Name: Suthasanan, Bangga, Gane Raw and Tiban

Subject: Business Research ( Part Time )

Chapter 3 : Methodology
o Primary and secondary method
The data that need to be collected about customers, market or competitors will make an impact to
the research method. There are two main approaches to collect all the important information
(primary or secondary) and main types of data to take into consideration (quantitative and
qualitative). A needed result can be collected by using any combination of these research
method. Primary research is the collection of data for the first time. The data is collected for
some specific or unique purpose. Primary research is more expensive and time consuming but it
will give better results than secondary data (Gratton & Jones, 2010). Meanwhile the secondary
method which also known as desk research gathers existing information through available
sources. This includes information from internet, existing market research results, existing data
from stock lists and customer database and also information from agencies such as industry
bodies, government agencies, libraries and local councils. This secondary method allows the
researcher to take advantage of existing information about the market. The basic understanding
can be gained if the secondary method is utilized. It is regularly quicker to investigate than
primary data in light of the fact that, as a rule, another person may have effectively begun
examining it. Notwithstanding, when utilizing secondary method be have to very careful to
translate it, as it may have been gathered for an alternate reason or from a market portion that
isn't pertinent to preferred business. Additionally verify that any secondary information isn't out-
of-date, as the market can change rapidly and this will influence results.

o Quantitative research
Quantitative research only produces results on the specific issue that is being investigated and
uses statistical, mathematical and computational programs. A closed-ended questionnaire would
be analyzed using quantitative research if the researcher merely computed the results and
produced a series of comments as to the percentages of respondents who gave specific answers.
A common program by which to analyze quantitative research is SPSS. (Morgan, G. and
Smircich, L. 1980)
o Qualitative research
Qualitative research tends to be used more in the social sciences and arts and is when a research
seeks to ask 'why' and 'how' something has happened and explains the reasons with recourse to
empirical mathematical models. Within primary research that uses qualitative research small
focus groups can often be employed. An open-ended questionnaire that collates and assesses a
range of verbal responses would be analyzed using qualitative techniques as the answers given
do not lend themselves to being processed in the manner described above relating to closed
questionnaires. (Ritchie, J. and Lewis, L 2003).


o Differences between quantitative and qualitative methods.
Firstly, the concepts in quantitative research methods are usually expressed in the forms of
variables, while the concepts in qualitative research methods are expressed in motives and
generalizations. Secondly, quantitative research methods and measures are usually universal, like
formulas for finding mean, median and mode for a set of data, whereas, in qualitative research
each research is approached individually and individual measures are developed to interpret the
primary data taking into account the unique characteristics of the research. Thirdly, data in
quantitative research appears in the forms of numbers and specific measurements and in
qualitative research data can be in forms of words, images and transcripts. Fourthly, research
findings in quantitative research can be illustrated in the forms of tables, graphs and pie-charts,
whereas, research findings in qualitative studies is usually presented in analysis by only using
words. (VanderStroep, S.W & Johnson, D.D. 2010)

o Examples of quantitative methodology
For example, a rating scale or closed questions on a questionnaire would generate quantitative
data as these produce either numerical data or data that can be put into categories (e.g. yes,
no answers). Whereas open-ended questions would generate qualitative information as they are
a descriptive response. (Minichiello, V. 1990)



o Examples of qualitative methodology
A good example of a qualitative research method would be unstructured and group interviews
which generate qualitative data through the use of open questions. This allows the respondent to
talk in some depth, choosing their own words. This helps the researcher develop a real sense of a
persons understanding of a situation. However, it can be time consuming to conduct the
unstructured interview and analyse the qualitative data. (Minichiello, V. 1990)

o Questionnaire
It is due to time constraint of fourteen weeks time to do this research, quantitative methodology
is planned to be used for continuing this research. The data is obtained through questionnaire
consisting of twenty items given to twenty samples which then will be analyzed using Microsoft
Excel.