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I approached Research Methods with trepidation because I was not really familiar with the research process and felt that it would be a difficult course to manoeuvre.  I considered taking another course instead but decided to “bite the bullet” and attempt the course this semester.

From day one the course seemed to have a life of its own and the going was difficult.  There were numerous issues that cropped up daily and from the onset I was not too happy with the introduction of the Padlet and fired off an email to Ms. Mohammed and Ms. St. Croix to have the Padlet exercise cancelled because of its difficulty.  Of course this was not entertained.  Instead, Ms. Mohammed took time out to help me navigate its proper set up and usage (thank you miss), and this was just one of the learning experiences that characterised my development through the Research Methods course.

The course has been very instructive - from learning about the Padlet to developing skills in self-assessment and self-examination.  Group projects enabled me to improve in the areas of co-operation, teamwork, inclusion and the art of listening to other points of view, even when they may have been irrelevant or may have differed from what I wanted.

Apart from personal development, the course also taught me to develop competencies in various research methods, how to gather data, analyse, and the importance of data for statistical analysis and further study.  The research proposal and research paper were new to me and I attempted them kicking and screaming since I found that they were challenging.  However, I was determined to complete them no matter how they turned out.  I see the preparation of these documents as a stepping stone towards further projects since I believe it is inevitable that I would encounter research in some form or the other in future courses, as well as in my career.  I feel that I am better prepared to deliver a quality product through the knowledge and practical experience gained in this course.

The group and individual presentations brought me steps closer to being able to comfortably deliver to an audience, although it helped that I didn’t have to see the persons face-to-face.  What a relief!  The course also showed me how interconnected different courses are since I was able to apply knowledge gained from previous courses, such as Statistics, Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources Management and Sociology, to this course.

Research Methods took me on roller coaster ride to many new and different places and I am grateful for the journey!

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Presentation Week was a culmination of the work that began in the Research Proposal.  The Research Paper had to be presented to our peers using PowerPoint with Screencast-o-Matic to give it life and sound.  Screencast-o-Matic elicited an “eye roll” from me since it was yet another new thing to master and use within a short time frame.  I sighed deeply and dismissed it to be dealt with later.  I was still experiencing internet issues and therefore did not attempt to put together the project early although I marvelled at those who posted early.  Weighing heavy on my mind was also the issue of asking two of my peers’ questions and responding to two peer questions.

Procrastination is really the thief of time and before I knew it, the deadline was upon me and I was forced to sit down and put together the PowerPoint.  Low and behold, when I was done with it, the very night that it was due, electricity went in my area.  I sent off desperate prayers heavenward asking for a miracle.  It came.  Although my presentation was complete, it was silent.  When I attempted to use Screencast-o-Matic it seemed to be web-based and therefore without electricity and internet, defied my attempts to use it.

Sitting in the dark with only a phone torch for company, I contemplated crying but realised that it would be counterproductive.  I tried Quick Time but my version was out of date and would not allow me to record.  I was desperate to find a solution.   I checked out PowerPoint and after examination, realised that it could record sound.  Phew!  I tested and re-tested it to ensure that it was working properly and then made my final recording.  After which I rushed to a friend’s house to post before the deadline.

The lessons I learnt were not to procrastinate, since anything can go wrong at the last minute and this can negatively affect meeting deadlines, and also, to think outside the box and look for solutions that may not be readily visible.  Brainstorming was also important because I had to examine options that would enable me to post before the deadline.  It also made me realise that, when faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, it’s necessary to keep a cool head and not engage in thoughts and actions that would not assist with finding solutions.

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Several options for analysing qualitative and quantitative data were presented in this unit.  Non-numerical examination and interpretation of observations are ascribed to Qualitative Analysis.  I would perform this type of analysis if I wish to gain insight into the underlying meanings and relationship patterns that would assist me in interpreting, understanding and explaining my area of study.  Qualitative Analysis would therefore allow me to study patterns of human behaviour,in contrast to Quantitative which would enable me to perform statistical analysis.

In Qualitative analysis you notice, collect and think about things and this process allows me to have personal interaction with the data, a necessary requirement in some areas of my research.  For instance, I believe that a doctor may use qualitative research to find out information about his patients which may then be used for deeper research, as well as development of specific treatments regimes tailored to suit the individuals.

On the other hand, Quantitative Analysis treats with numerical data gathered or converted to numerical form.  This is divided into Descriptive Statistics which is used to describe, gather and present features of the data, and Inferential Statistics which is used to draw conclusions about the population under study from a sample of the population.  My understanding of this is that if a doctor has to use data gathered here, he would use it to determine the number of persons suffering from a particular illness so that he can present statistics on patients and/or diseases.

Descriptive data analysis uses Univariate analysis, where the characteristics of one variable is examined at a time, as well as Bivariate analysis which deals with the relationship between two variables.  My prior knowledge of statistics helped me here since I realise that data analysis ties in with the Statistics course in that once again I was dealing with Measures of Central Tendency, which fell under Univariate analysis, and Correlation which is used for Bivariate.  This also showed me where one course can complement the other through various topics.   The linkages were interesting to me since I had believed that after doing Statistics, there would be no further use for the subject.  I was proven wrong!

These courses allow me to appreciate their value and applicability to the field of research and I know that the information they provide will greatly benefit me when I conduct research and analysis.

References:

Unit 8 – Data Analysis (n.d.). Retrieved from UWI Open Campus: http://201610.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/13595/mod_resource/content/0/MGMT2063_u8-20151109.pdf

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Although I knew that Debate Week was coming, it still managed to creep upon me.  Our group had been talking for a while and even though we didn’t choose a leader, I felt that I had to spur on everyone in order to get the first post out.  We agreed to each person writing a submission and emailing it to each other, then to meet via Skype.  However only 2 of us attended.  At that time of meeting, I was the only person to put together something so I asked that some information be inserted to round it off.  In another course last semester, I learnt about teamwork and the necessity of tact and diplomacy and this served me well when I saw the edited version the following morning.  The other group member subsequently emailed her contribution and I used my initiative to combine the submissions to come up with the final document.

Here also, a previous programme helped where, even though I was tempted to go with most of my submission, I recognised the need to be inclusive and incorporate everyone’s ideas, which I did.  My summarizing skills were severely tested in this exercise, since I had to reduce the document from over 900 words to 500 without losing the essence of our argument.  After collaborating with my fellow group members, the initial post was made. One down, two more to go!

Sadly, my time management was not so great this week since I wasn’t always able to devote the necessary time to all my course work and readings for my various subjects.  Nevertheless, I was still able to offer encouragement to others who were feeling dejected and entertained thoughts of giving up.  A take-away from previous programmes.  I also gained valuable insight into researching, since, even though there was a lot of information available regarding the debate topic, I believed that it was important to use information from credible sites or those that offer sound information as opposed to unsupported opinion.  I therefore had to read over lots of information and make judgements as to the value of the information and its usefulness to the topic.

In the final analysis, collaborative efforts on the part of my fellow team members and myself ensured that we made all our posts within the allotted time.  Teamwork and cooperation!

I think group work forces me to collaborate, cooperate and lessen micro-managing.  It also teaches me reliance on others instead of doing everything myself.  I wish the Research Paper was a group project!   Anyway, these are some of my take-aways from Debate Week.  It’s on to the Research Paper now.  The work never ends…

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UNIT 7 SUMMARY - DATA PREPARATION & PRESENTATION

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UNIT 7 SUMMARY - DATA PREPARATION & PRESENTATION

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One of the first things I learnt in this unit is the importance of making sense of data and appropriately formatting it to enable customer understanding of the research findings.  To present accurate data, editing and verifying has to be performed, called data editing.  This made me realize that even though different parts of the research are said to be important, the entire process is a meticulous one that requires proper focus and organisational skills.  I say this because every stage requires careful attention since an error made in one part could ultimately affect the outcome of the research, resulting in a less-than-accurate final product.

In addition to assigning a numerical code or classifying symbol to edited data to simplify for analysis and to group into categories, a codebook consisting of the details of all codes used, is then formulated.  I would also need to create a database to organise and store data and this is combined in a data dictionary which is a collection of the items in the database.  It seems to me that similarities exist between the codebook and the data dictionary, with both of them being of a descriptive nature.

For quality control, it is important for me to perform data cleaning before data processing, where all values are checked for accuracy, consistency and conformity to the relevant rules.  If necessary, I would have to modify the data to correct any errors.  For example, if data is coded under gender and more than 2 values appear, this would have to be modified in order to show 2 values only (i.e. male and female).  This brings home to me and underscores the thoroughness that I as a researcher would need in order to maintain the highest level of data integrity. A time-consuming process, I think.

Several options, such as bar charts, pie charts, histograms and graphs, are available to display the data collected, depending on its type.  If I wish to display purely numerical values then I may use a frequency table.  However, to display categorical or grouped data of 6 or less categories, I would use a pie chart, allowing me to present a visual panorama of the size of each category appearing as wedges of a pie.  In my discussion, I saw where I could have used a bar chart instead of a pie chart: thus showing the versatility of data presentation.

References:

Unit 7 – Data Preparation and Presentation(n.d.). Retrieved from UWI Open Campus: http://201610.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/13573/mod_resource/content/0/MGMT2063%20Unit7_Version%201_Oct-17-2015.pdf

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Questionnaire Design directly relates to our assignment and I was happy for the guidance.  The exercise of creating a questionnaire for the pizza company allowed me to use what I learnt in the unit.  This course has really been a learning experience as this was the first time I had to design a questionnaire.  Even though I read the unit, the first step in coming up with the questions was a bit challenging but after reading over the requirements of the assignment, I understood the kind of information the company was hoping to gather.

The design of the questionnaire is critical to the research process and the quality and utility of the data collected is only as good as the instrument that was used to collect the data.  Once again I saw where communication is important to research and that the questions should be written and laid out in a way that most suitable to the medium and communication mode to ensure that responses were effectively communicated.  The information was relevant for me to determine whether to structure my questionnaire for an interviewer to deliver or for respondents to complete themselves while waiting on a particular good or service or via the internet.

Since a poorly designed questionnaire can lead to respondents misinterpreting questions and providing irrelevant answers, the unit taught me what should be asked, how to ask, the sequence, how to lay out the questionnaire for best advantage and about pretesting and revision.  Errors can be minimised once the interviewer provides accurate survey responses, ensures the correct responses are placed on the questionnaire and where respondents provide accurate information and complete the questionnaire.  Minimising errors was particularly interesting for me since, on completion of my questionnaire, I initially placed coloured pizza watermark on the background in order to beautify it.  Then I remembered that excessive styling should be avoided and the questionnaire should be kept as simple as possible.  Since persons respond to colours and fonts in different ways this could skew the results of the survey.  I then removed the watermark and reverted to the plain style.

From personal experience I know that rewards and tokens are often offered to motivate persons to fill our surveys and this method can be used to increase survey response rates.  In the final analysis, I can look at my questionnaire with pride since the information I read in this unit enabled me to design the questionnaire for the discussion and for further research.

References:

Unit 6 – Questionnaire Design (pgs 90-108) (n.d.). Retrieved from UWI Open Campus: http://201610.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/13566/mod_resource/content/0/MGMT2063_u6-20151004.pdf

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Although no unit readings were scheduled for Presentation Week, the time was still very much absorbed by revision for the Quiz, which was open for the Thursday and Friday, and also fine-tuning the group submissions for final presentation in the BbC session on Thursday October 13.  This was a busy period and I had to utilise strict time management in order to complete all that was required for the week.  Our group conducted several dry runs of the presentation in order to time and familiarize ourselves with the materials we planned to present.  This encouraged me to practice presenting before an audience since this is not part of my normal experience; so this was something relatively new to me.  The experience was rewarding and I believe that it will help me with upcoming presentations for this course, other courses and ultimately at work.

The first time our group practiced our presentation we were well above the time allotted and we had to go back to the presentation in order to tweak it to fit within the required time of 5-7 minutes.  This brought my summarizing skills into focus since it was necessary that we get our message across using less words but not losing the sense of what we wanted to say.  The practice sessions enabled me to critique myself as well as provide feedback to the other members of the group.

Presentation night was eventful in that the BbC system failed to work as it should and the e-tutor had to improvise by sharing her screen.  The presentations proceeded amidst several hiccups, even with our team presentation.  Nevertheless, Presentation Week was invaluable for me in that it provided me with the opportunity to interact with my peers, it allowed me to analyse, summarize and present information to my peers and gave me additional exposure to knowledge sharing activities.

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UNIT 5 SUMMARY
I was introduced to Data Collection and shown its importance in answering research questions and testing various theories.  Data is derived from primary, secondary and tertiary sources and when conducting research, data which I gather on my own from interviews, surveys and direct observation would be considered primary data.  Data gathered from research previously conducted by others, such as information taken from articles, journals, books, search engines, would be secondary data; while tertiary data would be information gathered from primary or secondary sources such as summaries, dictionaries and encyclopaedias. (Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources).  I learnt that not all data was useful to a study and that data’s value has to be determined according to relevance, quality, timeliness and completeness.  However, this was not something that I had actively considered before.

Since the quality of the research depends on the quality of data collected, then data collection is  very important to the research process.  Furthermore, the quality of the data depends on how well planning and management of information are co-ordinated.  Previously I believed that data collection would begin with primary data collection, but now realise that collection starts by gathering secondary data.  Triangulation is also important to verify data gathered in different ways.  I understand this since data may be gathered from different sources but in order to determine quality and accuracy of information, it may be necessary to examine it from various angles.  To me this is comparable to cross referencing.

Since fieldwork is necessary for research and poor fieldwork negatively impacts data quality, fieldwork should be properly managed.   The researcher does not have to carry out the fieldwork but can hire persons to do so.  These persons should have qualities that would make them effective but they would still need to be trained to carry out the particular research needed.   I think that depending on the size of the project I would prefer to carry out my own research instead of depending on others because I would have greater confidence in the data collected. Managing fieldwork is also required so as to maintain data quality and reliability, and avoid or minimize errors in data collection, since this can distort the results of the study.  All these points are relevant to my upcoming project since they provide me with valuable information and guidance toward successfully completing my research paper.

References:

Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. (n.d.). Retrieved from Virginia Tech: http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/research/primary-secondary-tertiary.html

Unit 5 – Data Collection. (pgs 72-89) (2016). Retrieved from UWI Open Campus: http://201610.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/13545/mod_resource/content/0/MGMT2063_u5-20150925.pdf

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This unit dealt with Research Design and various parts of the process.  The knowledge gained in this unit would enable me to construct a better Research Paper since the information deals with the types of research methods that I can use to obtain my data and the proper measurement of the data.  The methods of Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods were detailed and I saw where Qualitative Research gathers narrative data using semi-structured or unstructured instruments.  This research is undertaken using surveys, interviews and focus groups, while Quantitative Research collects numeric data using structured instruments such as close-ended survey items and trading scales.  Mixed Research uses a combination of both Qualitative and Quantitative and their usage does not have to be equal.

Next, I learnt about the conceptualization stage which is used to develop and explain the process and key terms to be used in the research.  I feel that this is necessary for the projects that I have to do since explanation of key terms and would assist the recipient of the report to understand the information I provide.  In addition, clearly outlining a project beforehand is important for me to visualise the various steps that are necessary and helps me organise my information in a proper manner.  Variables are used to measure the various aspects of the concepts which are defined and these variables may be dependent or independent.  When the variables are independent, they can assume any value while the dependent variable is determined by the independent variable.

In the Research Design process, sampling is also done and there are several types of sampling methods which can be used depending, inter alia, on the type of data required.  Using Sampling would enable me as a researcher to draw particular conclusions about the subject matter under review by use of a subset of the entire subject matter or population.   Usage of a subset is sometimes necessary since examination of the entire population may not be possible or practicable because of cost, time, distance and other reasons.  This knowledge about sampling assists me in determining the methods I would use to gather information that I need for my Research Paper as well as shows me how to avoid unnecessary cost and time wastage. Sampling would also enable me to gather data from a wider cross section of respondents who come from far flung locations.

Reference:

Unit 4 - Research Design. (pgs 51-71) (2016). Retrieved from UWI Open Campus: http://201610.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/13539/mod_resource/content/0/MGMT2063_u4-20150914.pdf

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The focus of Unit 3 was on the role of Communication in the Research Process.  The information showed where the communication is a two-way process between the researcher and the requesting entity, and it is the responsibility of the researcher to provide the results to all parties involved since they would have an interest in the research and its findings whether positive or negative so that they may make informed decisions as necessary.  I saw the important role the researcher plays since he acts as an intermediary between the various parties and that communication is central to the entire process.

I understand the need for the Research Proposal to be written since it would clearly outline the parameters for the proposed study and would allow the company to determine its suitability for their needs.  I think that clearly charting a particular plan of action is applicable not only to this project but also to everyday life.  The coursework further stated that the accepted proposal becomes a contract between the researcher and the company and I must say that I did not consider it in that way.  In addition, although business research proposals vary depending on their purpose, the type of research required and the researcher, they basically follow a standard format

Next, I examined the Research Report which is a written report designed to provide feedback on the study that was done and its findings.  This is presented to the study-commissioning entity.  In my opinion, this can be likened to a student’s report card, in that the student is required to study particular subjects over a given time frame.  After which they are tested and the findings/results are presented to parents in the form of a Report Card.

The various parts of a Research Report were provided, such as the Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Results/Findings.  While similarities exist between writing the Research Proposal and the Research Report, one important difference for me is that the Research Proposal is written in the future tense, while the Research Report is written in the past tense.  I found this was an interesting point that I did not consider before.

I also learned that apart from presenting a written Research Report giving the findings of the study, an oral presentation is often expected as well.  I had previously thought that the written report was enough and was not particularly thrilled about this information.  I was already aware that a report should have an introduction, body and conclusion and that an oral presentation allows for greater impact.  However, this information served as reinforcement for me.

Reference:

Unit 3 – Communication in the Research Process (pgs 35-50) (n.d.). Retrieved from UWI Open Campus: http://201610.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/13531/mod_resource/content/0/MGMT2063_u3-20150909.pdf

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This Unit outlined the various steps necessary when conducting research such as defining the specific research question, searching for information related to the question, and analysing the information gathered.

I realise that research is a systematic process used to obtain information which is then analysed before being disseminated to users.  To me this means that a person should be organised when conducting any type of research.  Data gathered is important to users because it may enable them to solve problems or gain insights into new opportunities for business development or improvements.  What I found interesting was that, even though the research process can be linear, in that you move from one stage to another, many times it does not follow that sequence.  Instead, a person may need to revisit earlier stages of research in order to make changes or to pull out information that may be needed in order to complete later stages of the research.  This was my experience in an earlier course where i had to do a paper which necessitated me moving back and forth through the paper in order to compare and utilise information for various sections.  I also learnt that even though research may comprise 6 stages, more stages may be required depending on how the process is approached.  This does not change the basic process that should be followed.

Also, I saw where problem definition is necessary and it is important to ask the right question in order to arrive at the best possible solution or to derive the most benefit from whatever analysis would be conducted.  This is true even in daily life, in that in order to provide the best possible solution to a problem, or make the right decision, it is necessary to have a comprehensive knowledge of the issues at hand and this is usually arrived at by asking the right questions.   I also noted that sometimes there may not be a problem, but a business might be trying to improve operations or venture into new markets and may thus decide to conduct research.  That is why this area needs to be very carefully thought out in order that the best possible data is gathered.

Once the problem is clearly defined and data gathered, a literature review is conducted where the data is studied in order to give a clear idea to the user about information already available on their problem.  I think this is a good idea since it prevents the person from wasting time in researching what is already available, as well as providing the researcher with information from a variety of sources.  To me, this can also show whether any gaps in the previous research exist or identify mistakes that were made in previous research that was conducted.

References:

Unit 2 – The Research Process (pgs 19-34) (n.d.). Retrieved from UWI Open Campus: http://201610.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/13525/mod_resource/content/0/MGMT2063_u2-20150825.pdf

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This Unit introduces research as an investigative process that seeks to obtain answers to a variety of questions.  It also characterises it as a systematic, organised, methodological process of gathering information.  Business research goes more in depth in that it asks specific questions in order to find solutions to a wide range of business problems.  This examination may be directed towards the business itself in order to gather information about issues such as employee morale and productivity; or the examination may be directed outside of the business in order to obtain information on issues such as customer satisfaction and how customers feel about the products and services that a business may be offering.

Business research should be conducted continually for several reasons and failure to do this can result in the business losing touch with its customers as well as current market trends and innovations that may be useful for its success.  Business research can be conducted in order for the business to understand its present customers, identify new customers, pinpoint and solve business problems, take advantage of new opportunities, prepare for expansion, set achievable targets, as well as for strategic planning.

I learnt that there are 3 major types of research, which are, Exploratory research -conducted in areas where there is little or no information available on the particular matter under consideration.  Information is gathered in order to clarify problems or prioritize the areas of research that should be undertaken.  Descriptive research is concerned with finding out who, what, where, when, why and how.  A business may therefore conduct this type of research in order to gather valuable information about who its customers are, their preferences, where they shop, the reasons why a particular brand is purchased over another, as well as how they feel about a particular brand of product.  Casual research is also used when a business has identified a particular problem and wishes to determine the cause of the problem.  The purpose of the research being done therefore determines the type of business research that would be conducted.

When conducting business research, certain ideas are used to guide the decisions that are made and the research philosophy that is used is one of these ideas.  There are 3 main research philosophies which are epistemology which deals with the nature of knowledge and its acceptability; ontology which deals with the nature of reality and how the world operates, and axiology which looks at the nature of values and deals with the role that values play in research.  The approach to research was also examined and this entails either using deductive reasoning, where the conclusion arrived at is based on a general known premise, or inductive reasoning where the process of establishing the conclusion is based on observing particular facts.  It was further outlined that the research strategy to be used can be qualitative, quantitative or mixed method that uses both qualitative and quantitative research strategies.

In addition to the foregoing, ethics in research is also important and the researcher should use ethics as a guide when conducting research.  The relationship of the sponsor of the research and the researcher is important and the researcher should be careful that he/she remains professional and objective in the research process, while the sponsor should not try to influence the results but should remain open to whatever conclusions the researcher may arrive it.  Technology can also be a valuable tool in research but the drawback to its usage is that it may exclude those persons who may not, for a variety of reasons, have access to it.

References:

Unit 1 – Introduction to Business Research (pgs 1-17) (n.d.). Retrieved from UWI Open Campus: http://201610.tle.courses.open.uwi.edu/pluginfile.php/13518/mod_resource/content/1/MGMT2063_u1-20150823-2.pdf

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The VARK test was not strange to me since i had done it sometime before.  However the padlet is a different thing and will definitely take getting used to. There seems to be so many assignments that are due around the same time.  Definitely confusing! I have the fish-out-of-water feeling!!!

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We were asked to create this padlet.  It's a new experience for me and i'm waiting to see how it unfolds.

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April 25