Research 101: Finding a Research Question

1. Research 101: Finding a Research Question
Harold Gamero

2. How to choose a research problem
1º Choose a thematic area
2º Make a literature review (study)
3º Identify your units of analysis
4º Identify concepts, constructs or variables

3. 1º Choose a thematic area
Can be based on:
• Personal, academic or professional experience
• Thesis, journals, newspapers, books
• The more specific the better
Examples:
Consumer behavior
Personality disorders
Learning difficulties

4. 2º Make a literature review (study)
• What is already known about this phenomenon?
• What is the specific problem you want to address?
• What are the dynamics within the problem and who are involved?
Examples:
Factors that increase
sustainable consumption
Causes that trigger a
narcissistic personality
Effects of family problems
on e-learning
Consumer behavior
Personality disorders
Learning difficulties

5. 3º Identify your units of analysis
“Person, collective, or object that is the target of the investigation” (Bhathacherjee2012, p. 9)
Research topic
Unit of
analysis
Attitude of teenagers towards technology
Efficiency of work teams
Usefulness of quality systems
Cultural differences in Latin America
Hate Speech on Social Media
Teenagers
Work teams
Organizations
Countries / Cities
Posts / Tweets

6. 4º Identify concepts, constructs or variables
“Concepts or generalizable properties or characteristics associated with objects, events, or
people” (Bhathacherjee2012, p. 10)
“Common"
“Evolved"
“Borrowed"
Age, sex, education level
Self-esteem, personality
Job burnout, retail gravitation
“New" Techno-stress, “green” consumption

7. 4º Identify concepts, constructs or variables
Vs. Big 5’s
Measurable
representation of a
construct
Belong to the
empirical level
Personality
Abstract
characteristics that
serve to explain a
phenomenon
Belong to the
theoretical level
Variables operationalization
Variable
Construct

8. Factors that increase sustainable
consumption
Consumers Business
Societies Families
Marketing
campaigns
Products
Effects of the lifestyle on the
sustainable consumption behavior
among…
Net income Education level
Values Attitudes
Age Lifestyle
What or who should we
analyze?
3º Identify your units of analysis
Which characteristic(s)
will be analyzed?
4º Constructs or variables
1º Choose a thematic area
2º Make a literature review
+
=

9. Factors that increase sustainable
consumption
Consumers Business
Societies Families
Marketing
campaigns
Products
Lifestyle factors related with
sustainable consumption between
Net income Education level
Values Attitudes
Age Lifestyle
What or who should we
analyze?
3º Identify your units of analysis
Which characteristic(s)
will be analyzed?
4º Constructs or variables
1º Choose a thematic area
2º Make a literature review
+
=

10. Factors that increase sustainable
consumption
Consumers Business
Societies Families
Marketing
campaigns
Products
Relationship between product
accessibility and sustainable
consumption among…
Price Quality
Convenience Accessibility
Brand Information
What or who should we
analyze?
3º Identify your units of analysis
Which characteristic(s)
will be analyzed?
4º Constructs or variables
1º Choose a thematic area
2º Make a literature review
+
=

11. Factors that increase sustainable
consumption
Consumers Business
Societies Families
Marketing
campaigns
Products
Insights about the accessibility of
products among consumers with
sustainable consumption
Price Quality
Convenience Accessibility
Brand Information
What or who should we
analyze?
3º Identify your units of analysis
Which characteristic(s)
will be analyzed?
4º Constructs or variables
1º Choose a thematic area
2º Make a literature review
+
=

12. Thank you.
Harold Gamero