What is a research proposal?

• Statement of intent

2
What are the essential ingredients?

The Issue
What problem /
Opportunity does
your research
address?

Research
Benefit
Design What will the
How will the research research contribute?
achieve its objective?

3
 Research Proposal
1. Brief introduction of the background subject
2. Review of Previous literature
3. Statement of the problem
4. Scope of the study: Defines the boundaries of the study i.e. what is covered by the study such
as period, place, specific products / depts. / companies etc
5. Objectives of the study
6. Hypothesis
7. Methodology – Research Method, Research Design Sampling Procedure, Data Collection,
Evaluating data
8. Plan of Analysis - : Identifies the statistical tools/techniques that will be used for analysis of the
data collected
9. Limitations of the study: Summarizes the aspects not covered by the study
10. Conclusion
Bibliography
Annexure
Let us Start ……
 Title

GPS address

•Mini-abstract
•Clear
•Concise
•Subject 1st

6
Title

Narrow in scope/Specific
Simple and to be condensed in a few words (10 to 12 words)
Should be Objective-oriented
Should not have abbreviations and jargons
Must capture the readers’ attention
 Example
1. Simulation of Stock Prices Using Geometric Brownian Motion: Evidence from
Indian Nifty 50 index Companies
2. Supply Chain Practices Implementations and its Effectiveness on Food
Industry in Kurnool
3. Importance of Technology in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: A
Study conducted in Pharmaceutical Industry
4. Influence of User-Generated Digital Content On Travel Information Search
5. Effect of Machine Learning in Healthcare Industry with reference to Artificial
Intelligence
6. Digital and Other Payment Platforms: Factors Influencing Choice among
Youths

8
 Introduction

Background Information related to the selected title -

Introduce the topic with basic information

9
Review of Literature
In the domain of the chosen area:

Search for the work done

Collect all articles – published /unpublished
Read and make notes
This gives you an idea about the work done so far in the
domain and possible areas where work has not yet been
carried out.
The narrative of a good literature review
Reader
knows

Reader
doesn't
know 11
Statement of the problem
• Need-based statement
• Paragraph form
• Describes the specific business problem
• Highlight how the present study addresses the problem
• Possible benefits and impacts
Problem statement
• Short SO WHAT statement

• Purpose
• Blueprint for your literature review
• Keep them on track throughout your proposal

13
 Key Words to remember
• Customer Satisfaction / Employees Satisfaction
• Customer Perception / Employees Perception
• Customer Preference
• Product or Service Performance / Employee
Performance
• Impact
• Influence
• Comparison
• Evaluation
 Problem statement - Example
• Remote workers across the company should be able to
communicate with one another seamlessly and effortlessly,
without getting bogged down in unnecessary or irrelevant
messages (Vision)
• Right now, messages tend to get lost or cluttered through
multiple email strings. This results not only in lost productivity,
but also multiple problems in miscommunication. (Issue
statement)
• This study focus on the method communication and its
effectiveness
15
 Example

• Townsville General Hospital (where) operates 24 hours a day, 7

days a week. As such, patient needs must be addressed all around
the clock. For the overnight shift (when), there are currently no
cardiology technologists scheduled (what), which can create
issues for emergency staff (who).
• Some patients wait for four hours or more for a medical
laboratory assistant to administer an electrocardiogram (ECG), a
task better suited for a cardiology technologist to perform and
interpret. This results in poorer patient care and worse health
outcomes (why).

16
 Title
A Study on effectiveness of Social Media as a
marketing tool in promoting Airline Business
 Statement of the Problem
• Social media contributes to how organizations communicate and engages prospective
customers. As this looks to be a lucrative method for organizations to reach target
market, several social media platforms have developed integrated ways to help them
to reach their prospective customers.
• Companies are facing challenges in driving customers on digital platforms, develop
long term relationships, consistently engage customers, communicate about news
and events, provide customer responses, building brand and brand loyalty and most
importantly on increasing sales.
• To address the above, this research focuses on understanding the effectiveness of
social media in communicating and promoting airlines business.
 Preparing the Statement of Research
Objectives
• Written in bullet form in a crisp and precise manner stating the
intended aspects to be studied (Objectives does not include “proposing
suggestions / recommendations / strategies”)

• The objectives of the research should be stated in a formal research

statement. The statement of objectives should be as precise as possible.

• The objectives of the research must be brief and specific; it is preferable

to limit the number of objectives.

19
 How to write SMART Objectives
An objective is a clear statement of something that needs to be
accomplished over a period of time.

SMART objectives are:

• Specific – States exactly what you need to achieve

• Measurable – Refers to the extent to which something can be evaluated
against some standard
• Achievable – Does he/she have the experience, knowledge or capability of
fulfilling the expectation? Can it be done giving the time frame, and
resources?
• Realistic/Relevant – Can be challenging but should relate to the problem
• Time-bound – With a clear end date or timescale
 How to write research objectives

Objectives are usually headed by infinitive verbs such as:

• To ascertain
• To identify
• To establish
• To describe
• To determine
• To estimate
• To develop
• To compare
• To analyse
• To collect
• To find out
• To trace out
• To study or To understand
 Scope of the study
Coverage of the study
• May specify
oTime period
oPlace
oSpecific products
oDepartments
oCompany
 Title

A Study on effectiveness of Social Media as a

marketing tool in promoting Airline Business
 Statement of the Problem

• Social media contributes to how organizations communicate and engages

prospective customers. As this looks to be a lucrative method for
organizations to reach target market, several social media platforms have
developed integrated ways to help them to reach their prospective
customers.
• Companies are facing challenges in driving customers on digital platforms,
develop long term relationships, consistently engage customers,
communicate about news and events, provide customer responses, building
brand and brand loyalty and most importantly on increasing sales.
• To address the above, this research focuses on understanding the
effectiveness of social media in communicating and promoting airlines
business.
 Research Objectives

• To identify the role of social media in promoting

airlines
• To ascertain the effectiveness of social media in
promoting airlines business
 Scope
• Social media platforms considered are Facebook and
Twitter
• Responses are collected from travelers at Bangalore
International Airport
• Time period - 2 weeks
 Title
A study on factors affecting Employee Engagement
 Statement of the problem

• Employee engagement has become a leadership priority as organizations

constantly seek for different methods to keep their work-force engaged.
Engaged employees enhance productivity.
• Literature shows that there is no single model that shows the influence
of various variables such as satisfaction, nature of job, pay and benefits
etc

• This study attempts to build a model establishing the relationship

between employee engagement and its influencing variables.
 Research objectives

• To ascertain the key factors influencing Employee

Engagement.
• To establish relationship between employee engagement
and its influencing variables.
Scope
Industry: IT/ITeS
Company: XYZ
All employees in XYZ’s Bangalore location are considered
Time period: 2 weeks for data collection
Title
A study of factors leading to stock out in Retail Industry
 Statement of the problem

• Stock out in retail industry is a situation in which the demand or

requirement for an item cannot be fulfilled from the current
inventory
• One of the challenges faced by the retailers is to cater to the
demands of the customers at the exact time of need. Inability of
the retailer to cater to these demands at the appropriate time
tends to lose out on the competitive edge in the market. So, it is
very important to maintain appropriate stock levels for survival and
growth in this industry

• This study aims at identifying the factors leading to stock out and
hence state preventive measures to avoid stock out situations
Research objectives

 To identify the factors leading to stock out situations in retail industry.

 To assess the impact of stock out on retail customers.

 To determine measures to be taken to reduce stock outs.

Scope

The study covers retail stores in Bangalore. It will focus on three types
of retail stores- electronics retail store, FMCG retail store and garment
retail store.
Title
A Comparative study of select Public and Private sector
Banks in India.
Statement of the problem
• Banks are set up essentially to oil the wheels of the economy. Banks cater to the needs of the organizations
in various ways and banks to perform these tasks should gear up to the requirement standards and be
efficient.
• Public sector banks and private banks operate in the economy. How well a bank performs its role is a major
criteria that determine the efficiency of bank.

• The present study is aimed at understanding the role played by Public

and Private sector banks in order achieve the goals .
Research objectives
 To assess the performance of Public and Private sector banks in
effectively reducing the NPA.
 To ascertain the Lending policy mechanism
Scope
• Selected private and public sector banks (No. of banks selected
depends on time and depth of research)
• Financial performance of 3-5 years
• There should not be major fluctuations in the economic environment
• Past data – could be collected from secondary sources (capital online,
moneycontrol, etc)
 Developing the Hypothesis

• A hypothesis is a statement based on some presumptions

about the existence of a relationship between two or more
variables that can be tested through empirical data

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 Development of Research
Questions and Hypotheses

Components of the
Business Research Problem
Objective/
Theoretical
Framework Research Questions
Analytical
Model
Hypotheses
 Purpose

• Funnel point is your purpose:

• The purpose can be framed as a research question or
hypothesis
• BE CONCISE
• One sentence!!!
• Solution to your problem

44
 Research Questions and Hypotheses

• Research questions (RQs) are refined statements of

the specific components of the problem.
 Example - 1
Industry : Airline

Management decision problem:

how to attract more and more loyal passengers?

 Business Research Problem

A Study on “Factors That Influence Loyalty Of Airline

Travelers”

Objective : To identify the factors that influence loyalty of airline

travelers
Factors
The consumers’ choice of an airline is influenced by:
• Safety
• Price of the tick
• Frequent-flyer program
• Convenience of scheduling
• Brand name.
Special Factor

Special Factor : Food

"food service is a major contributor to customers’ loyalty."

The following research questions and hypotheses may be
posed.
RQ1 How important is food for airline customers?
H1: Food is an important factor for airline travelers.
H2: Travelers value branded food.
H3: Travelers prefer larger food portions, but with
consistent quality.
H4: Travelers prefer exotic food.
 Industry - Retail – e Commerce
Management Problem : How to attract more customers ?

Research Problem : A study on the Factors influencing customer

preference
Factors
1. Product and Quality Information
2. Free shopping
3. Easy return
4. Customer reviews
5. Visual search
6. Great navigation
7. Easy checkout
8. Multiple options
9. Special category
[Link] Product
 Industry -Tele Communication
Management Problem : How to attract more customers ?

Research Problem : A study on the Factors influencing Mobile number

portability in India
 Statement of the Problem
The problem this research addresses is the lack of real understanding for
the factors affecting the MNP and its driven attributes in the Telecom
market.

In such competitive market place, facing exponential growth, price wars,

and the big challenge of the mobile carriers is how to retain their existing
customers, the basis of their profitability.

Thus it is fundamental to understand the success factors affecting the

MNP in the Telecom market.
 Objective

• To find out the success factors affecting the MNP in

the Telecom market

55
 Research Questions
• What extent does the mobile carrier‘s perceived call quality may affect the
customer future intention to switch?
• What extent does the mobile carrier‘s network coverage may affect the
customer future intention to switch?
• What extent does the mobile carrier‘s value added services variety may
affect the customer future intention to switch?
• What extent does the mobile carrier‘s switching cost may affect the
customer future intention to switch?
• What extent does the mobile carrier‘s opportunity cost affect the customer
future intention to switch?
• What extent does the mobile carrier‘s pricing scheme may affect the
customer future intention to switch?
 Research Methodology

Describes the type of research, Research Design , Sampling

plan (target population, sample size, sampling technique),
sources of data (primary &/or secondary) & tools for
collection of data to be used; If the questionnaire is proposed,
it has to be attached to the Research proposal as “Annexure.”

57
Selecting a Research Method
 Classification of Research

• Business research studies can be classified

into two categories
[Link] research
[Link] research
 Basic Research

• Basic research refers to a focused, systematic study or investigation

undertaken to discover new knowledge or interpretations and establish
facts or principles in a particular field.

Examples
• Understanding the consumer buying process.
• Do consumers experience cognitive dissonance in low-involvement
situations?
 Applied research

• This refers to investigation undertaken to discover the applications

and uses of theories, knowledge, and principles in actual work or in
solving problems.

Examples
• Evaluating the impact of a training program on employee
performance
• How can the achievement gap of students from various socio-economic
backgrounds be bridged in education?
 Types of Research

(Basic Research and Applied Research)

Descriptive Research Analytical Research

Exploratory Research Historical Research

Experimental Research ( Ex-Post – Facto Research

Causal Research)
Conceptual Research Empirical Research
 Planning the Research Design

• The research is designed based on the objectives

formulated during the initial phases of the research

• A research design is the actual frame work of research that

provides specific details regarding the process to be
followed in conducting the research

63
 Types of Research Design

Quantitative Research Design Qualitative Research Design

Sampling
 Selecting the Sampling Procedure

• Sampling is a process that uses a small number of items or a

small portion of a population to draw conclusions regarding
the whole population

• A well defined sample has the same characteristics as the

whole population

• When the research is conducted on such a sample the results

obtained will represent the characteristics of the whole
population
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 The Sampling Terminology
Population : A population is the total collection of elements about which we wish
to make some inferences

Target Population:
The target population is the collection of elements or objects that possess the
information sought by the researcher and about which inferences are to be made.

Sample: The subset of the elements of the population chosen for study is called
the sample or the study sample.

The sample size is a term used in Business research for defining the number of
subjects included in a sample size
A sample can be selected in two ways from a
population:

through probability sampling

(or)
through non-probability sampling

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Classification of Sampling Techniques

Sampling Techniques

Nonprobability Probability
Sampling Techniques Sampling Techniques

Convenience Judgement Quota Snowball

Sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling

Simple Random Systematic Stratified Cluster Other Sampling

sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling Techniques
 Distinction between Probability and Non-Probability Sample
Probability Sample
1. Here, each member of a universe has a known chance of being selected
and included in the sample.
2. Any personal bias is avoided. The researcher cannot exercise his discretion
in the selection of sample items.
Examples: Random Sample, cluster sample.
Non-Probability Sample
In this case, the likelihood of choosing a particular universe element is
unknown. The sample chosen in this method is based on aspects like
convenience, quota, etc.
Examples: Quota sampling, Judgment sampling.
 Data Collection
The researcher collects the data from the units of sample through : ( Sources)

Primary data that someone collects personally, usually from a group of people
gathered specifically for the study.
• Primary research is collected through the use of interviews, focus groups,
customer surveys .
• Social media and blogs are a great way for business owners to obtain customer
feedback.

Secondary data is the analysis and synthesis of primary research that was
compiled at a previous date.
Secondary research can be gathered from business research data, magazines, old
reports, or any other source where relevant information has been stored.
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 Data collection done in two stages

Pre-testing
Main study

• Pre-testing involves collecting the data from a small sub sample to test
whether the data collection plan for the main study is appropriate.
• This help the researchers to minimize any potential errors that may crop up
during the main study.
• If the results of a pre-test are not appropriate for decision making, then the
researcher may consider altering the research design.

72
 Evaluating the data

• Evaluation of data normally starts with editing and coding the data

• Editing is undertaken to verify the data and check for any potential
errors or for any inconsistencies and so on

Tools for Data Collection:

• Questionnaire
• Schedule

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 Plan of analysis

Identifies the statistical tools/techniques that will be

used for the analysis of the data collected; includes the
tools to be used for testing the hypotheses

74
 Developing a data analysis plan
• What is a data analysis plan?
• The bigger picture: Go back to your goals.
• Take a peek at the results for your top research questions.
• Get granular: Organize your questions.
• Demographic groups: Note the “who's who” of your survey.
• Putting your analysis plan into action.
 Example

1. Plan & Conduct Univariate analysis using Data visualization

tool - Tableau
2. Plan & Conduct Bivariate Analysis and Testing of
Hypothesis using Statistical techniques and Software like
SPSS and Excel
 Limitations of the study: Summarizes the aspects not
covered by the study

• Describe each limitation in detailed but concise terms; Explain why each
limitation exists; Provide the reasons why each limitation could not be
overcome using the method(s) chosen to gather the data
Common methodological limitations
• Issues with samples and selection.
• Insufficient sample size for statistical measurements.
• Lack of previous research studies on the topic.
• Limited access to data.
• Time constraints.
• Conflicts arising from cultural bias and other personal issues

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 Conclusion

The aim of the conclusion is to summarize all points discussed

before:

• Restate the research problem addressed in the paper

• Summarize your overall arguments or findings
• Suggest the key takeaways from your paper

Avoid starting your conclusion with phrases like “In conclusion”

or “To conclude,” as this can come across as too obvious and
make your writing seem unsophisticated
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 Example
Transitioning to sustainable vegetable farming will make the India
greener and healthier, setting an example for other Asian governments.
Farmers, policymakers, and consumers must focus on the future, not
just on their own short-term interests, and work to implement this
transition now.
 Referencing / Bibliography
• Narrow down your search terms
• Peer-reviewed articles
• Current literature
• Review vs primary literature

80
 The Bibliography should be in the following order:

1. Author, Title of the book, Edition of the book, Name of the Publisher,
Place of publication, year of publication.
2. URL address and date on which the data was accessed.

Search for APA order in search engine

 Annexure

• Questionnaire (if proposed to be used)

• Secondary data as required

82
Preparing and Presenting the Research report
• The last and major phase that comes into picture is the preparation of
a research report. The research reports can be presented either in
oral or written format.
• The research report should contain a brief description of the
objectives of the research, a summary of the research design
adopted., a summary of the major findings and conclude with the
limitations and recommendations.

83
Any Questions?

84
Additional Information
 Panel Studies
Panel studies are a particular design of longitudinal study in which the
unit of analysis is followed at specified intervals over a long period,
often many years. The key feature of panel studies is that they collect
repeated measures from the same sample at different points in time.

Refer : [Link]
Descriptive Research
• Descriptive Research , also known as statistical
research, describes data and characteristics about the
population being studied.
• Descriptive research answers the questions, who,
what, where , and how.

Best Approach : Survey

Analytical Research
Analytical research describes and interprets the past or recent past
from selected sources. The sources may be documents preserved in
collections, and/or participants’ oral testimonies.
Exploratory Research
Exploratory research (or ER) is an examination into a subject in an
attempt to gain further insight.

With ER, a researcher starts with a general idea and uses research as
a tool to identify issues that could be the focus of future research.
Secondary data: Secondary data, is data collected by
someone other than the user

Experience survey: An exploratory research technique in

which individuals who are knowledgeable about particular
research problem are surveyed

Pilot studies : A pilot study, is a small scale preliminary

study conducted in order to evaluate feasibility, time, cost,
adverse events, and effect size in an attempt to predict an
appropriate sample size and improve upon the study design
prior to performance of a full-scale research project.
Historical Research
Historical research is the research on the past social forces which
have shaped the present.

Example : Dollar Discarded: Now Shop In Dubai Using Indian Rupees;

Iran Will Sell Oil Using Rupee Payment
Ex-Post-Facto Research
Ex-post-facto research is an empirical enquiry for situations that have
already occurred.

Example : Market failure for any companies product if studies or

researched later may be categorized as ex-post-facto research.
Quantitative Research
• Quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation
of social experience via statistical, mathematical or computational
techniques.
• The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ
mathematical models, theories and/or hypothesis pertaining to
occurrence.
Qualitative Research
• Qualitative research deals with observable fact that are difficult or
impossible to quantify mathematically.
• Qualitative research aims to gather an in-depth understanding of
human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior.
Causal research: Explores the effect of one or more
variables on other variable(s), with reasonable level
of certainty by controlling the impact of other
influencing variables.

Experimentation: Experimentation is nothing but

manipulating an independent variable to see how it
affects a dependent variable. While doing this, an
attempt is made to control the extraneous
variables.
Conceptual Research
A Conceptual framework is used in research to outline possible
courses of action or to present a preferred approach to an idea(
usually abstract).
Empirical Research
• It is a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct observation or
experience.
• Empirical evidence can be analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively.

Example : Health Research

Classification of Sampling Techniques

Sampling Techniques

Nonprobability Probability
Sampling Techniques Sampling Techniques

Convenience Judgement Quota Snowball

Sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling

Simple Random Systematic Stratified Cluster Other Sampling

sampling Sampling Sampling Sampling Techniques
Non-Probability Sampling
Convenience Sampling
Convenience sampling attempts to obtain a sample of
convenient elements. Often, respondents are selected
because they happen to be in the right place at the
right time.

• use of students, and members of social

organizations
• mall intercept interviews without qualifying the
respondents
• department stores using account lists
• “people on the street” interviews
 Judgmental Sampling

Judgmental sampling is a form of convenience sampling in which the population

elements are selected based on the judgment of the researcher.

• test markets
• purchase engineers selected in industrial marketing research
• expert witnesses used in court
Quota Sampling
Quota sampling may be viewed as two-stage restricted judgmental
sampling.
• The first stage consists of developing control categories, or quotas, of
population elements.
• In the second stage, sample elements are selected based on
convenience or judgment.

Population Sample
composition composition
Control
Characteristic Percentage Percentage Number
Gender
Male 48 48 480
Female 52 52 520
____ ____ ____
100 100 1000
Snowball Sampling
In snowball sampling, an initial group of respondents is selected, usually at
random.

• After being interviewed, these respondents are asked to identify others who
belong to the target population of interest.
• Subsequent respondents are selected based on the referrals.
Probability Sampling
 Simple Random Sampling

• Each element in the population has a known and equal probability of selection.
• Each possible sample of a given size (n) has a known and equal probability of
being the sample actually selected.
• This implies that every element is selected independently of every other element.
Systematic Sampling
Systematic Sampling
• The sample is chosen by selecting a random starting
point and then picking every ith element in succession
from the sampling frame
• The sampling interval, i, is determined by dividing the
population size N by the sample size n and rounding
to the nearest integer

For example, there are 100,000 elements in the

population and a sample of 1,000 is desired. In this
case the sampling interval, i, is 100. A random
number between 1 and 100 is selected. If, for
example, this number is 23, the sample consists of
elements 23, 123, 223, 323, 423, 523, and so on.
Stratified Sampling
• A two-step process in which the population is
partitioned into subpopulations, or strata.
• The strata should be mutually exclusive and collectively
exhaustive in that every population element should be
assigned to one and only one stratum and no
population elements should be omitted.
• Next, elements are selected from each stratum by a
random procedure, usually SRS.
• A major objective of stratified sampling is to increase
precision without increasing cost.
Cluster Sampling
• The target population is first divided into
mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive
subpopulations, or clusters.
• Then a random sample of clusters is selected,
based on a probability sampling technique
such as SRS.
• Elements within a cluster should be as
heterogeneous as possible, but clusters
themselves should be as homogeneous as
possible. Ideally, each cluster should be a
small-scale representation of the population.