CHAPTER 3
Methodology
This section of the paper seeks to explain the steps that were taken to gather the data, the participants and sampling that were employed, the location where the data was collected, the instruments used to gather the data, ethical considerations that were thought of and the limitations and delimitation of this research.
Research Design
The quantitative research design was used for this research. According to Vogt, W. P. (2005), quantitative research emphasizes the measurement and analysis of causal relationships between variables, not processes. Aliaga and Gunderson (2005) defines quantitative research as ‘Explaining a phenomena by collecting numerical data that are analyzed using mathematics based methods’ this approach
Quantitative research is a way where objective theories are subject to testing by investigating the relationship between variables. These variables are capable of measuring particularly on the instruments such that the numbered data obtained can be examined through statistical techniques. The report written finally has a structure which consists of an introduction, review of literature and theory, methods, results, conclusion and discussion (Creswell, 2002). People who engage in this type of inquiry build assumptions about experimenting theories deductively, and protecting the situation from all kinds of bias, monitoring for substitute explanations and being capable of replicating and generalizing the findings.
Qualitative research reflects the multiple ways researcher’s collect data and explore information through literature review. Participant’s review is often observed for analysis while “the role of the researcher focuses as the primary data collection instrument necessitates the identification of personal values, assumptions and biases at the outset of the study; Qualitative researchers ask at least one central question” (Creswell, 2014), which can be explored in several contexts with further questions. According to the text Research Design (2014), “the researcher’s role is typically involved
The difference between three similar products can be seen much more noticeably when the items are being presented in front of human eyes. For instance, take a blindfold and put it over the eyes of any individual, then ask them if the differences of the items stands out as well as they would’ve without the blindfold on. For this project I decided to try to find not only the differences of taste, but also smell, touch and quality. When purchasing the three different brands of gluten-free chocolate cupcakes consisting of similar ingredients, yet still divergent, this created a challenge being the brands I looked for mostly did not contain gluten free ingredients. The brands chosen were Pillsbury (costing around $6), Betty Crocker ($6) and Simple Mills ($8). With no biases being present, since I do not consume any of the brands on a daily basis, nor do I know much about the quality of the three products; it made for a fun educational assignment.
When deciding whether to use qualitative or quantitative research techniques within a business research project it is important to have a clear understanding of what type of data and what kind of answer is required for the research problem. Both methods gather data in different formats and researchers have to ultimately decide on which type of data will provide the best elucidation. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is one of the elite federal law enforcement agencies for the United States of America. Along with conducting criminal investigations, they also conduct imperative counterintelligence in a productive approach towards national security. There is an extensive amount of research conducted within both sectors to help aid the agency in their efforts. Outside research was also conducted on the physical and psychological effects faced by law enforcement officers. The results from this research will not directly impact operations and research efforts within the FBI, but top management can use the information as a tool
Qualitative research explains, describes and characterizes the subject of investigation by focusing on words rather than numbers. It mainly collect the non-numerical data to describe a problem and helps to create ideas for further research. In qualitative research, data is collected through focus groups, interviews, direct observation or evaluation of archival material such as newspapers. Qualitative research has a qualitative dimension and relies on background and context to analyze data. In this study, researchers are interested in understanding the meaning people have constructed, that is, how people make sense of their world and the experiences they have in the world. Though a qualitative research, a wide array of dimensions of the social world can be explored, including the texture and weave of everyday life, the understandings, experiences and imaginings or our research participants, the ways that social processes, institutions, discourses or relationships work, and the significance of the meanings that they generate. Qualitative research involves an explanatory, naturalistic approach to the world. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them (Pennsylvania State University, 2016).
3. Methodology: Investigators must review the literature which is appropriate to various aspects of their chosen method, including design, selection of subjects, and methods of data collection. This section describes research methods and measurement approaches used in previous investigations in the area. This content should be considered in designing the proposed research and used to support
Previous chapter describes the methodological approaches used to arrive at the aims and objectives of this study. This chapter is divided into seven parts. The first part explains the research philosophy used in this survey outlining the philosophical foundation that guided this research. The second part describes the research approach and the research strategy. The third part illustrates the instruments used in this study. The forth part describes the sampling strategy used in this section. The fifth part outlines the data collection approaches used in the research. The sixth part explains the approach used in conducting data analysis. The remaining parts explain the measures taken to ensure reliability of data collected and the ethical considerations that were taken during the study. As a whole, this chapter provides an overview into how the research was approached and executed.
For the background to the study, I aim to define the terms used in this assignment, place the study in context and review the literature to discuss the scope and focus of the investigation. I will then design a focussed research question and investigative strategy, define the timetable, state the method to be used for the collection and analysis of data and finish with a discussion of the reliability and validity of the method including ethical considerations and the
During this chapter, the research question would be answered by summing up results of previous research, conducted by NRC (1983) and Covello and Merkhofer (1993) and the results of this research. Limitations of this research, ethical and societal considerations and suggestions for future study would be also mentioned.
This chapter explains the procedures that the researchers considered in conducting the study. It includes primarily the research design, sources of data, instrument used, data procedure, and the treatment of data to obtain the necessary information.
This investigation used both primary and secondary sources, majority of which being books, websites, videos, surveys and interviews. Interviews were planned to be conducted with
Qualitative data is an open universe, as it includes virtually any non-numerical data that can be captured and revolves around collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data that are difficult to reduce utilizing numerical methods. Qualitative data permit the exploration of every possible scenario in a given situation which is highly suitable when assessing the contributory impact of the social environment within the business world. By pursuing a qualitative approach, the data collected can be measured based on a philosophical (Phenomenology) perspective, Ethnographic, Field Research, Grounded Theory or Case Study.
To analyse the objectives of this study further, interview questions were ready for opinion leaders, which include journalists, staffs of the management team and PR practitioners. Only key sentences or words of discussion were chosen due to the word limitation, the full-translated transcripts are attached at Appendix B. The findings of interview have three parts, which related to the three research questions.
The aim of this chapter is to report to the readers about the process and reliability of data collected in this study. This chapter is split into three parts; secondary data, primary data, and ethical considerations. In the beginning, the author clarified and justified the approaches of data to provide a clear understanding of the research process. Besides, the details about the sampling choice and size will be explained. At last, the ethical considerations were entailed and assessed to prove the validity and reliability of this study.
Introduction 5 2.2. Conclusion 5 Chapter 3 Research methods (1500 words) 5 3.1 Introduction 5 3.2 Research purpose 5 3.3 The research framework 5 3.4 Research philosophy and perspective 5 3.5 Research Approach adopted 5 3.6 Qualitative vs. Quantitative study 6 3.7 Research methods used- 60 Survey questionnaires and 10 interviews 6 3.8 Sampling method 6 3.9 Data analysis 6 3.10 Validity and reliability- triangulation 6 3.11 Ethical concerns 6 3.12 Limitations and delimitations of the study 6 3.13 Conclusion 6 Chapter 4 Data Findings and Presentation of Results (1000 words) 6 4.1 Introduction 7 4.2 Questionnaire results 7 4.3 Interview results 7 4.4 Conclusion 7 Chapter 5 Data analysis and Discussion (2000 words) 7 5.1. Introduction 7 5.2. Overview 7 5.3.