Characteristics of a good research topic

1. Appropriateness: The research topic and proposal must meet the

requirements of the examining body and assessment criteria, such as
data collection methods. It will be important to use existing theory from
the academic literature As part of your assessment criteria.
 2. Capability: The topic should be feasible to carry out and provide
opportunities for development ensuring access to required data. Sensitive
topics may present access issues
3. Fulfilment: It should also provide a sense of accomplishment and
contribute to the field of business and management.
Generating and refining research topic ideas:

your research project. In our experience, it is usually better to use both rational
and creative techniques. In order to do this you will need to have some
understanding of the techniques and the ways in which they work. These
techniques will generate one of two outcomes:
• one or more possible project ideas that you might undertake;

• few ideas that relate to your interests. In this case you may want to revise the
area in which you are interested, either by choosing another area or by refining and
perhaps narrowing or widening your original area of interest.
More frequently used techniques for generating and
refining research ideas

Rational thinking Creative thinking

• Examining your own strengths and interests • Keeping a notebook of your ideas
• Examining academic staff research interests • Exploring personal preferences using past projects
• Looking at past project titles • Exploring relevance to business using the literature
• Discussion • Relevance trees
• Searching existing literature • Brainstorming
• Scanning the media
Rational thinking techniques for generating
research ideas:

Examining your own strengths and interests

 It is important that you choose a topic in which you are likely to do well .
 If possible, already have some academic knowledge.
 One way of doing this is to look at completed assignments for which you have
received good grades, specially in subject areas in which you have an interest.
 As part of your reading, be able to focus more precisely on the sort of ideas
about which you wish to conduct your research.
 There is the need to think about your future.
Examining academic staff research interests

 The university’s website will have profile pages of academic staff, which may be
helpful in exploring and generating research ideas that could be of interest for
your own project.

Looking at past project titles

 Called dissertations
 A common way of doing this is to scan a list of past project titles for anything
that captures your imagination.
 Titles that look interesting or which grab your attention should be noted
 provide fresh insights even if the title is poorly worded or the project report
received a low mark.

Discussion
Colleagues, friends and university tutors are all potentially good sources of possible
research ideas. If such people are willing to spare some time to talk to you.
 It is important that as well as discussing possible ideas you also make a note of
them.
Searching existing literature
 There are various types of literature that are of particular use for generating
research ideas.
These include:
 articles in academic journals;
 articles in professional journals;
 reports;
 books.

Scanning the media

Keeping up to date with items in the news can be a very rich source of ideas. The
stories which occur every day in the ‘broadsheet’ or ‘compact’ newspapers, in both
online and traditional print versions.
 Creative think
 1. Keeping a notebook of your ideas
_ One of the more creative techniques that we all use is to
keep a notebook of ideas.
_This involves noting down any interesting research ideas
as you think of them.
 Creative think
 [Link] personal preferences using past projects
by reading past projects from your university,
_ For each project that you like, response to each of the following
questions:
A_ What do you like in general about the project?
B_ Why do you like the project?
C_ Which ideas in the project appeal to you?
_ For each project that do not you like, response to each of the
following questions:
 Creative think
 3. Exploring relevance to business using the literature

_ there will be many ways in which you may explore the relevance to
business of ideas published in the literature because nature of
journals in business and management varies from those with a more
applied focus to those that are more esoteric.
*Objective : convert existing work into a relevant and applied study,
provide you with a rich and valuable research idea.
 Creative think
 [Link] trees

_their use is similar to that of mind mapping in which you

start with a broad concept from which you generate usually
more specific topics.
*Objective : examine the ideas and a number selected and
combined to provide a research idea.
 Creative think
 [Link]
_ A problem-solving technique on many business and management courses.
_It is best undertaken with a group of people, although you can brainstorm on
your own
*Brainstorming involves a number of stages:
A _Defining the problem
B _ Asking for suggestions. These will relate to the problem
C _ Recording suggestions
D _ Reviewing suggestions (to explore meaning all suggestions)
E _ Analyzing suggestions (work through the list of ideas and decide which
appeal to you most as research ideas.
Refining research topic ideas:

 [Link] technique
_An approach that our students have found useful to refine
their research ideas
_it involves a researcher using a purposive sample of
participants who have knowledge about your initial
research idea, to generate related ideas, evaluate these and
perhaps to arrive at specific research idea.
Refining research topic ideas:

 To use this technique, you need:

1_ to brief the members of the group about the initial research idea.
2_ to encourage group members to seek appropriate information
3_ to ask each member of the group who generate three alternative
research ideas.
4_ collect the research ideas
5_ to encourage group members to comment on each research idea
6_ a second cycle of steps 2 to 5 to encourage more refinements
7_ subsequent cycles of the process until an outcome is reached.
Refining research topic ideas:

 2. Preliminary inquiry

It facilitates to see how researchers make the transition from

initial ideas to actual research questions.
For some researchers the preliminary inquiry may (Shadowing
employees) who are likely to be important in your research and may
provide some initial insights.
Refining research topic ideas:

 [Link] ideas

_It will help your research to have a clear purpose and direction.
_It involves classifying each research idea first into its area, then its
field, and finally the aspect in which you are interested.
For example,
selecting major accounting then more focused on the field of
financial accounting method finally focus on the aspect of activity-
based costing.
Refining research topic ideas:

 4. Refining topics given by your employing organization

_Conducting research in your own organization is also likely

to be problematic because of your role as an internal
researcher.
For example: promise to deliver research outcomes to your
employer and not do so.
 Research Proposal Development
Process

• Choosing a • Expressing the

• Generating and
research topic: research topic as
refining ideas:
Begin developing a a research
Express interest in
proposal based on question: Define a
conducting
a clearly defined related research
research
research idea. aim and objectives.
 Research Questioning and Its Importance:

 • A clearly defined research question defines the issue or

problem to be studied and the research project's goal.
 • A clear conclusion from collected data is a key success factor.
 • The research question influences the choice of literature,
research design, access negotiation, sampling approach, data
collection and analysis methods, and project report writing.
Defining Research Questions:

 • Generatingresearch ideas is challenging

 • can be exploratory, descriptive, explanatory,

or evaluative.
 • should be simple and not too complex.
 • The 'Goldilocks test' helps determine the
suitability of research questions.
Research Question Clarification:

 Research questions should align with the researcher's

capabilities and available resources.
 Avoid asking questions that won't generate new insights.
 Use the Russian doll principle to clarify a research
question.( This means refining a draft research question
until it reflects the essence of your research idea without
including any unnecessary words or intentions.
 By stripping away any unnecessary layers)
Research Question Writing Guidelines:

• Refine draft questions.

• Consult with project tutors or use Delphi technique
for clarification.
• Include research questions in journal articles for
future research implications.
 Replicating research is acceptable, but ignorance of
literature isn't.
Importance of Theory in Research Writing

•Theory aids in decision-making and informs research

questions and objectives.
•It refers to systematic knowledge based on empirical
evidence.
• Theory is used for explanatory or predictive purposes.
• Whetten's theory consists of four elements: 'what', 'how',
'why', and 'who', 'where', and 'when'.
Sutton and Staw's Definition of Theory

 • References: Used to identify concepts, causal relationships,

and logical explanations.
 • Data: Crucial for confirming, revising, or overturning
existing theories and developing new ones.
 • Lists of variables: Important in theory development but alone
do not represent a theory.
 • Diagrams: Used to show observed or expected causal
relationships.
 • Hypotheses or predictions: Important but do not constitute a
theory by themselves.
Understanding Relationships in Theory

•Whetten's concept of 'what' and 'how' is

descriptive, while 'why' explains the relationship.
•Different employee categories provide different
explanations for the impact of organizational
change.
Theory Development and Research
Question

 • Theory is a critical element in research planning, informing

research ideas and questions.
 • It is developed systematically and early recognition is
essential.
 • Utilizes existing theories and helps in formulating research
questions.
 • Research Project deductive approach: Adopts clear
theoretical position and tests through data collection.
 • Research Project inductive approach: Data-driven
exploration and development of theoretical explanations.
Literature Theory in Research

•Informs research question formulation for theoretical

explanation.
• Helps identify similar research questions in the
literature.
• Provides context and research methodology.
• Helps focus research question, providing variables to
test or concepts to explore.
•Determines relationships between variables and
concepts in the research project.
Types of Theoretical Contribution
Types of Theoretical Contribution

 • Grand theories, like Newton's theory of gravity, Darwin's

theory of evolution, and Einstein's theory of relativity, are natural
scientists' domain.
 • Middle-range theories, like Maslow's hierarchy of needs and
Herzberg et al.'s two-factor theory of motivation, are significant
but lack the ability to alter our worldview.
 • Most people focus on ‘substantive theories', which are specific
to a time, research setting, group, population, or problem.
 writing your research proposal:

 The research proposal referred to as a protocol or

outline, is a structured plan of your proposed research
project.
 Before you can write your research proposal you will
need to be aware of available literature and appropriate
theory , the research approach, your research design
including methodological choice, research strategy and
time frame , data collection methods and data analysis
techniques
Why is a research proposal necessary?

1. Creating a clear specification to guide your research project

Checklist to guide and evaluate your research proposal:
✔ Have I explained what am I going to do?
✔ Have I explained why I am doing this?
✔ Have I outlined what
data I need?
✔ Have I outlined how I will collect my data?
✔ Have I outlined how I will analyze my data?
Why is a research proposal necessary?

[Link] the requirements of those who assess your project:

Through different criteria may be used to assess research proposal:
✔ Coherence
Your project supervisor and any other assessor will be looking for
evidence of coherence in the way you have written your research
proposal to show that it will be fit for purpose
Why is a research proposal necessary?

✔ Ethical considerations
_research proposal may involve it being considered
and approved by a research ethics committee.
_It is necessary to state how data will be stored and kept
after the research is completed and under what conditions
to ensure confidentiality of data for participants.
Why is a research proposal necessary?

✔ Feasibility
_Feasibility is a multifaceted criterion that your assessors
will be concerned about. Your proposal may not be possible
to achieve in the time available to undertake the research
project. It may be that data collection would not be possible
because you would not be able to gain access to
participants.
Why is a research proposal necessary?

[Link] that your research project isn’t based on

preconceived ideas.
_Your research project offers a valuable way to learn the skills
involved in this activity.
_When your research proposal is approved, you have started
your research journey with suitable journey plan.
How can your research proposal be structured?

_ There are potentially different ways to structure your

research proposal.
_ Whichever structure you are require to adopt, this will
need to be focused on your research question, aim and
research objectives, and you will need to ensure that you
produce a coherent proposal.
How can your research proposal be structured?

 [Link]

_The title should simply summarize the research question.

_ it should reflect the variables in your research question.
_If your research question changes, this will naturally lead
to a change to your title.
How can your research proposal be structured?

Background
_This is an introduction for the reader to the research
problem or issue, it gives answers to the questions ‘what is
going to be done’ and ‘Why am I going to do this?’.
How can your research proposal be structured?

 Research question(s), aim and objectives:

_A statement of your research question(s), aim and research
objectives should leave the reader about what your research seeks to
achieve and will lead to observable outcomes.
 Method:
_This is the longest section and shows how the research will be
conducted. It consists of two parts: Research design and data
collection.
How can your research proposal be structured?

 Method
_ Research design is an overall overview of the chosen method and
provides the reason for choosing this method.
__Here you will explain the choice for a certain research strategy and
determine an appropriate time frame for the project.
_The section ‘data collection’ will specific how and where the data
will be collected and will explain the various analysis techniques that
will be used during the research.
How can your research proposal be structured?

 Timescale
_In this section you will divide the research into different stages and
explain how much time each stage will approximately take.
 Resources
_ Resource considerations may be categorized as finance, data access
and equipment. This section will also include the expenses that may be
involved with these categories.
 References
_This section consists of the literature sources to which you have
referred to.