know the current and germinal literature).
In quantitative studies the RQs should be amenable to the
formulation of clear hypotheses and operational definitions
The answer to the research questions should be important
in terms of theory and application (usually weighted toward
one).

(Durkheim, 1999)
 Exploratory research and
questions

how organisational habitus is influenced by

societal systems, field level structures and
processes at a macro level, framing managerial
perceptions of institutional pressures, and
influencing institutional level changes?
A correlational study:
“What is the relationship between the (independent variable) and the
(dependent variable)”;
descriptive comparative study:
“What is the difference between (group A) and (group B)on
(dependent variable)”.
experimental study you would want to know the effect of a treatment
given to a group ( Causality)
e.g., “What is the effect of faculty access and knowledge of
performance data on reducing course drop rates (CDR)?”
Causality –comparative:
How does physical exercise compare to mental exercises in
performance tests of seniors?

(Durkheim, 1999)
Examples of well-defined research questions

To what extent has the new advertising campaign been successful in

creating the high-quality, customer-centered corporate image that it was
intended to produce?
How has the new packaging affected the sales of the product?
How do price and quality rate on consumers‘ evaluation of products?
Does expansion of international operations result in an enhancement of
the firm‘s image and value?
Can cultural differences account for the differences in the nature of
hierarchical relationships between superiors and subordinates in
Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, and the United States?
Difference of research question, research aim and
research objectives?
Research question:
What is the impact of corruption scandal on Samsung brand image?

Research aim:
Evaluating the impact of corruption scandal on Samsung brand
image?

Res. objective 1: To explore the underlying factors that caused the

emergence of the scandal?
Research objective 2: To assess effects of the scandals on Samsung
brand image
Research objective 3: To propose recommendations to Samsung
senior management for recovering the brand image
Developing a written research proposal that outlines
your proposed research project.

Check the document !

 Research process - syllabus
Identify broad area of research
Identification of research gap
Select topic and contributions

Review prior research

Define problem Formulating research questions

and (if it his deductive research)
developing hypothesis

Selection of research design

Determine how to conduct research and measurement

Collect data Sampling and data collection

procedures and techniques

Analyses of the data, reliability of quantitative

Analyze/interpret data studies and trustworthiness of qualitative
research

Write dissertation
Writing research reports
 Typical structure of a research (or thesis)
Section Description

A precise explanation of what research is about, why it is important and

Introduction
interesting; the research questions or hypothesis also be stated

A critical analysis of what other researchers have said on the subject and
Literature review
where your project fits in
An explanation of why you collected certain data, what data you collected,
Methodology
from where you collected it and how you analysed it

Results A presentation of your results

An analysis of your results showing the contribution to knowledge and

Discussion
pointing out any weakness/limitations
A description of the main lessons to be learnt from your study and what
Conclusions
future researchers should be conducted
A detailed, alphabetical or numerical list of the sources from which
References
information has been obtained and which have been cited in. The text

Appendices Detailed data referred but not shown elsewhere

Practice :