01 introduction print out

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Slides: 13
Duration: 00:20:23
Filename: Bus-winsrv2cableOnline Dissertations - do not editIntroductionIntroduction.ppt

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Notes:
Research
Methods Hello and welcome to the online Research Methods module from the University of
Online Hertfordshire. This first session will introduce you to what you can expect from the university
in preparing you for your dissertation and, help you understand your responsibility in the
Introduction process.
Duration:
00:00:52 An old adage is relevant here; you can take a horse to water but, you cannot make it drink.
Advance mode: You must accept in that sense that you in fact have the bigger responsibility in the successful
By user completion of your dissertation. We will support you by bringing the water to you but, you must
choose to drink.
You can not possibly expect to complete a dissertation solely on what you receive in the
forthcoming lectures. You really do need to read around the subject.

Slide 2
Notes:
Introduction
to Research What follows is in the main an introduction to the module along with a gentle encouragement
Methods to get started as soon as possible. In the research process, things always take longer that you
think. There will be unavoidable problems that you will need to overcome. So, time
Duration:
management is of paramount importance. Get into gear today.
00:01:37
Advance mode: In the main, Business Research will seek to look at a work situation, identify any issues or
By user problems and offer some solution. This is usually achieved by collecting primary research
which will hopefully explain what is happening and why.
By reviewing and synthesizing what we might already know about the issue or topic, a
successful solution will be the aim and hopefully implemented. Your research then adds to the
body of knowledge on the subject
In the recent past I was fortunate to supervise an undergraduate dissertation which sought to
understand the issue of Work-Life Balance in an international telecoms company. The student
was taking part in her industrial placement.
In a well planned and wide-ranging dissertation, she found that the company had in effect got
the policies and procedures in place to ensure good work-life balance practices but they were
not truly being implemented.
Based on her recommendations, the company re-vamped their policy and procedures on
Work-Life balance. I am sure that this led to some major benefits for the employees in terms
of their general well being and benefits for the company, possibly in performance and general
motivation and satisfaction.


Notes:
Module
Contents A number of different staff have made themselves available to offer their own expertise in the
Duration: module. That is reflected in the diverse components that go to make up the module.
00:00:52 We will introduce you to various philosophical arguments which you should consider in the
Advance mode: context of your own research. The problems of data access will be highlighted with tips offer
By user to help you get to grips with this essential issue. We will assist you in the completion of your
research proposal and ethics applications. We will also provide you with a springboard to data
collection methods and then how to analyse the data that you collect. Please take account of
plagiarism and keep it at the front of your mind. It is an important issue. We will guide you on
this.

Slide 4
Notes:
Research
We are going to look at a number of diverse research opportunities which will show you the
Examples wonders of what can be achieved by creative and innovative thinking. Your dissertation is a
Duration: wonderful opportunity to show you have these attributes.
00:00:18 Click on the first picture.
Advance mode:
By user

Slide 5
Notes:
Creating a
Paper I teach large classes and there are sometimes as many as 250 students. I found that students
Aeroplane find it difficult to ask questions in these large classes. They seem a bit fearful. So, I needed to
develop a way of them communicating with me if they needed to know something or offer a
Duration:
comment. I thought that if they could write their questions on a piece of paper and then make
00:01:07
a paper aeroplane, they could send it down to me; I could read it and reply. But, it is quite
Advance mode:
difficult to make an aeroplane. I found a number of different possibilities on www.physics.org
By user
This illustrates the wonder of the internet. At the click of a finger, one can find out almost
anything. But, as much as the internet is an amazing place full of information, it is not always
of a quality that you would want to place in your dissertation. Be careful and be selective.
Pursue quality rather than quantity.


Notes:
Is a Duck a
Bird? For some years, I conducted some work-related research where my central question was, is a
Duration: Duck a Bird? I will make reference to the question throughout the module. At the moment I am
00:00:51 sure you are wondering what on earth a duck will tell us about work. I promise it can.
Advance mode: So, look at the various features of the Duck in relation to the bird. There are features that are
By user similar but there are also distinct dissimilarities. Think about the duck in relation to a sparrow,
an eagle, a pigeon, a parrot.
Make a decision about where the duck lays on the scale. A 10 indicates „very much‟ a bird
whereas a 1 indicates not a bird at all.

Slide 7
Notes:
Duck
Research Think about the implications of the duck question in relation to Ornstein‟s quote below. I have
Duration: asked many, many people the duck question and it is obvious that Ornstein is quite correct.
00:01:33 The world is therefore just a collection of subjective stimuli. But, is this an acceptable
Advance mode: situation? We will explore this later in the module.
By user “We do not perceive objective reality but rather our construction of reality; our sense organs
gather information which the brain modifies and sorts. This heavily filtered information is
compared with memories of past experience, expectancies etc., until finally our
consciousness is constructed as a best guess of reality” (Ornstein 1975, p75).
So we have reached an early understanding that we see the world very differently from one
another. I will at some stage in the future question the value of this but for now; I think we
should accept that it is so.
This understanding should prompt you to question everything you read from now on. It should
prompt you to be critical when reading around your topic. Just because you read a view from
someone called an expert, does make it right or correct. You must always consider the
possibility that it is indeed wrong. The more critical you are in your literature review, the better
understanding you will have and the better grade you will achieve. Think about the fact that at
some time in our history, the earth was actually, flat.
You might start to consider the issue by thinking about the following question. Would it be
useful if we all saw the world in the same way?


Notes:
What is
Love? I have been researching this subject for a number of years. I think I am close to publishing the
Duration: results. In my research on this very difficult subject it was necessary to look at a number of
00:04:05 data collection methods to understand the question.
Advance mode: I did consult the academic experts on the subject by reviewing the literature. I consulted
By user various religious books and also some dictionaries. I then asked around 200 people to offer
three words which they associated with love. After that I formed some focus groups to discuss
what they though love was. I then collated the information into a questionnaire which acted as
Flash movie: a pilot for a number of different questionnaires. At each data collection point, I was to learn
whatislove.flv more and more. Hopefully I now know what love is.
Display : In
Articulate player Again and again, you will be encouraged to approach your research with a flexible outlook by
considering the use of all possible data collection methods. The completed paper on love will
be made available to you when it is competed (by the end of the summer hopefully).

Slide 9
Notes:
Why
Research? Why research?
Duration: Research is the cornerstone of all good degrees and beyond the dissertation you will learn
00:00:26 valuable skills that will serve you well in the workplace. And, the better you conduct your
Advance mode: research, the better grade you will receive. Good dissertations can be used to impress a
By user potential employer because it uses so many skills that are useful in business.


Notes:
Sources of
Information Click on how do we research?
Duration: Your research is decided by many factors. You will get a good idea about how to proceed by
00:03:56 looking at research articles and journals on similar topics to yours but do not be restricted by
Advance mode: what others have done in the past. This is your chance to show your creative skills. This is
By user your chance to learn something and educate others. Take it seriously.
Generally your research will be driven by primary research. Primary research is generated by
you. It is the result of you asking people questions. Those questions can be asked in an
interview, focus groups, a questionnaire or some other method. Whatever you get, whether it
be words or numbers it is known as primary data.
PROPERTIES
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Sources of secondary data are presented here.
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Once your data is in the public domain, it can become secondary data to others. A major part
of your dissertation will be viewing and collecting other people‟s data contained in journals,
books and even the internet. This forms the basis of your literature review. As well as
providing a critical review of the existing literature, the secondary sources contained in your
literature review will act as a point of discussion to compare and contrast your findings to. Do
your findings confirm or disconfirm previous research? How does your research differ in terms
of the sample in other people‟s research? Students often see the literature review as a stand
alone piece of work. That could not be further from the truth.
Beware the internet. It is the easiest source of secondary data. But, ask yourself how valid
and reliable is it? Who put it there? An over-reliance on the internet is not recommended
unless of course, your dissertation has a high internet focus.
Some degree of assumption with regards to reliability and validity of all secondary research
has to be accepted.
The university spends large amounts of money to ensure students and staff have access to
the best sources of information. Please make use of them.
Books and journals are particularly useful beyond their content and bibliographies by helping
students to write in an appropriate business language. It is important to develop a business
language and reading high quality books and journals, facilitate this
When conducting your research, look out for review articles that are related to your topic.
These are especially useful. Not only do they help to pull the various threads of your research
together, but also give you a very large number of supplementary references which you can
selectively pursue.
Don‟t forget the value of good quality newspapers. In the UK, a quality newspaper would be
the; The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times and The Independent. These are highly
valuable sources of secondary research.
Plagiarism is a serious issue yet easy to avoid. As you are conducting your literature review,
keep a note of all references. Make sure that if you read something in a book or journal and


then make reference then you must reference it in the text and in the bibliography.
Referencing must be done in Harvard style. You can acquaint yourself with this convention
through the I-Spy tutorials which can be accessed through StudyNet.
The Higher Education sector in general makes rigorous checks on students work using
sophisticated software. So make sure you reference everything that deserves to be
referenced. You will be reminded of this throughout the process.

Slide 11
Notes:
Next Steps
Duration: Before you decide on a research strategy or method, you need to decide on a topic of
00:03:31 research. Try to come up withy something that is interesting. Something that will drive you.
Advance mode: Not surprisingly, the more interesting your research, the higher level of motivation, the better
By user the research and ultimately the better the grade.
One way clarifying your research topic is by the use of mind mapping. Look for some research
on this. You will find that Tony Buzan is the acclaimed expert on this. Put together your own
mind map
It is very easy to get side-tracked. The mind map will help you to keep your inquiry focused.
PROPERTIES
Whenever you are working on your dissertation, keep the research question at the front of
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your mind.
Be proactive. Start to think about your research topic now. Communicate with your supervisor
at an early stage. But, don‟t expect your supervisor to do all the work. You need to come up
with the initial ideas. Your supervisor is there assist you thereafter.
Think about how you might approach your research. You might as previously suggested, start
by looking at various research papers that are related to your topic and inspecting their
methodology. But also start to think for yourself.
You will be required to produce and submit a research proposal alongside your ethics
application. This gives your supervisor a solid idea as to how you intend to conduct your
research. There will be dedicated sessions on research proposals and research ethics later in
the module.
It is vital that you understand the importance of ethics in your research. We at the university
have a set of regulations that must be adhered to. The regulations are there to protect your
respondents and you, so please take them seriously. Once you have decided on your
methodology, normally in consultation with your supervisor, it must be authorised. When your
supervisor has authorised it, it is then passed to the ethics committee.
You MUST get approval from the university ethics committee before commencing any primary
research. Failure to take account of this may result in a failed dissertation.


As it is such an important subject, a dedicated session will offered later in the module.
Research proposals are an important feature of the dissertation process. This is where in
discussion with your supervisor, you detail how you are going to conduct your research. A
dedicated session on research proposals will be offered early on in the module.
The importance of enjoying the dissertation can not be over emphasised. We always do
things better whatever they are if we are happy with what we are doing. Challenge and stretch
your selves. Reach some potential that you thought you did not have. Care about the
dissertation. Don‟t just see it as a route to a grade and a piece of paper that says you have a
degree. Find something out that is interesting. Make a change in someone‟s life with your
findings. Certainly I have seen dissertations that result in positive effects for people in
organisations. Cast you mind back to the earlier slide where one of my students conducted
the study on Work-Life-Balance.

Slide 12
Notes:
Important
Duration: It is important that you consult your supervisor at an early stage to discuss the various
00:00:44 requirements as they see them.
Advance mode: This module hopes to present a wholly acceptable understanding of the process but, all
By user researchers have their own preferences and biases in how „things‟ should be done.
Consult your supervisor on every feature of the dissertation. Remember your supervisor is the
person who marks your work. So at every level, seek the advice of your supervisor without
expecting them to do all the work.
And, keep the lines of communication open. We will not chase you. If you go absent, you are
absent.
All the very best and enjoy.


Notes:
Unit Activity
Duration: No audio for this slide.
00:00:30
Advance mode:
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