In his latest blog, UCL School of Management student Adrian MH Ho shares his tips on dissertation writing. While part one focussed on the structure of research topics, research questions, literature reviews and theoretical frameworks, part two addresses the remaining elements: research design and methodology, findings and analysis, and the conclusion.
Research Design & Methodology
In general, there are three approaches to conducting your business research – quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. Quantitative research includes statistical analysis to infer causal correlations. The methodologies include surveys, secondary data, or experiments. The statistical analysis process uses SPSS, Excel, R, or Python to interpret the results.
The qualitative approach explores phenomena and generates insights through interviews or content analysis. Mixed methods combine both approaches to explain complex issues. This requires the author to explain the research questions and objectives comprehensively. Qualitative data analysis, such as thematic analysis and content analysis, typically takes more time.
Data Collection
There are typically two types of data. Primary data - also known as first-hand data - is collected by the researcher directly through methods such as surveys, interviews, and experiments. Secondary data - also known as second-hand data - is collected by other parties such as academic institutions, organisations, or governments.
Remember that primary data collection takes time! Ensure that you have an adequate sample size to avoid data scope limitations in your methodology.
Clear Research Questions
Objectives: Your research questions should align directly with your research objectives and be compatible with your theoretical framework. Each research question should highlight a particular aspect of your study. It is recommended to discuss the rationale for your chosen method in this part (why it is the best approach to gather data and answer your research questions).
Relevance: Avoid irrelevant questions. High-quality research design and methodology answer these research questions in three ways: “how,” “what,” and “why.” Set only valuable research questions. Given time limitations, consider data availability. For instance, I had to give up my initial idea a few months ago, which could have been a great PhD topic.
Structuring Well-Organised Findings and Analysis
According to the assessment brief, this section is essential and determines 35% of your dissertation grade. It requires you to present data appropriately, analyse data in multiple ways, support your data interpretation with a conceptual framework, and explain the connections between literature and your findings to clearly answer your research questions. Here are detailed explanations:
- Data Presentation
- Structure by themes or hypotheses: present your findings by grouping and structuring key themes or hypotheses. Outstanding work presents findings in well-organised ways, maintaining clarity and coherence for answering the research questions (indeed, it is very “marker friendly.”)
- Visual Aids: Utilise tables, charts, graphs, and diagrams to articulate complex information clearly. Visual aids help you save words by showing statistical analysis, trends, growth, downturns, predictions, etc.
- Data Analysis
- Interpretation: After presenting various types of data, analyse it by generalising trends and highlighting key insights - do not just indicate the data. This part helps you address research questions and theoretical framework partially. Support your findings with literature, critically evaluate them, and deeply illustrate expected results and potential limitations.
- Data Implications
- Accurate Implications: provide accurate and appropriate implications to aim for a higher grade. Explain the relationship to the literature, including correlations, challenges, knowledge extensions, etc. Remember to reserve time for updating your literature if necessary.
Please note that, as a current student, Adrian’s blog has been written based on his own experiences. If you have a question about your dissertation, please raise it with the appropriate staff. Read part one of Adrian MH Ho’s blog on the structure of research topics, research questions, literature reviews and theoretical frameworks.