How is globalisation increasing the importance of understanding and applying research methods?

Outline the differences between basic and applied research

What is meant by the term ‘theory’?

Distinguish between the terms ‘epistemology’ and ‘ontology’. 

Describe the case against positivism.  How legitimate is this case today?

Why is it sometimes legitimate to conduct an exploratory study?  

Construct a working title for a potential research study that you intend to conduct.

What is your rationale for undertaking this particular study?

Write a set of research questions for the study.  Classify each question into descriptive, exploratory, explanatory, or interpretive.

What do you understand by the term ‘ethics’?

How have researchers themselves contributed to some of the problems that have led to the need for ethical codes?

In what ways can abiding by ethical codes enhance your research design and the practice of undertaking research?

What functions does a literature search serve?

What are the pros and cons of using the ‘grey’ literature as part of a literature review?

Devise a set of screening criteria for judging the merits of literature sources.

One problem with quantitative methods is that the approach is steeped in positivism’.  Discuss.

In what circumstances do researchers sometimes have to ‘make do’ with quasi-experimental designs rather than truly experimental?

Why is it important to ensure that experimental and control groups are matched in terms of key demographics or characteristics?

What main features typically characterise qualitative research?

How would qualitative researchers defend themselves against the charge that their methods lack rigour?

What kinds of approaches can help qualitative researchers to generalise from their findings?  Is generalisation important?

What are the epistemological arguments against using mixed methods?

What kind of benefits can accrue from mixed methods that could not be achieved by using either quantitative or qualitative methods alone?

‘The advantages of utilising mixed methods far outweigh the disadvantages’.  Discuss.

Using modern opinion polls as an example, describe the challenges that occur in achieving random samples.

Describe some of the advantages and disadvantages of using telephone surveys.  How could you minimise some of these disadvantages?

In using postal or online surveys, what steps can be taken to maximise response rates?

‘Case studies should not be used when the aim is to generalise from the research study’.  How true is this statement?

In case study design, what is meant by the ‘unit of analysis’?  Give some examples.

Give an example of the circumstances for when a case study might be superior to other research designs.

Distinguish between formative and summative forms of evaluation. 

Think of some examples of research studies that would benefit from the adoption of an evaluation approach.

In evaluating how customers make use of a domestic cleaning product, suggest what kind of tools you could use to gather data.

What features distinguish action research from other research approaches? 

In establishing an action research project within an organisation, what kinds of people should an action researcher engage with to maximise the chances of success?

‘Attempting to generalise from an action research project is neither feasible nor wise’.  How true is this statement?

Is it better to ask open or closed questions in a questionnaire?

Where is it best to position ‘face data’ (respondents names, age, etc)?

What are the benefits of using an online as opposed to a paper-based questionnaire?  Are there any disadvantages?

When is it better to use interviews for data gathering in preference to, say, questionnaires

Suggest ways in which interviewers can avoid bias in the conduct of an interview

How can rapport be developed by the interviewer?

Explain why researchers may choose covert rather than overt observation techniques. 

What dangers or problems might arise from participant observation?  How can they be minimised or overcome?

What should be noted when making field notes?

What distinguishes unobtrusive measures from most other research approaches?

Why is the use of documentary records, an important source of unobtrusive measures, a problem?

Should the use of CCTV in research be controlled by ethical contracts?

In quantitative research is it always necessary to formulate a hypothesis?

Why is it important in quantitative analysis to test for the normality of data distribution?

What are the benefits (for the analytical process) of using inferential rather than descriptive statistics? 

‘Qualitative analysis is always an inductive process’.  Discuss.

How important is reflexivity in qualitative research?  Do all qualitative analytical approaches make use of reflexivity?

How true would it be to claim that validity is a greater challenge in quantitative than in qualitative research?

What do we mean when we say that a research report or dissertation has to contain a ‘structured argument’, rather than a shopping list of sources?

What is meant by plagiarism?  Give an example of how it can occur and how it can be avoided.

What features need to be looked at during the review process?  

What kind of positive thoughts you could conjure up before a crucial presentation?

Why is it that personal stories or the use of metaphors tend to make a presentation more interesting?

If you were to advise someone on one vital act of preparation for a viva, what would it be?