Explain which research methodology is chosen for your proposal [i.e. action research, narrative inquiry, grounded theory, case study, ethnography, or phenomenology]
The research methodology that will be chosen for the research proposal will be phenomenology. It refers to refers to the narration of experiences in the perspective of first person. This methodology helps direct intentions of a research into a particular subject. A certain object is discussed from all dimensions to examine all aspects surrounding it. The content of the object is explored to identify the in-depth meaning. As such, all conditions surrounding an object are well explained to ensure that the reader gets a better picture of the entire process. Phenomenology has been applied in research for a long period of time. However, the use of phenomenology came into use in the 20th century (Woodruff, 2011). Phenomenology has to do with first hand experiences of individuals who were part of the situation. It is the kind of research that seeks to find out the real lived experiences of individuals and the essential truths that would rather be lost in translation in secondary sources (Bryne, 2001).
Justify this particular research approach for your study
The phenomenological approach is very appropriate and effective when researching the exact feelings of particular individuals as it is thorough, rigorous and accurate (Lewin & Somekh, 2005). This approach seeks to uncover the real environment surrounding a certain phenomenon while trying to avoid any prior assumptions that might have been created. A company like Spotify needs to know the real feelings of the stakeholders involved from a very basic point of view and not second hand information that might be modified and altered.
Why it is suitable for your research
Phenomenological approach is the most suitable approach since it gathers direct first hand information. This is because the approach seeks to describe, in a vivid way, lived experiences without any previous assumptions about these experiences (Vilakati, 2009). This approach of research is descriptive and inductive and gathers information as it is. With a company like Spotify whose major concern is keeping up with the changing needs of its consumers and ensuring that it meets these needs. It is important the company gets information that is clear ad unaltered from the involved individuals, and what better way than to go to the individuals in the field and gather every personal sentiment?
Phenomenological approach to research deals with getting down to the level of the involved stakeholders in a certain phenomenon. Spotify is a growing company that needs maximum advertising techniques and promotion. Going to the field to gain feedback firsthand from the individuals involved could also be used as an advertising tool. It can be used as a way of creating and spreading awareness about a particular phenomenon (Vilakati, 2009). For instance, trying to get the opinions of a certain individual about Spotify creates the awareness of the existence of Spotify in the case where he or she dint know and creates some interest on the subject in question. Such an individual is sure to check out the phenomenon and know more about it. That is advertisement in itself. The phenomenological approach of research can therefore be viewed as killing two birds with one stone for the company; getting first hand information from the stakeholders and promoting the company.
Explain your ontological, epistemological, axiological, and rhetoricalassumptions that lead to your methodological assumptions, which lead to the choice of your research approach
Bryman (2001) describes ontological assumptions as those that deal with the nature of the individuals and the world in social contexts. These assumptions define the nature of social reality. These assumptions are independent on the surrounding environment. This means that various researchers can have different conclusions for the observations made on a certain phenomenon.
Epistemological assumptions deal with the ways in which knowledge is acquired (Bryman, 2001). It seeks to gain information on findings by investigating the phenomenon closely. It majors on the social world and not on the scientific facts provided about the phenomenon in question. The researcher tends to overlook the scientific facts about the subject matter and seeks to delve deeper into the issue with a social perspective. This therefore means that the results usually are subjective (Kuliah, 2008).
In axiological assumptions, there is the exclusion of values. Axiology views values as a cause to the clouding of the researcher’s view to reality (Williams, 1998). This places a major emphasis on the social nature of qualitative research that doesn’t depend so much on existing facts but seeks to dig deeper to find the real aspects of the phenomenon in question.
The Rhetorical assumptions are concerned with the persuasion and argumentation. This assumption seeks to overlook the aspects of science, logic, reason, evidence and methods and concentrate more on opinion, persuasion, rhetoric and ornamentation. It is the total separation of the rhetoric from the logic (Bryman, 2001).
The ontological, epistemological, axiological and rhetorical assumptions all have one thing in common; they go beyond what is already stated. These assumptions seek to delve deeper into the social nature of a given phenomenon while not allowing the existing scientific facts about the same phenomenon affect their judgment.
The methodological assumptions deal with the methods used in the collection of data during a research. Methodological assumptions are determined by various factors, one of them being the nature of the research, whether it is scientific or social. Scientific research is based on evidence, logic and reason while the social research is characterized by a more subtle edge of opinion, rhetoric and persuasion. In the case of Spotify, it is a social research that seeks to find the reaction of the stakeholders of the company concerning various issues. All the other assumptions therefore contribute to the selection of the suitable methodological assumptions to be used in the Spotify research
.
How is it different from other approachesà compare and contrast similar methodologies that could be used for your studyI WILL NEED A COMPARSION TEABLE IN THIS SECTION
For example, if you choose case study methodology to investigate your work environment, you may need to explain why action research or narrative inquiry is not chosen because you as a researcher are involved in the research context already; or if you decide to use narrative inquiry to tell stories of particular groups of people at your workplace, then you may also need to explain why ethnography, action research, or case study is not considered
The best qualitative methodology to use in the case of Spotify would be the interview methodology where questionnaires will be passed to the participants as the researcher guides them through the questions. Since most of the Spotify consumers access their services online and since they are distributed all over the world, online questionnaires will also be posted on the company’s website or at individual accounts. The online questionnaires should be made in such a way that they are user friendly and confidential at the same time (Babbie, 2010). Another probable methodology that can be used is the participative observation where the researcher will get involved in the everyday lives of the target group he wishes to get information from and make conclusions about the areas under research. Interview allows the interviewees to express exactly how they feel (Boeree, 2005). Observation is not sufficient to collect the required data since it is difficult to tell feelings and opinions just by observing. It is also very time consuming to rely on observation. It is easier to get information on someone’s opinion directly from them. Collecting data via observation can also be misleading. A researcher can misinterpreted an individual’s actions and behaviour, unlike in questionnaires where the data is analyzed through answers provided by the interviewee.
Questionnaires
Observation
Data collection is direct
Data has to be collected via the researcher’s eyes.
Easy and fast to administer
Slow to undertake and time consuming.
Follow up is required to collect filled questionnaires.
No follow up needed after collection of data.
Easy to interpret collected data.
Data can be difficult to interpret since it may be biased.
Creates awareness about the company.
Rarely creates awareness of the company.
In general, you can also compare all possible research methodologies and justify the uniqueness of the methodology chosen for your study
Other methodologies that can also be used are like case study, where the researcher keenly studies his targets over time and makes conclusions about their behaviour. Even though case studies are very efficient in data collection, they tend to take up a lot of time. The Spotify Company needs to make progress and capture the market. It has no time waiting studies to be made. It needs a fast research methodology that will serve the same purpose, only faster. The questionnaires are therefore the best option when it comes to collecting data for Spotify.
Detail how this methodology will be conducted in your research process
How you will collect data?
The data will be collected from both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data will be collected by the use of questionnaires and interview sessions. The questionnaires will be distributed to the sampled men and women in UAE. The respondents will be given time to answer the questionnaires. The research assistants will then collect the questionnaires after two weeks. Interviews will be conducted in cases where it will not be possible to use the questionnaires.
What is primary or secondary data source?
Primary data source refers to information that is raw, and has not been processed. This is the first hand information provided by observers or participants during a research process. Testimonies about certain events are reported in primary sources. The facts provided in primary sources are direct evidence from observers or the individuals involved in a certain event. Examples of primary data sources include letters, emails, and autobiographies among others. Primary sources are important when information concerning a certain topic is not available. In some cases, some topics may have not been researched in the past, and this creates the need to develop information from the scratch. As such a research is supposed to develop primary research to collect data which can be useful. It becomes easier to test the hypothesis of any research when primary data is collected (Kuiper, 2009).
Secondary source is defined as information that has already been collected and processed by other people. This information is used in research to identify the ideas of other researchers in a certain research topic. They provide a guide to researchers when developing their own research designs. Information from secondary sources is important because it provides a guide, and helps in processing primary data. Information presented in secondary sources is usually presented somewhere else. This shows that the user of secondary source should provide adequate reference to the author of the source. Credit should be given to the author of a secondary source by referencing all external information used in a research document. Examples of primary sources are books, journals and articles from newspapers, encyclopaedia, websites and others (Stephenson & Thurman, 2007).
Why are these sources considered?
Primary and secondary sources are both very crucial in the collection of data for the Spotify research process. Primary sources are important because they give the researcher the real feelings and opinions of his source of information. Primary sources are an excellent source they provide the data as raw as it can be hence it is easy to get the real sense of the phenomenon in question without getting it from a secondary source. In qualitative research, every case being studied is unique and even though there might have been a similar case in the past, the uniqueness of every case is what qualitative research seeks to get. Primary resources provide data that is totally unique to the particular situation in question. The primary sources that can be used to gather data for the Spotify Company include the testimonies by the individuals that will be interviewed by the researcher.
On the other hand, secondary sources should not be overlooked altogether. They also provide very important information that might be useful to the Spotify Company. Information contained in books can be used to form sound conclusions and explain the results that will be got from the research.
McCleary (2009) says that secondary sources can be used as guidelines while gathering data from primary sources. This therefore means that both primary and secondary sources are crucial in the research of the Spotify Company.
How you will access those sources (study sites, participants etc)?
The primary sources are easy to access because the researcher will just have to go directly to the stakeholders of the sample companies and get the data he needs from them. The researchers will seek permission from the management of the sample companies. This will give the researchers the mandate to conduct research in the premises of the companies. In addition, the researchers will liaise with the management to arrange on how to get the respondents. This will help distribute the questionnaires more easily. In addition, the interviews will be easily conducted after the management allows the research to be conducted in their organizations. The responses obtained will be used to conduct the survey, and the information provided by the respondents will not be used for any other purposes. This assurance will be given to respondents to avoid fear that may be as results of the respondents fearing that the information they give might be used in other activities.
Secondary sources will be accessed from libraries and book stores. Information that has been written about other companies similar to the sample companies can prove to be very useful in data collection for the research. The internet will be the most reliable source of secondary information because it contains up-to-date information. The researchers will conduct Google research to identify various books, journals and other online materials to get the information required in this research. Other online sources such as website information will also be obtained to provide a guide in the research. A comparison of various theories about the research topic will be compared to ensure that adequate literature has been collected to support the research.
What might be your role as a researcher in this process, any ethical issue involved? If so, how you will overcome it?
My role as a researcher will be to gather data from the necessary sources, to analyse it, process the data and present the processed information as the findings. In addition, I will coordinate the entire process of collecting primary data. This will be done in collaboration with other participants in the research process. In addition, I will sample the companies and individuals to participant as respondents. I will also communicate with the top management of the sampled companies to allow the collection of primary data from their organizations. In the course of performing these duties, I might come across some ethical issues. Ethics in this research process will involve conducting the exercise in the correct way possible without compromising professional requirements. For one, I might be faced with the challenges during the writing stage since I will also be using secondary sources. The issues I might face are like paraphrasing, plagiarism and quotation. These are issues that cause problems both to the researcher and the sampled organizations. So the researcher has to ensure that these issues don’t interfere with the research. Rules and regulations of writing should be followed and policies adhered to in order to ensure everything is done right and nothing sabotages the research.
How those data are gathered (i.e. interviews, observations, focus groups, autobiography, conservations, documents…etc)? Why these data collection methods are appropriate for your approach and research investigation?
Data for the research will be gathered through interview with some stakeholders and the filling of questionnaires by others. The management team of the company, investors and recording labels that Spotify deals with will undergo interviews with the researcher where the feedback they provide will be recorded. The consumers will be required to fill in questionnaires that will be both physical and online since it is an international online company. These data collection methods are appropriate for Spotify because it is an online company that supplies music to consumers worldwide; hence it is not easy to get a hold of these consumers other than on the online platform. For the management, interviews will be most appropriate as it will not be a hard task to book appointments with them.
What might be the procedure involved? What might be timeline planned?
For the questionnaires, physical ones can be handed to consumers in a place where they are in plenty. This can be in areas like colleges, high school, training institutes, among others. These are the places where a lot of youth congregate and youth form the largest percentage of the consumers. Those who cannot be reached physically will be encouraged to fill in the questionnaires that will be provided online on the company’s website. In this way, the researcher will get feedback from the consumers and use it. The interviews conducted on the management team will also form part of the research data.
How you will analyze data?
As for the interviews, the researcher has to ensure he’s getting genuine information. During the interview the researcher will ask additional questions to the individuals being interviewed in order to ensure they are telling the truth as most likely people tend to lie in order to paint themselves in a positive picture. All narrative data in the form of interviews, testimonials and observations by the researcher should be recorded (Powell & Renner, 2003). The recorded information will then be processed to create the resulting information. Data from the questionnaires will be processed, sorted and compiled to come up with conclusions on various issues that are critical in the research procedure.
How you will tell your stories? Any coding strategy for your textual analysis?
The stories collected from the field will be told through writing a formal report. The report will be presented in the form of chapters. These chapters will be the introduction, review of literature from other theories, methodology, findings and conclusion. Recommendations will also be provided.
After analysing the data, there will coding in order to prepare the processed information for presentation. Thematic coding will be used in this research. This is where the research captured according to the major themes within the work.
For example, metaphorical analysis? Autobiographic reflection? Conversation analysis? Constant comparison method? Pattern matching? Hermeneutics? Story constellation? Cross-case analysis vs. within case analysis…etc?
Metaphorical analysis will be in play here. This is because it is the easiest way to solve any problems that may arise. Creating a situation in the abstract that symbolizes the situation in the real world then solve the problems in the abstract which will reflect in the real world.
Is any of analytic methods used above consistent with your research approach? For example, if you choose narrative inquiry, you may need to focus on story telling, story constellation, metaphors etc. On the other hand, autobiographic analysis is usually related to methodology with personal experiences such as action research, ethnography and possibly grounded theory or narrative inquiry.
The most consistent analytical method to be used here would be the narrative inquiry since a metaphorical analysis is also in play.
Narrative being a powerful tool in the transfer of knowledge is the best option. This is because the one listening is bound to memory. Apart from capturing the memory, narrative inquiry is also suitable due to the fact that it is able to portray and capture feelings and emotion. The situation is not just passive but active. The research is a qualitative one seeking to capture the opinions and feelings of the stakeholders of the Spotify Company concerning various issues. Giovannoli () observes that the narrative provides the inclusion of actions, the ones who acted at the end and the effects that came as a result of these actions. Narrative inquiry will therefore bring out these findings to the maximum.
Any qualitative software considered?[this is optional]
To analyze the qualitative aspects of the research, SPSS software will be applied. The results obtained from the questionnaires and interviews will be fed into the software and run to collect the results. SPSS is software that is used to analyze data in social sciences. The abbreviation refers to Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The aspects to analyze by SPSS are descriptive statistics, Bivariate, predicting numerical outcomes and predicting identifying groups. The results of analysis can be presented in tables or charts (Field, 2010).
Link the methodology chosen back to your research investigation. For example:
Make brief concluding remarks about how this methodology and process involved will serve the purpose of your study
The use of phenomenology will ensure that the study gets the personal touch it requires. A research like this one that involves a company like Spotify cannot be based on cold scientific facts and evidence. This methodology will give the research and its findings the touch of social nature that it needs. The use of questionnaires for the consumers of Spotify is the most suitable methodology. This is due to the fact that the company provides its services in a digital environment and serves millions of consumers worldwide. Trying to reach all these users physically to gain information from them would be impossible, expensive and unreasonable. The questionnaires therefore come in handy as users can fill them online and the researcher is able to access the data on the website. This saves on the problem of expenses and time. Conducting the collection of data physically would be a cumbersome business for the research let alone expensive. Questionnaires also tend to be direct. This means that the consumers will not have a problem understanding them and providing short precise answers that won’t trouble the researcher trying to make out the meaning. The use of questionnaires can also be used in the promotion of the company. Handing someone who didn’t know about the company a questionnaire is like handing them a flier with questions in it. It will arouse their curiosity and interest about the services provided by the company. This will guarantee a rise in the number of users.
Reiterate how, upon completion of your investigation, your research questions will be answered by systematic inquiry of the methodology chosen
The research questions are a very important part of the whole research process. They guide a researcher and help him not to stray out of the goal of the research. These questions reflect in the whole research process. The questions also appear in the methodology part of the research. Since the Spotify research is supposed to use questionnaires and interviewing as the methodology process, the research questions reflect there too. These questions feature in the questionnaire that the consumers are expected to fill and also the interview questions that the management will be asked. At the end of the research, analysis should be made to ensure that each of the research questions was answered fully and that a sound and viable conclusion was made.
References
Babbie, E. R. (2010). The practice of social research. Belmont, Calif, Wadsworth Cengage.
Bryman, A. E. 2001. Multimethod Research. Retrieved on 2nd April 2012 from http://www.referenceworld.com/sage/socialscience/mmr.pdf
Bryne, M. M. 2001. Understanding Life Experiences through a Phenomenological Approach to Research. Retrieved on 2nd April 2012 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FSL/is_4_73/ai_73308177/
Boeree, C. G. 2005. Qualitive Methods. Retrieved on 2nd from
Giovannoli, R.1987. The Narrative Method of Inquiry. Retrived on 2nd April 2012 from
Field, A. (2010). Discovering statistics using SAS. London: SAGE.
Kuiper, S. (2009).Contemporary business report writing. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Lewin, C., & Somekh, B. (2005). Research methods in the social sciences. London, SAGE Publications
McCleary, S. 2009. Different Uses of Primary and Secondary Sources. Retrieved on 2nd April 2012 from http://sara-mccleary.suite101.com/primary-and-secondary-sources-a115545
Powell, E. T. & Renner, M.2003. Analyzing Qualitative Data. Retrieved on 2nd April 2012 from
Rahmawati, Y. 2008. Epistemological, Ontological and Methodological. Retrieved on 2nd April 2012 from http://pendidikansains.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/epistemological-ontological-and-methodological/
Stephenson, J., & Thurman, C. (2007).Entrepreneur magazine’s ultimate small business marketing guide: 1500 great marketing tricks that will drive your business through the roof. Irvine, Calif.: Entrepreneur Press.
Vilakati, C. Z. 2009. Chapter 3: Research Design and Methodology. Retrieved on 2nd April 2012 from
.
Williams, E. 1998. Research and Paradigms. Retrieved on 2nd April 2012 from
Woodruff, S. D. (2011).”Phenomenology”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved March 31, 2012 from:
Our Service Charter
-
Excellent Quality / 100% Plagiarism-Free
We employ a number of measures to ensure top quality essays. The papers go through a system of quality control prior to delivery. We run plagiarism checks on each paper to ensure that they will be 100% plagiarism-free. So, only clean copies hit customers’ emails. We also never resell the papers completed by our writers. So, once it is checked using a plagiarism checker, the paper will be unique. Speaking of the academic writing standards, we will stick to the assignment brief given by the customer and assign the perfect writer. By saying “the perfect writer” we mean the one having an academic degree in the customer’s study field and positive feedback from other customers. -
Free Revisions
We keep the quality bar of all papers high. But in case you need some extra brilliance to the paper, here’s what to do. First of all, you can choose a top writer. It means that we will assign an expert with a degree in your subject. And secondly, you can rely on our editing services. Our editors will revise your papers, checking whether or not they comply with high standards of academic writing. In addition, editing entails adjusting content if it’s off the topic, adding more sources, refining the language style, and making sure the referencing style is followed. -
Confidentiality / 100% No Disclosure
We make sure that clients’ personal data remains confidential and is not exploited for any purposes beyond those related to our services. We only ask you to provide us with the information that is required to produce the paper according to your writing needs. Please note that the payment info is protected as well. Feel free to refer to the support team for more information about our payment methods. The fact that you used our service is kept secret due to the advanced security standards. So, you can be sure that no one will find out that you got a paper from our writing service. -
Money Back Guarantee
If the writer doesn’t address all the questions on your assignment brief or the delivered paper appears to be off the topic, you can ask for a refund. Or, if it is applicable, you can opt in for free revision within 14-30 days, depending on your paper’s length. The revision or refund request should be sent within 14 days after delivery. The customer gets 100% money-back in case they haven't downloaded the paper. All approved refunds will be returned to the customer’s credit card or Bonus Balance in a form of store credit. Take a note that we will send an extra compensation if the customers goes with a store credit. -
24/7 Customer Support
We have a support team working 24/7 ready to give your issue concerning the order their immediate attention. If you have any questions about the ordering process, communication with the writer, payment options, feel free to join live chat. Be sure to get a fast response. They can also give you the exact price quote, taking into account the timing, desired academic level of the paper, and the number of pages.