A research design, either descriptive or causal, is chosen based on a project’s objectives. Then next step is to select a means of gathering data. There are six basic research methods. A brief description of these methods as explained by McKenzie and Danforth (2009) is as follows:
4.4.1
Observations research
Observation research is examining patterns of behaviour as opposed to asking respondents why they do what they do. Observation is a process through which primary data is obtained by observers (humans or machines) about the behaviour (Leroy 2012).
4.4.2
Experiments research
Experiments are the method researchers use to gather data. Experiment research is distinguished by the researcher’s changing one or more independent variables and observing the effects of those changes on a dependent variable. The objective of experiments is to measure causality. The best experiments are those in which all factors other than the ones being manipulated are held constant. This enables the researcher to infer with confidence that changes in sales, for example, are caused by changes in the amount of money spent on advertising McKenzie and Danforth (2009).
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4.4.3
Literature review method
The literature review in a research study accomplishes several purposes. It shares with the reader the results of other studies that are closely related to the study being reported. it relates a study to the larger on-going dialogue in the literature about a topic, filling in gaps and extending prior studies (Creswell 2002). In any research project it is essential for the researchers to understand what has already been done in that specific domain and what has been done in the wider subject area of that topic (Adams et al. 2007).
The importance of a literature review can only be appreciated when researcher ask themselves a number of specific questions. As proposed by (Adams et al. 2007), when conducting a literature review a researcher need to know the answers to the following questions:
(A) Has the work already been done?
(B) Who are the experts in the field?
(C) What are the main theoretical perspectives?
(D) What are the common research methods in the topic?
(E) What are the main problems in researching the topic?
(F) Are there any major controversies in this topic area?
(G) Is the topic open to hypothesis testing?
(H) Is the topic a trivial one?
The only way of answering these questions is by reading as much as the researcher can on research which is directly related to the research topic and research which is indirectly related to it and research which may be related to it.
4.4.4
Case study
Case studies are used to study particular phenomena in particular settings. The case study method is very common in business research and is particularly use- ful for the analysis of organisations (Adams et al. 2007). However, it can be narrow in scope and a generalisation can be very difficult. It is often used to determine if a certain approach works in a particular setting. Nevertheless, the case study can be a very powerful research tool in terms of questioning accepted
theory. A case study uses a variety of research methods and can happily accom- modate quantitative data and qualitative material (Fisher et al. 2010). In case studies, researchers typically use a mixed data collection approach, utilising a combination of observation, surveys and interviews (Adams et al. 2007).
4.4.5
Applied research
Applied research is research that is intended to answer practical questions or solve practical problems (Gravetter and Forzano 2012). The principal aim of scientists conducting applied research is to improve human conditions, although the results can have commercial value. It is directly related to social and policy issues (Adams et al. 2007). Applied research is used either to find solutions to specific problems or help practitioners in the accomplishment of tasks. Unlike basic research, applied research emphasizes solution-seeking than theory formu- lation (Neuman 2009).
4.4.6
Survey research
Survey studies ask large numbers of people questions about their behaviours, attitudes, and opinions. Some surveys merely describe what people say they think and do. Other survey studies attempt to find relationships between the characteristics of the respondents and their reported behaviours and opinions (Marczyk et al. 2005). Campbell and Katona (1953) delineated nine general steps for conducting a survey. These steps are as follows:
(A) General objectives: This step involves defining the general purpose and goal of the survey.
(B) Specific objectives: This step involves developing more specificity regarding the types of data that will be collected, and specifying the hypothesis to be tested.
(C) Sample: The major foci of this step are to determine the specific population that will be surveyed, to decide on an appropriate sample, and to determine the criteria that will be used to select the sample.
(D) Questionnaire: The focus of this step is deciding how the sample is to be surveyed and developing the specific questions that will be used.
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(E) Fieldwork: This step involves making decisions about the individuals who will actually administer the surveys, and about their qualifications, hiring, and training.
(F) Content analysis: This involves transforming the often qualitative, open- ended survey responses into quantitative data. This may involve developing coding procedures, establishing the reliability of the coding procedures, and developing careful data screening and cleaning procedures.
(G) Analysis plan: In general, these procedures are fairly straightforward be- cause the analysis of survey data is typically confined to descriptive and correlational statistics.
(H) Tabulation: This step involves decisions about data entry.
(I) Analysis and reporting: As with all studies, the final steps are to conduct the data analyses, prepare a final report or manuscript, and disseminate the study’s findings. Although a range of methods for conducting surveys are available, the most popular are face-to-face, telephone, and mail. In general, each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. The principal advantage of survey studies is that they provide information on large groups of people, with very little effort, and in a cost-effective manner (Marczyk et al. 2005). Surveys allow researchers to assess a wider variety of behaviours and other phenomena than can be studied in a typical naturalistic observation study.