Research Process

Who is Involved in Research Process?
 Researcher
 A researcher may be one who directs research projects,
and has an interface with manager/decision makers.
 He is in general, a technical expert.
 He must have a sound knowledge of management process.
 In the initial and in the closing stages of study the
relationship and the rapport with the manager are very
important. The important responsibilities of a good
researcher are:
 He/she must be honest and clear regarding the meaning
and any limitations of the expected findings.
 He/she must provide maximum help in presenting and
explaining the conclusions of the study.
 He/she must be true to his profession and should not
give prejudice interpretation of the research findings.
RESEARCH PROCESS
 Whenever a research is to be undertaken the best way
is to consider it as a process, which has certain
sequence.
 There may be some variations for different situations.
 No one claims that research requires completion of
each step before going to the next. Recycling and
skipping occur. Despite this, the idea of sequence is
useful in dev. a research project.
 We conceptualize the research process as consisting
of six steps:-
 Step 1: Problem Definition
 Step 2:Development of an Approach to the Problem
 Step 3: Research Design Formulation
 Step 4: Fieldwork or Data Collection
 Step 5: Data Preparation and Analysis
 Step 6: Report Preparation and Presentation

RESEARCH PROCESS
 Step 1: Problem Definition
Step 2: Development of an Approach to the Problem
Step 3: Research Design Formulation
Step 4: Fieldwork or Data Collection
Step 5: Data Preparation and Analysis
Step 6: Report Preparation and

Presentation
Step 1: Problem Definition
 In defining the problem, the researcher should take into
account the purpose of the study,
 The relevant background information, the information
needed, and how it will be used in decision making .
 Problem definition involves discussion with the decision
makers, interviews with industry experts, analysis of
secondary data, and, perhaps, some qualitative research,
such as focus groups.
 The process begins at the most general level with the
management dilemma. This is a symptom of an actual
problem. It might be increase in costs, declining sales,
increasing employee turnover, a larger number of product
defects during manufacture of an automobile.
 Once the problem has been precisely defined, the
research can be designed and conducted properly.
Step 2: Development of an Approach to
the Problem
 Development of an approach to the problem
includes formulating an objective or theoretical
frame work.
 Development of an analytical model, research

questions, and hypotheses and identifying the
information needed.
 This process is guided by discussions with

management and industry experts.
 Analysis of secondary data, qualitative research.

Step 3: Research Design Formulation
 It is a framework or blue print for conducting the research .
 Selecting design is complicated by the availability of a large
variety of methods, techniques, procedures, protocols, and
sampling plans.
 For example, one may decide on a secondary data study, case
study, survey, experiment, or simulation.
 If a survey is selected, should it be administered by
mail/computer/telephone, or personal interview?
 What kind of structure will the questionnaire be.?
 What question wording should be employed?
 Should the responses be scaled or open-ended?
 How will reliability and validity be achieved?
 Is a sample or a census to be taken?
 What types of sampling should be considered?
 These questions represent only a few of the decisions that
have to be made when just one method is chosen.
Step 4: Fieldwork or Data Collection
 Data collection involves a field force or staff that
operates either in the field, as in the case of personal
interviewing (in-home, mall intercept, or computer-
assisted personal interviewing).
 From an office by telephone (telephone or computer-
assisted telephone interviewing).
 Through mail (traditional mail and mail panel
surveys with pre-recruited households), or
electronically (e-mail or Internet).
 Proper selection, training, supervision, and
evaluation of the field force helps minimize data-
collection errors.
Step 5: Data Preparation and Analysis
 Data preparation includes the editing, coding,
transcription, and verification of data.
 Each questionnaire or observation form is inspected
or edited and, if necessary, corrected.
 Number or letter codes are assigned to represent
each response to each question in the questionnaire.
 The data from the questionnaires are transcribed or
keypunched onto magnetic tape or disks, or input
directly into the computer.
 The data are analyzed to derive information related to
the components of the research problem and, thus,
provide input in to the management decision
problem.
Step 6: Report Preparation and
Presentation
 The entire project should be documented in a written
report that addresses the specific research
questions identified, describes the approach, the
research design, data collection and data analysis
procedures adopted, and presents the results and
the major findings.
 The findings should be presented in a
comprehensible format so that management can
readily use them in the decision making process.
 In addition, and oral presentation should be made to
management using tables, figures, and graphs to
enhance clarify and impact.

Research Process

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Who is Involved in Research Process?

 Step 2:Development of an Approach to the Problem

 Step 3: Research Design Formulation

 Step 4: Fieldwork or Data Collection

 Step 5: Data Preparation and Analysis

 Step 6: Report Preparation and Presentation

Step 2: Development of an Approach to the Problem

Step 3: Research Design Formulation

Step 4: Fieldwork or Data Collection

Step 5: Data Preparation and Analysis

Step 6: Report Preparation and

 Development of an analytical model, research

 This process is guided by discussions with

 Analysis of secondary data, qualitative research.

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