purpose of undertaking research

Community Blog

Keep up-to-date on postgraduate related issues with our quick reads written by students, postdocs, professors and industry leaders.

What is Research? – Purpose of Research

• By DiscoverPhDs
• September 10, 2020

The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts and ideas. A research purpose is met through forming hypotheses, collecting data, analysing results, forming conclusions, implementing findings into real-life applications and forming new research questions.

What is Research

Simply put, research is the process of discovering new knowledge. This knowledge can be either the development of new concepts or the advancement of existing knowledge and theories, leading to a new understanding that was not previously known.

As a more formal definition of research, the following has been extracted from the Code of Federal Regulations :

While research can be carried out by anyone and in any field, most research is usually done to broaden knowledge in the physical, biological, and social worlds. This can range from learning why certain materials behave the way they do, to asking why certain people are more resilient than others when faced with the same challenges.

The use of ‘systematic investigation’ in the formal definition represents how research is normally conducted – a hypothesis is formed, appropriate research methods are designed, data is collected and analysed, and research results are summarised into one or more ‘research conclusions’. These research conclusions are then shared with the rest of the scientific community to add to the existing knowledge and serve as evidence to form additional questions that can be investigated. It is this cyclical process that enables scientific research to make continuous progress over the years; the true purpose of research.

What is the Purpose of Research

From weather forecasts to the discovery of antibiotics, researchers are constantly trying to find new ways to understand the world and how things work – with the ultimate goal of improving our lives.

The purpose of research is therefore to find out what is known, what is not and what we can develop further. In this way, scientists can develop new theories, ideas and products that shape our society and our everyday lives.

Although research can take many forms, there are three main purposes of research:

• Exploratory: Exploratory research is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. Exploration research therefore aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables us to conduct more in-depth research later on.
• Descriptive: Descriptive research expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its characteristics and population. Descriptive research focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, but not on the ‘why’.
• Explanatory: Explanatory research, also referred to as casual research, is conducted to determine how variables interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Explanatory research deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.

Characteristics of Research

There are 8 core characteristics that all research projects should have. These are:

• Empirical  – based on proven scientific methods derived from real-life observations and experiments.
• Logical  – follows sequential procedures based on valid principles.
• Cyclic  – research begins with a question and ends with a question, i.e. research should lead to a new line of questioning.
• Controlled  – vigorous measures put into place to keep all variables constant, except those under investigation.
• Hypothesis-based  – the research design generates data that sufficiently meets the research objectives and can prove or disprove the hypothesis. It makes the research study repeatable and gives credibility to the results.
• Analytical  – data is generated, recorded and analysed using proven techniques to ensure high accuracy and repeatability while minimising potential errors and anomalies.
• Objective  – sound judgement is used by the researcher to ensure that the research findings are valid.
• Statistical treatment  – statistical treatment is used to transform the available data into something more meaningful from which knowledge can be gained.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Types of Research

Research can be divided into two main types: basic research (also known as pure research) and applied research.

Basic Research

Basic research, also known as pure research, is an original investigation into the reasons behind a process, phenomenon or particular event. It focuses on generating knowledge around existing basic principles.

Basic research is generally considered ‘non-commercial research’ because it does not focus on solving practical problems, and has no immediate benefit or ways it can be applied.

While basic research may not have direct applications, it usually provides new insights that can later be used in applied research.

Applied Research

Applied research investigates well-known theories and principles in order to enhance knowledge around a practical aim. Because of this, applied research focuses on solving real-life problems by deriving knowledge which has an immediate application.

Methods of Research

Research methods for data collection fall into one of two categories: inductive methods or deductive methods.

Inductive research methods focus on the analysis of an observation and are usually associated with qualitative research. Deductive research methods focus on the verification of an observation and are typically associated with quantitative research.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is a method that enables non-numerical data collection through open-ended methods such as interviews, case studies and focus groups .

It enables researchers to collect data on personal experiences, feelings or behaviours, as well as the reasons behind them. Because of this, qualitative research is often used in fields such as social science, psychology and philosophy and other areas where it is useful to know the connection between what has occurred and why it has occurred.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is a method that collects and analyses numerical data through statistical analysis.

It allows us to quantify variables, uncover relationships, and make generalisations across a larger population. As a result, quantitative research is often used in the natural and physical sciences such as engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, finance, and medical research, etc.

What does Research Involve?

Research often follows a systematic approach known as a Scientific Method, which is carried out using an hourglass model.

A research project first starts with a problem statement, or rather, the research purpose for engaging in the study. This can take the form of the ‘ scope of the study ’ or ‘ aims and objectives ’ of your research topic.

Subsequently, a literature review is carried out and a hypothesis is formed. The researcher then creates a research methodology and collects the data.

The data is then analysed using various statistical methods and the null hypothesis is either accepted or rejected.

In both cases, the study and its conclusion are officially written up as a report or research paper, and the researcher may also recommend lines of further questioning. The report or research paper is then shared with the wider research community, and the cycle begins all over again.

Although these steps outline the overall research process, keep in mind that research projects are highly dynamic and are therefore considered an iterative process with continued refinements and not a series of fixed stages.

Impostor Syndrome is a common phenomenon amongst PhD students, leading to self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. How can we overcome these feelings?

Are you always finding yourself working on sections of your research tasks right up until your deadlines? Are you still finding yourself distracted the moment

An academic transcript gives a breakdown of each module you studied for your degree and the mark that you were awarded.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

Browse PhDs Now

A concept paper is a short document written by a researcher before starting their research project, explaining what the study is about, why it is needed and the methods that will be used.

Tenure is a permanent position awarded to professors showing excellence in research and teaching. Find out more about the competitive position!

Emma is a third year PhD student at the University of Rhode Island. Her research focuses on the physiological and genomic response to climate change stressors.

Freya’s in the final year of her PhD at the University of Leeds. Her project is about improving the precision of observations between collocated ground-based weather radar and airborne platforms.

Join Thousands of Students

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Research Methods

1.2 The Process of Undertaking Research

It is important to understand that research itself is a process that is defined by the approach taken to it in the first place. While research uncovers some aspect of how the world is, it also reflects in large part how, where, and when we have asked the questions.

Generally speaking, research is a nine-step process:

Figure 1.1 : Nine–Step research Process ©JIBC 2019

• Choose a topic.
• Review the literature (past research).
• Formulate the problem (find the gap in past research).
• Develop a research question.
• Choose and organize the research design.
• Gather the data.
• Analyze the data.
• Interpret the data.
• Communicate the findings.

Implications of Past and Future Research on Research Process

Figure 1.2 shows the importance of literature review – surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue and area of research and provides a critical evaluation of these works in relation to the current research problem being investigated. At the end of the research any gaps identified forms the basis for future research.

Figure 1.2 Shows the different steps in the research process and the implications of past and future research on research processes © JIBC 2019

Before moving on, it is important to understand a few key terms, particularly as they relate to understanding research.  Click on the following link to download a PDF that describes the difference between research methods, research techniques, and research methodology. These definitions will also help you with the final assignment. You may want to print this document up and pin it to your computer for easy reference as you move through the course.

Research-Methods-Techniques-Methodology

Research Methods for the Social Sciences: An Introduction Copyright © 2020 by Valerie Sheppard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

• - Google Chrome

Intended for healthcare professionals

• Access provided by Google Indexer
• My email alerts
• BMA member login
• Username * Password * Forgot your log in details? Need to activate BMA Member Log In Log in via OpenAthens Log in via your institution

Search form

• Advanced search
• Search responses
• Search blogs
• How to undertake...

How to undertake research without suffering burnout

• Related content
• Peer review
• Catherine Tregoning , self employed chartered psychologist and formerly postdoctoral research fellow, Health Education North West ,
• Paul Baker , foundation school director, Health Education North West
• catherinetregoning{at}yahoo.com

Undertaking research provides valuable skills and experience as well as an increased workload. Catherine Tregoning and Paul Baker advise trainees on how to successfully combine academic and clinical work

The research and development team at Health Education North West is often asked for advice from doctors either looking for a research opportunity or undertaking an early project in medical education. Even those with limited research experience can quickly develop their skills. However, it is the wider impact on their lives, often in addition to full time work, which can be harder to cope with.

Undertaking research is highly beneficial to trainees: firstly, conducting a study will give doctors valuable insight into how validity and reliability are achieved, helping them to consider research presented by others. Secondly, research experience can help boost a doctor’s CV when competition for posts is high.

It is important to plan a research project well and be realistic about how it will fit in with other aspects of life. Doctors are often conscious of issues such as work-life balance and family time when making specialty choices, and they need to do the same when considering research.

One of the most common mistakes we see in the researchers we mentor is the failure, when planning their project, to gauge the amount of time a project will take. Some do not plan at all; the importance of planning should not be underestimated. The percentage of the week that research will take up will depend largely on the size of the study or the reason doctors are doing it, or both.

Researchers should begin by drawing up a project plan, considering each stage. This may begin with some background research and an initial literature review, an application for ethical or research governance approval, and a pilot study, before the main body of data is collected, analysed, and written up. A good plan should include a list of all tasks to be completed at each stage of the project.

To develop the plan into a logical, well thought out, time based schedule of work trainees should consider carefully how long each task may take. Researchers need to decide on the order in which tasks should be done and when to aim to complete each one. They should also think about the support and any potential funding that may be needed.

One of our trainees came for supervision of a project she was undertaking as part of a wider training scheme. She had one day a week protected working time to do the necessary research. From the start she was encouraged to devise a research plan and at every meeting this was emphasised, but she failed to develop the plan. She started the research but we both thought she was not up to where she should be, and she often seemed unclear as to how to progress. Eventually the project folded.

It is impossible to know how many research projects are never completed. However, we do know that it is always disappointing when this happens, particularly when considerable amounts of work have been done. Self motivation is key in independent research. Medical research follows a lengthy process whose outcomes the original researcher may never see. The same applies in medical education research, where a study may be done over many months or even years, with the findings passed on and implemented by someone other than the researcher themselves.

Particularly in academic foundation programmes, time and motivation are extremely important. Successful medical education research is possible, but it requires careful planning and teamwork between the trainee researcher and the supervisor. 1

A researcher’s supervisor and colleagues have a key role, providing feedback and emotional or practical support, or both. It is crucial that researchers have a good supervisor and avoid any obstacles which may demotivate them. These include a lack of clarity about the next step; feeling overloaded or overwhelmed; or having insufficient time and support or emotional resources. It is important that researchers think about what motivates them and use it. For example, is the research driven by a sense of fulfilment, a desire to please others, or simply ambition?

As a profession, doctors tend to be motivated, and this can help them in their research. One doctor we mentored was motivated by focusing on his end goal of success in his career. When finding the research difficult, he recognised his lack of motivation and asked for support from his supervisor and from his clinical team. He also realised that tiredness was becoming an obstacle, so he took a short break from the extra demands of his project and came back a few weeks later feeling more energised and motivated to complete.

Interference

An appropriate level of stress can be a positive thing in a supportive environment, motivating us to improve. However, if the combined demands of work and life begin to get on top of the trainee, he or she will cease to enjoy or be able to handle the extra workload. It is at this point when research projects fail to be completed.

In 1996 Shelley and Granger looked at stress as a component of working life. Ultimately, this can lead to a “flight or fight” response and may be a determinant in doctors leaving a research project. 2 Looking at type A behaviour (ambitious and competitive), they said that such behaviour was seen more often in doctors than in other health professionals and was “associated with a high level of job satisfaction, a low perception of occupational stress and a low requirement for sick leave.”

It is believed that this type of personality offers doctors a degree of protection against work related stress but also means they are less likely to use strategies to help them cope more effectively, such as seeking support from a research supervisor.

We have seen many doctors whose research has failed owing to high levels of stress. For one doctor, the combined demands of his work, personal circumstances, and research became more than the physical, psychological, and time resources he had available. As an evident type A, he did not want to admit his difficulties and would not ask for help, and despite best efforts to support him he failed to complete his research.

When faced with the competing demands of clinical work and family life, it can be difficult to do research as well. Work and life can impact on each other in different directions. Hence, a research project could interfere with home life (“work-home interference”), and equally home life can interfere with research (“home-work interference”). However, it should also be recognised that a full home and full work life can be a positive, with multiple roles providing increased opportunities and skills.

Work-home interference can be avoided by, for example, agreeing set times at home to work on research and having protected space in which to work. The researcher should also be realistic about how much time a project may take up and whether this is feasible. While home-work interference may be more difficult to manage, it can be useful to compartmentalise different areas and where possible switch off thoughts of home when at work.

One doctor we worked with began as an enthusiastic trainee, keen to undertake a substantial research study. However, it soon became apparent that this would be difficult to juggle with three young children at home. He increasingly felt guilty about the lack of time being spent with his family and the pressure being placed on his relationship with his wife. Eventually the work-home interference became too great and his research ended incomplete. This is a scenario we would like researchers to avoid.

Competing interests: We have read and understood BMJ’s policy on declaration of interests and have no relevant interests to declare.

• ↵ Darbyshire D, Baker P. Encouraging new doctors to do medical education research. Clinical Teacher 2013 ; 10 : 358 -61. OpenUrl
• ↵ Shelley M, Granger CE. Stressing out, or outing stress? European Academy of Anaesthesiology 1996 ; 13 : 543 -5. OpenUrl

Research: Meaning and Purpose

• First Online: 27 October 2022

Cite this chapter

• Kazi Abusaleh 4 &
• Akib Bin Anwar 5  

2220 Accesses

The objective of the chapter is to provide the conceptual framework of the research and research process and draw the importance of research in social sciences. Various books and research papers were reviewed to write the chapter. The chapter defines ‘research’ as a deliberate and systematic scientific investigation into a phenomenon to explore, analyse, and predict about the issues or circumstances, and characterizes ‘research’ as a systematic and scientific mode of inquiry, a way to testify the existing knowledge and theories, and a well-designed process to answer questions in a reliable and unbiased way. This chapter, however, categorizes research into eight types under four headings, explains six steps to carry out a research work scientifically, and finally sketches the importance of research in social sciences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Adams, G. R., & Schvaneveldt, J. D. (1991). Understanding research methods . Addison-Wesley Longman Ltd.

Google Scholar  

Adams, G., & Schvaneveldt, J. (1985). Obtaining Data: Questionnaire and Interview. Understanding research methods (pp. 199–229). Longman.

Adams, S. (1975). Evaluative research in corrections: A practical guide. US Department of Justice, Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

Aminuzzaman, S. M. (1991). Introduction to social research . Bangladesh publishers.

Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., & Sorensen, C. K. (2010). Introduction to research in education (8th ed.). Wardsworth.

Best, J. W., & Kahn, J. V. (1986). Research in education (5th ed.). Prentice Hall.

Bhattacherjee, A. (2012). Social science research: Principles, methods, and practices . University of South Florida.

Black, T. R. (1993). Evaluating social science research: An introduction . Sage.

Borg, W. R., & Gall, M. D. (1963). Educational research: An introduction . David McKay Company.

Burns, A. C. (2006). Marketing research. Pearson Education.

Connaway, L. S., & Powell, R. R. (2010). Basic research methods for librarians . ABC-CLIO.

Cresswell, J. W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting and evaluating qualitative and quantitative research (4th ed.). Merrill & Prentice Hall.

Gebremedhin, T. G., & Tweeten, L. G. (1994). Research methods and communication in the social sciences . ABC-CLIO.

Ghosh, B. N. (1985). Scientific method and social research . Stwiling Publishers/Advent Books Division.

Given, L. M. (Ed.). (2008). The Sage encyclopaedia of qualitative research methods . Sage publications.

Greenwood, D. J., & Levin, M. (2007). Introduction to action research: Social research for social change (2 nd ed.). SAGE publications.

Herr, K., & Anderson, G. L. (2014). The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty . Sage publications.

Kerlinger, F. N. (1964). Foundation behavioural approach . Rinehart & Winston.

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques . New Age International (P) Limited Publishers.

Kumar, R. (2011). Selecting a method of data collection’. Research methodology: a step by step guide for beginners (3 rd ed.). Sage.

Leedy, P. D. (1981). How to read research and understand it . Macmillan.

Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2015). Practical research: planning and design (11th ed.). Global Edition.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2020). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved April 25, 2020 from www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research

Mishra, D. S. (2017). Handbook of research methodology: A Compendium for scholars & researchers . Educreation Publishing.

Narayana, P. S., Varalakshmi, D., Pullaiah, T., & Rao, K. S. (2018). Research methodology in Zoology. Scientific Publishers.

Oxford Learner’s Online Dictionaries (2020). Oxford University Press. Retrieved April 25, 2020 from www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/research_1?q=research

Polansky, N. A. (Ed.). (1960). Social work research: methods for the helping professions . University of Chicago Press.

Selltiz, C., Wrightsman, L. S., & Cook, S. W. (1976). Research methods in social relations . Holt.

Smith, V. H. (1998). Measuring the benefits of social science research (Vol. 2, pp. 01–21). International Food Policy Research Institute.

Somekh, B., & Lewin, C. (2004). Research Methods in the Social Sciences . Sage Publications.

Suchman, E. (1968). Evaluative Research: Principles and Practice in Public Service and Social Action Programs . Russell Sage Foundation.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Dhanmondi, Dhaka, 1209, Bangladesh

Kazi Abusaleh

Community Mobilization Manager, Winrock International, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh

Akib Bin Anwar

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kazi Abusaleh .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Centre for Family and Child Studies, Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

M. Rezaul Islam

Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Niaz Ahmed Khan

Department of Social Work, School of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

Rajendra Baikady

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Abusaleh, K., Anwar, A.B. (2022). Research: Meaning and Purpose. In: Islam, M.R., Khan, N.A., Baikady, R. (eds) Principles of Social Research Methodology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_2

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_2

Published : 27 October 2022

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-19-5219-7

Online ISBN : 978-981-19-5441-2

eBook Packages : Social Sciences

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• Privacy Policy

Buy Me a Coffee

Home » Scientific Research – Types, Purpose and Guide

Scientific Research – Types, Purpose and Guide

Table of Contents

Scientific Research

Definition:

Scientific research is the systematic and empirical investigation of phenomena, theories, or hypotheses, using various methods and techniques in order to acquire new knowledge or to validate existing knowledge.

It involves the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data, as well as the formulation and testing of hypotheses. Scientific research can be conducted in various fields, such as natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering, and may involve experiments, observations, surveys, or other forms of data collection. The goal of scientific research is to advance knowledge, improve understanding, and contribute to the development of solutions to practical problems.

Types of Scientific Research

There are different types of scientific research, which can be classified based on their purpose, method, and application. In this response, we will discuss the four main types of scientific research.

Descriptive Research

Descriptive research aims to describe or document a particular phenomenon or situation, without altering it in any way. This type of research is usually done through observation, surveys, or case studies. Descriptive research is useful in generating ideas, understanding complex phenomena, and providing a foundation for future research. However, it does not provide explanations or causal relationships between variables.

Exploratory Research

Exploratory research aims to explore a new area of inquiry or develop initial ideas for future research. This type of research is usually conducted through observation, interviews, or focus groups. Exploratory research is useful in generating hypotheses, identifying research questions, and determining the feasibility of a larger study. However, it does not provide conclusive evidence or establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Experimental Research

Experimental research aims to test cause-and-effect relationships between variables by manipulating one variable and observing the effects on another variable. This type of research involves the use of an experimental group, which receives a treatment, and a control group, which does not receive the treatment. Experimental research is useful in establishing causal relationships, replicating results, and controlling extraneous variables. However, it may not be feasible or ethical to manipulate certain variables in some contexts.

Correlational Research

Correlational research aims to examine the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them. This type of research involves the use of statistical techniques to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between variables. Correlational research is useful in identifying patterns, predicting outcomes, and testing theories. However, it does not establish causation or control for confounding variables.

Scientific Research Methods

Scientific research methods are used in scientific research to investigate phenomena, acquire knowledge, and answer questions using empirical evidence. Here are some commonly used scientific research methods:

Observational Studies

This method involves observing and recording phenomena as they occur in their natural setting. It can be done through direct observation or by using tools such as cameras, microscopes, or sensors.

Experimental Studies

This method involves manipulating one or more variables to determine the effect on the outcome. This type of study is often used to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Survey Research

This method involves collecting data from a large number of people by asking them a set of standardized questions. Surveys can be conducted in person, over the phone, or online.

Case Studies

This method involves in-depth analysis of a single individual, group, or organization. Case studies are often used to gain insights into complex or unusual phenomena.

Meta-analysis

This method involves combining data from multiple studies to arrive at a more reliable conclusion. This technique can be used to identify patterns and trends across a large number of studies.

Qualitative Research

This method involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data, such as interviews, focus groups, or observations. This type of research is often used to explore complex phenomena and to gain an understanding of people’s experiences and perspectives.

Quantitative Research

This method involves collecting and analyzing numerical data using statistical techniques. This type of research is often used to test hypotheses and to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Longitudinal Studies

This method involves following a group of individuals over a period of time to observe changes and to identify patterns and trends. This type of study can be used to investigate the long-term effects of a particular intervention or exposure.

Data Analysis Methods

There are many different data analysis methods used in scientific research, and the choice of method depends on the type of data being collected and the research question. Here are some commonly used data analysis methods:

• Descriptive statistics: This involves using summary statistics such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and range to describe the basic features of the data.
• Inferential statistics: This involves using statistical tests to make inferences about a population based on a sample of data. Examples of inferential statistics include t-tests, ANOVA, and regression analysis.
• Qualitative analysis: This involves analyzing non-numerical data such as interviews, focus groups, and observations. Qualitative analysis may involve identifying themes, patterns, or categories in the data.
• Content analysis: This involves analyzing the content of written or visual materials such as articles, speeches, or images. Content analysis may involve identifying themes, patterns, or categories in the content.
• Data mining: This involves using automated methods to analyze large datasets to identify patterns, trends, or relationships in the data.
• Machine learning: This involves using algorithms to analyze data and make predictions or classifications based on the patterns identified in the data.

Application of Scientific Research

Scientific research has numerous applications in many fields, including:

• Medicine and healthcare: Scientific research is used to develop new drugs, medical treatments, and vaccines. It is also used to understand the causes and risk factors of diseases, as well as to develop new diagnostic tools and medical devices.
• Agriculture : Scientific research is used to develop new crop varieties, to improve crop yields, and to develop more sustainable farming practices.
• Technology and engineering : Scientific research is used to develop new technologies and engineering solutions, such as renewable energy systems, new materials, and advanced manufacturing techniques.
• Environmental science : Scientific research is used to understand the impacts of human activity on the environment and to develop solutions for mitigating those impacts. It is also used to monitor and manage natural resources, such as water and air quality.
• Education : Scientific research is used to develop new teaching methods and educational materials, as well as to understand how people learn and develop.
• Business and economics: Scientific research is used to understand consumer behavior, to develop new products and services, and to analyze economic trends and policies.
• Social sciences : Scientific research is used to understand human behavior, attitudes, and social dynamics. It is also used to develop interventions to improve social welfare and to inform public policy.

How to Conduct Scientific Research

Conducting scientific research involves several steps, including:

• Identify a research question: Start by identifying a question or problem that you want to investigate. This question should be clear, specific, and relevant to your field of study.
• Conduct a literature review: Before starting your research, conduct a thorough review of existing research in your field. This will help you identify gaps in knowledge and develop hypotheses or research questions.
• Develop a research plan: Once you have a research question, develop a plan for how you will collect and analyze data to answer that question. This plan should include a detailed methodology, a timeline, and a budget.
• Collect data: Depending on your research question and methodology, you may collect data through surveys, experiments, observations, or other methods.
• Analyze data: Once you have collected your data, analyze it using appropriate statistical or qualitative methods. This will help you draw conclusions about your research question.
• Interpret results: Based on your analysis, interpret your results and draw conclusions about your research question. Discuss any limitations or implications of your findings.
• Communicate results: Finally, communicate your findings to others in your field through presentations, publications, or other means.

Purpose of Scientific Research

The purpose of scientific research is to systematically investigate phenomena, acquire new knowledge, and advance our understanding of the world around us. Scientific research has several key goals, including:

• Exploring the unknown: Scientific research is often driven by curiosity and the desire to explore uncharted territory. Scientists investigate phenomena that are not well understood, in order to discover new insights and develop new theories.
• Testing hypotheses: Scientific research involves developing hypotheses or research questions, and then testing them through observation and experimentation. This allows scientists to evaluate the validity of their ideas and refine their understanding of the phenomena they are studying.
• Solving problems: Scientific research is often motivated by the desire to solve practical problems or address real-world challenges. For example, researchers may investigate the causes of a disease in order to develop new treatments, or explore ways to make renewable energy more affordable and accessible.
• Advancing knowledge: Scientific research is a collective effort to advance our understanding of the world around us. By building on existing knowledge and developing new insights, scientists contribute to a growing body of knowledge that can be used to inform decision-making, solve problems, and improve our lives.

Examples of Scientific Research

Here are some examples of scientific research that are currently ongoing or have recently been completed:

• Clinical trials for new treatments: Scientific research in the medical field often involves clinical trials to test new treatments for diseases and conditions. For example, clinical trials may be conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new drugs or medical devices.
• Genomics research: Scientists are conducting research to better understand the human genome and its role in health and disease. This includes research on genetic mutations that can cause diseases such as cancer, as well as the development of personalized medicine based on an individual’s genetic makeup.
• Climate change: Scientific research is being conducted to understand the causes and impacts of climate change, as well as to develop solutions for mitigating its effects. This includes research on renewable energy technologies, carbon capture and storage, and sustainable land use practices.
• Neuroscience : Scientists are conducting research to understand the workings of the brain and the nervous system, with the goal of developing new treatments for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
• Artificial intelligence: Researchers are working to develop new algorithms and technologies to improve the capabilities of artificial intelligence systems. This includes research on machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing.
• Space exploration: Scientific research is being conducted to explore the cosmos and learn more about the origins of the universe. This includes research on exoplanets, black holes, and the search for extraterrestrial life.

When to use Scientific Research

Some specific situations where scientific research may be particularly useful include:

• Solving problems: Scientific research can be used to investigate practical problems or address real-world challenges. For example, scientists may investigate the causes of a disease in order to develop new treatments, or explore ways to make renewable energy more affordable and accessible.
• Decision-making: Scientific research can provide evidence-based information to inform decision-making. For example, policymakers may use scientific research to evaluate the effectiveness of different policy options or to make decisions about public health and safety.
• Innovation : Scientific research can be used to develop new technologies, products, and processes. For example, research on materials science can lead to the development of new materials with unique properties that can be used in a range of applications.
• Knowledge creation : Scientific research is an important way of generating new knowledge and advancing our understanding of the world around us. This can lead to new theories, insights, and discoveries that can benefit society.

Advantages of Scientific Research

There are many advantages of scientific research, including:

• Improved understanding : Scientific research allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the world around us, from the smallest subatomic particles to the largest celestial bodies.
• Evidence-based decision making: Scientific research provides evidence-based information that can inform decision-making in many fields, from public policy to medicine.
• Technological advancements: Scientific research drives technological advancements in fields such as medicine, engineering, and materials science. These advancements can improve quality of life, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.
• New discoveries: Scientific research can lead to new discoveries and breakthroughs that can advance our knowledge in many fields. These discoveries can lead to new theories, technologies, and products.
• Economic benefits : Scientific research can stimulate economic growth by creating new industries and jobs, and by generating new technologies and products.
• Improved health outcomes: Scientific research can lead to the development of new medical treatments and technologies that can improve health outcomes and quality of life for people around the world.
• Increased innovation: Scientific research encourages innovation by promoting collaboration, creativity, and curiosity. This can lead to new and unexpected discoveries that can benefit society.

Limitations of Scientific Research

Scientific research has some limitations that researchers should be aware of. These limitations can include:

• Research design limitations : The design of a research study can impact the reliability and validity of the results. Poorly designed studies can lead to inaccurate or inconclusive results. Researchers must carefully consider the study design to ensure that it is appropriate for the research question and the population being studied.
• Sample size limitations: The size of the sample being studied can impact the generalizability of the results. Small sample sizes may not be representative of the larger population, and may lead to incorrect conclusions.
• Time and resource limitations: Scientific research can be costly and time-consuming. Researchers may not have the resources necessary to conduct a large-scale study, or may not have sufficient time to complete a study with appropriate controls and analysis.
• Ethical limitations : Certain types of research may raise ethical concerns, such as studies involving human or animal subjects. Ethical concerns may limit the scope of the research that can be conducted, or require additional protocols and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of participants.
• Limitations of technology: Technology may limit the types of research that can be conducted, or the accuracy of the data collected. For example, certain types of research may require advanced technology that is not yet available, or may be limited by the accuracy of current measurement tools.
• Limitations of existing knowledge: Existing knowledge may limit the types of research that can be conducted. For example, if there is limited knowledge in a particular field, it may be difficult to design a study that can provide meaningful results.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Documentary Research – Types, Methods and...

Original Research – Definition, Examples, Guide

Humanities Research – Types, Methods and Examples

Historical Research – Types, Methods and Examples

Artistic Research – Methods, Types and Examples

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

11.1 The Purpose of Research Writing

Learning objectives.

• Identify reasons to research writing projects.
• Outline the steps of the research writing process.

Why was the Great Wall of China built? What have scientists learned about the possibility of life on Mars? What roles did women play in the American Revolution? How does the human brain create, store, and retrieve memories? Who invented the game of football, and how has it changed over the years?

You may know the answers to these questions off the top of your head. If you are like most people, however, you find answers to tough questions like these by searching the Internet, visiting the library, or asking others for information. To put it simply, you perform research.

Whether you are a scientist, an artist, a paralegal, or a parent, you probably perform research in your everyday life. When your boss, your instructor, or a family member asks you a question that you do not know the answer to, you locate relevant information, analyze your findings, and share your results. Locating, analyzing, and sharing information are key steps in the research process, and in this chapter, you will learn more about each step. By developing your research writing skills, you will prepare yourself to answer any question no matter how challenging.

Reasons for Research

When you perform research, you are essentially trying to solve a mystery—you want to know how something works or why something happened. In other words, you want to answer a question that you (and other people) have about the world. This is one of the most basic reasons for performing research.

But the research process does not end when you have solved your mystery. Imagine what would happen if a detective collected enough evidence to solve a criminal case, but she never shared her solution with the authorities. Presenting what you have learned from research can be just as important as performing the research. Research results can be presented in a variety of ways, but one of the most popular—and effective—presentation forms is the research paper . A research paper presents an original thesis, or purpose statement, about a topic and develops that thesis with information gathered from a variety of sources.

If you are curious about the possibility of life on Mars, for example, you might choose to research the topic. What will you do, though, when your research is complete? You will need a way to put your thoughts together in a logical, coherent manner. You may want to use the facts you have learned to create a narrative or to support an argument. And you may want to show the results of your research to your friends, your teachers, or even the editors of magazines and journals. Writing a research paper is an ideal way to organize thoughts, craft narratives or make arguments based on research, and share your newfound knowledge with the world.

Write a paragraph about a time when you used research in your everyday life. Did you look for the cheapest way to travel from Houston to Denver? Did you search for a way to remove gum from the bottom of your shoe? In your paragraph, explain what you wanted to research, how you performed the research, and what you learned as a result.

Research Writing and the Academic Paper

No matter what field of study you are interested in, you will most likely be asked to write a research paper during your academic career. For example, a student in an art history course might write a research paper about an artist’s work. Similarly, a student in a psychology course might write a research paper about current findings in childhood development.

Having to write a research paper may feel intimidating at first. After all, researching and writing a long paper requires a lot of time, effort, and organization. However, writing a research paper can also be a great opportunity to explore a topic that is particularly interesting to you. The research process allows you to gain expertise on a topic of your choice, and the writing process helps you remember what you have learned and understand it on a deeper level.

Research Writing at Work

Knowing how to write a good research paper is a valuable skill that will serve you well throughout your career. Whether you are developing a new product, studying the best way to perform a procedure, or learning about challenges and opportunities in your field of employment, you will use research techniques to guide your exploration. You may even need to create a written report of your findings. And because effective communication is essential to any company, employers seek to hire people who can write clearly and professionally.

Writing at Work

Take a few minutes to think about each of the following careers. How might each of these professionals use researching and research writing skills on the job?

• Medical laboratory technician
• Small business owner
• Information technology professional
• Freelance magazine writer

A medical laboratory technician or information technology professional might do research to learn about the latest technological developments in either of these fields. A small business owner might conduct research to learn about the latest trends in his or her industry. A freelance magazine writer may need to research a given topic to write an informed, up-to-date article.

Think about the job of your dreams. How might you use research writing skills to perform that job? Create a list of ways in which strong researching, organizing, writing, and critical thinking skills could help you succeed at your dream job. How might these skills help you obtain that job?

Steps of the Research Writing Process

How does a research paper grow from a folder of brainstormed notes to a polished final draft? No two projects are identical, but most projects follow a series of six basic steps.

These are the steps in the research writing process:

• Choose a topic.
• Plan and schedule time to research and write.
• Conduct research.
• Organize research and ideas.
• Draft your paper.
• Revise and edit your paper.

Each of these steps will be discussed in more detail later in this chapter. For now, though, we will take a brief look at what each step involves.

Step 1: Choosing a Topic

As you may recall from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , to narrow the focus of your topic, you may try freewriting exercises, such as brainstorming. You may also need to ask a specific research question —a broad, open-ended question that will guide your research—as well as propose a possible answer, or a working thesis . You may use your research question and your working thesis to create a research proposal . In a research proposal, you present your main research question, any related subquestions you plan to explore, and your working thesis.

Step 2: Planning and Scheduling

Before you start researching your topic, take time to plan your researching and writing schedule. Research projects can take days, weeks, or even months to complete. Creating a schedule is a good way to ensure that you do not end up being overwhelmed by all the work you have to do as the deadline approaches.

During this step of the process, it is also a good idea to plan the resources and organizational tools you will use to keep yourself on track throughout the project. Flowcharts, calendars, and checklists can all help you stick to your schedule. See Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , Section 11.2 “Steps in Developing a Research Proposal” for an example of a research schedule.

Step 3: Conducting Research

When going about your research, you will likely use a variety of sources—anything from books and periodicals to video presentations and in-person interviews.

Your sources will include both primary sources and secondary sources . Primary sources provide firsthand information or raw data. For example, surveys, in-person interviews, and historical documents are primary sources. Secondary sources, such as biographies, literary reviews, or magazine articles, include some analysis or interpretation of the information presented. As you conduct research, you will take detailed, careful notes about your discoveries. You will also evaluate the reliability of each source you find.

Step 4: Organizing Research and the Writer’s Ideas

When your research is complete, you will organize your findings and decide which sources to cite in your paper. You will also have an opportunity to evaluate the evidence you have collected and determine whether it supports your thesis, or the focus of your paper. You may decide to adjust your thesis or conduct additional research to ensure that your thesis is well supported.

Remember, your working thesis is not set in stone. You can and should change your working thesis throughout the research writing process if the evidence you find does not support your original thesis. Never try to force evidence to fit your argument. For example, your working thesis is “Mars cannot support life-forms.” Yet, a week into researching your topic, you find an article in the New York Times detailing new findings of bacteria under the Martian surface. Instead of trying to argue that bacteria are not life forms, you might instead alter your thesis to “Mars cannot support complex life-forms.”

Step 5: Drafting Your Paper

Now you are ready to combine your research findings with your critical analysis of the results in a rough draft. You will incorporate source materials into your paper and discuss each source thoughtfully in relation to your thesis or purpose statement.

When you cite your reference sources, it is important to pay close attention to standard conventions for citing sources in order to avoid plagiarism , or the practice of using someone else’s words without acknowledging the source. Later in this chapter, you will learn how to incorporate sources in your paper and avoid some of the most common pitfalls of attributing information.

Step 6: Revising and Editing Your Paper

In the final step of the research writing process, you will revise and polish your paper. You might reorganize your paper’s structure or revise for unity and cohesion, ensuring that each element in your paper flows into the next logically and naturally. You will also make sure that your paper uses an appropriate and consistent tone.

Once you feel confident in the strength of your writing, you will edit your paper for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and formatting. When you complete this final step, you will have transformed a simple idea or question into a thoroughly researched and well-written paper you can be proud of!

Review the steps of the research writing process. Then answer the questions on your own sheet of paper.

• In which steps of the research writing process are you allowed to change your thesis?
• In step 2, which types of information should you include in your project schedule?
• What might happen if you eliminated step 4 from the research writing process?

Key Takeaways

• People undertake research projects throughout their academic and professional careers in order to answer specific questions, share their findings with others, increase their understanding of challenging topics, and strengthen their researching, writing, and analytical skills.
• The research writing process generally comprises six steps: choosing a topic, scheduling and planning time for research and writing, conducting research, organizing research and ideas, drafting a paper, and revising and editing the paper.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

A qualitative study on the experiences and challenges of MBA students' engagement with a business research methods module

Journal of Work-Applied Management

ISSN : 2205-2062

Article publication date: 17 March 2021

Issue publication date: 5 April 2022

Undertaking research as part of a business degree qualification undoubtedly enables students to develop practical and life-long skills. Nevertheless, students seem to find it challenging undertaking a research project. This study set out to explore the experiences of a group of MBA students who recently undertook their business and management research projects as part of their MBA degree program.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was carried out in a UK higher education institution and is based on an MBA business and management research module. The purpose of the module is to enable learners to develop advanced-level independent research and critical problem-solving skills within a business context. The study adopted a qualitative approach to capture a broad mix of students' experiences and perceptions on the module. The sample includes previous MBA students on different cohorts and different nationalities.

Outcomes of the study show that though students are stretched in the business and management project process they develop a diversity of skills required in the workplace while conducting their projects. The study findings also show that the practical implications of the students' projects and progressive support from their project supervisors contribute to the successful completion of their projects and subsequent attainment of their MBA degree.

Originality/value

Outcomes of this study further reveal that undertaking business and management projects creates a rewarding learning experience for learners/students, develops confident graduates as well as enables effective applications of theory into practice.

• Business research
• Research methods

Nzekwe-Excel, C. (2022), "A qualitative study on the experiences and challenges of MBA students' engagement with a business research methods module", Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 46-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWAM-08-2020-0040

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Chinny Nzekwe-Excel

Published in Journal of Work-Applied Management . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction: study context and rationale

Undertaking or conducting business and management research projects can be a daunting experience for students, probably because of the requirement to adopt an academic stance while undertaking the task/ project, which is intended to be practice-based. Students may demonstrate full engagement on the idea of undertaking a project or research; however they seem to disconnect from the requirement of doing so within the confines of academic research process. Thus, it can be a challenge for an academic, who is teaching a research methods module to guide/ encourage students to stay within the scope of an achievable research study ( Lewthwaite and Nind, 2016 ). Over the past four decades, there is a reasonable number of studies on the challenges associated with teaching research methods as well as suggestions on how to encourage students to become more engaged and less anxious while undertaking their research projects ( Ransford and Butler, 1982 ; Zablotsky, 2001 ; Tashakkori and Teddlie, 2003 ; Ekmekci et al. , 2012 ; Lewthwaite and Nind, 2016 ; Mullins, 2017 ). Carr (2014) collated and presented discussions from five studies on the challenges associated with teaching research methods in business and management to both undergraduate and MBA students. The challenges were around the epistemological assumptions and differing methodological conceptions of tutors, equipping staff/ tutors with statistical capabilities for quantitative research methodology and enabling students to develop the skills or aptitudes associated with the research process. The completion of students' projects can also be viewed in the context of collaborative or paired projects; an empirical study carried out by Ronnie (2017) shows high levels of positive outcomes. Amongst other factors, Ronnie's study reveals that early and ongoing conversations between the students, trust in each other's ability and self-reflection contribute to productive outcomes in the paired-project process.

The difficulty for students to engage with and to link the knowledge gained in the research methods teaching to the entirety of their higher education study is a recognisable challenge for the students ( Winn, 1995 ; Chapdelaine and Chapman, 1999 ; Ekmekci et al. , 2012 ). Winn (1995) suggests that live organisational issues or projects based on problems within a specific organisation can offer a unique opportunity toward mitigating such challenges. Similarly, Garnett et al. (2016) argue that there is the need for the projects to be grounded in real-time work-related issues. This may mean a review and subsequent redesign or reformation of the research methods module within the business and management discipline. Ekmekci et al. (2012) outline a number of reflective questions/ recommendations and associated implications on how to enable students to apply the knowledge gained in their research methods course. A summary of the authors' recommendations show that tutors of the research methods course play a significant role in creating the right atmosphere that will enable students navigate their learning in a meaningful way.

With particular focus on qualitative research approach, Cassell (2018) discussed the challenges faced by over 200 MBA students in conducting their business and management research. Cassell demonstrated the need for the students to develop the knowledge, skills and competences required for undertaking qualitative research, which can be used for effective management practice. While the focus of the business and management projects may not be categorically on aptitude or skills development, Toledano-O'Farrill (2017) argues that students are expected to develop workplace skills as a result of their involvement with the project activities. For example, qualitative research which involves a series of questioning between the researcher and the respondent as part of the data collection process for the research enables the researcher to develop skills such as critical thinking, reflective ability and communication skills ( Wall et al. , 2017a , b ).

Evidence shows that MBA students enrol on their MBA course with minimal work experience and critical thinking ability ( Schaupp and Vitullo, 2019 ), which highlights the need for research methods to be taught in such a way that students are enabled to “build-up” the required knowledge and competences ( Galliers and Huang, 2012 ). Similarly, Llamas and Boza (2011) argue that research methods by definition should be applicable to a specific discipline ( or practice ). In a similar line of argument, Beardwell and Claydon (2007 , cited in Rowe et al. , 2017 ) echo that employers prefer graduates who have the ability to reflect and synthesise opinions through critical thinking. The challenges of undertaking their business and management research projects raise the questions: how MBA students apply critical thinking to practical problems, how to keep them engaged throughout the research process and essentially how to enable them to confidently develop or enhance a wide range of personal and professional skills, which are a necessity in today's workplace.

Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the experiences of a group of MBA students who recently undertook their business research module and completed their business and management research project as part of their MBA degree program.

Research module design

This study explores student experiences in completing a business and management research module and in carrying out a business and management research project. One of the key requirements of the research module is for students to define their project topics themselves with assistance from their project supervisors. The module is developed to include interactive teaching components, action-learning sets (ALS), which are designed to be student-led and tutor-facilitated and individual (and in some cases, group) supervision. The module design incorporates the active-blended learning concepts, including a combination of face-to-face and virtual/ online sessions.

Planning the business and management research

Conducting and writing up the literature review

Deciding on the right methodological approaches; Research Governance and Ethics

Collecting and gathering data

Analysing and interpreting data

Dissemination and presentation: Write-up of the project report.

The ALS are designed to help consolidate the research project process, enable students to frame their research ideology and to make more tailored decisions for their individual business and management research. At this stage of the process, students may become anxious initially; however with support and guidance from their project supervisors, they should be able to channel their energy and anxiety toward making better informed decisions and choices for their business and management research. It is also during the ALS classes that students begin to develop the confidence to undertake their individual business and management research projects; the ALS classes provide an environment for learners to share their research experiences, express their challenges and suggest strategies with tailored support or advice from their project supervisors.

Methodology

Paradigm and research stance.

An interpretivist paradigm was adopted for this study; this enabled gaining an understanding of the research focus through subjective relationship with the participants ( Manroop, 2017 ). Interpretivism places focus on the perceptions, interpretations and experiences of individuals ( Cohen et al. , 2010 ; Fisher, 2010 ). Therefore, interpretivism was assumed for this study with the intention to individually question the study participants and to gain an understanding of their experiences from undertaking their business and management research projects. Consequently, a qualitative methodology was employed, which created a platform to generate in-depth personal information on the subject under study. This approach was considered more appropriate considering the intention to explore the views and experiences of a diversity of postgraduate students who have recently undertaken the assessed business and management research module. Thus, this methodology enabled the investigation of student learning experience in the area of undertaking business and management research and thorough evaluation of the perceptions of different categories of students.

This study recruited participants from a United Kingdom (UK) public university with campuses in the UK and two partner institutions in Vietnam. Precisely, the concept of purposeful sampling was used, which means that a selection of students enrolled on the business and management research module (under discussion) was recruited as participants for the study because they could purposefully inform an understanding of the aim of the study ( Creswell, 2013 ). A total of four cohorts from two academic years (2016/17 and 2017/18) were considered for this study, which had a total of 54 students enrolled on the module. 33 were contacted, and 13 agreed to be part of the study. However, only 11 attended the interview sessions, which resulted in a small sample. Nonetheless, there is evidence to suggest that the sample size of 11 for a qualitative study can be considered as being suitable. Morse (1994 , cited in Guest et al. , 2006 ) recommended a minimum of six participants while Dukes (1984) and Reimen (1986) (both cited in Creswell, 2013 ) recommended a sample size of 3–10. As perceived by 14 qualitative research experts collated by Baker et al. (2012) , the sample size for a qualitative study varies and will depend on the number of participants who are sufficient to provide evidence on the issue under discussion; some of the experts argue that one interview is sometimes sufficient (p. 16; 24), while some other experts suggest a minimum sample size of 12 (p. 11; 19).

This study's population (54) comprised students who received the same teaching sessions from the same research module. It is aimed at exploring the students' experiences on undertaking the business research module and completing their research project; therefore, effort was made to draw rich, detailed responses and insights from the 11 participants. Subsequently, critical evaluations of the collected data were carried out. Thus, data saturation was considered and achieved through the sampling process, data collection strategy, the study timeframe and data analysis. The 11 participants who contributed to the study are recent MBA graduates of the UK Higher Education Institution under study, who achieved varied grade categories in the business and management research module assessment. All the participants were on full-time MBA programme and eight were in some form of employment during their MBA study. Details of the participants are shown in Table 1 . The 11 participants comprised five participants who had the module taught and delivered in the UK and six participants who had the module taught and delivered outside the UK (in Vietnam).

Approach and data collection procedure

The interview technique was the primary data collection tool that was adopted to capture the students' experiences in undertaking their business and management research projects as well as their perceptions on the research module under study. All the interview sessions were carried out between March and June 2019, when the students/participants were not under any form of academic pressure in terms of exams or pending assignments/resits. In addition, all the interview sessions were carried out in consideration of the participants' availability and convenience. Prior to the data collection, appropriate ethical approval was adhered to, which included obtaining each participant's signed consent before the interview sessions. A participant information sheet, which outlined the purpose of the study and explained the conditions for participation was given to each interview participant before conducting the interviews. Subsequently, voluntary participation, issues of strict confidentiality and participants' anonymity were established. Prior to the data collection, an individual email containing the consent form was sent to each participant to sign their consent to participate in the interview. Each of the 11 participants had their one interview session organised and carried out in a formal fashion, and each interview session lasted approximately 40 min (see Table 1 ). During the interview sessions, simpler opening questions were used to ease the interviewees, thereby ensuring that any form of tension or anxiety was eliminated or reduced ( Nzekwe-Excel, 2012 ). Similarly, pertinent closing questions were used to enable the interviewees make concluding remarks and/or additional comments to their earlier responses. Effort was made to keep the participants within the focus of the study by highlighting the purpose of the study as well as asking additional questions for clarity. In addition, each interview was audio-recorded and fully transcribed.

Students/ participants' expectations from the research module before the teaching/ delivery

Students/ participants' expectations from the research module during the teaching/ delivery

Students/ participants' positive experiences while undertaking their business and management research projects

Students/ participants' challenging experiences while undertaking their business and management research projects and how these were managed

Students/ participants' perceptions on whether their expectations were met and the benefits of the business and management research module

The participants' recommendations in the review/ redesign of the business and management research module

Analytical procedure

The concept of thematic analysis was used in analysing and interpreting the data. Precisely, thematic analysis was used for identifying themes and patterns of behaviour or meanings in the interview/ qualitative dataset. The themes are developed by placing the initial coding of the data in such a way that they can be moved around to form connections with data that has similar coding ( Howitt and Cramer, 2008 ). Themes are defined as “conversation topics, vocabulary, recurring activities, meanings, feelings, and proverbs” ( Taylor and Bogdan, 1984 , p. 131, cited in Aronson, 1994 ). For the purpose of this study, the themes are phrases or comments, also known as the participants' responses. Therefore, thematic analysis was employed because of its flexibility in identifying participants' experiences, views and behaviours, which seeks to understand what participants' think, feel and do ( Clarke and Braun, 2017 ). The six phases of implementing thematic analysis as suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006) were considered in analysing the collected/ interview data of this study. The six phases include: familiarisation of the data, generation of initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing the themes, defining and naming the themes and then producing the report.

Sufficient time was dedicated toward transcribing, reviewing the data as well as making initial notes. The NVIVO qualitative data analysis software was employed for the initial coding process of the data, which subsequently helped in searching for/ identifying themes. NVIVO provided a platform for grouping the data in different ways using folders, sets and cases for coding, easy access and retrieval of the data ( Wiltshier, 2011 ). As an approach to data analyses, the identified themes (generated data) were reviewed, and named by managing, classifying, and categorising the data using a process of reduction and coding technique ( Nzekwe-Excel, 2012 ). Subsequently, meaningful textual segments were derived based on similar and/or dissimilar viewpoints of the study's participants ( Nzekwe-Excel, 2012 ).

Data analyses and findings

The first two interview questions were aimed at exploring the students' preparedness and engagement prior to and during the delivery of the business and management research module. Responses from these questions were grouped under the themed-category labelled “Preparedness”. The theme “Preparedness” was used because it reflects how students were prepared for the business and management research module, including their expectations and learning needs.

The third and fourth questions were aimed at exploring the students' critical thinking ability and their engagement with the module. Responses from these questions were grouped under the themed-category labelled “Engagement”. The theme “Engagement” was used because it reflects the students' ongoing interest in the module including challenges and their learning development from the module.

The fifth question was aimed at exploring the students' ability to manage the entire research process from question formulation through to analysis and interpretation of results. Responses from this question were grouped under the themed-category labelled “Aptitude”. The theme “Aptitude” was used because it reflects the students' personal and research skills development including their met expectations and learning needs.

Finally, participants were given the opportunity to make additional comments regarding the progressive review and delivery of the module through the sixth/ final question. Responses from this question were grouped under the themed-category labelled “Reformation”. The theme “Reformation” was used because it reflects the students' suggestions on how the business and management research Module can be further enhanced in its design and delivery.

It is important to note that the terms “Preparedness”, “Engagement”, “Aptitude” and “Reformation” were put together in view of the aim of this study as well as to categorise the participants' responses accordingly.

Preparedness of the students

The study identified a number of themes in an evaluation of students' expectations before and during the teaching sessions for the business and management research module. The students' “prior” expectations were generally focussed on their desire to gain or expand their knowledge on business and management research processes and on what to do to succeed in the module assessment. A careful review of the students' expectations “during” the teaching sessions show focused research needs as shown in Figure 2 .

Engagement of the students

The students' engagement throughout the duration of the module delivery and the conduct of their individual projects were analysed based on their perceptions on what they enjoyed, the challenges they encountered and their coping mechanisms. Most of the positive experiences shown by the interviewees' supportive comments express the learning or skills gained in conducting their business and management projects and confidence developed in the area of business and management research strategies ( Figure 3 ). With respect to the challenges that the students encountered while conducting their projects, references were made to a number of factors associated with different stages of their projects, the online mode of module delivery and personal issues such as managing and combining full-time study and full-time employment.

Aptitude of the students

In an attempt to explore the students' ability to manage their entire research process and demonstrate a consistent focus on their arguments, this study sought to find out the participants' perceptions on whether their “prior” and “during” module expectations were met as well as the participants' views on the benefits of the module to them on a personal basis. As illustrated in Figure 4 , the findings show strong positive affirmations from the participants. There are also demonstrations of understanding on the systematic stages of the research process.

Reformation of the module

As a way forward toward upgrading the business and management research module, the study drew insights from the participants. The findings, as shown in Figure 5 , uncover varied viewpoints, mostly around the timing allocated to the module delivery and quantitative/ statistical support sessions. Interestingly, some of the participants noted that they simply like the module design/ delivery as it is and do not think a redesign is necessary.

Evaluation of findings and discussions

This study presents verbatim quotes of the interview participants (in italics) as a way to reinforce the study findings. The participants' identifier numbers shown in Table 1 are written next to the quotes.

Business and management research expectations and learning needs

Being the final module that the students are expected to complete and pass before being considered for their MBA degree qualification, it is no surprise that some of the students' expectations prior to undertaking their business and management research projects were focused on the successful completion and submission of the project assessment. This is shown by comments from two of the interviewees: “ I had expectation on graduation” (INTC-UK2); “ I had a knowledge shortage. I wanted to know what is expected…in submission” (INTH-UK5) .

“we were not sure how to do research…to have some knowledge transfer” (INTH-UK5).

“I had little knowledge…Um, the advancement of knowledge especially on facial products…More socialisation with people…I became a specialist” (INTC-UK2).

“It has…broadened my knowledge in the area that I researched on.… it made me have a more critical thinking approach…making sure you are exactly on point in asking the right questions” (INTH-UK5).

“Applying the knowledge that is being learned to… specific business projects” (VNT-Hanoi2)

“I wanted to explore…business research process to apply in practical…” (VNL-Hanoi2)

“Mostly, I expect…to get the implication and recommendation to handle the situation we are facing (in the organisation); gaining knowledge to apply to my current organisation' I try to check my topic with my organisation… to deliver the project” (VNJ-HMC3).

“I had an expectation that the module will provide me a way we can know to start a business plan” (VNU-HMC2).

“I wanted to know more information on the business market” (VNT-HMC1).

In addition, one of two of the participants in part-time employment at the time of the module delivery also expected to acquire knowledge on business concepts in view of their career aspirations: “ I expected this module will give…an opportunity to study new knowledge….for…future when I want to start my own business…” (INTP-UK3) .

“I had questions such as “what am I gonna do for my dissertation? “will I find my topic?” (INTC-UK1)

“The subject of the research topic: because the topic I chose has also been chosen by another. So the difficulty is in decision making for the topic” (INTC-UK2).

“how to define a topic was confusing…but by end of the teaching week, I had idea on what to do my research on” (INTH-UK5).

“Therefore, what I expect was finding a suitable method for the research topic…to proceed” (VNK-Hanoi3).

“I expected that…my research is easy to find and not much difficult to understand but my thinking was wrong; some were easy to understand but some were difficult to understand” (INTP-UK3).

“Struggled with which methodology to go by… what should I use to support my research? These took a lot of time” (INTH-UK5).

“…due to my chosen topic, I had to travel back home to interview the participants. There were times when I couldn't find the appropriate literature to support my research” (INTP-UK4).

One of the participants noted that their met expectations were more in theory than in practice, which suggests a drawback: “Actually for me, the expectations were met more in theory than in practical” (VNU-HMC2) . The same participant suggested that the teaching sessions should be more tailored to their own environment: “ …to be met in practice, it can be based in more research in Vietnam market” (VNU-HMC2).

Business and management research learning experience and skills gained

“I also understood about the changes that I could suggest making it easier for women to work in bank” (INTP-UK4).

“When I finish and submit, I think I made a difference for myself” (VNJ-HMC3)

“The skills I developed doing this module are my study skills, research skills, analysing skills” (INTC-UK1).

“Absolutely…bring me many skills like developing independent working skills, problem solving skills, management skills, decision-making skills, market research, data analysis” (VNT-Hanoi2).

“Yes, the project provided insights for my organisation, and it meet the expectation, and it's good timing” (VNJ-HMC3).

“I think this module is very valuable for me so I know how to conduct a research and I learn about time management and I learn about how to conduct the survey, and know about the research questions” (VNJ-HMC3)

The above participants' positive comments suggest that the goal of the module to enable learners to be equipped with or develop the skills to undertake research on a high level ( Kilburn et al. , 2014 ), and of course on a practical basis in the workplace is a welcomed approach.

“The other challenge I faced was the fact that we had to do online classes…in my view if we were present physically in the class with teachers, it would have been better. (INTP-UK4).

“However it is also hard to catch up…ideas because the other students showed up without preparation. In addition, we…work full time and study therefore hard to follow the deadlines while lack of statistics and software experiences” (VNL-Hanoi1).

One of the participants commented on the opportunity for students to interact and share ideas in the teaching and learning environment: “ It ' s also interesting to listen to the others ' ideas to see how they implement the research on different industries and various cases” (VNL-Hanoi1). These insights indicate the strength of action learning sets and the workshop teaching method. Workshops enable dialogue and constructive interactions between learners and tutors ( Nzekwe-Excel, 2014 ). In their discussion on the role of action learning concept/ approach in executive management program, Johnson and Spicer (2006) and Kelliher and Byrne (2018) assert that the approach fosters learning, effective interactions, progress and knowledge transfer. In addition, Ronnie (2017) elucidates that there is an opportunity for collaborative dialogue and an atmosphere for students to build on each other's ideas: “I remember, I identified the wrong topic and my scope was very big and I get support from my classmates” (VNJ-HMC3) .

“ readily available tutor-support'; “quick response from the project supervisor, which helped speed the project process” (INTC-UK1).

“…were my supervisor kept on providing me feedback whenever, I mailed her any of my work completed” (INTP-UK4).

“I'm really thankful of the conversations I received from my tutors” (INTH-UK5).

“Um, I think for me, it's very helpful and Project Supervisor's guidance is helpful” (VNJ-HMC3).

“the Project Supervisor teach on how to take care of each work, how to use exact words for…” (VNU-HMC2).

A key component in undertaking business and management research projects is adherence to appropriate ethical procedures; the ethical procedure is expected to demonstrate research governance and integrity, particularly in the design of the data collection procedure/ tool. Interestingly, one of the interviewees highlighted the learning she gained while undergoing the rigorous ethical approval process: “For me, actually I learnt from…first of all is Ethics Form…teach on how to take care of each work, how to use exact words for each person…make the questionnaire for the customer service … (VNU-HMC2).

“For me, actually I learnt … first of all…” (VNU-HMC2).

“I did not fully understand the principles of qualitative research, so I encountered many difficulties in the process of analysing…. Although I failed to do a quality research…the study helped me understand important principles such as collecting and analysing data accurately. Besides, I also get better understood the importance of determining goals…, I also realized that not spending enough time to review theory and doing research is a major cause of this failure” (VNK-Hanoi3).

“For me I can make the questionnaire for…industry so we can control the quality of the service” (VNU-HMC2).

“However, what I have not really understood after the course is that I still have not fully understood how to effectively apply qualitative and quantitative analysis methods to other kinds of research” (VNK-Hanoi3).

“I prefer that I will identify the topic by myself and if I think it's too big, I will get guidance from my project supervisor and I will change by myself because actually I learn by myself a lot” (VNJ-HMC3).

“Providing the topics may be a good for those not knowing what they gonna do or kind of lost, that is students who are unsure of their career prospects. On the contrary, doing so, will limit students' ability to think outside the box, limit their creativity and initiation” (INTC-UK1).

“like to decide the title but at the same time have the tutor support on the recommendation on the topic, which my tutors did” (INTH-UK5).

“Well it depends on the students. Personally, I do recommend you choose me a topic because to be honest I don't know what to choose as it's the first time of the research. I think it will facilitate the students if you provide the students the topic to choose. It may also block the ability of the students to think outside the box” (INTC-UK2).

These show that the business and management research module provides a unique opportunity for learners to explore or examine an area of interest on a specific subject within the business and management discipline.

An exploration of the participants' comments on the “timing” theme broadly reflect management of the students' time throughout their business and management research process: “…challenge of time management” (VNJ-HMC3); “A challenge I had was to follow on the schedule...because we had to share our time…and working (VNT-HMC1)”; “Challenge I had was managing my time with respect to personal job commitments and attend the sessions as well, and commuting…from…most times made the project challenging” (INTC-UK1). These unimpressive comments also suggest a personal act of discipline, commitment and responsibility from the students are required to successfully complete their business and management research. A slightly different comment on “timing”: “Deadlines should note the holiday leave of professors as we have different new year holiday…we don ' t have holidays for Christmas and New Year” (VNL-Hanoi1) still highlights the need for students to develop the habit of good time management practice. The module assessment deadline is set well in advance before the module delivery and the students are made aware of the deadline in the first teaching session. In addition, the students are sent deadline reminders throughout the duration of the module/ their business and management research.

Another area where the students appeared to find challenging is in their data analyses and the technicality of their chosen data analysis software (SPSS): “I wish that we could have a workshop for 1 hour or…n the classroom…teach us a bit more about SPSS first because for some of us, that ' s the first time they hear about SPSS” (VNU-HMC2) . It is not surprising that this issue was raised again when asked on their views for recommendations on the review/ redesign of the module. Similarly, some of the themes identified as the participants' challenging experiences ( Figure 3 ) were identified as themes for the reformation of the module ( Figure 5 ).

Future direction for the business and management research module

Reflecting on the participants' recommendations for the business and management research module ( Figure 5 ) and in consideration of the main highlights from the study findings (discussed above), the review of the module will be addressed from two perspectives: module design and module delivery. It is important to note that the themes shown in Figure 5 have been defined in such a way that they are strategies aimed to be implemented in the review of the module's content and activities.

At present, qualitative and quantitative data analyses taught sessions are embedded in the module design, with an inclusion of independent/ additional support sessions available to students to take advantage of from the university learning development/ statistics team. However, the participants' responses or concerns around quantitative evaluations, including software usage (“Should have a separate session to train software/ statistics” (VNL-Hanoi1); “My challenge is knowledge about the statistics I used in my research because I never known and done it before” (INTP-UK3); “I think that choosing the right form of analysis (qualitative or quantitative) for different research objects is very important…the module should focus more deeply on…analysing information with specific examples” (VNK-Hanoi3)) suggest that students are not taking advantage of the additional support sessions tailored toward qualitative and quantitative/ statistical evaluations. Though research shows that it is not unusual for students to be anxious or concerned toward statistical evaluations ( Baglin et al. , 2017 ), it may be a step in the right direction to “formally” embed the additional support sessions on quantitative/ statistical evaluations and qualitative analysis in the module design and delivery to bridge this knowledge gap. The contents of the additional support sessions will need to be modified or updated accordingly for each cohort considering that students' research topics vary. Some degree of competence in statistical evaluations is expected from today's graduates in the workplace as shown in the outcomes from Harraway and Barker (2005) study; so the formalised additional support or specialised data analyses sessions may be one way to develop and harness this skill in students as they undertake their business and management research projects.

With respect to decision-making for the research topic, a possible way forward is to have two options including students deciding on their project topics themselves and students' choosing a topic from a list made available to the students. Making a list of project topics available could help trigger possible areas that the students may want to focus their research on. This may consequently minimise unnecessary anxiety, enable effective time management, foster/ boost the research profile of the institution as the predefined research topics will be put together in consideration of the institution's current research areas/ foci. In addition, aspirational research areas could be developed or expanded on through the predefined research topics; the list of topics could be put together to embrace a wider perspective and in consideration of locations where the module is taught or delivered, which is in view of one of the non-UK participants' comments: “If possible, … add more case-study in the module design and delivery; I think the case study should be … focussed in Vietnam (VNT-HMC1)” . Whether students define their project topic themselves or make a choice for a project topic based on a list of available topics, it is important that students are guided and supported on how to decide/define their project topic with careful consideration of what they have a passion for. In his discussion on a six-stage process for choosing a project topic, Fisher (2010) identifies interest as the first stage or fundamental requirement of the topic definition.

The theme “Diversified communication modes” refers to how information is communicated to (and with) the students enrolled on the module. An unsurprising comment from one of the participants “Use social media i.e. Whatsapp Facebook, Instagram and email students directly instead of expecting them to always check the Learning_Environment [1] site” (INTC-UK2) demonstrates the drive for IT embrace in today's society. With a module that already has the concepts of active-blended learning in its design, extending its communication platforms as a means to facilitate student engagement and success should be a straightforward process.

Concluding remarks and further research

The critical evaluations of the findings from the qualitative data discussed in the preceding sections of this paper show the relevance, benefits and challenges associated with the business and management research module in the personal and professional development of learners. This study contributes to knowledge and practice on teaching research methods and supporting students while they undertake their business and management projects as follows: the study findings provide useful insights on MBA students' preparedness for undertaking business and management research projects, the students' development of a range of personal, practical and research skills and triggers for enabling the students' engagement throughout the research process. Furthermore, outcomes of this study suggest that where the challenges associated with undertaking business and management research projects are adequately channelled toward developing practical skills required in the workplace through progressive support from the academic project supervisors, it will contribute toward creating a rewarding learning experience for learners as well as enabling effective applications of theory into practice.

While transcribing the data and carefully reviewing the participants' responses, and making initial notes, it was observed that factors such as gender, academic year when the module was delivered and place of module delivery did not uncover any obvious disparity in the participants' responses to the interview questions. Nevertheless, there is still an opportunity for further research on the possible effects of these factors on the students' academic performance/ grade achieved.

Interview themes: Knowledge acquired and application of business and management research techniques

Interview themes: expectations and learning needs from business and management research

Interview themes: Learning and skills gained in business and management research

Interview themes: Benefits associated with business and management research

Interview themes: review of business and management research module

Study participants

Learning_Environment = This is the acronym for the virtual learning environment of the higher education institution under study.

Aronson , J. ( 1994 ), “ A pragmatic view of thematic analysis ”, The Qualitative Report , Vol. 2 No. 1 , [online], available at: http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/BackIssues/QR2-1/aronson.html ( accessed 21 June 2019 ).

Baglin , J. , Hart , C. and Stow , S. ( 2017 ), “ The statistical knowledge gap in higher degree by research students: the supervisors' perspective ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol. 36 No. 5 , pp. 875 - 889 .

Baker , S.E. , Edwards , R. and Doidge , M. ( 2012 ), “ How many qualitative interviews is enough? Expert voices and early career reflections on sampling and cases in qualitative research ”, National Centre for Research Methods Review Paper , [online], available at: how_many_interviews.pdf(ncrm.ac.uk) ( accessed 16 January 2021 )..

Beardwell , J. and Claydon , T. (Eds) ( 2007 ), Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach , Pearson Education , London .

Braun , V. and Clarke , V. ( 2006 ), “ Using thematic analysis in psychology ”, Qualitative Research in Psychology , Vol. 3 No. 2 , pp. 77 - 101 .

Carr , J ( 2014 ), Teaching research methods in business and management , Workshop funded as part of one of HEA Social Science's strategic priorities 2013 – 14 , [online], available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/teaching-research-methods-business-and-management ( accessed 28 June 2019 ).

Cassell , C. ( 2018 ), “ Pushed beyond my comfort zone: MBA student experiences of conducting qualitative research ”, The Academy of Management Learning and Education , Vol. 17 No. 2 , pp. 119 - 136 .

Chapdelaine , A. and Chapman , B.L. ( 1999 ), “ Using community-based research projects to teach research methods ”, Teaching of Psychology , Vol. 26 No. 2 , pp. 101 - 105 .

Clarke , V. and Braun , V. ( 2017 ), “ Thematic analysis: commentary ”, The Journal of Positive Psychology , Vol. 12 No. 3 , pp. 297 - 298 .

Cohen , L. , Manion , L. and Morrison , K. ( 2010 ), Research Methods in Education , 6th ed. , Routledge , London .

Creswell , J. ( 2013 ), Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions , 3rd ed. , Sage , London .

Doyle , T. and Zakrajsek ( 2013 ), The New Science of Learning: How to Learn in Harmony with Your Brain , Stylus Publishing , Sterling, VA .

Dukes , S. ( 1984 ), “ Phenomenological methodology in the human sciences ”, Journal of Religion and Health , Vol. 23 No. 3 , pp. 197 - 203 .

Ekmekci , O. , Hancock , A.B. and Swayze , S. ( 2012 ), “ Teaching statistical research methods to graduate students: lessons learned from three different degree programs ”, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education , Vol. 24 No. 2 , pp. 272 - 279 .

Fisher , C. ( 2010 ), Researching and Writing a Dissertation: An Essential Guide for Business Students , 3 rd ed. , Prentice Hall , Harlow .

Galliers , R.D. and Huang , J.C. ( 2012 ), “ The teaching of qualitative research methods in information systems: an explorative study utilising learning theory ”, European Journal of Information Systems , Vol. 21 No. 2 , pp. 119 - 134 .

Garnett , J. , Abraham , S. and Abraham , P. ( 2016 ), “ Using work-based and work-applied learning to enhance the intellectual capital of organisations ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol. 8 No. 1 , pp. 56 - 64 .

Guest , G. , Bunce , A. and Johnson , L. ( 2006 ), “ How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability ”, Field Methods , Vol. 18 No. 1 , pp. 59 - 82 .

Harraway , J.A. and Barker , R.J. ( 2005 ), “ Statistics in the workplace: a survey of use by recent graduates with higher degrees ”, Statistics Education Research Journal , Vol. 4 No. 2 , pp. 43 - 58 .

Howitt , D. and Cramer , D. ( 2008 ), Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology , 2nd ed. , Prentice Hall , Harlow .

Johnson , C. and Spicer , D.P. ( 2006 ), “ A case study of action learning in an MBA program ”, Education + Training , Vol. 48 No. 1 , pp. 39 - 54 .

Kelliher , F. and Byrne , S. ( 2018 ), “ The thinking behind the action (learning): reflections on the design and delivery of an executive management program ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol. 10 No. 1 , pp. 35 - 49 .

Kilburn , D. , Nind , M. and Wiles , R. ( 2014 ), “ Learning as Researchers and Teachers: the development of a pedagogical culture for social science research methods? ”, British Journal of Educational Studies , Vol. 62 No. 2 , pp. 191 - 207 .

Lewthwaite , S. and Nind , M. ( 2016 ), “ Teaching research methods in the social sciences: expert perspectives on pedagogy and practice ”, British Journal of Educational Studies , Vol. 64 No. 4 , pp. 413 - 430 .

Llamas , J.M.C. and Boza , A. ( 2011 ), “ Teaching research methods for doctoral students in education: learning to enquire in the university ”, International Journal of Social Research Methodology , Vol. 14 No. 1 , pp. 77 - 90 .

Manroop , L. ( 2017 ), “ A multiparadigm approach to job search scholarship ”, Organizational Psychology Review , Vol. 7 No. 4 , pp. 330 - 56 .

Morse , J. ( 1994 ), “ Designing funded qualitative research ”, in Denzin , N. and Lincoln , Y. (Eds), Handbook for Qualitative Research , Sage , Thousand Oaks, CA , pp. 220 - 235 .

Mullins , M.H. ( 2017 ), “ Actively teaching research methods with a process oriented guided inquiry learning approach ”, Journal of Teaching in Social Work , Vol. 37 No. 4 , pp. 309 - 321 .

Nzekwe-Excel , C. ( 2012 ), “ An exploratory study on the learning needs of foundation degree students ”, International Journal of Learning , Vol. 18 No. 6 , pp. 199 - 214 .

Nzekwe-Excel , C. ( 2014 ), “ Enhancing students learning experience: study-techniques and learning development ”, International Journal of Learning in Higher Education , Vol. 20 No. 1 , pp. 45 - 53 .

Ransford , E. and Butler , G. ( 1982 ), “ Teaching research methods in the social sciences ”, Teaching Sociology , Vol. 9 No. 3 , pp. 291 - 312 .

Ronnie , L. ( 2017 ), “ Dyadic processes in postgraduate education: insights from MBA student experiences ”, International Journal of Management in Education , Vol. 15 No. 3 , pp. 513 - 519 .

Rowe , L. , MossMoore , D.N. and Perrin , D. ( 2017 ), “ The challenges of managing degree apprentices in the workplace A manager's perspective ”, Journal of Work Applied Management , Vol. 9 No. 2 , pp. 185 - 199 .

Savage , M. and Burrows , R. ( 2007 ), “ The coming crisis of empirical sociology ”, Sociology , Vol. 41 No. 5 , pp. 885 - 899 .

Schaupp , L.C. and Vitullo , E.A. ( 2019 ), “ Implementing experiential action learning in the MBA: use of an international consulting experience ”, International Journal of Educational Management , Vol. 34 No. 3 , pp. 505 - 517 .

Tashakkori , A. and Teddlie , C. ( 2003 ), “ Issues and dilemmas in teaching research methods courses in social and behavioural sciences: US perspective ”, International Journal of Social Research Methodology , Vol. 6 No. 1 , pp. 61 - 77 .

Taylor , S.J. and Bogdan , R. ( 1984 ), Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods: The Search for Meanings , John Wiley & Sons , New York .

Toledano-O'Farrill , R. ( 2017 ), “ Professional application projects: work-based learning in the curriculum ”, Journal of Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning , Vol. 7 No. 1 , pp. 21 - 34 .

Wall , T. , Russell , J. and Moore , N. ( 2017a ), “ Positive emotion in workplace impact: the case of a workbased learning project utilising appreciative inquiry ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol. 9 No. 2 , pp. 129 - 146 .

Wall , T. , Bellamy , L. , Evans , V. and Hopkins , S. ( 2017b ), “ Revisiting impact in the context of workplace research: a review and possible directions ”, Journal of Work Applied Management , Vol. 9 No. 2 , pp. 95 - 109 .

Wiltshier , F. ( 2011 ), “ Researching with NVivo ”, Forum: Qualitative Social Research , Vol. 12 No. 1 , [online], available at: http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1628/3146 ( accessed 19 June 2019 ).

Winn , S. ( 1995 ), “ Learning by doing: teaching research methods through student participation in a commissioned research project ”, Studies in Higher Education , Vol. 20 No. 2 , pp. 203 - 214 .

Zablotsky , D. ( 2001 ), “ Why do I have to learn this if I'm not going to graduate school? Teaching research methods in a social psychology of aging course ”, Educational Gerontology , Vol. 27 No. 7 , pp. 609 - 622 .

Corresponding author

Related articles, we’re listening — tell us what you think, something didn’t work….

Report bugs here

All feedback is valuable

Please share your general feedback

Join us on our journey

Platform update page.

Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

Questions & More Information

Answers to the most commonly asked questions here

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• HHS Author Manuscripts

Understanding what information is valued by research participants and why

Consuelo h. wilkins.

1 Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee

2 Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, Nashville, Tennessee

Brandy Mapes

Rebecca n. jerome, victoria villalta-gil, jill m. pulley, paul a. harris.

There is growing public demand that research participants receive all their results regardless of whether clinical action is indicated. Instead of the standard practice of returning only actionable results, we propose a reconceptualization called “return of value” to encompass the varied ways in which research participants value specific results and more general information they receive beyond actionable results. Our proposal is supported by a national survey of a diverse sample, which found that receiving research results would be valuable to most (78.5%) and would make them more likely to trust researchers (70.3%). Respondents highly valued results revealing genetic effects on medication response and predicting disease risk as well as information about nearby clinical trials and updates on how their data was used. The information most valued varied by education, race/ethnicity, and age. Policies are needed to enable return of information in ways that recognize participants’ differing informational needs and values.

Introduction

There has been considerable debate about whether or not to return individual research results to participants. Because the purpose of research is to generate generalizable evidence and not to guide individual clinical care or health management, researchers historically have not been obliged to return individual results. Views on this have evolved, due to the increasing availability of genetic tests results as well as public demands for access to personal data. 1 – 3 However considerations on whether or not to return results have largely focused on whether the results would impact clinical decision making. Little regard has often been paid to participants’ perspectives on the personal utility of the results.

Concerns about the validity and usefulness of research results is considered a primary reason for not returning results to participants. 4 – 6 There is also concern for potential risks of returning results including the costs and burden of subsequent clinical evaluations, potential harm due to unnecessary procedures, emotional stress to the participant and family when results are uncertain, and privacy breaches. 1 , 4 , 7 Primary care physicians may also be burdened with the responsibility of explaining research results of unclear significance. 8 Consequently, many researchers have not returned results unless a clear and urgent action is warranted (duty to warn 9 or inform) or the results can be easily interpreted and acted upon. Lack of training in how to effectively communicate results and limited resources to share results also contribute to researchers’ hesitance to return results. 4

Public perceptions on who owns data 10 and views that participants should be partners in research 11 have called into question practices on return of results. Mounting evidence shows that participants want to learn their individual research results and that results are of value regardless of whether action is recommended. 12 These findings helped inform a 2018 report from the National Academy of Medicine, 4 which urges researchers to reconsider policies that limit participant access to research results and calls for more evidence on participants’ perspectives of what results are of value.

We propose the re-conceptualization of the return of results practice as “return of value,” to encompass ways in which participants may perceive benefit from myriad types of information. Use of the term “value” is deliberate and novel in this context and builds on evidence regarding personal value to individuals, which is distinct from financial value. 13 This study intends to better understand how participants’ perceive value of different types of information, shifting focus from results deemed useful by researchers to what participants care about and what they might benefit from receiving. Our overarching goal is to inform recommendations for researchers seeking best practices in providing value to participants. We also seek to inform policies that will enable the return of information to individuals with differing needs and priorities.

Survey Development

We developed a conceptual framework for return of value. This framework hypothesizes relationships between contextual effects (i.e., socio-economic, political, cultural, and geographical factors), influencers of participants’ values, and types of information that could be returned to research participants. 14 The framework represents a synthesis of our review of existing literature on return of results. 15 The framework was refined ( Appendix Exhibit A1 ) 16 using feedback from a diverse group of 125 individuals elicited during 15 Community Engagement Studios 17 held in locations around the U.S. between April and October 2016. 14

The survey (see Appendix Exhibit A2 ) 16 incorporated the value-related concepts reflected in the conceptual framework, studio discussions, and the literature, including clinical results as well as access to non-clinical information. The opening questions explored participant experiences and expectations regarding return of results and related concepts (e.g., trust of researchers) using yes/no/not sure response options. Using a 7-point scale, participants were then asked to rate the perceived value of receiving lab tests, survey results, physical measurements, risks related to behaviors, genetic risks, pharmacogenomics, ancestry, and genetic traits. In addition to these types of data, participants also rated the value of information, not results, including access to medical records, clinical trials nearby, updates on how researchers used their information, comparisons to “people like me”, and opportunities to network with “others like me”.

Participants were also asked to rate which particular item would be the most and least valuable to them in an effort to discriminate among those items that might cluster based on ratings. To assess perceived value among less tangible types of research-related information, we did not include monetary compensation as an option among the choices for least and most valuable information types. Participants’ views on whether research results should be returned to participants and whether return of results would impact trust in researchers and willingness to participate in research were also assessed. The final survey included 29 questions and was purposefully brief to minimize burden to participants. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level score for the final survey was 6.6. We intentionally aimed for a low readability level in an effort to ensure valid comprehension of the language and concepts regardless of educational attainment. This study was approved by Vanderbilt’s Institutional Review Board (IRB # 180237).

Recruitment and Survey Deployment

Recruitment efforts took place between March and September 2018 using two sampling mechanisms: the ResearchMatch volunteer registry and Cint, a national survey audience platform. 18 We sought to include a diverse group of 2,500 participants aged 18 and older of any age, race, ethnicity, ancestry, ability, gender, income level, and geographical location. Our aim was to develop an authentic picture of individual perspectives and preferences, with particular interest in how they may align or vary across racial and ethnic groups often underrepresented in research. Because of this, respondent demographics were closely monitored throughout the survey period to allow targeting of invitation waves to less represented populations. Additional information about recruitment efforts including compensation are available in Appendix Exhibit A3 . 16

Survey responses were captured online via REDCap, a secure web application developed by Vanderbilt University. 19 We calculated response rate for the overall sample based on surveys with a minimum of 75% of questions answered among those who received the survey.

Data analysis

We used descriptive statistics (e.g., counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation (SD), median) to analyze participant demographics and responses regarding perceived value of various types of information, including summarization across the entire sample as well as relevant subgroups defined by demographic characteristics (e.g., self-reported race and ethnicity, educational attainment). We also used the x 2 test to explore any differences in ratings or selections among demographic subgroups.

We used one-way ANOVA to explore differences in perceived value by sociodemographic variables (gender, race, education, income, age) and x 2 tests to assess differences in the most and least valuable types of information. Due to the large number of comparisons, we used a Bonferroni corrected p-value threshold of 0.000055 for statistical significance. All analyses are available in Appendix Exhibits A4 – A10 . 16 Analyses were conducted using SPSS v.25.

Limitations

Although we sought to recruit a sample reflecting the broad diversity of the U.S., we have small numbers of some populations including American Indians and Alaska Natives. We considered this in our analyses and would recommend that future studies specifically recruit those not well represented here. Our study is also at risk of selection bias because participants were recruited from existing platforms and the survey was only available electronically. We did, however, use sampling strategies to recruit a substantial number of racial and ethnic minorities as well as individuals with limited education and income. Additionally, this survey is not linked to a clinical study thus no outcomes are available related to perceived value of receiving actual information, though some in our sample with previous research participation may have used that experience to inform their responses. Finally, we did not provide information about the potential incompleteness or uncertainty of research results, which may have shaped participants’ responses. To maximize responses, especially among groups underrepresented in research, we did not attempt to communicate these complex terms and concepts.

Response rate and respondents’ characteristics

Of the 5,218 individuals who were sent the survey, 48.9% responded. The 2,549 respondents included 60% women, 39% age 50 years or older, 58% racial/ethnic minorities, and 23% who had a high school education or less. Exhibit 1 shows the detailed sociodemographic characteristics of our sample. Respondents lived in 47 states, thus including a broader range of areas in the U.S. than that of previous investigations into return of results; see heat map based on respondent-reported zip codes in Exhibit 2 .

- Demographic characteristics of the sample (N= 2,549).

SOURCE: [“Authors’ analysis of data from the Return of Value survey, 2018”].

Heat Map of Respondents.

SOURCE: [Image generated using www.openheatmap.com using respondent-provided zip codes, Return of Value survey data, 2018].

NOTES: [Full list of zip codes available on request].

Perspectives on the value of receiving research results

Most respondents indicated that receiving research results would be valuable (78.5%) and should be expected (71.7%), and would make them more likely to participate in research (72.4%) and trust researchers (70.3%). Respondents under age 50 years were more likely to volunteer for research if they were going to receive results (χ 2 = 91.23, p < 0.000055), while African Americans were less likely to volunteer (χ 2 = 104.05, p < 0.000055). African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos were more likely to trust researchers if they received research results (χ 2 = 125.76, p < 0.000055; see Appendix Exhibit A4 ). 16

Of the 647 respondents reporting that they had received research results previously, 65.5% (n=424) received results from a survey or a health assessment; 46.4% (n= 300) received lab results; 42% (n=272) received physical measurements (height, weight, blood pressure, etc.); 16.4% (n=106) received genetic results; and 11.1% (n=72) received other types of results (see Appendix Exhibit A5 for comparisons of types of results received among different demographic groups). 16 Free-text descriptions of other results included individual results (e.g., imaging, bone density, sleep studies), aggregate study data/results, comparison of participant data to others, and post-study unblinding of treatment group status (e.g., active or placebo); a small number of participants noted being notified of results requiring further clinical follow-up, such as a cyst, high intraocular pressure, or need to visit a cardiologist.

The value of specific types of information

The types of information respondents rated the highest value (mean (SD); using a 7-point scale: 1 being “not valuable” and 7 being “very valuable”) were “information about how I may respond to medications based on genetics” 6.30 (SD 1.21), “how genetics may affect the risk of getting a medical condition” 6.28 (SD 1.26), “how my lifestyle affects my risk of getting a medical condition” 5.98 (SD 1.43), and “clinical trials of interest near me” 5.81 (SD 1.47). Respondents assigned the lowest value to “how to connect with others like me in a study” 4.09 (SD 2.02), “my genetic traits” 5.29 (SD 1.78), “how my health and behaviors compare to others” 5.31 (SD 1.70), and “information from my medical records” 5.36 (SD 1.77). See Exhibit 3 for average ratings of each item.

Respondents ratings of the value of items that could be returned from a study; compared by educational attainment

Ratings used a 7-point scale: “not valuable” = 1 to “very valuable” = 7. P values are from F test for Analysis of Variance for differences in means.

There were differences in perceived value among some demographic groups (see Appendix Exhibit A6 for all demographic comparisons), 16 most notably when comparing by educational attainment (see Exhibit 3 ). Respondents with a college degree or more education assigned higher value to pharmacogenomics results (F=71.58, p<0.000055); genetic risk of disease (F=69.11, p<0.000055); and how lifestyle affects risk of disease (F=21.2, p<0.000055), compared to those with less years of education. Individuals with a high school diploma or less education assigned higher value to receiving information from their medical records (F=21.41, p<0.000055) and how to connect with others like me (F=31.79, p<0.000055) compared to those with more years of education. Additional analyses of value

The most and least valuable types of information

When asked to choose the single most valuable type of information, most respondents indicated “how genetics may affect the risk of getting a medical condition” (28%) and “how my lifestyle affects my risk of getting a medical condition” (13%). Responses for the single least valuable type of information included “how to connect with others like me in a study” (34%) and “basic information about me such as lab tests and survey responses (20%).

The types of information rated least and most valuable (see Exhibit 4 , Exhibit 5 , and Appendix Exhibit A7 16 ) were similar across most demographic groups except among those with a high school education or less. Respondents with a high school diploma or less education indicated genetic risk of a medical condition as the least valuable item, while all groups with more than a high school education identified this as the most valuable (see Exhibit 4 , Exhibit 5 , and Appendix Exhibit A8 ). 16 Those with a high school education or less identified “connecting with others like me” as most valuable.

Least valuable type of information by educational attainment.*

* Survey question: Of the items, which would be the least valuable to you? (choose only one).

SOURCE: Authors’ analysis of data from the Return of Value survey, 2018.

Most valuable type of information by educational attainment.*

* Survey question: Of the items, which would be most valuable to you? (choose only one)

Other differences were found among American Indians and Alaska Natives, who identified pharmacogenomics information as most valuable (see Appendix Exhibit A9 ), 16 as compared with the preference within the overall sample toward genetic effects on risk of a condition. Among individuals over age 65 years, similar proportions selected three items as most valuable - risk of disease based on lifestyle, genetic risk of disease, and connecting with others like me (see Appendix Exhibit A10 ). 16

The value of financial incentives for participation

Overall, receiving money for participating in a study received a mean rating of 5.64 (SD 1.73), which was the seventh highest of the twelve items (see Appendix Exhibit A6 for overall ratings and subgroup comparisons). 16 No demographic group rated the value of monetary compensation highest; however, there were differences among some groups. Younger respondents rated the mean value of monetary compensation higher as compared with the oldest respondent group: 5.76 (SD 1.63) for those 18–29 years, 5.88 (SD 1.57) for those 30–49 years, and 4.5 (SD 2.19) for those 75 years and older (F=73.96, p<0.000055). The mean value of monetary compensation for African Americans was 6.01 (SD 1.47), Asians/Asian Americans 5.94 (SD 1.46) and Hispanics/Latinos 5.83 (SD 1.62), which were higher than Caucasians/Whites 5.32 (SD 1.87) and American Indians/Alaska Natives 4.95 (SD 2.02), (F=56.71, p<0.000055).

In this diverse national sample, we found that participants across all demographics highly valued receiving information from research studies and were more likely to trust researchers and to volunteer if research information were returned. Results of pharmacogenomics studies and genetic risk of disease had the highest value; however, respondents highly valued information beyond research results including information on “clinical trials near me” and “how researchers are using my data.” Receiving information beyond clinically actionable results was more highly valued than monetary compensation by all ages, races/ethnicities, educational levels, genders and income levels.

We intentionally recruited a sample with a range of racial, ethnic, educational and geographic diversity to include groups often underrepresented in research. Genomic research studies, in particular, often lack racial and ethnic diversity among participants. 20 We considered this in our recruitment strategy, which yielded a sample more diverse across many demographic characteristics than previous work in this area, especially with regards to race and ethnicity. 1 , 21 , 22 As hypothesized, we found notable differences in types of information deemed most valuable by some underrepresented groups. Individuals with lower educational attainment, high school or less, identified information on genetic risk of disease as least valuable, while all other educational categories viewed this as most valuable. This has important implications for addressing the varying informational needs of individuals with limited health literacy and numeracy who may have difficulty interpreting results that are out of range 23 or require visual aids to understand information. 24 , 25

Although we found substantial interest in receiving research results among racial and ethnic minorities, their preferences and perceived value of specific types of information varied. This may reflect differences in culture, societal norms, perceptions of researchers’ trustworthiness, and prior experiences with research and health care. In prior work, African Americans, regardless of socioeconomic status, were less likely to access study results in a genetic study of smoking, even after they previously indicated interest in receiving the results. 26 Policies and practices related to return of information must recognize these differences and use culturally appropriate messaging as well as avoid reliance on strategies with limited uptake in these groups, such as use of electronic portals. 27

Our study goes beyond existing evidence on participants’ views on receiving study results, which has primarily focused on genetic findings and return of results based on clinical utility, actionability and secondary findings. 28 , 29 Some studies have considered the personal utility of results, though this is often framed from the view of researchers or ethicists, who have sought to limit information returned to participants. 5 , 6 , 10 Our focus on the term value, referring to the perceived worth, usefulness or benefit of the information, is novel and aligns with an emerging focus on patient values in health care decision-making.

Our findings provide new evidence to inform the policies needed to meet the considerable demand for return of information. Research institutions and funders should consider investments in programs that allow return of valued information beyond research results (e.g., study updates on use of data and clinical trial information). Such programs could be used by a large number of researchers and would provide options for return of value when the types of results most valued by participants are not related to the aims of the research study (e.g., genetic results) or when results could impact the study (e.g., unblind the study or change participant behavior).

Because returning results to research participants is not widely practiced, researchers need guidance to systematically implement return of information. Notably, receiving information about individualized medication response based on genetics (i.e. pharmacogenomics) was rated numerically highest of all choices. Given this finding along with the widely established pharmacogenetic associations for drug interactions, which have led to black box warnings 30 and drug dosing guidelines 31 , this is a potential priority area for research that includes pharmacogenetics information. These results are considerably more actionable than disease risk, and therefore do not necessarily trigger the need for genetic counseling that other results might (putting such practices out of range of many individual study budgets). Further, there are tools for reporting these results to patients in understandable ways as well as recommendations on report content. 32 Using these existing resources would limit burden and costs to both researchers and participants and enable clinicians to use results in ways that minimize disruptions to workflow.

Our findings support that a proactive approach is required to engage participant groups and understand varying preferences for return of value. For example, the All of Us Research Program, which intends to share information with at least 1 million participants, will need to implement strategies that tailor and adapt information for more precise communication with its diverse participants 33 and allows participants to select their most valuable information. Researchers will also need to anticipate the resources needed for everyone to understand and use the information. Policies should promote access to relevant and easy-to-understand information for all demographic categories, especially individuals who socially disadvantaged.

Conclusions

The majority of research participants expect to receive information from studies and they find value in information beyond laboratory test results such as study progress and where to find clinical trials. If implemented broadly, the return of valued information could improve trust in research and increase individuals’ willingness to volunteer for studies. Policies and practices are needed to enable the return of value to individuals with differing backgrounds and resources.

Acknowledgements:

The findings presented in this publication were developed in work supported by the National Institutes of Health under the following Award Numbers: U24TR001579, U54MD010722 , UL1-TR000445 and U54MD007593. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health .

The authors express their sincere gratitude to Meredith O’Brien for her help in formatting the manuscript for publication, Nancy Kennedy for her literature searching aid, and Douglas Conway for his assistance in developing the graphical representation of respondent-provided zip codes.

Appendix Exhibit A1: Return of Value Conceptual Framework

Appendix Exhibit A2: Return of Value Survey Instrument

Would you like to help researchers learn more about how to give back to research participants?

Are you interested in helping researchers who are trying to figure out better ways to give back to participants in their research studies? Researchers at Vanderbilt are looking for volunteers to complete a short survey. The survey will ask your opinion about different types of information that researchers may share back with participants.

You may be eligible for this study if:

• You are 18 years or older
• You are a healthy volunteer OR if you have one or more medical conditions
• You are willing to complete a short web-based survey, estimated to take about 10 minutes.

If you are interested in participating in this study, please complete the questions below.

If you have questions about this study, please contact our Recruitment Innovation Center at 1–888-798–0885.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Which term best describes your gender identity?

• Prefer not to answer

Please specify.

What is the highest grade or year of school you completed?

• Never attended school or only attended kindergarten Grades 1 through 4 (Primary)
• Grades 5 through 8 (Middle school) Grades 9 through 11 (Some high school) Grade 12 or GED (High school graduate)
• College 1 to 3 years (Some college, Associate’s degree, or technical school) College 4 years or more (College graduate)
• Advanced degree (Master’s, Doctorate, etc.) Prefer not to answer
• 18–29
• 30–49
• 50–64
• 65–74
• 75 or older

Which group(s) best describe you? Select all that apply.

• American Indian or Alaska Native Asian or Asian American
• Black, African American or African Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Middle Eastern or North African
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander White or Caucasian
• None of these fully describe me Prefer not to answer

What is your annual household income from all sources?

• Less than $10,000
• $10,000– $24,999
• $25,000– $34,999
• $35,000– $49,999
• $50,000– $74,999
• $75,000–$99,999
• $100,000– $149,999
• $150,000– $199,999
• $200,000 or more Prefer not to answer

What is your zip code?

• Click here to enter a response Prefer not to answer

Please enter your zip code.

Research studies often look for how health can be affected by differences in people’s genes, lifestyle, and medical history. They collect this information using lab tests, medical records, and surveys. Sometimes they also collect DNA.

There are many ways that this information can be shared back with the volunteers in the study. A team of researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is interested in learning about the types of information most important to volunteers. If you would like to participate, please complete the questions below.

If you were in a study like this, would getting your results be valuable to you or your family?

• I’m not sure

Should volunteers expect to receive research results when they agree to be in a study?

Have you ever participated in a medical research study (for example, a clinical trial, survey, etc.) before? *

Have you ever received results from a research study?

What kind of results did you receive? Please check all that apply.

• Survey or health assessment results
• Genetic results
• Lab results
• Measurements (height, weight, blood pressure, etc.) Other

Please specify the ‘other’ results you received.

Would you be more likely to volunteer for a study if you were going to receive research results?

Would you be more likely to trust researchers if you received research results?

If you were in a study like this, how valuable would these types of information be to you? For each item below, please select a number from 1 to 7, with 1 being “not valuable” and 7 being “very valuable.”

Basic information about me. This includes my lab results, survey responses, height, weight, etc.

• 1 (not valuable)
• 7 (very valuable)

How my lifestyle affects my risk of getting a medical condition. This is from information about my diet, exercise, sleep, and habits like drinking, smoking, etc.

Information from my medical record. This includes my medical history like conditions, doctor visits, and procedures.

How my genetics affect my risk of getting a medical condition. This is from information collected from my DNA.

Information about how I may respond to some medications. This tells me which medications may be more helpful or harmful to me based on my genetics.

My Ancestry. This tells me what percent of my DNA comes from different parts of the world.

My Genetic Traits. This tells me about my physical characteristics like hair or eye color.

Information about how researchers are using my information. This can be updates about the study’s progress and findings.

Information about clinical trials near me. These can be studies on a health condition that interests me.

How my health and behaviors compare to others. This shows me how my diet, exercise, sleep, and habits like drinking, smoking, etc. compare to other volunteers.

How to connect with others like me in the study. This can be connecting me to other volunteers through a forum or personal stories shared in blog posts or reports.

Receiving monetary compensation for taking part in the study.

If you have a certain US dollar amount in mind, please share.

Of the items, which would be most valuable to you? (choose only one)

• Basic information collected from me in the study
• How my lifestyle affects my risks of getting a medical condition Information about me from my medical record
• How my genetics affect my risks of getting a medical condition Information about how I may respond to some medications
• My Ancestry
• My Genetic Traits
• Information about how researchers are using my information Information about clinical trials near me
• How my heath condition and behaviors compare to others How to connect with others like me in the study

Of the items, which would be the least valuable to you? (choose only one)

Thank you for your feedback.

*Note: The question “Have you ever participated in a medical research study (for example, a clinical trial, survey, etc.) before?” was added to the survey for the Cint sample.

Appendix Exhibit A3: Additional Recruitment Information

ResearchMatch, a Vanderbilt-led collaboration, includes a national volunteer registry designed to help ‘match’ interested volunteers with eligible researchers from a large consortium of participating institutions. This resource served as the primary mechanism of recruitment between March through August 2018, leading to completion of roughly 80% of our overall sample target. ResearchMatch includes a total membership of ~130,000, and 59% of members have agreed to be contacted by a researcher about a study at least once through this mechanism, indicating that at least half ResearchMatch members have some degree of familiarity with research studies. As ResearchMatch demographics do not include measures of income or level of education, our survey approach included zip code-based recruitment using U.S. Census tract data to aid in reaching individuals with lower educational attainment. Participants identified via ResearchMatch were offered the option to enter a drawing to receive a $50 gift card; gift cards were sent to 20 randomly selected participants after the survey was closed to responses.

We deployed the survey via Cint between August and September 2018 to complement the ResearchMatch recruitment strategy. The survey invitation was sent to men older than age 65 and individuals with a high school education/equivalent or less, two groups less represented in the initial waves of ResearchMatch sampling. Approximately 10% of this portion of our sample indicated they had participated in a medical research study before. Respondents from the Cint platform were compensated by Cint using its existing mechanism, which includes a small monetary incentive (~$1.50 per participant for a completed survey).

Appendix Exhibit A4: Adjusted Standardized Residuals and Chi Square Tests

Absolute values of 2 represent proportions significantly above or below the expected.

Grey fill indicates those groups that have significant positive perceptions compared to the expected number of observations.

Appendix Exhibit A5: Adjusted Standardized Residuals and Chi Square Tests: People who have received results

Grey fill for those groups that have significant positive perceptions compared to the expected number of observations.

Appendix Exhibit A6: ANOVA Results

Bonferroni p<0.000055

Appendix Exhibit A7: Most and least valuable types of information, by demographic groups

Appendix exhibit a8. most and least valuable types of information, by education..

***Bonferroni p<0.000055

Appendix Exhibit A9. Most and least valuable types of information, by race.

Appendix Exhibit A10. Most and least valuable types of information, by age.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer
• QuestionPro

• Solutions Industries Gaming Automotive Sports and events Education Government Travel & Hospitality Financial Services Healthcare Cannabis Technology Use Case NPS+ Communities Audience Contactless surveys Mobile LivePolls Member Experience GDPR Positive People Science 360 Feedback Surveys
• Resources Blog eBooks Survey Templates Case Studies Training Help center

Home Market Research

What is Research: Definition, Methods, Types & Examples

The search for knowledge is closely linked to the object of study; that is, to the reconstruction of the facts that will provide an explanation to an observed event and that at first sight can be considered as a problem. It is very human to seek answers and satisfy our curiosity. Let’s talk about research.

Content Index

What is Research?

What are the characteristics of research.

• Comparative analysis chart

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods, 8 tips for conducting accurate research.

Research is the careful consideration of study regarding a particular concern or research problem using scientific methods. According to the American sociologist Earl Robert Babbie, “research is a systematic inquiry to describe, explain, predict, and control the observed phenomenon. It involves inductive and deductive methods.”

Inductive methods analyze an observed event, while deductive methods verify the observed event. Inductive approaches are associated with qualitative research , and deductive methods are more commonly associated with quantitative analysis .

Research is conducted with a purpose to:

• Identify potential and new customers
• Understand existing customers
• Set pragmatic goals
• Develop productive market strategies
• Address business challenges
• Put together a business expansion plan
• Identify new business opportunities
• Good research follows a systematic approach to capture accurate data. Researchers need to practice ethics and a code of conduct while making observations or drawing conclusions.
• The analysis is based on logical reasoning and involves both inductive and deductive methods.
• Real-time data and knowledge is derived from actual observations in natural settings.
• There is an in-depth analysis of all data collected so that there are no anomalies associated with it.
• It creates a path for generating new questions. Existing data helps create more research opportunities.
• It is analytical and uses all the available data so that there is no ambiguity in inference.
• Accuracy is one of the most critical aspects of research. The information must be accurate and correct. For example, laboratories provide a controlled environment to collect data. Accuracy is measured in the instruments used, the calibrations of instruments or tools, and the experiment’s final result.

What is the purpose of research?

There are three main purposes:

• Exploratory: As the name suggests, researchers conduct exploratory studies to explore a group of questions. The answers and analytics may not offer a conclusion to the perceived problem. It is undertaken to handle new problem areas that haven’t been explored before. This exploratory data analysis process lays the foundation for more conclusive data collection and analysis.

LEARN ABOUT: Descriptive Analysis

• Descriptive: It focuses on expanding knowledge on current issues through a process of data collection. Descriptive research describe the behavior of a sample population. Only one variable is required to conduct the study. The three primary purposes of descriptive studies are describing, explaining, and validating the findings. For example, a study conducted to know if top-level management leaders in the 21st century possess the moral right to receive a considerable sum of money from the company profit.

LEARN ABOUT: Best Data Collection Tools

• Explanatory: Causal research or explanatory research is conducted to understand the impact of specific changes in existing standard procedures. Running experiments is the most popular form. For example, a study that is conducted to understand the effect of rebranding on customer loyalty.

Here is a comparative analysis chart for a better understanding:

It begins by asking the right questions and choosing an appropriate method to investigate the problem. After collecting answers to your questions, you can analyze the findings or observations to draw reasonable conclusions.

When it comes to customers and market studies, the more thorough your questions, the better the analysis. You get essential insights into brand perception and product needs by thoroughly collecting customer data through surveys and questionnaires . You can use this data to make smart decisions about your marketing strategies to position your business effectively.

To make sense of your study and get insights faster, it helps to use a research repository as a single source of truth in your organization and manage your research data in one centralized data repository .

Types of research methods and Examples

Research methods are broadly classified as Qualitative and Quantitative .

Both methods have distinctive properties and data collection methods .

Qualitative research is a method that collects data using conversational methods, usually open-ended questions . The responses collected are essentially non-numerical. This method helps a researcher understand what participants think and why they think in a particular way.

Types of qualitative methods include:

• One-to-one Interview
• Focus Groups
• Ethnographic studies
• Text Analysis

Quantitative methods deal with numbers and measurable forms . It uses a systematic way of investigating events or data. It answers questions to justify relationships with measurable variables to either explain, predict, or control a phenomenon.

Types of quantitative methods include:

• Survey research
• Descriptive research
• Correlational research

LEARN MORE: Descriptive Research vs Correlational Research

Remember, it is only valuable and useful when it is valid, accurate, and reliable. Incorrect results can lead to customer churn and a decrease in sales.

It is essential to ensure that your data is:

• Valid – founded, logical, rigorous, and impartial.
• Accurate – free of errors and including required details.
• Reliable – other people who investigate in the same way can produce similar results.
• Timely – current and collected within an appropriate time frame.
• Complete – includes all the data you need to support your business decisions.

Gather insights

• Identify the main trends and issues, opportunities, and problems you observe. Write a sentence describing each one.
• Keep track of the frequency with which each of the main findings appears.
• Make a list of your findings from the most common to the least common.
• Evaluate a list of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified in a SWOT analysis .
• Prepare conclusions and recommendations about your study.
• Act on your strategies
• Look for gaps in the information, and consider doing additional inquiry if necessary
• Plan to review the results and consider efficient methods to analyze and interpret results.

Review your goals before making any conclusions about your study. Remember how the process you have completed and the data you have gathered help answer your questions. Ask yourself if what your analysis revealed facilitates the identification of your conclusions and recommendations.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SOFTWARE         FREE TRIAL

MORE LIKE THIS

QuestionPro BI: From Research Data to Actionable Dashboards

Apr 22, 2024

21 Best Customer Advocacy Software for Customers in 2024

Apr 19, 2024

10 Quantitative Data Analysis Software for Every Data Scientist

Apr 18, 2024

11 Best Enterprise Feedback Management Software in 2024

Other categories.

• Academic Research
• Artificial Intelligence
• Assessments
• Brand Awareness
• Case Studies
• Communities
• Consumer Insights
• Customer effort score
• Customer Engagement
• Customer Experience
• Customer Loyalty
• Customer Research
• Customer Satisfaction
• Employee Benefits
• Employee Engagement
• Employee Retention
• Friday Five
• General Data Protection Regulation
• Insights Hub
• Life@QuestionPro
• Market Research
• Mobile diaries
• Mobile Surveys
• New Features
• Online Communities
• Question Types
• Questionnaire
• QuestionPro Products
• Release Notes
• Research Tools and Apps
• Revenue at Risk
• Survey Templates
• Training Tips
• Uncategorized
• Video Learning Series
• What’s Coming Up
• Workforce Intelligence