Creating a research project: Here’s a complete guide

Most management courses require the students to undertake a research project, also often known as a dissertation or thesis or a consultancy type project. However; irrespective of what the report is called as; it involves producing a long piece of written work that offers a detailed, sustained and critical treatment of a chosen topic, case or work based problem.

A research project is not simply a descriptive account of the topic under investigation, nor is it simply a review of books and articles read, but involves a significant element of research. It is a critical evaluation and an analytic undertaking requiring the author to apply knowledge of research process and methodology.

A research project differs from any other piece of academic writing at university/college, in requiring a more sustained treatment of a topic, greater depth of analysis and deeper consultation of sources and materials as well as undertaking primary research and/or accessing secondary research data.

• An independent research project can be case study based and encompass both primary and secondary data sources.
• The independent project can be linked to a specific organisation for which the student has access (many students work while pursuing their study, and this experience and access can be invaluable).

Areas of investigation may take the form of a competitor analysis, an investigation of procedures, a customer satisfaction survey, the computerization of a system, a training needs analysis, the development of a policy statement, employment relations etc.

This list is by no means conclusive as there are many business-related areas, which can be investigated.

The principle aim however is independence in terms of research and analysis of a business related topic. Most dissertations tend to be around 10,000 words in length.

In a research project, you must demonstrate:

• Critical appreciation of the nature of the research/consultancy process.
• Ability to independently plan and structure a piece of investigative work in a business related field.
• Critically analyse, synthesise and evaluate a wide range of material in a contextually appropriate way.
• Ability to draw appropriate conclusions and make recommendations (where appropriate) from the research process.

Related: How to develop critical thinking

Structure: INTRODUCTION, LITERATURE REVIEW, METHODOLOGY, DISCUSSION FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS (Including where relevant implications and recommendations), REFERENCE LIST

Referencing style can be APA, Harvard or any other style as prescribed by the university.

Evidence-based research

Many a times, research projects are also referred to as Evidence-based research work. Evidence-based research is basically the use of secondary data to answer questions for new studies and to guide decision making in various fields.

Sample Research Project Requirement

Sample Research Project Document (NMIMS, Amity, Wellingkar, JGI Jain Online)

As part of the Program, a learner has to undertake a Research Project in an area of their Elective (Specialization) and submit a report. The research project provides an opportunity for the students to apply classroom learning and practice in an industry environment. The research has to be conducted by a learner as an independent and individual study. The research project may be based on a specific organization or a general area in which the learner wants to conduct an in-depth study. The duration of the project is 8 weeks during which the learner is expected to complete the research and submit the report to the University in the prescribed format. Learners are encouraged to convert their research study into a research paper/case and publish it in association with a mentor.

It is not mandatory for a learner to conduct the study in any Organization. Thus, it is not mandatory to provide an Organization/Company Certificate in the Research Project report. However, if a learner wishes to take up a study for an Organization, it is mandatory to obtain prior permission from the concerned Organization to conduct the study.

The project may be a descriptive study, empirical or an exploratory one. Learner must ensure that the project undertaken is an original study. The research can be based on either primary data or secondary data depending on the relevance of the study. The references have to be provided in APA/Harvard format.

Evidence-based research project

The gender pay gap persists worldwide with women earning, on average, 16% less than men.

Causes for the Gender based pay gap: Occupational segregation, Discrimination, Differences in education and work experience, Differences in negotiating power, Knowledge between the two genders.

Research question: Is there a gender wage gap in the United States of America between 1975 and 1985? If so, does it vary between white females and non-white females? If so, by how much?

Intersectionality: According to Morgan (2015), there are limitations to the traditional conceptual frameworks used to understand gender inequality in the workplace, such as the “glass ceiling” and “sticky floor” metaphors. The author proposes a new ontology that focuses on the interplay between multiple dimensions of identity, including gender, race, class, sexuality, and nationality.

Sampling strategy and data collection: Data source: US census data. Data type: Secondary.

Data Analysis: Descriptive statistics, Bivariate analysis, Regression analysis.

Ethical considerations and limitations: Publicly available data, De-identified data, Reliance on self-reported data, Recall bias, Findings limited to the years 1975 and 1985, Findings limited to USA population.