Contents

1. Foundations of Research

1. Research

1.1 Characteristics of Research

1.2 Objectives of Research

1.3 Motivation to do Research

1.4 Need to Business Research

1.5 Types of Research

1.6 Criteria of Good Research

1.7 Business Research

2. Research and the Scientific Method

3. Concept of Scientific Enquiry

3.1 Formulation of the Research Problem

3.2 Objectives of Problem Formulation

3.3 Steps in Problem Formulation

4. The Process of Business Research

5. Research Proposal

5.1 Elements of Research Proposal

5.2 Drafting and Evaluating a Research Proposal

6. Practical Considerations: Values - Research and Organization

2. Research Design

1. Concept of Research Design

1.1 Meaning of Research Design

1.2 Need for Research Design

1.3 Role of Research Design

1.4 Features of a Good Research Design

2. Qualitative and Quantitative Research Designs

2.1 Quantitative Research

2.2 Qualitative Research

2.3 Key Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

3. Types of Research Design

3.1 Exploratory Research Design

3.2 Descriptive and Diagnostic Research Design

3.3 Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Research

3.4 Experimental Research Design

3.5 Cause, Causality Relationship and Causal Research

4. Hypothesis

4.1 Properties of Good Hypothesis

4.2 Types of Hypothesis

4.3 Framing Null Hypothesis and Alternate Hypothesis

4.4 Concept of Hypothesis Testing

3. Data and measurement

1. Concept of Measurement

1.1 What is Measured?

1.2 Levels of Measurement

1.3 Problems in Measurement

1.4 Tests of Sound Measurement Reliability and Validity

2. Attitude Scaling Techniques

3. Secondary Data

3.1 Sources of Secondary Data

3.2 Secondary Data collected from World Wide Web

3.3 Issues to be considered for Secondary Data

4. Primary Data

5. Questionnaire Method

5.1 Definition and Meaning of Questionnaire

5.2 Process of Constructions of Questionnaire

5.3 Characteristics of a Good Questionnaire

5.4 Steps for Questionnaire Construction

5.5 Survey and Survey Methods

5.6 Methods of Data Collection

4. Sampling

1. Basic Concepts

2. Sampling Frame

2.1 Characteristics of Good Sampling

2.2 Sampling Error

3. Probability and Non-Probability Sample

3.1 Non-probability Methods

3.2 Probability Methods

5. Data analysis and report writing

1. Cleaning of Data

2. Data Analysis

2.1 Editing and Coding

2.2 Uni-variate Analysis

2.3 Tabular Representation of Data

2.4 Frequency Tables

2.5 Measures of Central Tendency

2.6 Mean Absolute Deviation

2.7 Variance and Standard Deviation

2.8 Coefficient of Variation

3. Graphical Representation of Data

3.1 Histogram

3.2 Line Charts and Bar Charts

4. Bivariate Analysis

4.1 Cross Tabulations

4.2 Bivariate Correlational Anaylsis

5. Linear Regression Analysis

5.1 Regression and Correlation Relationship

5.2 Correlation and Regression Statistics

5.3 Correlation Coefficient, r

5.4 Coefficient of Determination, r2 or R2

6. Test of Significance

6.1 Small Sample Tests

6.2 Parametric Tests

6.3 Non-parametric Tests

6.4 Randomness Test

6.5 ANOVA

6.6 MANOVA

7. Report Writing and Presentation

7.1 Categories of Report

7.2 Structure of Research Report

7.3 Presentation of Report