Business Research Methods

A research project is a piece of work in which you investigate a topical business/management issue or problem associated with your programme of study.  Within the project you collect, analyse and evaluate relevant information, draw conclusions based on your findings and make appropriate recommendations.

Your project can take the form of:

• A workplace or organisation-based project
• Other primary research project
• Secondary research project.

Writing your project report can be quite daunting - it's probably the longest piece of work you have tackled.

Don't panic!

• Break your project down into a list of tasks and plan backwards from your deadline to fit them all in.
• Set aside time each day or week to work on your project.
• Give yourself a specific task to complete during that time.
• Nothing ever goes to plan so build in some slippage time for catching up.

Could you or anyone else be harmed by your project?

Talk to your supervisor about how the University's ethics policy applies to your project.

Basic principles:

• informed consent of participants
• safety of participants
• confidentiality of participants

An ethics release form must be submitted with your project outline. For more details see the University's policy

Making the best use of your supervisor is one of the key aspects of achieving a successful project. 

3 key points to remember if you want to get the most out of your supervisor

• You must make regular contact
• You must be organised when meeting
• Keep a record of what you decide.