Chapter 2

FORMULATING AND CLARIFYING

THE RESEARCH TOPIC

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 Learning Objective

❑ identify the attributes of a good research topic;

❑ generate ideas and explore sources that will help
you to choose a suitable research topic;
❑ turn research ideas into a research project that has
a clear research question(s) and objectives;
❑ Draft a written your research proposal.

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 Chapter Outline

2.1 Attributes of a good research topic

2.2 Generating research ideas

2.3 Refining research ideas

2.4 Turning ideas into research projects

2.5 Writing your research proposal

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 2.1. Attributes of a good research topic

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 and other resources?
❑ Will you be able to gain access to data?

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 2.1. Attributes of a good research topic

Appropriateness: is it worthwhile?
❑ Will the examining institute's standards be met?

❑ Does the topic contain issues with clear links to theory?

❑ Are the research questions and objectives clearly stated?

❑ Will the proposed research provide fresh insights into the topic?

❑ Does the research topic match your career goals?

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 2.2. Generating research ideas
Useful Techniques
❑ Rational thinking ❑ Creative thinking

▪ Examining your own ▪ Keeping a notebook of

strengths and interests your ideas

▪ Looking at past project ▪ Exploring past projects

titles
▪ Relevance Trees
▪ Discussion
▪ Brainstorming
▪ Searching the literature

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 2.2. Generating research ideas
Rational thinking
Examining your own strengths and interests
❑ Having some academic knowledge
❑ Look at those assignments for which you have
received good grade.
❑ You may, as part of your reading, be able to
focus more precisely on the sort of ideas about
which you wish to conduct your research

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 2.2. Generating research ideas
Rational thinking
Looking at past project title
❑ Dissertations; Theses.
▪ Scan your university’s list of past project titles
for anything that captures your imagination
❑ Actual research projects.
▪ You need to beware. The fact that a project is in
your library is no guarantee of the quality of the
arguments and observations it contains.

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 2.2. Generating research ideas
Rational thinking
Discussion
❑ Colleagues, friends
❑ University tutors
❑ Practitioner
❑ Professional groups

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 2.2. Generating research ideas
Rational thinking
Searching the literature
❑ Article in academic and professional journals;
❑ Reports;
❑ Books;
❑ Review articles

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 2.2. Generating research ideas

Rational thinking
Scanning the media
❑ The news;
❑ Newspapers; both online and traditional print
versions
❑ Keeping up to date with items in the news can
be a very rich source of ideas.

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 2.2. Generating research ideas

Creative thinking
Keeping a notebook of ideas
❑ One of the more creative techniques that we all
use is to keep a notebook of ideas.
❑ All this involves is simply noting down any
interesting research ideas as you think of them
and, of equal importance, what sparked off your
thought.
❑ You can then pursue the idea using more
rational thinking technique later.

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 2.2. Generating research ideas

Creative thinking
Exploring personal preferences
using past project
1. Select six projects that you like
2. For each of these six projects, note down your
first thoughts in response to three:
▪ What appeals to you about the project?
▪ What is good about the project?
▪ Why is the project good?

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 2.2. Generating research ideas

Creative thinking
Exploring personal preferences using
past project
3. Select three projects you do not like.
4. For each of these three projects that you do not
like.
▪ What do you dislike about the project?
▪ What is bad about the project?
▪ Why is the project bad?

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 2.2. Generating research ideas

Creative thinking
Relevance tree
❑ You start with a broad concept from which you
generate further topics.
❑ Each of these topics forms a separate branch from
which you can generate further, more detailed sub
branches.
❑ As you proceed down the sub branches more ideas
are generated and recorded.
❑ These can then be examined and a number
selected and combined to provide a research idea

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 2.2. Generating research ideas

Creative thinking
Brainstorming
1. Define your problem.
2. Ask for suggestions, relating to the problem.
3. Record all suggestions.
4. Review all the suggestions and explore what is meant
by each.
5. Analyze the list of suggestions and decide which
appeal to you most as research ideas why.

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 2.3. Refining research ideas

❑ Using the Delphi Technique

❑ Conducting a preliminary study

❑ Continually testing out your ideas

❑ Integrating ideas

❑ Refining topics given to you by your organisation

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 2.4. Turning ideas into research projects

Writing research questions

Write research questions that are
❑ Consistent with expected standards
❑ Able to produce clear conclusions
❑ At the right level (not too difficult)
❑ Not too descriptive
❑ Use the “Goldilocks Test”
“research questions are either too big two small
too hot or just right”

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 2.4. Turning ideas into research projects

Writing clear research objectives

❑ Check your examining body’s preferences for
stated objectives
❑ Use a general focus question to achieve
precise objectives

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 2.4. Turning ideas into research projects

Include SMART Personal objectives

Specific: What precisely do you hope to achieve from
undertaking the research?
Measurable: What measures will you use to determine
whether you have achieved your objectives?
Achievable: Are the targets you have set for yourself
achievable given all the possible constraints?
Realistic: Given all other demands upon your time, will you have
the time and energy to complete the research on time?
Timely: Will you have time to accomplish all your objectives?

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 Determine the Relevant Variables
and Hypotheses
❑ To determine what characteristics of the unit
of analysis will be measured by the
researchers.
❑ These characteristics may vary within the
same unit of analysis.
❑ For instance, Research Objective: to identify
the ways of increasing marketing
performance.
❑ Unit of analysis: firm
❑ Variable: marketing performance
❑ Different firms’ marketing performance may
be different.
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 Definition of Variable
• What is a Variable?
– Anything that varies or changes from one
instance to another; can exhibit differences
in value, usually in magnitude or strength,
or in direction.
• What is a Constant?
– Something that does not change; is not
useful in addressing research questions.

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 Determine the Relevant Variables
and Hypotheses
Types of Variables
• Continuous variable
• Can take on a range of quantitative values.
• Categorical variable
• Indicates membership in some group.
• Also called classificatory variable.
Dependent variable

A process outcome or a variable that is

predicted and/or explained by other variables.
Independent variable

A variable that is expected to influence the

dependent variable in some way.
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 Determine the Relevant Variables
and Hypotheses
Research Questions
• In order to achieve research objectives,
researchers should develop research questions,
and try to answer them through research.
• Research questions are about the nature of
relations among variables.
• Examples of research questions:
• What are the reasons of sales decline?
• What are the drivers of customer satisfaction?
• What are the relations between new designs and
customer satisfaction?

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 Determine the Relevant Variables
and Hypotheses
Hypothesis
• An unsupported proposition to answer a research
question to be tested by research

• H1: Decline in the purchasing power of the clients

decreases the total sales of the industry.
• H2: New designs increase customer satisfaction.

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 Formulating Research Hypothesis

• An unproven proposition
• A possible solution to a problem
• Guess

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 A hypothesis
is a formal statement explaining some outcome.
In its simplest form, a hypothesis is a guess.
A sales manager may hypothesize that the salespeople who are highest in
product
knowledge will be the most productive
A hypothesis is a proposition that is empirically testable.
In other words, when one states a hypothesis, it should be written in a
manner that can be supported or shown to be wrong through an empirical
test.
For example, using the color of the background for a Web site
the researcher may use theoretical reasoning to develop the following
hypothesis:
 H1: A web site with a blue background will generate more sales than an
otherwise identical Web site with a red background.
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 Hypotheses Are the Empirical
Counterparts of Propositions
 Abstract level PROPOSITION
Treat More Loyal
Employees Employees
Better

 Empirical level HYPOTHESIS

Increase Reduce
Retirement Annual
Benefits 5% Turnover

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 2.5. Writing your research proposal

Purposes of the research proposal

❑ To organise your ideas

❑ To convince your audience
❑ To contract with your client (your tutor)
❑ To meet ethical requirements

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 2.5. Writing your research proposal

Content of your research proposal

❑ Title
❑ Background
❑ Research questions and objectives
❑ Method
❑ Timescale and Resources
❑ References

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 2.5. Writing your research proposal

Evaluating research proposals

❑ How the components of the proposal fit
together
❑ Viability of the proposal
❑ Absence of preconceived ideas

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 Steps to Problem Solving

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 FOR YOUR LISTENNING

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 KEY TERMS & CONCEPTS
1. Proposal
2. Capability
3. Feasible
4. Appropriateness
5. Worthwhile
6. Rational thinking
7. Creative thinking
8. Dissertations/ Theses
9. Research questions
10. Research objectives

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 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

Q1: Bạn thực hiện một nghiên cứu mô tả về hoạt động kế toán
quản trị của các doanh nghiệp sản xuất tại TP.HCM. Phát biểu nào
sau đây là mục tiêu nghiên cứu phù hợp:

a Hoạt động kế toán quản trị của doanh nghiệp sản xuất tại TP.HCM
rất tốt

b Nghiên cứu được thực hiện nhằm mô tả và đánh giá hoạt động kế
toán quản trị của doanh nghiệp sản xuất tại TP.HCM

c Nghiên cứu nhằm cho thấy hoạt động kế toán quản trị của các
doanh nghiệp sản xuất tại TP.HCM chưa được áp dụng rộng rãi, từ
đó đề xuất giải pháp để hoạt động này được sử dụng nhiều hơn.

d Hoạt động kế toán quản trị của doanh nghiệp sản xuất tại TP.HCM
như thế nào?
20/02/2024 201115 – Formulating and clarifying the research topic 36
 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

Q2: Một phát biểu câu hỏi nghiên cứu tốt KHÔNG cần có
đặc điểm nào sau đây?

a Được rút ra từ vấn đề nghiên cứu.

b Có thể kiểm chứng được.

c Dưới dạng một câu hỏi có thể trả lời được.

d Việc trả lời câu hỏi sẽ giúp đạt được mục tiêu nghiên cứu

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 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

Q3: Nghiên cứu có mục tiêu là: “Xác định các yếu tố ảnh
hưởng đến lạm phát tại Việt Nam”. Câu hỏi nghiên cứu nào
sau đây là phù hợp?

a Lạm phát tại Việt Nam có chịu ảnh hưởng của cung tiền hay
không?

b Lạm phát tại Việt Nam chịu ảnh hưởng bởi những yếu tố vĩ
mô nào?

c Diễn biến lạm phát tại Việt Nam thời gian qua như thế nào?

d Các yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến lạm phát tại Việt Nam đang diễn
biến như thế nào?

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 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

Q4: Sự khác biệt giữa câu hỏi nghiên cứu (CHNC) và mục tiêu
nghiên cứu (MTNC) là gì?

a Không có sự khác biệt giữa CHNC và MTNC.

b CHNC sử dụng từ để hỏi, MTNC sử dụng các động từ hành vi.

c MTNC được phát biểu bởi nhà nghiên cứu, CHNC thì không.

d CHNC được phát biểu bởi nhà nghiên cứu, MTNC thì không.

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 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

Q5: Nếu mục tiêu nghiên cứu trả lời cho câu hỏi ______ thì
phạm vi nghiên cứu trả lời cho câu hỏi _____

a “nghiên cứu vấn đề gì và như thế nào”; “nghiên cứu trên đối
tượng nào và trong bao lâu”

b “làm cái gì và trong bao lâu”; “làm sao để khẳng định hay
bác bỏ giả thuyết nghiên cứu”

c “đạt được những cái cụ thể gì”; “để làm gì hay phục vụ cho
cái gì”

d “đối tượng khảo sát là ai”; “vì sao phải nghiên cứu”

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 REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What are the attributes of good research topic? Explain

2. What are the difference between Rational thinking and

Creative thinking? Explain and for example?

3. What are the difference between research questions and

research objectives?

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