Research Methodology Workshop 1 Introduction to Writing Research

Research Methodology Workshop – 1 Introduction to Writing Research Proposal by Binam Ghimire 1

Learning Objectives q Understand research proposal q Basic skills for generating research ideas, title, aim, research questions and research objectives q Convert an area of research into a research title q Be familiar with the contents of a research proposal q Prepare Gantt Chart using Microsoft Project/ Excel 2

Welcome q Venue/ Timetable 3

Dates q Room No q Four sessions of ………. hrs each (total …. hours) 4

Submission q ………… q Email: ……… 5

Proposal q This is part of Alice’s conversation with the Cheshire Cat. In this Alice asks the cat (Carroll, 1989: 63 -4): q ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here? ’ q ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to, ’ said the Cat. q ‘I don’t much care where, ‘said Alice. q ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you walk, ’ said the Cat. (Saunders et al, 2003)

Proposal: What is it?

The Proposal is q A brief document! q The first stage of your dissertation q Requires some reading and thought but NOT intended to be a stumbling block q Ensures you start with a realistic and feasible dissertation topic q Helps you plan your work and visualise what your research project will look like q A work in progress –your plans will probably evolve as you work on your dissertation

The Proposal is q Good when it is a …………… work

Proposal q An investigation into the causes of the global financial crisis and the sub-prime crisis and the after-effects

Proposal q Above was an example of what is not doable

Proposal Headings q Title q Background q Industry Background q Research aim, research questions or hypotheses and objectives q Research Methodology q Timescale q Resources q References

Title

Title q Areas of interest q Title/ Topic same here q What do you think this book is about? : War and Peace

Title q MINIER, J. 2009. Opening a Stock Exchange. Journal of …………………, 90, 1, 135143. q What do you think the above article is about?

Title A large body of theoretical and empirical literature has established a positive relationship between levels of stock market development and economic growth. However, previous empirical work has been based on samples of approximately 40 countries with the most highly developed financial systems. Since 1950, over 70 countries have opened their first national stock exchanges. Can such exchanges increase economic growth? I present a data set of my construction that describes the exchange openings that occurred between 1960 and 1998, and find that these exchanges have generated increases in growth during their first 5 years of existence, although the longer-term results are ambiguous.

Title q Corporate Social Responsibility at Tescos/BP/Shell etc. q A Case Study of BP’s Oil Crisis in 2010 q An examination of the use of Facebook in marketing campaigns for teenage clothes q The Causes of the Global Banking Crisis q Delivering the 2012 Olympics on Time and in Budget q A study of stock market performance or A study of employee performance

Title q Topic: An empirical study on Capital Structure and Profitability Relationship and its Impact on the Value of Firm q What do you think about the above?

Title

Title q Feedback on title: “Title could be worded better”

Title q A similar work in a journal q The Research on the effects of Capital Structure on Firm Performance and Evidence from the Non-Financial Industry of Taiwan 50 and Taiwan Mid-Cap 100 from 1987 to 2007

Title q Redefining the title q An empirical study on Capital Structure and Profitability Relationship and its Impact on the Value of Firm: Evidence from large non-finance companies listed in FTSE 100

Title q Flying High? The evolution of British Airways corporate strategy 2000 -2010 q Shopping Around: Credit Card Switching Behaviour in the UK 2000 -2010 q Supply Chain Management in the UK Clothing Business: Next Plc’s future strategy q Also note the use of ? , :

Title q Budgeting and Budgetary Control System as a Management Control Tool: A case study of footwear retail sector of Pakistan q A Critical Evaluation of Budgeting as a Tool for Management control: A case study of footwear retail sector of Pakistan

Title q The Implementation of Principles of Sound Corporate Governance in Emerging countries q An investigation into the nature of corporate governance and its affect to major stakeholders with reference to companies in UAE. q An investigation into the nature of corporate governance and its relationship to firm performance with reference to 50 listed companies in UAE

Title q MYERS, S. C. (1984) puzzle. The capital structure Journal of Finance, 39, 34, 575 - 592. q What do you think the above article is about?

Title q Attributes of a good dissertation title/topic

Title q Need for research q Amenable to research methods q Achievable in a reasonable time q Symmetry of potential outcomes q The research topic should match both your interests and capabilities q Area for professional development q Contribution to knowledge q Attractive for funding

Title q Key words may be useful – ‘a critical evaluation’, ‘a case study’, ‘a longitudinal study’

Title q Should be explanatory, short and snappy q colons are useful q look at book or journal article titles for ideas q “Born to buy: the commercialised child and the new consumer culture” by Juliet Schor (2004)

Title q Finance, Firm Size, and Growth q Finance, Inequality and the Poor q Stock Markets, Banks, and Economic Growth

Title q Financial Intermediation and Growth: Causality and Causes q Internal Finance and Growth: Microeconometric Evidence on Chinese Firms. q Financial Development and Economic Growth: International Evidence q Modern Economic Growth: Rate, Structure and Spread q Bank-Based or Market-Based Financial Systems: Which is Better? q Productivity Growth, Convergence, and Welfare: What the Long-Run Data Show q Stock Markets, Banks, and Growth: Panel Evidence

Title q Topic is not too topical, but has been explored q Not set in stone – it may change as the research progresses q Remember a subject area (or a couple of key words) is not a topic! q Related to your course

Background q Need for research q Background section: Review of Literature (no more than 2000 words)

Background Why is research that you are planning worth the effort? Use of academic journals Identify your area of research Demonstrate your knowledge of the relevant literature Clarify where your proposal fits into the debate in the literature q Identify gaps in existing literature q Show a clear link between the previous work that has been done in your field of research interest and the content of your proposal etc q Identify relevant academic theory, models, frameworks and concepts. q q q

Background q This also requires knowledge on how to review the literature q The section on Review of literature will be explained separately

Industry Background q No more than 250 words

Industry Background q Place the research into context q This should clarify further why the research is being done, under what conditions it is being done and what its impact is hoped to be

Research aim, research questions or hypotheses and objectives q What does this research aim to explore/find out? q Hypotheses q Objectives q Research questions 1, 2, 3 – 4, 1 -2

Research aim, research questions or hypotheses and objectives q Research Ideas – Title – Aim – Hypotheses – Questions – Objectives q Visit and refine as needed

Research Ideas q Generating Research Ideas (Saunders et al, 2007): q. Examining own strengths and interests q. Looking at past project titles q. Discussion q. Searching the literature q. Keeping a notebook of ideas q. Exploring personal preferences using projects q. Relevance trees q. Brainstorming

Turning Research Ideas into Research Projects q Writing Research Questions q Writing Research Objectives

Research Questions

Research Questions q Writing Research Questions

Research Questions q One or a maximum of two general focus research question q The question(s) may lead to several more detailed questions (or the definition of research objectives)

Research Questions q Beware of questions that are too easy to answer and avoid the difficult ones (Saunders, 2007)

Research Questions q What is the proportion of graduates entering the civil service who attended the old established UK universities?

Research Questions q Why are graduates from old-established UK universities more likely to enter the civil service than graduates from other universities

Research Questions q Saunders et al (2007): q Unofficial processes that go on at staff selection which may favour one type of candidate over another. q Over-reaching yourself in the definition of research questions is a danger

Research Questions q Clough and Nutbrown (2002): Goldilocks test q. Too big q. Too small q. Too hot

Research Questions q Clough and Nutbrown (2002): Goldilocks test q. Just right

Research Questions q Match: Too big, too small, too hot, just the right with the followings insufficient, sensitivities that may be aroused as a result of doing the research, investigation at this time by this researcher and in this setting, funding problem

Research Questions q Research idea into research questions

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q Research idea: q. Volatility in stock market

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q Research Question: q. Why does stock market volatility change over time? (Schwert, 1989)

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q Research idea q. Developed countries developed stock market and developed intermediaries

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q Research Question: q. Do countries with well-developed stock markets also have well-developed banks and nonbank financial intermediaries? (Kunt and Levine, 1996)

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q Turn the following research ideas into research questions q. Advertising and share prices q. Job recruitment via the internet q. The use of aroma as a marketing device q. The use of internet banking q. The use of mobile banking

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q Advertising and share prices q. How does the running of a TV advertising campaign designed to boost the image of a company affect its share price?

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q Job recruitment via the internet q. How effective is recruiting for new staff via the internet in comparison with traditional methods

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q The use of aromas as a marketing device q. In what ways does the use of specific aromas in supermarkets affect buyer behaviour?

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q The use of internet banking q. What is the affect of internet banking into the uses customers had on branch facilities q. What is the affect of growth of internet banking into the uses customers had on branch facilities

Research Questions: Research Idea – Research Question q The use of mobile banking q. What is the affect of consumers’ knowledge about mobile banking into the uses customers had on branch facilities q. How does the consumers’ knowledge about mobile banking affect its adoption in XXX?

Research Objectives

Research Objectives q Greater specificity than research questions

Research Objectives: Question –Objective q Example: q Why have organisations introduced team briefing? q. To identify organisations objectives for team briefing schemes

Research Objectives: Question –Objective q Example: q How can the effectiveness of team briefing schemes be measured q. To establish suitable effectiveness criteria for team briefing schemes

Research Objectives: Question –Objective q Example: q Has team briefing been effective? q. To describe the extent to which the effectiveness criteria for team briefing have been met

Research Objectives: Question –Objective q Objectives are good when they pass the SMART Test q. Specific q. Measurable q. Achievable q. Realistic q. Timely

Research Methodology

Research Methodology q Longest after Literature Review, but more than 1500 words q This section will detail how you intend to go about achieving your research objectives q It will explain your choice of research philosophy (inductive /deductive) q It will also justify your choice of method in the light of the research objectives q It will also detail which sectors of the market you have chosen to research and why you chose these sectors q It will explain how you will ensure validity and reliability q Discuss the appropriateness of triangulation to your research

Research Methodology q Include an explanation of the general way in which you intend to carry out the research. q Will it be based, for example, on questionnaires, interviews, examination of secondary data or use of a combination of data collection techniques? q Explain why you have chosen your approach?

Research Methodology q If you are using a survey strategy you should specify your population and sample size q You should also clarify how the survey instrument such as questionnaire will be distributed and how the data will be analysed q If you are using interviews you would explain how many interviews will be conducted, their intended duration, whether they will be audio-recorded and how they will be analysed q But it is not necessary to include precise detail of the method you will employ, for example the questionnarie questions. q Include how you are going to adhere to any ethical guidelines (medical patients and children)

Research Methodology q This requires knowledge various methodologies q It will not be in the scope of this RM sessions q However few more common methodologies will be explained separately

Timescale q This section needs to be very detailed and realistic q You must produce a detailed schedule that illustrates weekly activities and allows time for unexpected delays. q A GANTT Chart might help!! q See separate file on how to make Gantt chart using Microsoft Project

Resources q What resources do you need q Will you be able to access the data that you need to conduct your research? q Do you have the required skills to perform the analysis q Limitations

References q How many? q Style?

Writing Proposal: Best suggestion

Sample q Binam’s brief proposal q Student work 1 q Student work 2

Activity 1. Write down a list of topics associated with your Masters Degree that interest you enough for you to focus on 2. Once you have located your area of interest narrow it down to a central question that you would like to find the answer to or problem that you would like to find the solution to 3. Now write these down as a series of questions that you can try to answer during your research 4. Now try to work out what kinds of methodology you could use to do this

Report your conclusions to your group members

What am I expected q?

What am I expected? q Identification of a field of study; q Formulation of research questions; q Problem solving; q Data collection and analysis; q Inference (assumption, conclusion, conjecture, consequences, deduction, etc. ); q Proof (confirmation, substantiate); q Dissemination (broadcasting, publication), and q Communication.

Thank you q?