The research process entails a number of organized steps that a researcher must take in order to provide knowledge that will be valued by the project and concentrate on the pertinent topic. Basic and applied research can be conducted in a variety of ways. The following steps outline a simple and effective process for conducting both basic and practical
research. The five (5) steps in the research process are: [1] Step 1 – Locating and Defining Issues or ProblemsThis step focuses on uncovering the nature and boundaries of a situation or question that needs to be answered or studied. In defining the issues or problems, the researcher should take into account the purpose of the study, the relevant background information, what information is needed, and how it will be used in decision-making. Step 2 – Designing the Research ProjectThis step is focused on creating a research plan or overall approach to how you are going to solve the issue or problem identified. A research plan or approach is a framework or blueprint for conducting a research project. It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the required information, and its purpose is to design a study that will test the hypotheses of interest, determine possible answers to the research questions, and provide the information needed for decision-making. The research design involves the following steps:
Step 3 – Collecting DataThis step revolved around obtaining the information that you will need to solve the issue or problem identified. Data collection can involve experiments, observations, personal interviewing (in-home, mall intercept, or computer-assisted personal interviewing), from an office by telephone (telephone or computer-assisted telephone interviewing), or through the mail (traditional mail and mail panel surveys with recruited households). Date collection techniques can include:
Step 4 – Interpreting Research DataThis step is focused on interpreting and examining the research data and coming up with a conclusion that solves the problem. Make sure the conclusion is easy to understand and well thought out based on the data collected. Analysis Steps
Step 5 – Report Research FindingsThe final step is to report the research findings to those who need the data to make decisions. The findings should be presented in a comprehensible format so that they can be readily used in the decision-making process. In addition, an oral presentation should be made to management using tables, figures, and graphs to enhance clarity and impact. Research Reporting Formats:
Qualitative Research in the Research ProcessInformation, industry experts, and secondary data may not be sufficient to define the research problem. Sometimes qualitative research must be undertaken to gain a qualitative understanding of the problem and its underlying factors. Qualitative research is unstructured, exploratory in nature, based on small samples, and may utilize popular qualitative techniques such as focus groups (group interviews), word association (asking respondents to indicate their first responses to stimulus words), and depth interviews (one-on-one interviews which probe the respondents’ thoughts in detail). Other exploratory research techniques, such as pilot surveys with small samples of respondents, may also be undertaken. ConclusionThere are various steps in the research process, which makes it simple to accomplish the research successfully. The above-described steps in the research process are interdependent, hence the order must be followed. So, if we want to conduct research, we should adhere to the steps of the research process to conduct good and reliable results. AcqNotes TutorialAcqLinks and References:
Updated: 11/22/2022 Rank: G1 What is the framework or blueprint for conducting the business research project?A research plan or approach is a framework or blueprint for conducting a research project.
Is a blueprint for conducting marketing research project?3-2 Research Design: Definition A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting the marketing research project.
What type of research is conducted to gain ideas and insight into the problem confronting the management or the researcher?Exploratory research is a type of Research design that has the prime objective of providing insights into and comprehending the problem situation confronting the researcher. Research design is nothing but the design of your research, a blueprint for conducting your research.
What is the primary objective of causal marketing research?Overview of Causal Research
Its goal is to establish causal relationships—cause and effect—between two or more variables[i]. With causal research, market researchers conduct experiments, or test markets, in a controlled setting.
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