Research Strategy
A customer has asked a firm known as Akron Research to develop a customer driven research plan and strategy, and to write a research proposal. Akron research firm studies other firms to access their needs; the company concentrates on needs such as product, process improvement, manufacturing, and consulting services. The project will involve picking a project and deciding on the research design and methodology to be applied. The methodology explains the tools that will be used in carrying out the research. The research design will include a topic, purpose statement, literature review, research questions, and hypothesis.
The format of analyzing data and writing a report will also be included in the design. After completing the proposal, the firm will present the proposal to the customer for approval. A university in the city has also asked Akron Research to conduct a research project on its behalf. The project will involve developing a research strategy; the firm will then explain to the University about the strategy that has been developed. A research strategy is critical for the success of a project, therefore, the significance of the strategy, and other essential factors of a project will be explained in the essay. The research design will be illustrated in the paper for the customer to understand the processes that will take place for in completing the project successfully.
Any research study being undertaken requires a significant development of a suitable research method. The research approach identified should provide direction to the investigator so as to allow them to carry out the research methodically and comprehensively. Researching a project requires the canvasser to understand the strategy type to use in the project and how to implement the strategy. The choice of an appropriate research method ensures that the researcher answers accurately the questions being examined. Michael and Ireland (1992) note this aids in adding meaning to the topic being researched and the theory behind the investigation.
Research Topic Selection
The choice of a research topic is a tricky and daunting task that most researches face. The process of choosing a suitable theme is a complicated process. A researcher can start by choosing a topic that her she is has interest. In the case of this scenario, the topic the university is concerned with is that of developing a customer driven project. However, for the project to do well the researcher need to make sure that topic is pleasant and intense for others to comprehend.
The subject needs to avoid pitfalls like not having enough research material on the topic. Therefore, it is vital to select a few varied subjects about the research area from the initial stages. Few topics should be chosen that the researcher or the university is interested in and an introductory investigation should be performed on the subjects preferred. The researcher or the university, following the preliminary should then come to a conclusion by choosing the topic, which has the majority documentation to satisfactorily carry the research study. Additionally, for the topic to be good, it should be adept in catching the reader’s attention. Resnik and Shamoo (2006) moreover, the final topic should be dexterous in seizing the readers focus to want to understand on and discover more about the topic.
Purpose Statement Importance
The purpose statement in a strategy research is sentence or a short paragraph, which the researcher writes to affirm in detail what, the reader and researcher is to be trained in regard to the research paper. This announces the direction, extent, and point of the research project. The commencement of a good purpose statement by the researchers makes the readers form the initial stages to know what to expect in the paper by reading. Research project puts significance on the purpose statement as it announces a researcher's point of objective in carrying out the investigation study (Michael and Ireland, 1992). Additionally, the purpose statement helps the researcher to construct on the hypothesis statement that comes afterwards in the research development.
Developing Research Questions
Statements that classify the phenomenon that is to be studied in relation the reason as to why the research is being undertaken in the first place is known as research questions. Research question idea is to focus on a given area where information associated to the study is unfinished. Researchers can use good research questions to define studies and offer direction on the subject being defined or studied in researching the area (Michael and Ireland, 1992). In this case, the research question is developed by the university and the researcher to provide an intellectual outline of the research being conducted.
Hypothesis Development
A hypothesis is a provisional rationalization of the research study which can respond to the research question being undertaken. The hypothesis, in this scenario, is a timid clarification of some event or phenomenon that is linked to the investigation study for the university. The development of the hypothesis for the university involves the use of fundamental idea by the researcher in deciding the probable result of the examination being done. Researchers form ideas from earlier experiences or from other related information on topic being investigated. Nonetheless, in forming a hypothesis for use in the university study, the university and the researcher should assess the statement in order for it to include a forecast that anticipates the study outcome (Resnik and Shamoo, 2006).
Null and Alternative Hypothesis
Null hypothesis is a suggestion of an examination study, which states whether there is unquestionably a precise association linking two variables. On the other hand, alternative hypothesis is a form of a report that expresses the link between two variables or indicates the differences which relate groups of things. Null and Alternative hypothesis are both used in the hypothesis testing of a research examination. The null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis are used and testing is done to in order to permit of repudiate the null hypothesis. Data or variables linked to the study are used in supporting the research labors of the researcher. This is employed to check if they are strong enough to reject the null hypothesis (Resnik and Shamoo, 2006). In case there is no link that connects the variables or data the null hypothesis is rejected, and the alternative hypothesis is permitted. This means that there is not link that connects the variables or data.
Measure and Analysis of the Research Efforts
The analysis of data irrespective of the form of measurement that is employed in the research study should always begin with the goals review of the research study. For example, the reasons for doing the research study; to what is to be accomplished at the end of the research study should be reviewed. The researcher through performing the review will be enhanced better in organizing the data connected to the study. Additionally, more focus can be employed on analyzing the data linked to the study when review is performed. In case the university considers improving their academic program in a given facility, they will start by noting the strengths and weaknesses that exist in the program. Later, the gathered data is analyzed by identifying the strengths or weaknesses of the program. Afterwards, measurements can be performed on the advantages and disadvantages of the program. Michael and Ireland (1992) say this will lead to improvements to be done through the application of the advantages, and by deleting the disadvantages of the program in the University.
Quantitative Format and Documentation
Quantitative research method involves searching and establishing the informal connection between two or more variable in a research study. The method achieves the process thought the expression of the variables relationships numerically. This is to say the comparison between the two or more variables is done numerically. The qualitative research type is in most instances open to statistical exploitation that allows the researcher to estimate the potential events that take place or the amount of the variables. Quantitative research format includes preamble, methods, outcome, and conclusions. Additionally, the beginning of the paper typically starts by outlining the hypothesis, then it proceeds to examining the hypothesis in proving or disproving the dissimilarities of the analogous items. The hypothesis of proving or disproving should be verifiable through statistical methods, and it has to be the foundation for the whole research study. Moreover, for the information of the comparable items to be accurate, a descriptive study is habitually performed, where several items ranging from hundreds to thousands are compared (Resnik and Shamoo, 2006). The process allows the researcher to be accorded a precise approximation of the connection of the analogous objects.
Qualitative Format and Documentation
Qualitative research strategy is a scientific research type that tries to examine methodical theories. Qualitative researcher intention is to strive to clarify and construe given human experiences that are mostly explained by chosen study participants. A qualitative research report does not consist of a single format. The format depends on the research methods, paradigm, or assumptions which the researcher wishes for the study. Nonetheless, a researcher can consider a good format that involves organizing the report in a manner which communicates to the researchers’ ideas to the projected audiences and accomplishes the study contents. Qualitative researchers have assumptions and restraints; therefore, they need to have diverse viewpoints in relation to behavior humans which have disparate ways for the application of the qualitative research methods. Researcher’s decisions on the research design have influence on the feature of the qualitative research.
Qualitative research study consists of large data which the researcher generates from participants through interviews or observations. Documentation that is linked to the format includes procedural assessments, notes relating to the study, researchers self awareness in doing the study, and measures linked to the assessment of data. Data which is connected the study is very essential to the areas of the study as the examination track of the research study is developed from the information collected (Michael and Ireland, 1992). Additionally, researching by qualitative method requires that each decision made by the researcher on design of research is considered as this influence every aspect of the research process.
Mixed Format and Documentation
Mixed research method involves combining the quantitative and qualitative research methods into one solitary study. The mixed research method format consists of introducing the problem statement and the rationale of the study being undertaken. This includes both the quantitative and qualitative statements. The researcher in the mixed method of research needs to employ the qualitative research model in one part of the research project and the quantitative research outline in another part of the investigation. Research questions that are being studied will comprise both quantitative and qualitative documentation in order to obtain an enhanced arrangement of the strengths and weaknesses of the studies being undertaken through the mixed method. This will imply that the researcher has advanced proof to verify the study results (Resnik and Shamoo, 2006).
Action Format and Documentation
Action research pattern is a research type method which tries to steadily resolve a problem by searching at the methods of addressing the problem in order for the subject at hand to be incessantly enhanced. This is a perceptive assessment of which requires improvement. Action research format starts with the design of questions which are then answered by collected data from participants. The research type depends on the researcher to gather data, analyze the data collected, and interpreting the results. Michael and Ireland (1992) acknowledges that action research is learning by doing process as group individuals in most instances identify an issue, and perform an action to try and solve the problem. In case, the individuals are not contented with the results, they will persistently try once more until they become fulfilled.
Literature Review
The researcher should undertake a literature review when undertaking the research study. This is to aid the researcher in narrowing down the subject matter of the study. Moreover, the literature review helps the researcher to propose the methods of investigating the research study. A literature review seeks to examine and evaluate the key points of a researchers work. This is to make sure that the examiner has not rediscovered what is known in relation to the topic being examined. Resnik and Shamoo (2006) argue that the literature review is a vital segment of a research project as it circumspectly examines earlier research on the subject to guarantee that the canvasser is not duplicating another person’s previous work. The preparation of the literature review should be conducted directly or around the research questions in the research study so as to support the study efforts.
Annotated Bibliography Development
The annotated bibliography comprises of the summary of every source that has been used in the research study. The development of an annotated bibliography involves the researcher making short summary of every source used in the examination study. This is to give relevance and value of the source that has been stated in the paper. The inclusion of the annotated bibliography helps the research to successfully support the investigation. Additionally, the researcher is given a chance to provide a comprehensive outline of the significant points that relate to the research study being undertaken y use of the annotated bibliography (Michael and Ireland, 1992). Moreover, the annotated bibliography allows the researcher to obtain a superior outlook on the literature which has previously been published in relation to the subject being investigated.
Conclusion
Studying a research project allows the researcher to ascertain novel ideas concerning the given topic being considered. Researchers can also use accessible information from earlier authors to come up with new conclusions, integrate and synthesize own ideas into already completed studies. Researchers have the responsibility of ensuring that research is undertaken in an ethical and legal comportment. In addition, the researcher has an obligation to the client they are performing the research for so that in their final report they are certain that it is of the uppermost ethical standards potential (Resnik and Shamoo, 2006). The lack of this responsibility discredits the dependability of the researcher, and also the company to which the researcher works.
References
Michael, A. and Ireland, D. (1992). Hypothesis Testing. Business Horizons, 35(3), 34.
Resnik, D. and Shamoo, A. (2009). Responsible Conduct of Research. New York: Oxford University Press.
