Week # 2
Preparatory Phase
Working on topic and idea
Future University in Egypt
Business School
Research Methodology
Spring 2024
Dr. Maha A. Gharib
By the end of this class, students will learn;
1. Preparation phase, choosing the topic; identify the
attributes of a good research topic
2. To generate topic that will help in the choice of a
suitable research ideas.
3. The meaning, purpose and function of research topic and idea.
4. How to decide the topic.
5. How to refine the idea using Delphi technique.
6. Research purpose.
The research process
1 Preparation phase
Step 1: Choose a good research topic
Step 2: Select the idea
Step 3: Turn the idea into a question
Step 4: Obtain the objectives of the research.
Step 5: Working on collection of information
[literature review]
Step 6: Setting a hypothesis [es]
Step 7: Variables and their measurements
Step 8: Research design to achieve the objectives.
The research process and its phases
1 9
Preparation phase
Working on the steps of
research as well as design
2 3 Materializing the
Writing phase research design
Proposal Research in action
Topic SO
To choose a good
1. It is an unavoidable part of the research design.
research topic:
2. A research is consistent to the broad area of interest to a you need to be aware of
researcher such as management, marketing, and finance.
the three attributes of a
3. It is an early step in preparation phase, that will be narrowed good research topic
down to a fine idea as research process precedes.
4. A researcher needs to ask some question as to come up with a
topic as: Three criteria needed
Can I do it? for a good research
is it worthwhile? topic:
Has valuable outcomes. 1. Capability
5. These questions are relevant to the quality of the topic 2. Appropriateness
3. Relevance
Attributes of a good research topic
1. Capability: Can I do it????
So, capability is to see if you are able to put your topic into practice.
2. Appropriateness: is it worthwhile
a. Meeting the standards of the organization.
b. Does the topic contain issues with clear links to theory?
c. Ability to state a good clear research question.
d. Will the proposed research provide fresh insights into the topic?
3. Relevance
a. Your research relevance to your career goals.
b. Has valuable outcomes.
Generating research Topics / ideas:
Some creative / critical techniques used in generating
topic / idea
Rational Creative
1. Exploring personal
Points you need to think about: preferences. Examining
1. Examining staff research your own strengths and
interests interests
2. Looking / discuss past project 2. Brainstorming.
titles 3. Constructing a relevance
3. Searching the literature. tree.
4. Scanning the media 4. Keeping log book. [record]
How to: techniques used in gathering information
Brainstorming is helpful technique for generating key words. Either
individually or as part of a group, you write down all the words and
short phrases that come to mind on your research. These are then
evaluated and key words (and phrases) selected.
Relevance trees:
Purpose of relevance trees:
1. They enable you to decide either with help or on your own
(Jankowicz 2005):
2. provide a useful method of bringing some form of structure to your
information search to an organization chart and are a hierarchical
‘graph-like’ arrangement of headings and subheadings.
❑which key words are directly relevant to your research idea.
❑which areas you will search first and which your search will use later
❑which areas are more important – these tend to have more branches.
Using Creative Techniques in choosing
Step # 1 research topic
How to choose Topic :
1 Generating research Topic :
Research topic / ideas can be either given
by the project tutor or generated by you.
I am interested in My hobby
__________ Social interest
What subject My major
I am good at Academic interest
1 Preparation phase
Step # 1 Choosing a topic
Choices
1
Topic is chosen by a supervisor
3
2 Out of academic interest Hobbies
Topic is chosen by a researcher
Framing a problem in Scientific terms. Another way
The purpose of framing a problem is to find a right answer.
of working
To frame a problem is to: on topic / idea
Find a way of structuring or presenting a problem.
Framing involves Posing, defining, explaining and describing
the context of the problem .
The way a problem is posed, or framed, the way the process of
research starts.
1 2 3 4
Understand: Start off:
Define Prioritize:
Situations / Find how to
The Justify the start and
customers /
problem business commit to
organization
needs work
discipline
So, what is happening between
choosing a topic and selecting an
idea??
Topic idea
1
2
Collect
information Create 3
relevance tree Conduct Delphi
Capability technique
Appropriateness To check the
idea
Relevance
Organize the articles with their
details by creating relevance tree
Concept
Area of interest
Relevance tree
; as basic as
mind map.
Topic # Topic # Topic #
1 2 3
You may select
one branch or details details details
combine
branches to get
your idea
Examples of topic / idea
• Social level interest: electronics
• Academic interest: Human resources
• Topic: human resources via internet
• Idea: Job recruitment via internet
idea
To check
the idea
Capability
Appropriateness Relevance
Research purposes
Purpose of research
• The meaning of the research purpose is simply to introduce the importance
of the research.
• A research purpose matters on having a research conducted.
• The research purpose allows researchers to explicit their research importance
to the readers as they read the academic paper.
• Research purposes lie into two categories;
A. General purposes see following slide
B. Specific purposes are determined upon the needs of
conducting the research. Some examples of specific purposes of research
are:
1. Improving systems/ methods
2. Creating new systems/ trends / services
3. Answering / solving problems
Exploratory: General Research purposes Explanatory
Information There are three main purposes research
gathering and/or. of research
e.g., discovering,
Descriptive
uncovering,
exploring. research • Theory testing. Explanatory:
• Research that goes beyond
• Descriptive: e.g., gathering info, description and requires
describing, summarizing. analysis.
• Asking for opinions and • It might be of experimental
gathering facts. purpose.
• Examine the relationship
• Participatory research.
between two or more variables
and the way that one of them • e.g., testing and understanding
influences the others. causal relations.
So, what is happening between
choosing a topic and selecting an
idea??
Topic idea
1
2
Collect
information Create 3
relevance tree Conduct Delphi
Capability technique
Appropriateness To check
the idea
Relevance
Examples of topic / idea
• Social level interest: electronics
• Academic interest: Human resources
• Topic: human resources via internet
• Idea: Job recruitment via internet
idea
To check
the idea
Capabilit
y
Appropriateness Relevance
The
end
