1. MYERS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Sage Publications Limited © 2008 Michael D. Myers All Rights Reserved RESEARCH DESIGN Chapter 3

2. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Introduction  A research design is a plan for an entire qualitative research project  This plan should be written in a research proposal  One purpose is to convince your potential supervisor(s), advisory committee, school, etc. that you are capable of doing the research and that your project is viable  Of course, you need to be flexible and possibly change the plan as your research progresses Research design2

3. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Research design  Research design involves specifying your philosophical assumptions, your research method, which data collection techniques you will use, your approach to qualitative data analysis, your approach to writing up, and, if applicable, how you plan to publish your findings  A research design provides a road map for the entire project  The first step is deciding upon a topic  How do you decide upon a research topic? 3Research design

4. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Choosing a topic  There are three important requirements in choosing a topic: 1.You are interested in the topic 2.A faculty member is prepared to supervise you 3.You can obtain relevant data on the topic Research design4

5. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Choosing a research topic: you need a research problem 5 1. Read literature, reflect, discuss and identify gaps 2. Generate list of interesting potential questions 3. Check literature. Have questions been answered already? No 4. Test feasibility Yes Move on to next stage of research design Yes No 6. Does a suitable problem exist? 5. Eliminate impractical questions Figure 3.1. How to identify a research problem (adapted from Collis & Hussey, 2003) Research design

6. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Theoretical framework  Three steps in most qualitative research projects: 1.Choose a topic 2.Choose some potential research questions 3.Choose a theoretical framework  Given the iterative nature of qualitative research, these might change later Research design6

7. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT 7 A model of qualitative research design Written Record Data Analysis Approach Data Collection Technique Research Method Philosophical Assumptions Research design

8. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT 8 Philosophical Assumptions  Positivist research – are you testing one or more hypotheses?  Interpretive research – are you exploring a research topic or theory?  Critical research – are to seeking to critique the status quo or help to emancipate people in some way? Written Record Data Analysis Approach Data Collection Technique Research Method Philosophical Assumptions Research design

9. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT 9 Research Method  A research method is a strategy of enquiry  How are you going to find out about the social world?  Research methods – action research, case study research, ethnography, grounded theory  Each can use any set of philosophical assumptions Written Record Data Analysis Approach Data Collection Technique Research Method Philosophical Assumptions Research design

10. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT 10 Data Collection techniques  Which data collection technique(s) will you use?  Interviews  Participant observation and fieldwork  Documents Written Record Data Analysis Approach Data Collection Technique Research Method Philosophical Assumptions Research design

11. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT 11 Data Analysis approach  Many ways to analyse qualitative data  Coding  Content analysis  Discourse analysis  Hermeneutics  Semiotics  Narrative analysis, etc. Written Record Data Analysis Approach Data Collection Technique Research Method Philosophical Assumptions Research design

12. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT 12 Written record  Are you writing a thesis, a book, a book chapter, a conference paper, or a journal article?  The process of writing up is just as important as doing the research itself Written Record Data Analysis Approach Data Collection Technique Research Method Philosophical Assumptions Research design

13. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT 13 The model in perspective Written Record (Thesis, book, report, article...) Data Analysis Approach (Hermeneutics, semiotics, narrative analysis...) Data Collection Technique (interviews, participant observation, documents) Research Method (action research, case study, ethnography, grounded theory...) Philosophical Assumptions (positivist, interpretive, critical) Research design

14. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT Writing a research proposal Research design14 Item 1. A title 2. An abstract 3. An introduction 4. A literature review 5. A topic 6. A theoretical framework 7. A research method 8. A qualitative data analysis approach 9. A timeline to completion 10. A list of references