CM12 U1 - 7 Steps Research

Seven steps of the research process

Each of these steps will be covered in more detail in this unit, or later in this module

Intro

Choosing a research topic

Reviewing the literature

Designing your study

Crafting your research questions

The research questions are the backbone of your project

Collecting data

Writing up

The main problem students encounter at this stage is leaving it too late

Analysing data

The research questions help guide the direction of the project, the literature you need to read, the data you need to collect and also the structure of the final project when you come to write-up. They are the focal point of your study and also help define the boundaries of your project.

Once collected, data will be analysed. Again there are a range of techniques and these will depend a lot on both the methods you have used to collect the data and your research questions and topic.

By reviewing the literature, you will get a better understanding of what has already been said about the subject you are interested in. For the major project, this may be academic literature, practitioner literature or industry reports. Drawing on a wide pool of literature will help you better understand the context of your research, give you clearer direction before you embark on your research and also help you craft your research questions.

Choosing a research topic is a critical step in the process that sets the stage for a successful project. It involves identifying an area of interest that is both engaging and feasible, ensuring that it has sufficient scope for exploration and is supported by available resources. Start by brainstorming subjects that intrigue you, then narrow them down by considering the relevance, originality, and potential impact of each. A well-chosen topic should align with your goals, leverage your strengths, and contribute meaningfully to your project.

Finally, you write up. However interesting your research topic is and however good your data is, communicating these well is critical in executing on the major project well. You need to be able to sell your story to the reader. You need to go beyond just describing how you did x and y and found z and persuade the reader why your findings matter and why they should buy into what you have presented.

Recommended readingChapter 1 in Collis, Hussey; Hussey, Roger, 2009. Business research: a practical guide for undergraduate & postgraduate students. 3rd ed. Jill Collis & Roger Hussey., Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. (Available via: Unit 1 readings)

After reviewing your literature you will design your study and start by choosing a methodology to answer your research questions,. Find out what data you will need to answer your research question and also how you will collect data. This is likely going to be a mixture of primary data, so data you have to collect yourself and secondary data, data that has already been collected, for example, the use of industry reports.

Once you have designed your study you can then begin collecting the data that allows you to answer the research questions you have already outlined. There are a variety of ways of doing this and we will be covering some of the main methods in this module, the important thing here is choosing the method most suitable for the data you need in the context of your project.

It is important to note that this process is not always a linear one and is a simplified model. Often you may find yourself iterating between steps rather than just progressing directly from one to the next. Further, the lines between the different steps are not always so clear-cut. However, it is helpful to think about an idealized model of the research process as it helps demystify the process and understand the fundamental stages of conducting research.