Designing the Research Study Now that you have learned about all of the factors that must be considered in designing questions within a survey, it is time to talk about putting such questions together into a logical whole. The survey itself is a collection of questions that have been properly formatted and sequenced in a logical way. First, be sure to provide clear and complete instructions to both the subject and the interviewer who may be presenting the survey to the subject. For example, explain in the instructions to the interviewer how to stop an interview in case a participant does not want to continue. Next, be sure to ask simpler and more engaging questions at the beginning of the survey. If a subject is asked the most challenging questions at the beginning of a survey, the subject may not wish to continue. Place such challenging questions closer to the end of the survey. Finally, related questions should be grouped together in the survey. If multiple questions deal with the same topic, these questions should be presented to the subject sequentially. Asking a subject to jump between topics leads to confusion and may produce erroneous data or discourage the subject from completing the survey. Even with a researcher's best efforts, there may be some confusion as to what a particular survey question is asking. In order to eliminate wasted time and effort, survey items should be pretested, in order to ensure that such confusion does not exist. By pretesting the questions of the survey, confusing questions can be identi�ed and corrected before most of the data collection for the business research project begins. The Basic Research Process Six Stages of Conducting Research Basic Research Process The basic research process consists of six stages. Stage 1: Determining the Research Question The research question should be determined. There may be an issue that requires the company to conduct research. For example, the company’s costs may have risen over the past year and the reason for this may be unclear. Or the company’s sales may have fallen over three months, but its competitor’s sales may have increased. From the perspective of management, in such a case, a management question should be crafted, restating the dilemma of management in a question format. From a management question, a research question can be determined. A research question can be thought of as an umbrella question that provides overall direction and objective of the research. Stage 2: Contemplating the Research The required research should be considered. Adequate resources should be allocated to conduct the research. The costs for conducting the research are likely to be equally distributed across all phases of the research: planning; gathering data; and analyzing, interpreting, and reporting the information found. Management needs to determine whether the benefits of a research study outweigh its costs. Finally, a research propo ...

1. Designing the Research Study
Now that you have learned about all of the factors that must be
considered in designing questions within a survey, it is time to
talk about putting such questions
together into a logical whole. The survey itself is a collection of
questions that have been properly formatted and sequenced in a
logical way.
First, be sure to provide clear and complete instructions to both
the subject and the interviewer who may be presenting the
survey to the subject. For example,
explain in the instructions to the interviewer how to stop an
interview in case a participant does not want to continue.
Next, be sure to ask simpler and more engaging questions at the
beginning of the survey. If a subject is asked the most
challenging questions at the beginning of a
survey, the subject may not wish to continue. Place such
challenging questions closer to the end of the survey.
Finally, related questions should be grouped together in the
survey. If multiple questions deal with the same topic, these
questions should be presented to the
subject sequentially. Asking a subject to jump between topics
leads to confusion and may produce erroneous data or
discourage the subject from completing the

2. survey.
Even with a researcher's best efforts, there may be some
confusion as to what a particular survey question is asking. In
order to eliminate wasted time and effort,
survey items should be pretested, in order to ensure that such
confusion does not exist. By pretesting the questions of the
survey, confusing questions can be
identi�ed and corrected before most of the data collection for
the business research project begins.
The Basic Research Process
Six Stages of Conducting Research
Basic Research Process
The basic research process consists of six stages.
Stage 1: Determining the Research Question
The research question should be determined. There may be an
issue that
requires the company to conduct research. For example, the
company’s costs
may have risen over the past year and the reason for this may be
unclear. Or the
company’s sales may have fallen over three months, but its
competitor’s sales
may have increased. From the perspective of management, in
such a case, a
management question should be crafted, restating the dilemma
of management

3. in a question format. From a management question, a research
question can be
determined. A research question can be thought of as an
umbrella question that provides overall
direction and objective of the research.
Stage 2: Contemplating the Research
The required research should be considered. Adequate resources
should be
allocated to conduct the research. The costs for conducting the
research are
likely to be equally distributed across all phases of the research:
planning;
gathering data; and analyzing, interpreting, and reporting the
information found.
Management needs to determine whether the benefits of a
research study
outweigh its costs. Finally, a research proposal in a written
form needs to be
created.
Stage 3: Formally Planning the Research Project
The research project must be formally planned. A research
design strategy needs
to be built. A research design is an overview of the research
objectives and also
provides answers to various research-related questions. A
variety of issues need
to be considered for formulating the research design. For
example, if a survey is
to be conducted, you need to decide whether the survey will be
conducted on
phone, in person, or over the Internet. The target population
should be identified.
A pilot test should be conducted to check for any flaws in the
design process.

4. Stage 4: Collecting Data
Data related to the research should be collected and prepared.
Observations
should be made. Data should then be edited and coded.
Stage 5: Analyzing and Interpreting Data
2 [Document Title]
[Parent Lecture Name]
Data should be analyzed and interpreted. A researcher should
review the data;
identify patterns, if any; and apply statistical models to the
data.
Stage 6: Creating a Report
A research report should be created, and management should
make a decision
based on the information provided in the research report. For
example, the
research report may recommend that the company should offer
an additional
product line. Management can use the information and decide if
that is the best
time to offer an additional product line or delay it until, say, the
economy is
stronger.
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7. Ethical Issues
Obtaining Informed Consent
Actions that should be taken by a researcher to secure a
subject’s
informed consent include the following:
1. Explain the Benefits of the Study
A researcher should provide his or her name to a participant and
explain the purpose as well as the benefits
of the research.
2. Explain the Rights and Protection
A researcher should not deceive a participant but should explain
to the
participant his or her rights and how the participant will be
protected.
3. Obtain the Informed Consent of Each Participant
A researcher should disclose to a participant the procedures that
will be
followed in the potential survey.
4. Debrief the Participant
A researcher should share the results of the research with a
participant after the study is completed.
5. Realize the Importance of Privacy
A researcher should protect a participant’s privacy.
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8. Ethical Considerations
Engaging in business research can raise dif�cult issues related
to ethics. For example, if potentially harmful information about
a customer is discovered during the
process of collecting data, to what extent, if any, should that
information be used? This example illustrates the need for a
company to have strong research ethics as
business research is being conducted.
Accuracy of information is another dimension in which ethics
can be relevant in the context of business research. If a
company researcher conducts research with
�awed data and causes the company to take an action that it
would not have taken if accurate data had been used, the
company can lose shareholder wealth. This
would be contrary to the company objective of maximizing
shareholder wealth.
First, the rights of the research participant, also known as the
subject, should be protected. A research participant should not
experience any discomfort, physical
harm, embarrassment, pain, or loss of privacy. To ensure this,
the researcher should take certain actions. One action that can
protect subjects from negative
consequences is to have the sign a nondisclosure form. In this
way, the researcher can be legally bound not to reveal any of
the data shared with the researcher by

9. the subject.
A potential research participant should be clearly informed
about many aspects of the research project so that the
participant can make an informed decision as to
whether or not the potential participant wishes to participate.
Once the subject of the research provides informed consent, the
researcher should ensure that the
subject is protected in every way possible.
There are many elements involved in securing the informed
consent of a research participant. Review the "Actions Taken
By A Researcher" document to learn
more about the steps required in securing such informed
consent.
Additional Materials
View a Pdf Transcript of Action Taken by a Researcher
(media/week1/SU_BUS3059_W1_L4_S1_G2.pdf?
_&d2lSessionVal=IVSGHc3LWe5wzZSkO1FBZlr2g&ou=84108
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View a Pdf Transcript of Ethical Issues
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ues.pdf?
_&d2lSessionVal=IVSGHc3LWe5wzZSkO1FBZlr2g&ou=84108
)

10. https://myclasses.southuniversity.edu/content/enforced/84108-
17098411/media/week1/SU_BUS3059_W1_L4_S1_G2.pdf?_&d
2lSessionVal=IVSGHc3LWe5wzZSkO1FBZlr2g&ou=84108
https://myclasses.southuniversity.edu/content/enforced/84108-
17098411/media/week1/SUO_BUS3059%20W1%20L2%20Ethic
al%20Issues.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=IVSGHc3LWe5wzZSkO1FB
Zlr2g&ou=84108