Choosing a Research Topic and Designing the Research Proposal Professor Khaled Hussainey Plymouth University 24th January 2014

Topics to be covered Introduction Criteria for choosing a topic Where to find a new topic? How to read a research article Critical questions to employ in critical reading What to record/highlight/note? Writing the research proposal

Introduction Choosing a research topic is a critical stage in doing a research (master degree; PhD degree; research article; research grant) If you fail to think about a topic in a systematic manner then you will be frustrated your indecision and you will risk running out of time to complete your research on schedule. If you make a poor choice then it may be difficult to get your degree; publish your work or get a research fund.

Criteria for choosing a topic Interest: you should choose a topic that interests and seven possibly excites you. It should also be of interest to some external audience as well. The “newness” of the topic may hold you interest longer, however there is some value in repeating previous research Avoidance of duplication: Has the topic been investigated before within the proposed study area, or in another area with similar conditions? Relevance (importance): What is the importance of your research? Who cares about your findings?

Criteria for choosing a topic Is this topic researchable? Durability: Choose a subject that will still relevant for the future years. Breadth of research questions? Is there enough substances to your topic? Topic adequacy: Check the assessment criteria used in universities; journals and fund bodies. Access & resources: Can you find enough information on it? (i.e. literature; IT; software; skills; access to people who can answer your research questions (questionnaires; interviews).

Search engines [eg Google Scholar; SSRN] Where to find a new topic? Search engines [eg Google Scholar; SSRN] http://scholar.google.co.uk/ http://ssrn.com/ Figure 3.3 Literature sources available (Saunder et al. 2012, Chapter 3)

ACCP03 University of Stirling

ACCP03 University of Stirling

Where to find a new topic? Read 1. RECENT PUBLISHED RESEACH PAPERS 2. REVIEW ARTICLES 3. RECENT WORKING PAPERS 4. RECENT CONFERENCE PAPERS 5. SPECIAL ISSUES (CURRENT AND FORTHCOMING) 6. RECENT PHD THESIS Find out limitations and suggestions for future research. Write down your ideas. Explain your ideas to experienced researchers. Data availability and other requirements for the analysis.

Where to find a new topic? The application of an existing theory in a different setting or a different context. An investigation into whether a particular early theory still applies today. A replication study of previous research in a different setting or context . Any contemporary or emerging issue in your area of interest (i.e. financial crisis). Ask a potential supervisor or academic in your area of interest about topics they are researching and perhaps work with them on a specific project. Ask your business colleagues, your manager or someone senior in your organisation, your customers, suppliers or other stakeholders for ideas.

Some points about topics for research 1. Topics should not have yes/no or an obvious answers. 2. When choosing a topic, it should not matter to you what you find out – you must be unbiased and not expect a particular finding. 3. Think about what your RESEARCH problem might be. For example: “Corporate Governance” is NOT a research problem. A research problem might be “examining the impact of corporate governance on firm value” – something specific and researchable. “The Global Financial Crisis in 2008” is NOT a research problem. A research problem might be “exploring the impact of global financial crisis on capital structure and dividend policies” – something specific and researchable.

How to read a research article How to summarise and analyse quantitative papers (Jashapara, 2013): You can apply these questions to any quantitative paper in academic journals: What is the paper trying to explore? What is the research gap it is trying to fill? What is the current theory in the area? What are the shortcomings in the current theory and empirical findings? Are there incoherencies, inconsistencies and uncertainties? How are the hypotheses phrased? Could they be phrased differently? What type of sample has been used in the study? Are there any shortcomings in the sample? Could the researchers have done it differently?

How to read a research article What measures have been used in the study especially for latent constructs (unobserved variables)? How have the researchers handled issues of reliability and validity? Have control variables been used and are they appropriate? Are there any other variables that you feel may be useful controls in the study? 8. What do the statistics mean in the results? What statistics do the researches provide in terms of hypothesis testing? And what do they mean? Is there anything unusual in the analysis or the results provided in the paper? Do the results alter current theory in any way? What messages are the researchers sending to managers and businesses in general? What would you do differently and why?

Critical questions to employ in critical reading (Wallace and Wray, 2006) Why am I reading this? What is the author trying to do in writing this? What is the writer saying that is relevant to what I want to find out? How convincing is what the author is saying? What use can I make of the reading?

What to record/highlight/note? Details for referencing (authors, title etc) Purpose of paper What do the authors say (or imply) is the purpose? Research question(s)? Reasons/Justification/Contribution Why is the research topic interesting (in the authors’ view)? What contribution to knowledge, or theory, do the authors claim (or is implied)? Method and Data What research methods were applied? Were they appropriate? Was the research carried out thoroughly? What data were used? Why? [Useful in determining strength of evidence & relevance] ACCP03 University of Stirling

What to record/highlight/note? Findings (Briefly) what did the authors find? Conclusions What conclusions about the topic were reached? Overall Was the research worthwhile, good quality, provides strong/weak evidence? A well written paper will tell you most of this in the abstract and introduction but this can be more difficult with non-empirical papers Also: don’t copy verbatim from the abstract ACCP03 University of Stirling

Writing the research proposal Normally a proposal should be between 1500 and 2000 words and will include the following: A working title of the topic area This should do more than convey the key words associated with the proposed research. General overview of area This should take the form of a brief abstract of the general area of study and identify the discipline(s) within which it falls. You might also refer to the way in which your own background gives you competences in your chosen area. Identification of the relevant literature In this section you should develop your proposal to demonstrate that you are aware of the debates and issues raised in relevant bodies of literature. References to key articles and texts should be made to show that you appreciate their relevance to your research area. A PhD is an original piece of research and so you should demonstrate that your proposed area has not been studied before. So you need to identify your niche which will lead on to the thesis preparation.

Writing the research proposal Key research questions Since you need to demonstrate that the topic can be completed within the normal time period allowed, you need to demonstrate that it is manageable, and so focus on key questions within your niche area. Methodology You need to demonstrate an awareness of the methodological tools available to you and show some understanding of which would be suitable for your research. It may be that qualitative methods, including the analysis of interviews, is appropriate. Alternatively your approach may involve forecasting or statistical, financial or econometric modelling. In other cases you may be combining methodologies. You need to specify the approach you feel will be most appropriate.

Writing the research proposal Timescale/research planning You need to demonstrate an awareness of the need for planning and the timescale of the research. Bibliography You should include a short list of references to key articles and texts included in the application. www.lancs.ac.uk Research Budget

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