Ch 8 Research Methods for Business Discussion Paper
A helpful resource is chapter 8 of Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business. This Coursework will be associated with Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 of one of the required texts: Sekaran, U., and Bougie, R., (2016), Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach (7th ed.). United Kingdom: Wiley.
Task 1
1.Describe the key purpose of observation, outlining advantages and disadvantages of this research approach to collecting data.
– define observation – what is meant by ‘observation’ as a research method in a general sense?
– what is the purpose of observation?
– advantages and disadvantages, pp. 142-143
2.Discuss four dimensions that distinguish various approaches to observation.
– four dimensions to consider are controlled/uncontrolled, participant/nonparticipant, structured/unstructured and concealed/unconcealed.
3.1.A disadvantage of observation is observer bias. Discuss at least two ways of minimizing observer bias.
– what are possible reasons for observer bias?
– consider p. 143 of Sekaran & Bougie – remedies for reducing bias are presented.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3032358/
4.1.Provide a critical evaluation of the ethics of using concealed observation as a research method.
– pp. 44-45, pp. 162-163, p. 189
http://www.ethicsguidebook.ac.uk/Observation-103
https://esrc.ukri.org/funding/guidance-for-applicants/research-ethics/
https://esrc.ukri.org/files/funding/guidance-for-applicants/esrc-framework-for-research-ethics-2015/