Organizational Studies. While There Is Focus Upon

¶ … organizational studies. While there is focus upon the articles and their contents, the greater focus or endeavor of the paper is to analyze the writing techniques and approaches to research. At the center of the assignment is the relationship among the construction of the research question, the research question, and the research. By studying and referencing the methods of master researchers and writers, the paper forges a path into the unknown, yet mandatory territory of conducting research and sharing it with the academic community. The paper identifies research questions in scholarly articles. The paper further categorizes the research question providing support for the category choice.

Identifying and Categorizing Research Questions

The state of public research on over-the-counter drug advertising by Denise DeLorme,

Jisu Huh, Leonard N. Reid & Soontae An

A primary research question of this article could be "What public literature about OTC drug advertising is accessible to the public and what does that research reveal about the agenda of the drug companies and the advertising firms?" Whereas in Voss' article, the question was not so much stated directly, the writers of this piece come out from the very onset to ask this question as well as a set of corollaries. The authors write:

Most of the empirical investigations of pharmaceutical advertising have focused on prescription drugs, including the majority of recent investigations on direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising…In this paper, we review the state of public research on OTC drug advertising, an important yet academically neglected form of pharmaceutical marketing. In this paper, we adopt a key theme identification approach (Mukherjee and McGinnis, 2007) and review the public research on OTC drug advertising, an important yet academically neglected form of pharmaceutical marketing. (DeLorme et al., 2010,-Page 209)

The authors have identified an area for further research in OTC drug advertising and their study is the exploration of this gap. They emphasize the importance of attention to this matter in the declaration of their research question. The state their intentions out rightly:

In the following pages, we define OTC drugs and distinguish between nonprescription and prescription drugs; discuss how the advertising form is regulated at the federal level; describe the nature, functions, and scope of OTC drug advertising; review the public research on the topic; and most importantly, present a research agenda derived from the reviewed literature. (DeLorme et al., 2010,-Page 209)

The authors will distinguish between categories of drugs. They will examine how and if this advertising is federally regulated. They plan to describe OTC drug advertising in great detail, including function of the ads -- what are the goals of the ads and how to advertising evaluate the ad' contribution to over success? Their most important goal is to identify an intentional plan connecting pharmaceutical companies, the advertising industry, the regular consumer, and the ads.

The authors justify their research question based on several theories and examples of relevant research. The rely on communications research, marketing research, the effect of media research, psychological research, research relating to public policy, health, pharmaceuticals, law, economics, business practices, and drug education. Pharmaceuticals are clearly a health matter. Therefore, it is logical to see why the authors use pharmaceutical and health research. Health, healthcare, and access to healthcare are often the subjects of public policy. One of the first public policies concerning advertising and pharmaceuticals in the U.S.A., was passed in 1914:

The FTC was created in 1914 by the FTC Act which authorized the FTC to prevent unfair methods of competition, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce; seek monetary redress and other relief for conduct injurious to consumers; prescribe trade regulation rules defining with specificity acts or practices that are unfair or deceptive and establishing requirements designed to prevent such acts or practices; conduct investigations relating to the organization, business, practices, and management of entities engaged in commerce; and make reports and legislative recommendations to Congress (Federal Trade Commission, 2010a). (DeLorme et al., 2010,-Page 212)

There are numerous public policies in place across the country and across countries in the world that directly correspond to the quality of healthcare as well as the spectrum of services offered. Again, as an example in the U.S.A., there are at least some regulations on advertisers, specifically for those advertising medicines, drugs, and other pharmaceuticals.