Measuring the Impact of Methodological Research Order Instructions: Please reply on this post and make sure all the references are in Harvard style.
Easterby-Smith, Thorpe& Jackson (2012,p 18) argued that research methodology is referred to the researcher ways of using the techniques and method to provide consistency to the research and an organized research structure. In terms of the research aim, starting point, design, data type, information analysis, and interpretation and the outcome.
Accordingly, determining the research methodology will help the researcher to gain a clear description of the reasons of selecting specific techniques and procedures, beside ways of identifying and selecting the information. As well as, the theoretical perspective that support analyzing and interpreting the outcome. In order to, understand the research problem and it is impacts. Where it will enable the researcher to rethink of the ways of benefiting the economy and the society (Bloch et al., 2014).
On the other hand, it will allow other researcher to evaluate the validity and the reliability of the research, where the information and the outcome can be used by other academic research. Also, the research methodology may help the practitioner to evaluate the research to improve or solve problems by implementing the outcome and information to a similar situation. As Greenhalgh et al. (2016) referred the research impact can be measured through it is befits in health, economic and culture, as well as, in building the academic and knowledge base to the field. Where it can be used both nationally and internationally (Brueton, 2014)
Research methodology type
The Research methodology can be classified into three types based on the research problem, that include quantitative and qualitative and mix methodology that integrate a quantitative and qualitative methods.
For instance, in studying the impact of specific factors on employee’s Joan b satisfaction, the researcher may use quantitative methods such as a survey method to collect information in statistics as the aspect.
While in a research that aim to understand the factors that may impact employees job satisfaction, the researcher may use managers and employee interview in-depth method to collect information, to determine the job satisfaction factors.
On the other hand, the research may use both methods by interviewing methods to determine the factor and an open-end questioners method to understand the impact of the factor on job satisfaction to collect more information
The author believes that in studying any research problem the researcher has to consider a trade-off between methods, where the researcher has to choose the most beneficial method to this research. For instance, if the study aims to study a problem in a large population to generalize the outcome, where a survey is more fitted to the research than the interview, where the researcher has to trade-off with cost and time.
On the other hand, it also depends on the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Where selecting a specific method depending on several factors that include research problem, research time, financial support, management support, culture constrains and the researcher skills.
The author Research methodology
Considering the title of the author research, which is the challenge, facing the home-based (HBB) fashion retailers business based on Instagram as a trading platform in Saudi Arabia. The author is intends to use both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the research questions.
Where the author is going to use constructionism of the epistemological perspective as a cases study method with semi- structured in- depth interview of home-based business cases as a primary source. As well as using data resource such as the financial, market and product report as secondary resources.
In order to control, influence and structure the awareness of HBB in the local community, by considering the subject powerfulness impact on the research outcome (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe& Jackson, 2012,p 76), through answering the following question:
1- what are the characteristics of home-based fashion retail in SA.
2- what are the challenges of home- based fashion retailers businesses based on Instagram as the trading platform in Saudi Arabia.
3-What are the strategies used to overcome the challenges?
5- what is the main social media used by home-based fashion retail in SA.
6- what is the competitive advantage of home-based fashion retail in SA.
7- what is the market share of home-based fashion retail in SA.
One of the advantages of investigating the research problem through an in-depth intervening method is gaining more problem understanding. As (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe& Jackson, 2012,p126) refereed it will gain insight and information into social and organization realities by discovering the views, perception and opinions of individual, through the languages they use.
Also, the author will use positivism of the epistemological perspective in the second stage of the research, through distrusting surveys to a systemic random sampling, where the list will be provided from some agencies that support HBB. Where the author will use telephone or the web- based survey depending on HBB knowledge of using advanced technology. In order to, answer the question of what are the relation between HBB characteristics and the challenges.
One of the advantages of using the survey is as (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe& Jackson, 2012,p79) referred it will allow the author to gather more information from the different background, interest, and social class, that may help the author to generalize the outcome.
Measuring the Impact of Methodological Research Conclusion
Indemnifying research methodology is considered as the key factor that determines the reliability and the consistency of the research from the academic and practitioner aspect. Where the researcher may use a qualitative or quantitative or mix method. Based on several factors such as research problem, research time, financial support and management support, as well as, the advantages and the disadvantages of each method that the researcher has to trade –off in to fit the research design.
The author is intends to use a qualitative method through semi-structured in- depth interview with several case studies method to understand the challenges and the characteristic of HBB. As well as, a quantitative method through distributing surveys to a systemic random sampling to investigate the relation between the challenges and the characteristics of HBB.
Measuring the Impact of Methodological Research References
Bloch, C, Sørensen, M, Graversen, E, Schneider, J, Schmidt, E, Aagaard, K, & Mejlgaard, N (2014) ‘Developing a methodology to assess the impact of research grant funding: A mixed methods approach’, Evaluation And Program Planning, 43, pp. 105-117, ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost, [online]. Available from:
http://ejournals.ebsco.com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/Direct.asp?AccessToken=951I9I18XZJ1DI41E914M5KKJII981D199&Show=Object (Accessed: 17 Jun 2016).
Brueton, V, Vale, C, Choodari-Oskooei, B, Jinks, R, & Tierney, J (2014) ‘Measuring the impact of methodological research: a framework and methods to identify evidence of impact’, Trials, 15(1), pp. 2-17, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost [online]. Available from:
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e4c3f91e-bd84-4d4e-9e05-4839ac0ffa66%40sessionmgr101&vid=1&hid=106 (Accessed: 17 Jun 2016).
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. & Jackson, P. (2012) Management research. 4th ed. London: SAGE Publications
Greenhalgh, T, Raftery, J, Hanney, S, & Glover, M (2016) ‘Research impact: a narrative review’, BMC Medicine, 14, pp. 1-16, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost [online]. Available from:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=6fe79b2f-7ac8-4545-aff4-19835e04ca75%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4108 (Accessed: 117 Jun 2016).
Measuring the Impact of Methodological Research Sample Answer
Reply to student’s post
In this post, the student has rightly provided the definition of the term research methodology citing a reliable source. In his own words, the student has noted that research methodology is understood as the researcher’s ways of making use of methods and techniques in providing consistency to the research study as well as an organized research structure. To add on what the student has stated, research methodology generally means more that the techniques the researcher is intending to employ to gather data. It is important to include a consideration of theories as well as concepts underlying the methods (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe & Jackson 2012).
Williams (2011) reported that establishing a research methodology to employ helps a researcher in obtaining a good understanding of the relevant data collection and analysis methods to use; this is something which the student has correctly pointed out in the post. Furthermore, a research methodology is important since it describes the broad philosophical underpinning to the selected research methods, including whether the researcher is using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods (Bloch et al. 2014). The case study method for data collection which the student intends to use is appropriate considering the research methodology and topic.
The student in the post has correctly stated that the main kinds of research methodologies commonly used by researchers are the quantitative methodology, qualitative methodology, and mixed methodology. To add on this, quantitative research usually reports results of the study with the use of graphs, tables, data and statements which address every research hypothesis and/or research questions, and are underpinned by positivist research paradigm (O’Gorman & MacIntosh 2015). The qualitative research studies are usually linked to unstructured interviews, participant observations, and focus groups, and the findings are presented by means of case studies, personal accounts, narratives in addition to other ways which identify abstracts or themes that help in addressing the research question. The mixed research methodology entails combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies (Brueton et al. 2014).
In addition, the student is spot-on by noting that before carrying out a research study, the researcher should actually consider the trade-offs between the different research methods and settle for one that is most beneficial for the study. This is very true bearing in mind that some methodologies or research studies may fit with certain research methods and not others. For example, if the researcher intends to include a lot of participants as study subjects may be 100 of them, the researcher cannot interview all of them because it would be really time consuming and costly. However, the use of questionnaire surveys would be really appropriate since it is quick, easy and inexpensive to administer.
The student intends to employ a mixed research methodology in his study. This is important since it helps to overcome the shortcomings of both the quantitative and qualitative methodologies when each is used individually and exploits the advantages and strengths of both methodologies (Williams 2011). The student also intends to employ both the positivism and constructivism epistemological perspectives in his study which is aimed at exploring the challenges that home-based business (HBB) fashion retailers who use Instagram social media channel as a trading platform face in Saudi Arabia. The constructivism perspective is a philosophical stance which holds that reality is something that is socially constructed. Conversely, the positivism philosophical approach underscores that knowledge has to be obtained by means of measurable and observable facts, and is thus regarded as a rigid scientific inquiry (Greenhalgh et al. 2016). Using both the positivism and constructivism epistemological stances in the same research study may prove to be somewhat complicated for the student down the road. It would be better to focus on either of them than both.
Measuring the Impact of Methodological Research References
Bloch, C., Rensen, S. A., Graversen, E., Schneider, J., Schmidt, E., Aagaard, K., & Mejlgaard, N 2014, Developing a methodology to assess the impact of research grant funding: A mixed methods approach, Evaluation And Program Planning, 43, pp. 105-117, ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost,
Brueton, V., Vale, C., Choodari-Oskooei, B., Jinks, R., & Tierney, J 2014 Measuring the impact of methodological research: a framework and methods to identify evidence of impact, Trials, 15(1), pp. 2-17, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. & Jackson, P 2012, Management research. 4th ed. London: SAGE Publications
Greenhalgh, T., Raftery, J, Hanney, S, & Glover, M 2016, ‘Research impact: a narrative review’, BMC Medicine, 14, pp. 1-16, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost.
O’Gorman, K. D., & MacIntosh, R 2015, Research Methods for Business and Management, 2nd Edition, Goodfellow Publishers Ltd: Oxford.
Williams, C 2011, Research Methods. Boston, MA: The Clute Institute.
