RESEARCH PROPOSAL - PART 2: Research Methods

1

RESEARCH

PROPOSAL

-

PART 2:

Research

Methods

The

purpose

of

the

assignment

is

to

develop

skills associated

with

selecting

and

applying

methods

for

data

collection,

qualitative data

analysis, stationary and

time

series data

analysis

and

hypothesis

testing.

Note: Part A and E are common to all Research Approaches. Use only the relevant parts to your research method from Part

B

to

Part

D.

A.

Data

collection

Identify

the

sources

that

will

offer

the information

that

you

need

to

answer

the

research

question

(journals, books,

internet

resources,

government

documents,

people,

etc).

1.

What data do you plan to acquire to answer your research question? Why? What kinds of instruments,

variables,

materials,

or

sources

will

you

use (i.e.

will

you

use

observations,

surveys,

interviews,

case

studies,

focus

groups,

experiments,

documents,

media

,

data

base

searches,

etc.)?

If

you

plan

to

use

mixed

methods,

will

they be

sequential,

concurrent

or transformative? Why?

2.

List the kinds of data/information that you plan to collect (e.g. testimonials, statistics, business/government

reports, other research data, audio/video recordings, etc.). Also, consider two or three alternative ways you

could gather data/information

for

this research.

3.

If you plan to use research participants, where will they come from? How will they be sampled? How many

participants

will

you

require?

If

you are

not

using

research

participants, who will

you

use

as

the

target

audience

of

your data?

Who

woul

d

most

benefit

from

your

research,

and

why?

4.

Business

research

topics

relate

to

events

that

develop

in

time.

·

Explain

how would

you

acquire

a

snapshot

of

data

relevant

to

your

research

question.

Within

the

snapshot, the

data

become

effectively

stationary.

·

Consider

the

evolution of

data

with time.

How

would

you

acquire

the

time

series

data

relevant

to

your

research

question?

5.

What

ethical

issues

will

your

research

project

present?

What

biases

might

you bring

to

the

research

and

how

will

you

address that

bias?

B.

Analysis

of

stationary

data

1.

What

method

will

you

choose

to

analyze

the

stationary

data

that

you

plan

to

collect?

2.

Has this method of data analysis been applied in similar situations by other authors?

Include references and

illustrations

from

the

literature

to

show

the advantages

and disadvantages

of the

method.

3.

Annex

a

worked

out

example

of

application of

the

method

u

sing

simulated

or previously

published

data.

4.

How

will

you

validate

your

findings/conclusions?

C.

Testing

hypotheses

1.

State

you

hypotheses.

2.

Explain

whether

your

hypotheses

will

be

tested

using

frequentist

or Bayesian

approach,

and

justify

the

choice.

3.

Have

similar

hypotheses

been

tested

by

other

authors?

Include

references

and

illustrations

from

the

literature.

4.

Annex

a

worked

out

example

of

hypothesis

testing

using

simulated

or

previously published

data.

D.

Analysis

and

forecasting of

time

series

1.

What

method

will

you

choose

to

analyze and

forecast

the

time

series

data

that

you

plan

to

collect?

2.

Have

these

methods

of

data

analysis

and

forecasting

been

applied

in

similar

situations

by

other

authors?

Include

references

and illustrations

from

the literature

to

show

their

advantages

and

disadvantages.

3.

Annex

a

worked

out

examples

of

analysis

and

forecasting using

simulated

or

previously

published

data.

4.

How

will

you

validate

your

findings/conclusions?

E.

Timetable

and

Budget

1.

Provide

a

plan

(timetable)

of

the

major

research

activities

(on

weekly

or

monthly

basis)

2.

Provide

a

budget

estimate

for

all

eligible expenses of

the

proposed

research

1

RESEARCH PROPOSAL - PART 2: Research Methods

The purpose of the assignment is to develop skills associated with selecting and applying methods for data collection,

qualitative data analysis, stationary and time series data analysis and hypothesis testing.

Note: Part A and E are common to all Research Approaches. Use only the relevant parts to your research method from Part

B to Part D.

A. Data collection

Identify the sources that will offer the information that you need to answer the research question (journals, books,

internet resources, government documents, people, etc).

1. What data do you plan to acquire to answer your research question? Why? What kinds of instruments,

variables, materials, or sources will you use (i.e. will you use observations, surveys, interviews, case studies,

focus groups, experiments, documents, media, data base searches, etc.)? If you plan to use mixed methods,

will they be sequential, concurrent or transformative? Why?

2. List the kinds of data/information that you plan to collect (e.g. testimonials, statistics, business/government

reports, other research data, audio/video recordings, etc.). Also, consider two or three alternative ways you

could gather data/information for this research.

3. If you plan to use research participants, where will they come from? How will they be sampled? How many

participants will you require? If you are not using research participants, who will you use as the target audience

of your data? Who would most benefit from your research, and why?

4. Business research topics relate to events that develop in time.

 Explain how would you acquire a snapshot of data relevant to your research question. Within the

snapshot, the data become effectively stationary.

 Consider the evolution of data with time. How would you acquire the time series data relevant to

your research question?

5. What ethical issues will your research project present? What biases might you bring to the research and how

will you address that bias?

B. Analysis of stationary data

1. What method will you choose to analyze the stationary data that you plan to collect?

2. Has this method of data analysis been applied in similar situations by other authors? Include references and

illustrations from the literature to show the advantages and disadvantages of the method.

3. Annex a worked out example of application of the method using simulated or previously published data.

4. How will you validate your findings/conclusions?

C. Testing hypotheses

1. State you hypotheses.

2. Explain whether your hypotheses will be tested using frequentist or Bayesian approach, and justify the choice.

3. Have similar hypotheses been tested by other authors? Include references and illustrations from the literature.

4. Annex a worked out example of hypothesis testing using simulated or previously published data.

D. Analysis and forecasting of time series

1. What method will you choose to analyze and forecast the time series data that you plan to collect?

2. Have these methods of data analysis and forecasting been applied in similar situations by other authors?

Include references and illustrations from the literature to show their advantages and disadvantages.

3. Annex a worked out examples of analysis and forecasting using simulated or previously published data.

4. How will you validate your findings/conclusions?

E. Timetable and Budget

1. Provide a plan (timetable) of the major research activities (on weekly or monthly basis)

2. Provide a budget estimate for all eligible expenses of the proposed research