Module 1

Introduction to Research and

Literature Review

Prof. Aiswarya D Pillai

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Introduction
• According to Martyn Shuttleworth, research is any gathering of data,
information and facts for the advancement of knowledge.
• Creswell says that “Research is a process of steps used to collect and
analyse information to increase our understanding of a topic or issue”.
• According to Fred Kerlinger, research is an organized enquiry
designed and carried out to provide information for solving a problem.

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Business Research
• Business research may be defined as research activities carried out
relating to the different functionaries in the business and corporate
world. Business research is a process of acquiring detailed information
of all the areas of business and using such information in maximizing
the sales and profit of the business. Such a study helps companies
determine which product/service is most profitable or in demand.
• The definition of business research involves acquiring information and
knowledge for professional or commercial purposes such as
determining opportunities and goals for a business. An example of
business research is gathering sales information and writing a detailed
report on marketing and sales.

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• For example, an automobile company plans to unveil the latest car
model in the market. For that, they need to develop strategies to
explore and monitor customer demand. So, the company will conduct
research to collect information and analyze market trends. This will
help them draw better conclusions and come up with a fine quality car
at the right price resulting in a larger market share.

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Qualities of a Good Business Research
• Purpose clearly defined
• Research process detailed
• Research design thoroughly planned
• High ethical standards applied
• Limitations frankly revealed
• Adequate analysis for decision maker’s needs
• Findings presented unambiguously
• Conclusions justified
• Researcher’s experience reflected

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Objective of Business Research
The ultimate aim of research is to find (search) answer to questions by
applying a scientific research process. Although, there are different
research objectives for different research studies, some general
objectives may be mentioned hereunder:
• To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into
it (exploratory or formulative research studies)
• To describe accurately the characteristics of a particular individual,
situation or a group. (descriptive research)
• To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with
which it is associated with something else. (studies with this object
known as diagnostic research)
• To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables. (such
studies are known as hypothesis testing research)
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TYPES OF RESEARCH
• Basic Research:
• It is also known as pure or fundamental research.
• This research is mainly conducted to increase knowledge base. It is driven purely by
interest and a desire to expand our knowledge.
• This type of research tends not to be directly applicable to the real world in a direct way,
but enhances our understanding of the world around us.
• Pure research can be exploratory, descriptive or explanatory.
• Basic research generates new ideas, principles and theories indifferent fields.
• Basic research concentrates on fundamental principles and testing theories.
• It is sometimes implicitly said that basic research doesn’t have practical applications. For
example, someone conducting basic research on cheating behavior may design a study
examining whether students from illiterate families cheat more often than students from
literate families.
• Notice that the research is not done to reduce cheating or help people who cheat or any
other “applied” aspect, but to increase the understanding of cheating behavior.
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• Applied Research:
• Applied research is mainly related with solving practical problems rather than focusing
on knowledge expansion.
• It is mainly used to find solutions to problems which occur on a daily basis and develop
new innovative technologies.
• The main aim of applied research is to provide better technologies for humans to enhance
their standard of living.
• Example: Investigating which treatment approach is the most effective for treating cancer
patients whereas researching which strategies work best to motivate workers.
• Quantitative Research:
• Quantitative research is generally related with the positivist concept.
• It usually involves collecting and converting data into numerical form so that statistical
calculations can be made and conclusions drawn.
• Objectivity is very vital in quantitative research.
• Therefore, researchers try to avoid their own presence, behavior or attitude affecting the
results (e.g., by changing the circumstances being studied or causing participants to
behave differently).
• The aim of quantitative research is to develop mathematical models, theories related to
phenomenon. Quantitative research is mainly used in social sciences.
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• Qualitative Research:
• Qualitative research is the approach usually related with the social
constructivist concept which emphasizes the socially constructed nature of
reality.
• It is about recording, analyzing and attempting to reveal the in debt meaning
and significance of human behavior and experience, including conflicting
beliefs, behaviors and emotions.
• The qualitative method tries to answer why and how of decision-making rather
than what and when.
• The approach to data collection and analysis is logical but allows for greater
flexibility than in quantitative research.
• Data is collected in textual form on the basis of observation and
communication with the participants, e.g. through participant observation, in-
depth interviews and focus groups.
• It is not converted into numerical form and is not statistically analyzed.

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• Descriptive Research:
• Descriptive research is used to describe characteristics of an observable fact
being studied.
• Descriptive studies are structured in such a way that it cannot be changed
frequently, so it can be said that they are rigid in nature.
• They cannot identify cause and effect relationship between variables.
• Descriptive research answers questions such as who, when, where, what and
how.
• This type of research describes what exists and may help to reveal new facts
and meaning.
• The purpose of descriptive research is to observe, describe and document.

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• Exploratory Research:
• Exploratory research is carried out for a problem that has not been clearly
defined.
• The main aim of this research is to gather initial information which helps to
define problems and recommend hypothesis. Exploratory research helps to
settle on the best research design, data collection method and selection of
subjects.
• Exploratory research often relies on secondary research such as reviewing
available literature, or qualitative approaches such as informal discussions
with consumers, employees, management or competitors, and more formal
approaches through in depth interviews, focus groups, projective methods,
case studies or pilot studies.
• Exploratory research can mainly be conducted when researchers lack clear
idea of the problem.
• The results of exploratory research are not generally useful for decision-
making, but they can provide major insight into a given situation.

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• Historical Research:
• It is defined as the type of research that examines past events or combinations
of events to arrive at an account of what has happened in the past.
• Historical research is carried out to discover the unknown; answer questions,
recognize the relationship that the past has to the present; record and assess
activities of individuals, agencies, or institutions; and assist in understanding
the culture in which we live.
• Historical research can exhibit patterns that occurred in the past and over time
which can facilitate us to see where we came from and what kinds of solutions
we have used in the past.
• We usually will notice that what we do today is expressly rooted in the past.
Historical research involves the process of collecting and reading the research
material collected, and writing the document from the data collected.

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• Experimental Research:
• It is commonly used in sciences such as sociology and psychology, physics,
chemistry, biology, medicine, etc.
• It is a collection of research designs which use manipulation and controlled
testing to understand fundamental processes.
• Usually, one or more variables are manipulated to establish their effect on a
dependent variable.
• Experimental Research is mainly used when: there is time priority in a causal
relationship (cause precedes effect) or there is uniformity in a causal
relationship (a cause will always lead to the same effect) or the magnitude of
the correlation is great.
• Experimental research is important to society as it helps us to improve our
daily lives.

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There are two main types of methods to carry out business research.
• Quantitative Business Research
• It is a method of analyzing the largest group that meets your target goals. It uses
mathematical techniques and data to explain the important stats about your
business and market. Usually, this data uses multiple-choice questionnaires that
can help you be profitable with your sales. For instance, quantitative research can
answer questions such as;
• Are your customers aware of the services or products you offer?
• How many people are interested in buying your products or services?
• Who are your best customers and what are their buying habits?
• How long the visitor stays on your website, and which is their exit page? The
result of quantitative business research is in the numerical form, such as;
• 40% of customers rate the new product as “attractive”
• 70% of prospective customers use the Internet to book their hotel room
• 6 out of 10 customers will buy a new food product after trying the free in-store
sample The quantitative research methods include various surveys such as postal,
telephone, online, and face-to-face
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The data is collected based on the following research:
• Correlational
• Survey
• Online
• Literature
• Casual Comparative
• Experimental

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• Qualitative Business Research
• This business research focuses on attitudes, intentions, and beliefs. Qualitative
research includes questions such as “Why”? or “How?”.
• The aim of this research is to gain insights into customers’ distinct behaviors and
response to a new product.
• This research is beneficial for your new products and marketing initiatives to test
reactions and rectify your approach.
• You can collect qualitative data using common methods such as case studies, focus
groups, and interviews.
• This data is often valuable but can be time-consuming and expensive to collect,
especially for a small business or a startup.)
• The data is collected based on the following research:
• Interviews
• Case Study
• Focus Groups
• Ethnographic Research
• Website Visitor Profiling
• Content Analysis

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• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATzbTGsBxWY

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yulWLHRdNVQ

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Advantages of Business Research
• Business Research plays the role of a catalyst in identifying potential
threats, issues as well as opportunities.
• It provides a detailed analysis of customers and the target audience, thus
helping in building better relationships with one’s audience and capturing
the areas which we might be missing out on.
• It also anticipates future problems thus the enterprise is able to tackle those
uncertainties and prepare for them beforehand.
• It keeps a continuous track of competition in the market and gives
businesses the scope to come up with better strategies to tackle their
competitors.
• Business Research also conducts a thorough cost analysis thus helping the
company efficiently manage resources and allocate them in an optimal
manner.
• It keeps you updated with the latest trends and competitor analysis.

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Disadvantages of Business Research
• Business Research can be expensive and time-consuming.
• It also has the danger of being assumptive and imprecise at times,
because the focus groups might be small or can be highly based on
assumptions.
• The market is ever-changing and ever-evolving and capturing the right
trends or anticipating them can constitute a complicated process for
business research.

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QUALITIES OF A GOOD RESEARCHER
• Method of Approach: The researcher should adopt correct course of action for identifying a
problem and then for working on it, to find a solution for that problem.
• Knowledge: The researcher should have complete knowledge and information of the field of
investigation so that he can go in for correct planning and then application of the correct and
efficient methods for selection of the problem and then for solving it.
• Qualification: The researcher should have a good background of study, which will facilitate the
researcher to have a better knowledge and understanding of the subject.
• Motivation: The researcher must be motivated to perform his work. For that, he should have a
proper attitude, vision of his own, and an aim with some objectives to achieve something.
• Perseverance: Perseverance means to carry on work strongly even though there are certain
problems and difficulties in carrying out work. As a result researcher should be stable and must
have consistent thinking.
• Communication Skills: Good Communication skills are required by researcher as he can
interact with respondents efficiently and understand their opinions.
• Organisational Skills: Researcher should use time management techniques so that work can be
completed on time.
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Research Methodology
• Research methodology is a way of explaining how a researcher intends to
carry out their research. It's a logical, systematic plan to resolve a research
problem.
• A methodology details a researcher's approach to the research to ensure
reliable, valid results that address their aims and objectives.
• It encompasses what data they're going to collect and where from, as well as
how it's being collected and analyzed.
• A research methodology gives research legitimacy and provides
scientifically sound findings.
• It also provides a detailed plan that helps to keep researchers on track,
making the process smooth, effective and manageable.
• A researcher's methodology allows the reader to understand the approach
and methods used to reach conclusions.

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Having a sound research methodology in place provides the following
benefits:
• Other researchers who want to replicate the research have enough
information to do so.
• Researchers who receive criticism can refer to the methodology and
explain their approach.
• It can help provide researchers with a specific plan to follow
throughout their research.
• The methodology design process helps researchers select the correct
methods for the objectives.
• It allows researchers to document what they intend to achieve with the
research from the outset.
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Non-scientific Research
• Non-scientific research is research conducted without any systematic
methods and scientific basis.
• In non-scientific research, intuition, personal experience, and personal
beliefs are used as techniques to reach a conclusion.
• Thus, conclusions in non-scientific research are basically based on personal
thinking and presumption.
• In non-scientific research, logical and systematics methods are not used in
analyzing data.
• Non-scientific research simply gives a solution for a certain problem.
• It does not focus on other activities or recommendations for that particular
problem.
• Moreover, it does not use a logical or organized procedure to form the
conclusion.

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Reference
• A reference is a detailed description of the source of information that
you want to give credit to via a citation.
• The references in research papers are usually in the form of a list at the
end of the paper.
• The essential difference between citations and references is that
citations lead a reader to the source of information, while references
provide the reader with detailed information regarding that particular
source.

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Types of References
There are several types of references used in research, and the type of reference
depends on the source of information being cited. The most common types of
references include:
• Books
• References to books typically include the author’s name, title of the book,
publisher, publication date, and place of publication.
• Example: Smith, J. (2018). The Art of Writing. Penguin Books.
• Journal Articles
• References to journal articles usually include the author’s name, title of the
article, name of the journal, volume and issue number, page numbers, and
publication date.
• Example: Johnson, T. (2021). The Impact of Social Media on Mental
Health. Journal of Psychology, 32(4), 87-94.

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• Web sources
• References to web sources should include the author or organization
responsible for the content, the title of the page, the URL, and the date
accessed.
• Example: World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) advice for the public. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-
for-public
• Conference Proceedings
• References to conference proceedings should include the author’s name, title
of the paper, name of the conference, location of the conference, date of the
conference, and page numbers.
• Example: Chen, S., & Li, J. (2019). The Future of AI in Education.
Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Technology,
Beijing, China, July 15-17, pp. 67-78.

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• Reports
• References to reports typically include the author or organization responsible
for the report, title of the report, publication date, and publisher.
• Example: United Nations. (2020). The Sustainable Development Goals
Report. United Nations.

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• Assignment find the different styles of referencing with examples

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Key Differences Between Reference and Bibliography
1.Scope: References are citations used within the text to acknowledge specific sources,
while a bibliography is a comprehensive list of all sources consulted during the research
process.
2.Placement: References are typically included within parentheses within the text,
whereas a bibliography is presented on a separate page or section after the main content.
3.Information Provided: References offer brief details about the source, usually consisting
of the author(s), year, and page number(s), whereas a bibliography provides detailed
bibliographic information about each source.
4.Purpose: References serve to support and authenticate specific claims made in the text,
while a bibliography offers readers an opportunity to access and verify the sources used
in the research.
5.Length: References are limited in number and appear within the text, while a
bibliography can contain an extensive list of sources and is presented as a separate
component.
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• Content: References are essential for avoiding plagiarism and giving credit
to the original authors, while a bibliography demonstrates the breadth and
depth of research conducted on a particular topic.
• Accessibility: References provide immediate acknowledgment of sources
within the text, while a bibliography allows readers to locate and explore
the cited sources for further study.
• Formatting: References typically follow a specific in-text citation style,
such as APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern
Language Association), while a bibliography can be formatted in various
citation styles.
• Supporting Arguments: References directly support the arguments and
statements made in the text, providing evidence and credibility, while a
bibliography offers interested readers additional sources for further reading
and research.
• Comprehensive Overview: References are focused on specific sources used
within the text, whereas a bibliography provides a comprehensive overview
of the research conducted on a particular subject.

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Business Research Process

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• The sequence of steps involved in the business research process are as
follows: problem/opportunity identification and formulation, planning a
research design, selecting a research method, selecting the sampling
procedure, data collection, evaluating the data and preparing the research
report for presentation.
• Business research is the process through which a business improves its
profits and organizational performance by gathering and analyzing relevant
data regarding its operations.
• It's a continuous process that involves all aspects of an organization's
business environment, like the markets the company is involved in, its
competitors, local and global economic trends, technological breakthroughs
in the field, new business practices and any other element that may affect
the organization's operational efficiency.
• Top-level executives use the information they gather through business
research to make informed decisions regarding the company's activities.

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Types and Methods of Business Research
Qualitative research methods
• Focus groups: This type of business research involves selecting a
specific group of people and assessing their behavior and feedback
regarding certain products or services. Companies typically choose
people who fit the characteristics of their target audience to participate
in focus groups and ask them open questions to determine how they
can improve customer satisfaction.
• Interviews: This kind of research generally involves a smaller number
of subjects than focus groups. The subjects also receive open-ended
questions regarding a company's goods and services, with the main
difference being that interviews are more conversational than focus
groups.

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• Case study research: This type of business research aims to assess
customer satisfaction by discovering the main challenges that customers
face when buying or using a specific product or service. Their purpose
is to help company stakeholders gain a better understanding of the
respective issues so they can provide effective solutions.
• Ethnographic research: This involves the researcher attempting to
understand the target audience's culture and behavior toward the
company's products and services by adapting to their environment. It's
typically challenging and time-consuming but can help an organization's
stakeholders understand their customers' thought processes.
• Website visitor profiling: This type of business research is relatively
new and involves using surveys to collect data from people visiting the
company's website. It can help a business understand their target
audience's interaction with their website and assess their online
presence.

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Quantitative research methods
• Surveys: This type of business research involves asking a specific set
of questions to a large number of potential and existing customers.
Companies conduct surveys both online and offline and use the
resulting data to improve their decision-making processes.
• Causal-comparative: This kind of research involves comparing two
situations to analyze how distinct variables can influence their
outcome. It usually requires an independent variable and a dependent
variable, with the research aiming to assess how the former influences
the latter.
• Correlational: This type of business research uses mathematical
analysis techniques to analyze how two separate entities influence
each other. Companies generally use it to understand how some of
their actions influence their business outcome.
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• Experimental: This involves conducting experimental research with
the purpose of proving or disproving a certain theory. Companies use
it to assess various hypotheses regarding ways to improve their profits
by carrying out experiments and observing their results.
• Online and literature: This type of business research involves
gathering information from online and offline publications with the
purpose of gaining in-depth knowledge regarding a specific subject.
Companies generally use it to understand specific markets or customer
behaviors.

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Examples:
Consider this example of a quantitative research method:
• Lakeside Time Fishing Bait Company decides to use a survey to
conduct business research with the purpose of determining which types
of fish their customers usually try to catch. They plan on using the
information to focus bait production on the top three types of fish,
narrowing down their target audience and improving organizational
efficiency. They post the survey on their social media platforms and
discover that their target audience mostly attempts to catch bass,
catfish and carp.

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Examples:
Consider this example of a qualitative research method:
• A media production company wants to determine which of its media
products are most likely to gain popularity and increase the company's
profitability. They decide to use a focus group and gather 10 subjects
from different backgrounds to ask them which types of shows they
prefer and what their favorite medium is. The people conducting the
focus group research ask the subjects specific questions to determine
whether the target audience prefers fiction or nonfiction and whether
they use TVs or other types of devices to consume their favorite media.

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 THANK YOU

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