MA Marketing, MA Marketing with eCommerce, MSc eCommerce with Marketing, MA Marketing Studies Resear

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MA Marketing, MA Marketing with eCommerce, MSc
eCommerce with Marketing, MA Marketing Studies
Research Methods

• Gary Akehurst
• University of Portsmouth

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Research Methods

• Aims
• to provide an understanding of the main
  methodological approaches to research in
  marketing
• to enable you to select a research strategy
  suitable for your project
• to introduce the theoretical and practical issues
  surrounding the development of a research project

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Research Methods

• Aims continued
• to introduce areas of qualitative and
  quantitative data collection and analysis
• to provide practical guidance on writing-up the
  research project

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Research Methods

• research methods in marketing and management
  research
• identify and evaluate different research
  paradigms
• develop research planning, design and execution
  skills

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Research Methods

• analyse data and present findings within an
  appropriate conceptual framework
• use computer based approaches to data analysis
• identify good research management practice and
  presentation

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Research Methods

• identify a suitable research area within
  marketing which can contribute to the achievement
  and enhancement of competitive advantage

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Research Methods

• Unit Syllabus
• The role of research in marketing
• The role of theory in research methods
• Aims of specific research topics, topic
  selection, sources, characteristics and
  techniques for generating good research topics
• Problem solving
• The research project
• Identifying good practice in the research process
  and presentation
• Issues of structure and style
• Planning the project
• Research issues - access to data, ethics and
  confidentiality deductive and grounded theory
  approaches
• Reviewing the literature

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Research Methods

• Choosing and justifying research methods
  appropriateness as the key criterion
• Approaches to triangulation
• Survey research design approaches to and
  planning of survey research questionnaire
  format, scaling and presentation analytic and
  descriptive surveys and the presentation of
  findings fieldwork ethnographic interviews and
  participant observation
• Action research - issues, principles and methods
  the researcher as an interventionist
• Conduct in the field negotiating access
  recording and analysing data
• Comparisons with experiments and
  quasi-experiments
• Qualitative research
• Data analysis - statistical methods, computer
  packages, MINITAB/SPSS

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Research Methods

• Programme
• Introduction to the unit
• Types of research and research levels
• The Dissertation
• Planning a research project -
• Warwick Castle Park
• The Research Process
• Planning and controlling a research project
• St Matthias Church

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Research Methods

• Programme continued
• Research Planning and Control
• Ideas Generation
• Theoretical Frameworks
• Hypotheses Development
• Exercises

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Research Methods

• Programme continued
• Ethical considerations
• Ethical cases studies
• Negotiating Access
• Access case studies
• Survey Research
• Questionnaires

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Research Methods

• Programme continued
• Interviewing
• Management of problems
• Cases
• Observational Methods
• Supervisor Management
• Experimentation
• How am I doing?

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Research Methods

• Programme continued
• Data processing and analysis
• Presenting Results
• writing up
• Critical review of published marketing papers
• Managing the Dissertation process
• Discussion

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Research Methods

• If you are taking a 5 credit unit you will
  prepare a research proposal by Thursday 25 April
  2002
• If you are taking a 10 credit unit you will
  prepare a research proposal and an independent
  literature review by Thursday 25 April 2002

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Research Methods
Assessment (10 credit unit) 1. A prepared
research proposal 50 2. An independent
critical literature review of a chosen
marketing topic. 50
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Research Methods

• Assessment (5 credit unit)
• A prepared research proposal 100

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Research Methods
Assessment 100 for 5 credit unit 50 for 10
credit unit A prepared research proposal with
clearly defined aims, objectives, research
problem, methodology and time plan Maximum
length seven sides A4 or up to 2,000
words Deadline Thursday 25 April 2002
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Research Methods
Assessment of Research Proposal Criteria (a)
clarity of purpose and identification of
research problem 30 (b) exposition and
clarification of existing knowledge 20 (c)
clarity and feasibility of plan 30 (d)
quality of presentation in terms of style,
layout and acknowledgement of sources 20
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Research Methods

• Assessment (10 credit units only)
• 50 for 10 credit unit
• An independent critical literature review of a
  chosen marketing topic. The review to demonstrate
  an understanding of the state of knowledge of
  that topic and its historical development. Fully
  referenced.
• Maximum length eight sides A4 or 2,500 words
• Deadline Thursday 25 April 2002

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Research Methods

• A literature review shows your mastery of the
  existing knowledge of a given marketing topic.
• The review shows your understanding of how the
  topic has been initiated, developed and extended
  over time
• A good review will show clearly the historical
  development of the topic, the main schools of
  thought or main authors and the current state
  of play
• The main sources of reference will be academic
  journals and research books (rather than text
  books)

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Research Methods

• Assessment of Literature Review Criteria
• (a) structured exposition and
• clarification of existing knowledge
• of the topic 50
• (b) clear identification of the historical
  development of the topic 30
• (c) quality of presentation in terms of
• style, layout and acknowledgement
• of sources 20

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Research Methods

• We aim to return marked course work with feedback
  within 3 weeks of submission.
• Due to the nature of the students work, the form
  of the assignment and possible prior tutor
  consultation, it may not always be possible to
  mark the assignment anonymously.
• In accordance with the Universitys Assessment
  Regulations, work submitted after the published
  submission date, but within two weeks of the due
  date or the end of the semester (which ever is
  the sooner) will be marked. The mark awarded
  will be capped at the unit pass mark of 40 but
  the uncapped mark will also be shown on the work.
  Work submitted later than two weeks will be
  marked but a mark of zero will be recorded.
  Where an Extenuating Circumstances Form is
  submitted and accepted, then assessment penalties
  may be waived.

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Research Methods

• Dissertation
• for award of MA or MSc you are required to
  undertake a comprehensive, rigorous and
  independent analysis of a marketing area
• this analysis results in submission of a
  dissertation of approximately 15,000 words
• you are required to demonstrate your ability to
  understand, analyse, apply and evaluate marketing
  theories, concepts and approaches

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Research Methods

• Before you begin your dissertation you prepare a
  Research Proposal for discussion with tutors
• it is a first step in peer evaluation of your
  proposed dissertation
• it summarises the proposed dissertation topic and
  how it is to be investigated
• it allows others to assess your purpose and
  demonstrates your logic, discipline and
  organisation
• it assesses the clarity of your design
• it assesses the extent of your understanding of
  existing knowledge in the chosen area

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Research Methods

• Research Proposal (continued)
• assesses where your research fits in with and
  extends knowledge
• assesses your fitness for undertaking the project
• it is a statement of intent

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Research Methods

• Research Proposal
• states the research question to be investigated
• states how the research question relates to,
  builds on or differs from previous work in the
  field
• describes the proposed methodology (how, what and
  where data will be collected) and how this may be
  interpreted

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Research Methods

• You should structure your Research Proposal as
  follows
• 1. overall aim (research problem to be addressed)
• 2. objectives
• 3. background knowledge (fully referenced)
• 4. Plan with dates, showing clearly
  stages/phases, research methods to be used and
  possible outcomes
• 5. possible conclusions

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Research Methods

• All criteria to assess your work will be
  explained in full.
• If you are in doubt about anything concerning the
  unit and the work required please ask

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Research Methods

• Dissertation Deadlines
• Full-time - 1 November 2002
• after completion of all taught units
• (or 1 April 2003 with restriction of mark to 40)
• Part-time - 1 April 2003
• after completion of all taught units
• (or 1 November 2003 but restricted to a maximum
  mark of 40)

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Research Methods

• Barnett, V., 1991, Sample Survey. Principles and
  Methods, (2nd Ed), London Edward Arnold
• Bell, J., 1993, Doing Your Research Project (2nd
  Edition), Buckingham Open University
• Blaxter, L., Hughes, C. and M. Tight, 1996, How
  to Research, Buckingham Open University Press
• Chisnall, P.M., 1997, Marketing Research, London
  McGraw-Hill
• Cryer, P., 1996, The Research Students Guide to
  Success, Buckingham Open University Press
• Denscombe, M., 1998, The Good Research Guide,
  Buckingham Open University Press
• Diamantopoulos, A. and B.B. Schlegelmilch, 1997,
  Taking The Fear Out of Data Analysis, London The
  Dryden Press
• Howard, K. and J.A. Sharp, 1983, The Management
  of a Student Research Project, Aldershot Gower
• Huck, S.W. and W.H. Cormier, 1996, Reading
  Statistics and Research New York Harper Collins

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Research Methods

• Malhotra, N.K., 1999, Marketing Research An
  Applied Orientation (3rd edition), New Jersey
  Prentice Hall
• Orna, E. and G. Stevens, 1995, Managing
  Information for Research, Buckingham Open
  University Press
• Proctor, T., 1997, Essentials of Marketing
  Research, London Pitman
• Riley, M., Wood, R., Clark, M., Wilkie, E. and E.
  Szivas, 2001, Researching and Writing
  Dissertations in Business and Management, London
  Business Press
• Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and A. Thornhill, 1997,
  Research Methods for Business Students, London
  Pitman Publishing
• Silverman, D., 2000, Doing Qualitative Research
  A Practical Handbook, London Sage