INSTITUTE –University School of

Business
DEPARTMENT -Management
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS
Course Name: 23BAT-625
Diksha Gandhi
Assistant Professor

Chandigarh University

UNIT-1 –
DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER
Interpretation of Data
and Report Writing

1
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Foundations of Research

Co CO name Level
Will be covered in
No the lecture
.
C To understand the research process for writing a understand
O1 research paper, Ph.D Thesis and dissertation
C To apply different research designs and sampling apply
O2 techniques in various business research problems
C To analyze and interpret various hypothesis tests analyse
O3 to supplement decision making in business
scenario
C To compare the various sampling techniques for remember
O4 collection of data
C To create and implement a research proposal for understand
O5 the real life business problems
ETHICAL & OTHER RELEVANT ISSUES IN RESEARCH
 WHAT ARE ETHICAL VALUES
 Truth, fair and just.
 What is right and justified.

 Distinct from legality.

 Dimensions;
 Fabrification/Falsification/ Plagiarism.
 Common Knowledge/ pre-conceived notions.
 Questionable Policies/honorary authorship.
 Sexual misconduct/ violation of privacy /rules.
 Others(Not quoting other/ bias/ convenience)
 ETHICS IN RESEARCH: WHY?
 Well being of society.
 Social, environmental , economic laws &
policies.
 Defence Plans, buildings.
 Lot of funds are involved.

 Academic branches of knowledge/ improved

knowledge.
 A lot depends on accuracy of data.
 BASIC ASPECTS-1
 Recognition of diversity of approaches.
 Respect for those engaged in it
 Proper & relevant review of literature

 Research design/ Methodology

 Voluntary informed consent ;
 Allparticipants understand the process.
 Disclose the extent to which it impinges on others.

 Appropriate consent/ authority.

 Cultural- ethnic- religious sensitivity

 BASIC ASPECTS-2
 Privacy;
 Confidential treatment of participants’ data
 Full disclosure to respondents.
 De- briefing (disguised experiment).

 Procedure/ process;
 Fulldisclosure.
 Replicable /open to external scrutiny.

 Involvement of vulnerable groups;

 Children/old people / destitutes.
 Animals.
 Legal requirements .
 BASIC ASPECTS-3
 Publication;
 Obligation to place in public domain .
 Others;
 Sensationalization/Community-disrepute/
Distortion(publishing only one part)/ unprofessional
criticism/ Compromising objectivity/ Research for
illegal or fraudulent proposes.
 RESEARCH
PROBLEM/STAKEHOLDERS
 Identification of Research problem;
 Useful /relevant
 Must re-define or add to knowledge

 Not a Matter of convenience

 Stakeholders;
 Researchers/Respondents/ Academic community/
Govt./ sponsors/ clients/ public (rights of all must
be taken care of)
 WANT VS. NEED
 For-profit commercial research,
 Compromise of objectivity
 Declaration of the code of ethics.

 What is actually required should be the focus;

 Segmentation /distribution channel.
 Budget should not be the criterion
 Scale (want vs. need)
 Universe / Sample (want vs. need)
 Approach /Methodology
 Definition of operational terms
 SAMPLE
 Not based on convenience.
 Representative/free from bias
 Secondary data- Appropriate.

 Definition of population/sampling
frame/Sampling Techniques
 Sample size;
 Based on Secondary sources
 Judgement

 Small Pilot study

 QUESTIONNAIRE
 Questionnaire Vs Schedule
 Careful framing;
 Required Information only /overly long/
 Reasonable Size /Sensitive questions/Confusing
/Difficult
 Improperly worded/No-obligation to answer.

 Limited open ended (defined parameters)

 Peer Review.
 Pilot-testing.

 Administration.
 SCALING/ FIELDWORK
 Scales;
 Reliability/Validity/Generalizability
 No Scope of bias
 Fieldwork;

 Accepted procedure/Well –documented/

 Proper Id/Reference/Available for scrutiny/

 Period of field work.

 DATA EDITING
 Editing/Checking/Cleaning/Coding.
 Questionable data must be separated.

 Similar answers
 Ethical editing may reduce sample
 Extrapolation/ Withholding/misuse be avoided
 No compromise with research design.
 Data not to support personal/corporate view.
 FINALLY
 Report Writing
 Language

 Research-based conclusions
 Referencing
 Bibliography
 Further Research

 Limitations
 Appendices
GANDHI JI AS A RESEARCHER

“I claim for them (his experiments) nothing more than

does a scientist who, though he conducts his
experiments with the utmost accuracy, forethought
and minuteness, never claims any finality about his
conclusions, but keeps an open mind regarding them.
I have gone through deep self-introspection, searched
myself through and through, and examined and
analysed every psychological situation. Yet I am far
from claiming any finality or infallibility about my
conclusions.”
(My Experiments ……P. xiii, ibid)
 Blackboard
Assessment Pattern

Components HT-1 HT-2 Assignment Surprise Test Business Quiz GD Forum Attendance Scaled
Marks

Max. Marks 10 10 6 4 4 4 2 40

17

17
REFERENCES
 Textbooks / Reference Books
 T1 Cooper, D., Schindler, P. 2106. Business Research Methods,
9th Edition, Tata McGraw Hill, India ISBN: 9781259001857.
 T2 Malhotra, N. 2110. Marketing Research: An Applied
Orientation, 6th Edition, Pearson Publication, India, ISBN:
9781292103129
 T3 Kothari, C. 2104. Research Methodology – Methods and
Techniques, 2nd Edition, New Age International, ISBN:
9788122424881
 R1 Nargundkar, R. 2102. Marketing Research, 4 th Ed., Tata
McGraw Hill, India, ISBN: 9780070221874

18
THANK YOU
diksha.e13542@cumail.in