DB C ( KIM WOODS) ONLY

Research Topic- Social Networking Sites

Research Topic- Social Networking Sites

For the research project, I pick social networking sites as my topic of interest. Precisely, the research will aim to explore the effectiveness/impact of social networking organizational brand image. Technological advancements and the development of the computer, mobile technologies, and the internet have opened numerous avenues for people to interact remotely, efficiently, and faster (Nisar & Whitehead, 2016).

Due to these technological developments, millions of people worldwide have internet access and subscribe to at least one social networking site. This has provided businesses with opportunities for marketing and brand development. However, there is inconclusive research regarding social media's role and effectiveness as a tool for branding (Nisar & Whitehead, 2016). The inconclusive research makes the proposed study both relevant and significant.

To ensure that the research results are reliable and devoid of bias, I will provide high levels of objectivity. Also, I will ensure that the data collected is not based on my previous knowledge regarding social networking sites to ensure that the findings are not my opinions (Moser & Korstjens, 2018). Further, data to support my study’s interpretations will be collected from many sources to ensure triangulation and verification. Finally, I will ask some of my peers to review the findings from the research.

In conducting the research, both primary and secondary data sources will be used. Secondary sources will constitute data that has already been collected by other people or institutions and which can provide important literature for use in completing the study. On the other hand, primary data sources are original and collected first hand for given research (Moser & Korstjens, 2018). In the case of the proposed study, journal articles and books can be used as primary data sources.

To ensure that the data collected is valid, reliable, and up to date, I will select data sources published recently and peer-reviewed articles to ensure the accuracy of the collected data (Moser & Korstjens, 2018). Moreover, the data sources ( both primary and secondary) will be selected based on relevance to the topic to ensure that the research meets its desired goal of exploring the role and effectiveness of social networking sites on brand image.

Scholarly journals are original research articles that are written by experts and researchers in a specific academic discipline. They provide a forum through which knowledge can be produced and critiqued. Some of the critical characteristics of a scholarly journal include:

· Authors have certain credentials

· They are longer than five pages.

· They have a specific focus. For instance, contributing original or new research on a narrow topic

· Formal language, and structure.

Scholarly journals provide alternative viewpoints and explanations regarding specific research arguments (Moser & Korstjens, 2018). Subsequently, they will offer in-depth knowledge and data on the topic and provide a basis for validating my research findings. Moreover, Scholarly articles will be a useful source of primary data for completing the study.

References

Moser, A., & Korstjens, I. (2018). Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 3: Sampling, data collection, and analysis. European Journal of General Practice, 24(1), 9-18.

Nisar, T. M., & Whitehead, C. (2016). Brand interactions and social media: Enhancing user loyalty through social networking sites. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 743-753.