Research concepts and applications

¶ … Topography

The primary responsibility of research is to advance the body of scientific knowledge. Research, when done well, is more than the simple collection of facts and numbers or the recording of occurrences. Research activities, whether business related, clinical trial based, or new product directed, must always start from a scientific approach and stated in testable form when investigating business related issues. To accomplish this it is important that the investigator clearly see the relationship that exists between the research problem and the design and methodology of its solution. Herein lies your task as a business research professional; namely to think relationally, structurally, and architecturally. As researchers in the business world we must all exert a great deal of time and effort in order to make the best business decisions possible. Failure to make a timely and prudent decision often comes from lack of sound research, no research at all, the misuse of a research tool, or simply from made up facts. How many times have we all said to ourselves: "Wherein did he/she ever come up with those figures?" More often than not, data came from a weak database, poor data interpretation processes, or someone else's poorly conducted research. The mission before us in this course is to find ways wherein our efforts at effectuating change through managerial decision-making is based upon scientific inquiry. As researchers, we must play according to the rules of scientific investigation. The rules of science we will uncover here will permit us to minimize error in our decision making processes and sanction our decisions with accurate and error reduced assessment

Prior to conducting any specific type of research the primary investigator must decide on the type of research to be conducted; that is qualitative or quantitative. Each design has its own set of parameters and these conditions must be clearly stated at the beginning of the written report and closely followed through out the entire research procedure. Although it is not uncommon for research investigators to employ both methods their use in a single study must be clearly defined so as to inform the reader the value of each type of research data being used in the study. Broadly defined research is a systematic investigation, including but not limited to, research development and evaluation, and always designed to contribute to content knowledge of the selected topical area. Whether the investigator plies the qualitative or quantitative design, all research endeavors begin with a felt need (Ohlson, 1998) followed by a well developed question. On the basis of the design chosen the research question is followed by a testable hypothesis. For quantitative research wherein numeric values are garnered a testable hypothesis is mandatory.

Research activities, albeit clinical, educational, consumer product or agriculturally oriented, must exhibit and command interest, enthusiasm, and passionate commitment. It is vital that the researcher catch the essential quality of the excitement of discovery that comes from research well done if expected results are to be gained and shared. The first step in the attainment of a desired research activity is to develop a scientific approach toward the area of investigation. The second is to grasp and gain insight as to the possible relationship that exists between the research study's research problem and the design and methodology of its solution. Research is not simply a task of collecting data on an ad hoc basis and trying to interpret the findings. Research is a sophisticated mapping of what needs to be accomplished and how.

Attempting to accomplish the research goals set forth in any research study is not an easy task. The investigator must not only properly develop a research question and testable hypothesis but must also be prepared to manage and analyze the secured data by means of an appropriate methodology. When research is a laboratory experiment the means whereby variables can be controlled affords the researcher a better opportunity to measure expected results. However, the more removed the research activity is from a clinically controlled situation the more like will there exist errors in assessment, control, and the interpretation of results. Further, the more involvement there is in a research endeavor by investigator and the subject under investigator the greater degree of possible results contamination. That is to say, the more involvement or by increasing the amount of participant involvement in a planned study the greater is the degree of measurement error or results contamination. No greater is the risk of error associated with intervening research variables than is there in the participatory research design program fro agricultural studies. The remainder of this report will examine four different types of research methodology as to definition and purpose. Those four types will include: exploratory research, primary research, secondary research, and ad hoc research. The discussion will also include a specific example for each method cited.

Exploratory Research.

When a problem has yet to be clearly defined, and the scope is unclear, exploratory research is generally a preliminary step in the entire operations research program. With exploratory research the research investigator is attempting to become familiar with the problem or concept to be investigated. Further, exploratory research aids in determining the best research design and statistical process used in further investigative activities. At the same time exploratory research might well reveal that further research is not warranted (Van Dalen 1966).

Another important reason to use exploratory research is to test a concept before a product or service is placed in the market. In this particular instance the research investigator relies on previous research conducted, usually by others, as well as on informed, yet informal, discussions with consumers, employees, management and even competitors. The data the research investigator collects is generally through the use of focus groups, in-depth interviews, pilot studies, and case studies (Stebbins, 2001).

When conducting exploratory research the investigator must always keep in mind that this particular research activity is not generally useful in decision-making processes as the results cannot be generalized to a larger population segment; i.e., not representative of the larger whole. Exploratory research is, however, a starting point toward a decision-making state of operation (Weiers, 2003).

Example: Take for example a juvenile product manufacturer who wants to know whether a new concept in a baby stroller will be appealing to families with very young children. Rather than conducting extensive and often times expensive qualitative and quantitative research the marketing manager might possibly organize a small representative group of participants (all with baby stroller age children) and seek their opinions. The goal of this particular exploratory research effort, through the use of a focus group, would be as follows: