Businesses Research

BUSA 2185: BUSINESS RESEARCH

Spring 2019

Research Project (Assignment 5)

Identifying Variables of the Research

(25 points)

Submission and Formatting.

- Typed double-spaced lines, Times New Roman, size 12 font, 1-inch margins, letter-sized pages (8.5 x 11 inches)

- Save as a Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) file and name your assignment in this format Name_Last Name_BUSA 2185_Assignment 5

An important step in developing your research topic is to identify potential dependent and independent variables. Now it is time to identify all the variables necessary to answer your research questions. This assignment is critical for your next assignment. Without identifying your variables, you cannot draw your conceptual diagram/research model.

Tips:

Remember which one is dependent (effect), which is independent (cause) variables in your research questions. Also you might have two or more independent variables).

When you are building your research question, you need imply cause-effect relationships. What is the effect/impact of ……. on……...? How …. will affect to ……? If you didn’t build your research questions in this structure, you have to do to modify it and then you should build your model and to show your variables.

Here are questions that you need to answer to build your introduction part of your research paper:

Note: You need to provide your answers with the questions below.

1. Conceptualization (10 points)

a. Specify whether the measure is a dependent or an independent variable.

b. Give a brief definition of the variables (concepts) you are going to use. Define your variables in full sentences. Focus on how variables were defined in literature.

c. A brief statement explaining why the variable is relevant to the study.

Variable Name	Type of variable	Conceptualization (Definition)	Sources
Tip: Take it from your research question	Tip: Specify whether the measure is a dependent, an independent variable or control variable	Tip: Define your variables in full sentences. Focus on how variables were defined in literature.	Show your references in APA style in a short citation. (e.g. Howard, 2014)

Provide you answers for a-b-c into this table.

2. Operationalization (10 points)

a. Provide the operational definitions of the variables, meaning the exact questions from your questionnaire and their answer choices. Write in full sentences (how you define your variables and how you measure them).

b. What are the indicators and dimensions (aspects) of your concepts? (Review

chapter 6, and lecture)

Provide you answers for and b into this table.

Variable Name	Operationalization	Sources
Tip: Take it from your research question	Tip 1: Provide the operational definitions of the variables, meaning the exact questions from your questionnaire and their answer choices.	Show your references in APA style. (e.g. Howard, 2014)

3. Identify control variables that could be used to ensure causality in your relationship. (5 points)

Tips: Often used as controls are gender, race, age, industry type, firm size, region of the country, income, education, or something more specific to your study. It may help to see what previous literature has used for control variables. If we did not include control variables, we could end up with spurious relationships, like when size of the company and revenue. In other words, you need to identify other variables that could possibly be influencing your dependent variable, other than your independent variable. You need to use “control” variables in your study, making sure that the relationship you are testing is not spurious.

Provide your control variables that you will use in your research: