Thesis Writing Process Overview (Week 2-4)

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Questions and Answers

What is a primary disadvantage of personal face-to-face interviews?

Interviewer influence (correct)

Completeness of questionnaire

Opportunity for feedback

High participation rate

Which characteristic is NOT associated with telephone interviews?

Higher response rate due to anonymity (correct)

Absence of face-to-face contact

Speed

Limited duration

Which of the following is an advantage specific to online self-administered questionnaires?

Potential boredom for respondents

Elimination of data recording errors (correct)

Difficulty in reaching various social groups

Inability to structure outlook of the questionnaire

What type of error is caused by the choice of sample not being representative?

Self-selection bias Signup and view all the answers

What is a common disadvantage of self-administered questionnaires?

Inability to ask complex questions Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant advantage of using the third person technique in qualitative research?

It helps in uncovering thoughts and attitudes. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a step in analyzing qualitative data?

Comparing with existing literature Signup and view all the answers

In survey research, what is a characteristic of cross-sectional studies?

They compare different groups at the same point in time. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common disadvantage of the third person technique?

Only experienced researchers can analyze its findings. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes a longitudinal study?

It analyzes data from the same group over a period. Signup and view all the answers

Which error type is associated with inherent variability and randomness in survey research?

Random Sampling error Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary reason for conducting survey research?

To obtain primary data for specific research objectives. Signup and view all the answers

What is one way qualitative data can be simplified during analysis?

Pointing out useful and valuable data. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of pre-testing a questionnaire?

To uncover potential problems before large-scale distribution Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the funnel technique in questionnaire design?

It begins with general questions and moves to specific questions Signup and view all the answers

What is a common advantage of using close-ended questions in surveys?

They provide easier comparability of responses Signup and view all the answers

Which ethical issue is primarily concerned with the relationship among respondents and stakeholders in a survey?

Respondent anonymity Signup and view all the answers

In the context of questionnaire design, what does 'loading' refer to?

Including leading or biased questions in the questionnaire Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a common characteristic of open-ended questions?

They limit the responses available to the respondents Signup and view all the answers

What is one major disadvantage of using open-ended questions in surveys?

They can result in ambiguous or unclear data Signup and view all the answers

Which component is essential to include in a cover letter for a questionnaire?

Information on data protection and respondent anonymity Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Thesis General Information (Week 2/3/4)

Thesis writing process: choosing a topic, framing objectives/questions, planning the project, literature review, developing a conceptual framework, conducting empirical research, interpreting findings, writing up, and checking/correcting.
Research Objectives: precise statement of thesis aims. What the research wants to find out.
Research Questions: open-ended questions to achieve research objectives.
Planning Research Project: process and content of thesis research, methodology for literature survey, conducting empirical studies, and interpreting research findings.
Literature Survey: professional sources, relevant journal articles, theories, views, and research findings. Critical analysis of these sources is needed.
Developing a conceptual framework: a map or outline of topics and concepts, showing relationships between different parts of the research project.
Planning and conducting empirical research: choosing quantitative or qualitative methods based on the research topic, objectives, and questions.

Structure of the Thesis (Week 9)

Important elements: cover sheet, title page, executive summary, acknowledgements, table of contents, list of tables/figures/appendices, introduction, literature review, empirical research, summary and conclusion, references, appendices, declaration.
Literature Search and Assessment: literature search should be planned and conducted systematically; assessing sources, reviewing/exploring/assessing publications related to topic.

Methods for Systematic Literature Search

Based on library and online catalogues: using keywords/subjects, keyword combinations, sorting by relevance.
Following the literature chain: focusing on citations, reviewing references for relevant sources, monographies and review articles.
According to authors: following up on author method, searching for author's publications.
Reading Techniques: skimming, scanning.

Literature Review (Week 10)

Purpose: explore and present professional literature for a topic, synthesize relevant theories, views, and research findings.
Connecting to previous research: explaining how the current topic connects with and builds on previous publications and research results.
Critical analysis: finding connections and differences between research findings, establishing a review framework.
Critical Literature Review: Identify appropriate field of literature, Main themes, connections/disconnections between theories, Evaluate, and create coherent sequence of arguments.

Can make the argument

Professional sources, Academic journals, Business/Economic data/statistics, examples/case studies, accurate academic writing style.
Structure: Introduction, Discussion (critical analysis), Conclusion, Macro Structure: Classic Funnel, Reverse Funnel, Argument Tree, Timeline, Multidisciplinary approach.
Citations/ Quotations: Quotations from original text, Synonyms, Paraphrasing, Correct citation/bibliographic description.
Critical Evaluation and Analysis: Correct citation in the text and bibliographic description, Critical evaluation and analysis.

Week 7: Quantitative Research Methods

Focus: numerical values/statistics, measurement/calculation, measuring phenomena in quantities, and research for regularity/prediction. Qualitative aspects behind quantitative findings.
Quantitative Data Analysis methods to solve research questions.

Week 7: Quantitative Research Methods Continued

Secondary Data: Data already collected by others. Advantages: less time/effort/financial. Disadvantages: purpose of collecting may differ/access may be limited/data quality is questionable.
Primary Data: Data collected for own research. Advantages: data collection based on own research/reasons/attitudes explored. Disadvantages: time/effort/financial resources required/data availability might be difficult.

Week 8: Qualitative Research Methods

Observations: studying occurrences in the field; communication not required, diverse behaviour. Physical action, verbal behaviour, physical objects.
Types of observation: systematic process, communication is not required, diverse behaviour can be observed, physical action, verbal behaviour, expressive behaviour, spatial relations and locations, physical objects, verbal and pictorial records.
Content Analysis: Qualitative content analysis, complementary primary method, analyzing existing documents (advertisements/articles/websites), useful for international research.

Week 10: Qualitative Research Methods Continued

Experiments: cause and effect investigation, studying the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable. Types of experiments: experimental group, control group, measuring dependent variables.
Case Study: research focused on a person/group/organisation/event; used when understanding complex situations is needed; relevant for decision making.
Data Collection Techniques: Mono, Multi, Mixed methods.

Week 5: Qualitative Research Methods

When is it used? Exploratory research, understanding motivations, attitudes, and more. No numerical values, verbal descriptions, emphasis on phenomena. Researcher is subjectively involved.
Techniques: Focus group interviews, In-depth interviews, Projective techniques.

Week 6: Survey Research

Types: Cross-sectional (different groups compared at one time) vs. Longitudinal (same group of respondents over time)
Identifying primary data (for objectives of research concerning consumers, employees, managers, etc.)
Advantages: efficient/flexible/accurate data gathering. Survey methods: cross-sectional, longitudinal.

Personal Interviews and Questionnaires

Types of interviews and questionnaires: Face-to-face, Telephone, and Self-administered questionnaires
Advantages, disadvantages, appropriate use cases.
Error types in survey research: Random sampling, Respondent error, Administrative error.

Questionnaire Design

Structure/ Sequence: Introductions, warm-up questions, main topic questions, demographic questions.
Question Types: Open-ended, Closed-ended questions, Funnel technique, Filter technique.
Phrases: Avoid leading/loaded, difficult, ambiguous questions.
Pre-testing and Revision: Pretesting: important to modify the questionnaire.

Gamification

Applying game features to questionnaires, make playful/competitive format.

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Description

This quiz covers essential stages in the thesis writing process, including choosing a topic, framing research questions, planning projects, and conducting literature reviews. Understand the intricacies of developing a conceptual framework and conducting empirical research. Test your knowledge on key objectives and methodologies involved in effective thesis development.