Business Research: A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

✍ Scribed by Jill Collis

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2013
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 376
• Edition: 4
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

A concise and straightforward guide for students undertaking a research project for the first time. The new edition details the entire research process, from reviewing the literature to writing up results. It features balanced and expanded coverage of collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data, and new chapters on academic decision making and preparing research proposals.

Students find this book very practical, as it provides the tools they need to successfully embark on research projects and applies theories to real life scenarios. It also features an excellent glossary and practical troubleshooting section which identifies potential problems and provides likely solutions.
A companion website is available providing lecturer and student resources, including PowerPoint slides, datasets and interactive revision questions.

✦ Table of Contents

cover
contents
list of figures
list of tables
list of boxes
about the authors
preface to the fourth edition
acknowledgements
tour of the book
1 understanding research
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Nature and purpose of business research
1.3 Classifying research
1.4 Academic levels of research
1.5 Overview of the research process
1.6 Supervision
1.7 Managing the project
1.8 Conclusions
References
Activities
2 dealing with practical issues
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Knowledge, skills and personal qualities
2.3 Generating a research topic
2.4 Negotiating access
2.5 Research ethics
2.6 Planning and project management
2.7 Funding the research
2.8 Conclusions
References
Activities
3 identifying your paradigm
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The two main paradigms
3.3 Assumptions of positivism and interpretivism
3.4 Comparing positivism and interpretivism
3.5 Pragmatism
3.6 Conclusions
References
Activities
4 designing the research
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Link between paradigm and methodology
4.3 Methodologies associated with positivism
4.4 Methodologies associated with interpretivism
4.5 Triangulation and mixed methods
4.6 Conclusions
References
Activities
5 searching and reviewing the literature
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Searching the literature
5.3 Referencing
5.4 Reviewing the literature
5.5 Avoiding plagiarism
5.6 Conclusions
References
Activities
6 writing your research proposal
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Overview of research design
6.3 The research problem
6.4 Purpose of the research
6.5 The research questions
6.6 Writing the research proposal
6.7 Evaluating your proposal
6.8 Conclusions
References
Activities
Appendix – Examples of business research proposals
7 collecting qualitative data
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Main issues in collecting qualitative data
7.3 Interviews
7.4 Critical incident technique
7.5 Focus groups
7.6 Protocol analysis
7.7 Diary methods
7.8 Observation
7.9 Conclusions
References
Activities
8 analysing qualitative data
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Main issues in analysing qualitative data
8.3 General analytical procedure
8.4 Content analysis
8.5 Discourse analysis
8.6 Evaluating your analysis
8.7 Conclusions
References
Activities
9 integrated collection and analysis methods
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Grounded theory
9.3 Repertory grid technique
9.4 Cognitive mapping
9.5 Conclusions
References
Activities
10 collecting data for statistical analysis
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Main issues in collecting data for statistical analysis
10.3 Variables
10.4 Data collection methods
10.5 Designing questions
10.6 Coding questions
10.7 Conclusions
References
Activities
11 analysing data using descriptive statistics
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Key concepts in statistics
11.3 Getting started with SPSS
11.4 Frequency distributions
11.5 Measuring central tendency
11.6 Measuring dispersion
11.7 Normal distribution
11.8 Conclusions
References
Activities
12 analysing data using inferential statistics
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Planning the analysis
12.3 Tests of difference
12.4 Tests of association
12.5 Correlation
12.6 Factor analysis
12.7 Linear regression
12.8 Time series analysis
12.9 Conclusions
References
Activities
13 writing up the research
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Planning
13.3 Structure and content
13.4 Presenting qualitative and quantitative data
13.5 General standards
13.6 Conference papers and articles
13.7 Conclusions
References
Activities
14 troubleshooting
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Getting started
14.3 Managing the process
14.4 Identifying a topic and/or a research problem or issue
14.5 Making a preliminary plan of action
14.6 Finding a theoretical framework
14.7 Writing the proposal
14.8 Deciding the methodology
14.9 Searching and reviewing the literature
14.10 Collecting research data
14.11 Organizing qualitative research data
14.12 Analysing the research data
14.13 Structuring the dissertation or thesis
14.14 Writing the dissertation or thesis
14.15 Dealing with writer's block
14.16 Achieving the standards
14.17 Eleventh-hour strategies for writing up
glossary
appendix: random number table
index