Research skills
Week 1 – Lecture 1
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge.
Research is a process of collecting and analysing information to increase our understanding
of a topic or issue.
Good research questions are relevant, precise, feasible and well-positioned within the field.
Additional criteria: generalizability, managerial/societal relevance, academic/theoretical
relevance and strategies.
Steps to take:
1. Start with a broad topic or management question. Also known as the central concept.
The central concept needs to be narrowed down by making it more specific.
2. Potential factors to the central concept:
3. Explanatory mechanism: why do we expect a relationship?
4. Moderators: have an effect on the relation of the factor and central concept.
Week 2 – Lecture 2
Video 1
Research paper process:
- Introduction/research question;
- Literature review;
- Research method;
- Data analysis;
- Conclusion, discussion.
Hourglass model: from a general problem to a visible question.
- Introduction;
- Literature review;
- Hypotheses and conceptual model;
- Method;
- Results;
- Conclusion and discussion
• Scientific implementations;
• Practical implementations;
• Limitations and directions for future research.
The research question is key as it determines the:
- Overall focus;
- Literature review;
- Methodology;
- Analysis;
- Reporting.
A research question is a question that a study or research project aims to answer.
- They arise from the identified problem;
- They identify the information that is needed to solve the central problem;
- Sub-questions for a research question are interrelated together they will provide an
answer for your central problem.
How to make a research question:
- Choose a broad topic;
- Do some preliminary reading to find out about the topical debates and issues;
, - Narrow down a specific niche that you want to focus on;
- Identify a practical or theoretical research problem that you will address.
A strong research question is specific, feasible, original, relevant, complex and arguable,
researchable and focused.
The research question should frame how you intend to address the problem. The research aim
is the overall purpose of your research. The research objectives are the concrete steps you
will take to achieve the aim.
Format paragraphs:
1. The problem – why is the study important and relevant?
2. What do we know? What don’t we know?
3. The research question – and how do you address it?
4. Summary of findings
5. Contributions
6. Structure of the paper
In the conclusion you should accomplish these goals:
- Summarise what the reader has learned;
- Discuss directions for future research.
Linking questions to conceptual framework:
Week 3 – Lecture 3
Video 1
Why is it so important to answer the research question? What is the problem? There are two
sub-steps you can use:
1. Add relevance
What is the practical relevance for the answer to the research question?
2. Add theory
Common arguments:
• Because we know little about X whilst theory suggest that…
• Conflicting evidence from prior research…
Toulmin model:
Week 1 – Lecture 1
Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge.
Research is a process of collecting and analysing information to increase our understanding
of a topic or issue.
Good research questions are relevant, precise, feasible and well-positioned within the field.
Additional criteria: generalizability, managerial/societal relevance, academic/theoretical
relevance and strategies.
Steps to take:
1. Start with a broad topic or management question. Also known as the central concept.
The central concept needs to be narrowed down by making it more specific.
2. Potential factors to the central concept:
3. Explanatory mechanism: why do we expect a relationship?
4. Moderators: have an effect on the relation of the factor and central concept.
Week 2 – Lecture 2
Video 1
Research paper process:
- Introduction/research question;
- Literature review;
- Research method;
- Data analysis;
- Conclusion, discussion.
Hourglass model: from a general problem to a visible question.
- Introduction;
- Literature review;
- Hypotheses and conceptual model;
- Method;
- Results;
- Conclusion and discussion
• Scientific implementations;
• Practical implementations;
• Limitations and directions for future research.
The research question is key as it determines the:
- Overall focus;
- Literature review;
- Methodology;
- Analysis;
- Reporting.
A research question is a question that a study or research project aims to answer.
- They arise from the identified problem;
- They identify the information that is needed to solve the central problem;
- Sub-questions for a research question are interrelated together they will provide an
answer for your central problem.
How to make a research question:
- Choose a broad topic;
- Do some preliminary reading to find out about the topical debates and issues;
, - Narrow down a specific niche that you want to focus on;
- Identify a practical or theoretical research problem that you will address.
A strong research question is specific, feasible, original, relevant, complex and arguable,
researchable and focused.
The research question should frame how you intend to address the problem. The research aim
is the overall purpose of your research. The research objectives are the concrete steps you
will take to achieve the aim.
Format paragraphs:
1. The problem – why is the study important and relevant?
2. What do we know? What don’t we know?
3. The research question – and how do you address it?
4. Summary of findings
5. Contributions
6. Structure of the paper
In the conclusion you should accomplish these goals:
- Summarise what the reader has learned;
- Discuss directions for future research.
Linking questions to conceptual framework:
Week 3 – Lecture 3
Video 1
Why is it so important to answer the research question? What is the problem? There are two
sub-steps you can use:
1. Add relevance
What is the practical relevance for the answer to the research question?
2. Add theory
Common arguments:
• Because we know little about X whilst theory suggest that…
• Conflicting evidence from prior research…
Toulmin model:
