Portfolio of Evidence: Research Methods for Business

This Coursework will be based on 2 tasks associated with Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 of one of the required texts: Sekaran, U., and Bougie, R., (2016), Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach (7th ed.). United Kingdom: Wiley. So, before you begin the coursework you should read these chapters and any other relevant academic works, based on your own research.

Thereafter, you are required to prepare a portfolio of evidence based on ALL of the following questions:

Task 1

1.Describe the key purpose of observation, outlining advantages and disadvantages of this research approach to collecting data.  

2.Discuss four dimensions that distinguish various approaches to observation.

3.A disadvantage of observation is observer bias. Discuss at least two ways of minimizing observer bias.

4.Provide a critical evaluation of the ethics of using concealed observation as a research method.

Task 2

1.Advancements in technology have helped data gathering via online survey questionnaires? Discuss the mechanisms that can be used to administer online questionnaires and outline the advantages and disadvantages that may occur.

2.Explain the principles of wording, stating how these are important in questionnaire design, citing examples not in the book.

3.How are multiple methods of data collection and from multiple sources related to the reliability and validity of the measures?

4."Every data collection method has its own built-in biases. Therefore, resorting to multi-methods of data collection is only going to compound the biases." Provide a critique of this statement.

Format for submission: Students should submit their portfolio of evidence in WORD FORMAT on BBL

Total number of words: 5000 (plus 10%). This excludes title page, contents page, references and appendices

Submission deadline: 30  july 2020(11;59)

Guide to Task 1

No need for an introduction or a conclusion – just state the questions and answer them one by one.

A helpful resource is chapter 8 of Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business.

Task 1

5.Describe the key purpose of observation, outlining advantages and disadvantages of this research approach to collecting data.  

- define observation – what is meant by ‘observation’ as a research method in a general sense?

- what is the purpose of observation?

- advantages and disadvantages, pp. 142-143  

Discuss four dimensions that distinguish various approaches to observation.

- four dimensions to consider are controlled/uncontrolled, participant/nonparticipant, structured/unstructured and concealed/unconcealed.  

A disadvantage of observation is observer bias. Discuss at least two ways of minimizing observer bias.

Task 2

5.Advancements in technology have helped data gathering via online survey questionnaires. Discuss the mechanisms that can be used to administer online questionnaires and outline the advantages and disadvantages that may occur.

6.Explain the principles of wording, stating how these are important in questionnaire design, citing examples not in the book.

Multi-methods and multiple methods can refer to combinations of methods that are, for example, both quantitative (for example, a questionnaire combined with an analysis of another form of quantitative data). For questions 3 and 4 your focus should be research that combines quantitative and qualitative research.  

7.How are multiple methods of data collection and from multiple sources related to the reliability and validity of the measures?

Mixed Methods

This needs supplementing with your own research reading and course materials/articles recommended for reading.

Every data collection method has its own built-in biases. Therefore, resorting to multi-methods of data collection is only going to compound the biases." Provide a critique of this statement.