Business Research: Reflective Journal on Research and Design

This document comprises a student's reflective journal entries on a business research course, covering weekly activities and learning experiences. The entries detail the student's understanding and application of various research concepts, including topic selection, literature review, ethical considerations, research question formulation, research design, questionnaire preparation, sampling methods, and data analysis techniques. The journal reflects on the value of each activity in enhancing the student's research skills and future career prospects, highlighting the practical application of theoretical knowledge gained throughout the course. This resource is available on Desklib, where students can find more study tools and solved assignments.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH
BUSINESS RESEARCH
Name of Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1BUSINESS RESEARCH
Entry Week Number: 1
Activity Week Number: 1
My opinion about the learning experience of the activity of week 1 is that it was
informative. This activity was important for me because it helped me to understand how to
select my research topic and how to find and refer to resource materials for the purpose of my
research. In future, I will use this learning experience in my course by efficiently selecting
my research topic form the discipline of my expertise. During this activity, I was taught about
how to carefully select a unique research topic from a certain area of discipline and how to
search for resource materials (journals and books) and the types of academic resource
materials that would be helpful for my research. I was also taught the process of referencing
in the Harvard style and how to cite the references in my research. This activity was
important for my research learning process, as it had helped me to understand the process of
initial approach to a research. This activity was done so that I could be efficient in selecting a
unique research topic and the appropriate resource materials as well as be able to provide
correct evidences and citations of the resource materials required for my research.
Entry Week Number: 2
Activity Week Number: 2
In my opinion, the activity of week 2 was helpful and practical. This learning
experience was valuable to me, as it had helped me to practically apply what I had learned in
week1. In my future career, it will help me in carefully selecting and identifying the area of
my research as well as the resources that will be required. In this activity, the tutor had given
me a sheet in which I had to fill in details like the discipline of my research, the journals
required for my research and finally my research topic. Based on this, the supervisor had

2BUSINESS RESEARCH
evaluated my ability to carefully select a research are and topic. He had then given me
feedback, guided me on the areas that need to be improved and had cleared my queries. This
activity helped me in my research learning process as it allowed me to practically assess the
knowledge I had gained in week 1. I had done this activity in order to identify my strengths
and weaknesses in selecting a research topic.
Entry Week Number: 3
Activity Week Number: 3
In my opinion, this learning activity was particularly important as it involved one of
the major and crucial part of research. This learning experience was valuable, as it had helped
me to grasp the idea and process of reviewing literatures and journals for my research. This
will help me further in my career as it taught me how to objectively review literatures. During
the learning activity of week 3, the tutor had shown me three videos that explained the
process of exploring and writing literature reviews. The tutor had also given us examples of
literature reviews and their styles and mentioned how they can be used in different contexts.
This activity has helped me in my business research learning as it helped me to understand
the process in which a particular journal or academic resource should be approached while
conducting a literature review. I had done this activity to gain knowledge on the process of
writing literature reviews that is a crucial element of any research.
Entry Week Number: 4
Activity Week Number: 4
The learning experience of week 4 was, in my opinion, informative. This learning
experience was valuable as it helped me to understand the ethical paradigm of conducting a
research. I will also apply the knowledge of this learning activity generally in life by giving

3BUSINESS RESEARCH
value to the consent of people before proceeding with any work. This learning activity was
divided into three tasks. In the first task, the tutor had downloaded the Research Ethics
Framework of 2010 by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and showed ad
explained it to us. In the second task, the tutor had distributed a sample of people’s consent
form and discussed it in details. In the third task, the tutor had distributed a sample of the
participant information form and discussed it in details. This activity was important in my
business research learning process, as I was able to learn the correct and ethical process of
conducting a research. I had done the learning activity as it had helped me learn how to take
the consent and information of the participants in an ethical manner while conducting a
research.
Entry Week Number: 5
Activity Week Number: 5
In my opinion, this learning experience was interactive in nature. This learning
experience was valuable to me, as it had helped me to learn how to form research questions
and hypothesis. The knowledge that I have gained from this learning experience will help me
in my future career in forming my research hypothesis and research questions that are the
main elements of any research paper. During this learning activity, the tutor had given us a
sample research paper on Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) Assessment and
Measurement in Australia. We were then divided into groups of 3 or 4 and asked to evaluate
the paper closely and form the primary and secondary research questions as well as the
research hypothesis. This learning experience was important for my business research
learning, as it had helped me to comprehend the ways of forming my research hypothesis and
the questions for my research. I had done this activity to learn how to form research questions
and hypothesis statement.

4BUSINESS RESEARCH
Entry Week Number: 7
Activity Week Number: 6 and 7
The learning activities of weeks 6 and 7 were elaborate and detailed. This learning
experience was valuable, as it had helped me to learn the process of designing a research and
its methodology. This activity has also induced in me the importance of planning and
proceeding systematically, which I can later apply in my life. During the activities of weeks 6
and 7, the tutor had distributed among us a document that explained the importance of
research design and methodology and the process involved in it. The document was designed
in a manner of a literature review, which was very creative and informative. The tutor had
also explained to us in details the various points mentioned in the document. This learning
experience helped me in my business research learning as it had helped me to understand
how to systematically design a research and its methodology. I had taken part in this learning
activity, as it had helped me to understand the process of research design and methodology in
details.
Entry Week Number: 8
Activity Week Number: 8
The activity of week 8 was innovative. This learning experience was valuable, as it
had helped me to learn the ways of preparing an objective questionnaire for research purpose.
I will be able to apply this knowledge later in my career when I have to collect primary data
for my research. During the activity, we were divided into groups of 3 or 4 and asked to
evaluate the sample research paper from week 5 and then to form a sample interview
questionnaire for data collection. The tutor had carefully examined our questionnaires given
feedback on the same. The learning activity was useful for my business research learning, as

5BUSINESS RESEARCH
it had helped me to learn how to prepare a questionnaire objectively. I had done the learning
activity as it had helped me in understanding the process of preparing an interview
questionnaire.
Entry Week Number: 9
Activity Week Number: 9
The learning experience of week 9 was elaborate and informative. It was valuable as
it helped me to understand the various types of sampling as well as how to measure their
reliability and validity. I will apply this learning experience in the future when I will collect
and analyze the validity of my data in any future research I conduct. During this activity, the
tutor had shown and explained to us four videos on the types of sampling, measurement of
reliability of the data samples, measurement of validity of data samples, and on the
ethnographic research of customer behavior. The learning experience helped me in my
business research learning, it helped me to understand the importance the validity and
reliability of my research data. I had done the activity in order to understand the various
sampling types and the process of understanding their validity and reliability.
Entry Week Number: 10
Activity Week Number: 10
The learning experience of week 10 was detailed and informative. It was valuable as
it helped me to understand the right and wrong ways of interviewing as well the correct
method of analyzing data retrieved from an interview. I can apply this knowledge further in
my career while conducting a data analysis from an interview for my research. During this
activity the tutor had shown and explained to us four videos on focus groups, the right
method of conducting a research interview, the wrong method of conducting a research

6BUSINESS RESEARCH
interview and the process of analyzing data from an interview. This learning experience was
important for my business research learning process, as it had helped to understand the
correct process of conducting and analyzing an interview. I had taken part in the activity as it
helped me to learn the process of data analysis and conduction of interviews required for
having results for the research.