Table Of Content

Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students John Adams Hafiz T.A. Khan Robert Raeside David White Copyright © John Adams, Hafiz T.A. Khan, Robert Raeside and David White, 2007 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. First published in 2007 by Response Books Business books from SAGE B1/I1, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Mathura Road New Delhi 110044 Sage Publications Inc 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 Sage Publications Ltd 1 Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP Sage Publications Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd 33 Pekin Street #02-01 Far East Square Singapore 048763 Published by Vivek Mehra for Response Books, typeset in 10/12 pt Times New Roman by Star Compugraphics Private Limited, Delhi and printed at Chaman Enterprises, New Delhi. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available Culture and the making of identity in ation—1947. 2. Feminism—India. 3. India—Historiography. 4. Science—Study and teaching—India. I. Ganesh, Kamala. II. Thakkar, Usha. III. Asiatic Society of Mumbai. DS428.2.C87 306'.0954'09045—dc22 2005 2005003590 ISBN: 978-0-7619-3589-6 (PB) 978-81-7829-750-7 (India-PB) The Sage Team: Leela Kirloskar, Neha Kohli, Rajib Chatterjee and Sanjeev Kumar Sharma Contents List of Tables 10 List of Figures 13 Preface 15 SECTION I GENERAL INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Research 19 1.1 Introduction 19 1.2 What is Research? 19 1.3 Why is Research Conducted? 20 1.4 Who Does Research? 21 1.5 How is Research Conducted? 21 1.6 Business and Social Research Methods 22 SECTION II RESEARCH METHODOLOGY CHAPTER 2 Research Methodology 25 2.1 Introduction 25 2.2 Research Method versus Research Methodology 25 2.3 Approaches to Business and Social Research 26 2.4 Justifying the Scientific Method 28 2.5 Research Ethics 35 2.6 Exercises 36 2.7 References 38 6 Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students SECTION III FORMULATION CHAPTER 3 The Research Cycle 41 3.1 Introduction 41 3.2 The Research Cycle 41 3.3 Problems with the Research Process 45 3.4 Exercises 46 3.5 References 47 CHAPTER 4 Literature Review and Critical Reading 48 4.1 Introduction 48 4.2 The Importance of Literature Review 49 4.3 What Should the Literature Review Do? 53 4.4 Types of Literature Review 56 4.5 Some General Points in Literature Reviewing 57 4.6 Obtaining Literature Sources 58 4.7 Searching the Literature 59 4.8 Assessing the Quality of Literature 61 4.9 An Example of a Literature Review 62 4.10 Critical Evaluation 71 4.11 Critical Analysis 71 4.12 Critical Reading 71 4.13 Critical Thinking 72 4.14 Critical Questions 72 4.15 Critical Reviews 74 4.16 Writing a Critical Review 75 4.17 Exercises 76 4.18 References 76 SECTION IV RESEARCH DESIGN CHAPTER 5 Sampling 81 5.1 Introduction 81 5.2 Classification of Research Designs 82 5.3 Sources of Data 85 5.4 Types of Data and Measurement 85 5.5 Methods of Data Collection 87 5.6 Sampling Techniques 87 5.7 Representative Sampling Plans 88 5.8 Sample Size Determination 91 Contents 7 5.9 Test of Significance for Population Mean 93 5.10 Test of Significance for Population Proportion 93 5.11 Key Statistical Concepts 95 5.12 Some Problems with Random Sample Surveys 99 5.13 The Normal Distribution 102 5.14 Exercises 102 5.15 References 103 SECTION V DATA COLLECTION CHAPTER 6 Primary Data Collection 107 6.1 Introduction 107 6.2 Observation 107 6.3 Experimentation 110 6.4 Surveys 111 6.5 Interviews 111 6.6 Diary Methods 111 6.7 Case Studies 112 6.8 Data Storage 113 6.9 Triangulation 113 6.10 Exercises 115 6.11 References 116 CHAPTER 7 Secondary Data Collection 117 7.1 Introduction 117 7.2 WWW Search Skills 119 7.3 Exercises 127 7.4 References 127 CHAPTER 8 Surveys 128 8.1 Introduction 128 8.2 Design 128 8.3 Questions 132 8.4 Pilot Survey 136 8.5 Administering the Survey 136 8.6 Ensuring a High Response Rates 138 8.7 Missing Information 139 8.8 Coding and Data Input 140 8.9 Guidelines 141 8.10 Exercise 143 8.11 References 143 8 Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students CHAPTER 9 Interviews 144 9.1 Introduction 144 9.2 Why do interviews 144 9.3 General Guidelines for Interviewing 146 9.4 Biases and Errors 148 9.5 Telephone Interviews 149 9.6 Group/Focus Group Interviews 150 9.7 References 151 SECTION VI ANALYSIS CHAPTER 10 Qualitative Data Analysis 155 10.1 Introduction 155 10.2 Preparation 156 10.3 Methods of Analysis 161 10.4 Summarising 167 10.5 Grounded Theory 168 10.6 References 169 CHAPTER 11 Descriptive Quantitative Analysis 170 11.1 Introduction 170 11.2 Descriptive Statistics 171 11.3 Are There Significant Differences? 184 11.4 Comparing Two Groups 187 11.5 Comparing More than Two Groups 189 11.6 The Association between Categorical Variables 190 11.7 Summary of Test Procedures 192 11.8 Exercises 193 11.9 References 195 CHAPTER 12 Correlation and Regression 196 12.1 Introduction 196 12.2 Correlation 196 12.3 Regression 198 12.4 Diagnostics 201 12.5 Multiple Regression 203 12.6 Modelling 207 12.7 Exercises 212 12.8 References 214 Contents 9 CHAPTER 13 Advanced Statistical Analysis 215 13.1 Introduction 215 13.2 Factor Analysis 215 13.3 Logistic Regression 222 13.4 Exercises 230 13.5 References 231 SECTION VII QUALITY AND VERIFICATION CHAPTER 14 Tests of Measurement and Quality 235 14.1 Introduction 235 14.2 Reliability 235 14.3 Validity 237 14.4 Generalisability 239 14.5 Exercises 240 14.6 References 240 SECTION VIII INVOLVEMENT DURING RESEARCH CHAPTER 15 Conducting Your Research 243 15.1 Introduction 243 15.2 Selecting Your Topic 243 15.3 Guide to Supervision 247 15.4 Undertaking Your Research 248 15.5 References 254 CHAPTER 16 Writing and Presenting the Dissertation 255 16.1 Introduction 255 16.2 The Dissertation 255 16.3 Dissertation Objectives 256 16.4 What should a Dissertation Look Like? 257 16.5 Presenting the Dissertation 259 16.6 References 263 Index 265 About the Authors 269