Dr. Neha Singh Agarwal | Dr.

Dasika Chaitanya

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Module 2: Planning the Research Process

The research process is carried out in a sequential order where a series of steps are
performed. A sequential order helps in making the process well-structured and
ordered thereby reducing the risk of errors. The process begins with the selection of
the topic and is followed by steps such as defining the research process, mentioning
the objectives of research, surveying existing literature, developing a working
hypothesis, preparing the research design and so on. The main aim of research is to
achieve the intended objectives by gathering information and details about the ways
of its attainment. This unit provides an overview of the research process and the
components of both research proposal and research paper.

There are a total of five steps in the market research process.

These five steps are:

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1. Step 1: Problem Development/ Defining the Problem:

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A research problem is a specific issue, difficulty, contradiction, or gap in knowledge that

you will aim to address in your research. You might look for practical problems aimed at
contributing to change, or theoretical problems aimed at expanding. knowledge.

“A problem well defined is half solved”

Half the war is won when a researcher is able to define the problem in a correct
manner.
Exercise:
For the following scenario define a problem statement:
1. Cred has launched a scan and pay feature on its app, but it is failing to garner
the traction that Kunal Shah thought that it would. He hired a research agency
to find out ways to increase awareness and market share. Define the problem
statement:
a) To discover how to convert consumers that are using other scan and pay to
Cred.
b) To examine how many scan and pay users have heard about Cred.
c) To understand what scan and pay users think about Cred.

2. Step 2: Create a Research Plan

What distinguishes research from search is syntheticism and logical reasoning. Every
decision that we make while conducting our research, be it choosing the right key
words while performing literature search, to choosing the number of people to include
in our sample is based on a strong logic. Because of this having or designing a plan at
the beginning of the study makes a lot of sense.

A research plan basically charts down in details every detail of how the study will be
undertaken. There are three important parts researchers need to plan about:

1. Research Design
2. Sampling Design
3. Analysis Design

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2.1 Research Design:

The term ‘research design’ is used in variety of ways by researchers. It is referred as a

master- plan, blueprint, and even as a sequence of research tasks and activities.
Research design in simple terms is a plan of the methods and procedures that is used
by researchers to collect and analyze the data needed by the manager. The research
design provides a plan of how the researcher will go about answering the research
question(s) defined by the manager and researcher together (clearly defining the
problem into a researchable question is extremely important).

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Design

• Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data

(e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It
can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas
for research. This technique of data collection focuses on collection of data
from a relatively small number of respondents by asking questions and
observing behaviour. In qualitative research most questions are open- ended in
nature.

• Quantitative research is the process of collecting and analyzing numerical

data. It can be used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test causal
relationships, and generalize results to wider populations. Today, quantitative

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research is commonly associated with surveys and experiments and is still

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considered the mainstay of the research industry for collecting marketing data.

Classification and differences between research designs

Most researchers broadly classify research designs into two types: exploratory and
conclusive. Furthermore, some researchers classify conclusive research designs as
descriptive or causal. Therefore, there are 3 major classifications of research designs
namely; exploratory, descriptive and causal.

Classification of research designs

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2.1.1 Exploratory research design

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As the term suggests, exploratory research design deals with exploring into the
phenomenon. In case of marketing research, it is used in cases when the problem
must be defined more precisely, and to gain additional insights before an
approach can be developed. It is not used most times to generate a course of action
for decision making. At the exploratory design stage, the information is loosely
defined. Exploratory research design focuses on collecting either secondary or
primary data using an unstructured format or informal procedures to interpret them.
Among all the three classified research designs above, exploratory research designs
incorporates the least amount of scientific method and rigour because of aims and
structure.

Some examples of exploratory research designs include in-depth interviews, focus

groups, and projective techniques.

The goals of exploratory research are intended to produce the following possible
insights:

• Familiarity with basic details, settings and concerns.

• Well-grounded picture of the situation being developed.

• Generation of new ideas and assumption, development of tentative theories or

hypotheses.

• Direction for future research and techniques get developed.

• Exploratory research generally utilizes small sample sizes and, thus, findings
are typically not generalizable to the population at large.

• The exploratory nature of the research inhibits an ability to make definitive

conclusions about the findings.

Example of Exploratory

1. To explore social networking sites as a marketing medium.

2. To explore effects of mental health issues.

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Difference between Exploratory and Conclusive Research

Conclusive Research Designs

Conclusive research design provides a way to verify and quantify the insights gained
from exploratory research. Techniques relating to conclusive research are specifically
designed to assist the manager in determining, evaluating and selecting the best
course of action to take in a given situation.

Most conclusive research techniques are based on large representative samples and
data obtained through is subjected to quantitative analysis. As the findings represent a
larger group of respondents many times, they are directly used for managerial
decision making.

2.1.2 Descriptive Research Design

Descriptive research design is typically concerned with determining the frequency
with which an event occurs or the relationship between two variables. This type of
design is typically guided by an initial relationship between two variables. For
example, an investigation of the trends to understand the consumption of cola drinks
in relation to respondents’ age, income, occupation etc. would be a descriptive study.

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Descriptive research design is quite prevalent in the field of marketing. It is used

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when the purpose of research is:

a) To make predictions of market and consumer behaviour. For example, a

manager will be highly interested in knowing differences in consumption
pattern of cola drinks during different seasons and will be able to develop a
marketing campaign accordingly for the forthcoming season.

b) To describe characteristics of a certain groups. For example, using its loyalty

clubcard
scheme Tesco (the largest retailer in the UK) is able to identify who are most
profitable and
least profitable shoppers by developing their generic socio- demographic profile
which includes age, spending in Tesco (number of visits and spend per visit), gender,
regularly consumed items and less frequently bought items etc.

Example:

1. To investigate if advertising on Facebook generate better leads, and increases sales.

2. To investigate if advertising on Instagram increases website traffic.

3. To investigate if depression can effect an individual’s career growth.

In comparison to exploratory design, descriptive research design requires a clear

specification of the who, what, when, where, why and how of the research.25
Therefore, descriptive research design requires clear planning with regard to
collection of data. Unless the study design provides specified methods for selecting
sources of information and for collecting data from those sources, the information
obtained may be inaccurate or inappropriate.

2.1.3 Causal or Experimental Research Design

One of the common problems is that descriptive designs do not provide direct cause
and effect relationships. On the other hand, managers continually make decisions
based on assumed causal relationships. As these assumptions are based on intuitions,
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they are hardly justifiable and validity of such causation should be examined with
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causal research.

Causal research is most appropriate when the research objectives include the need to
understand the reasons why certain market phenomena happen as they do. In other
words, causal research helps in understanding which market variable (for example,
packaging change) causes what effect on other market variables (supermarket sales).
To measure this however, the data must be gathered under controlled conditions – that
is, holding constant, or neutralizing the effect of, all variables other than the causation
variable (in the case above packaging change). After neutralizing the effects of other
variables researchers manipulate the causation variable and measure the change in the
effect variable (in the case above supermarket sales). Manipulation of the presumed
causal variable and control of other relevant variables are distinct features of causal
design.

• The classic experimental design specifies an experimental group and a control

group. The independent variable is administered to the experimental group and
not to the control group, and both groups are measured on the same dependent
variable.

• In an experimental design, you could gather a sample of students and then

randomly assign half of them to be taught online and the other half to be taught
in person, while controlling all other relevant variables.

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• By comparing their outcomes in test scores, you can be more confident that it
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was the method of teaching (and not other variables) that caused any change in
scores.

Data collected through experimentation can provide much stronger evidence of cause
and effect than can data collected through descriptive research. However, this does
not mean that analysis of descriptive research data cannot suggest possible causal
links. In fact, rather than viewing descriptive designs versus experimental designs,
one should think them as conclusive designs varying from ‘purely descriptive with
no control’ at one extreme to ‘purely experimental with strict control and
manipulation’ at the other extreme.

2.2 Sampling Design

Sampling is one of the very important aspects of marketing research. From a general
perspective, sampling involves selecting a relatively small number of elements
(characteristics) from a larger defined group of elements and expecting that the
information gathered from the small group of elements will provide accurate
judgement about the larger group. We use sampling in our decision making almost
every time. For example, before buying a book we flick through few pages and decide
weather it suits our reading preferences. For a complex buy such as a mobile phone,
we first decide several features as essential and others as desirable. Then we decide on
the brand and select the mobile phone on the brand, price of the product and several
other such variables. While making the final decision there are many such variables
which we don’t take into consideration. In a way, we use few elements
(characteristics) of mobile phone (or a book) and expect that they will cover most of
what we desire.

Student Activity

What we need: Two volunteers

1. Everyone write down your favourite colour.

2. The two volunteers are given task to understand the favourite/ most popular
color of this particular classroom.
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3. One easy way of doing this is just asking the 50 students present. But that is
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not a privilege you will have in a real life scenario.
4. So imagine you do not have the resources to collect the data from everyone in
the class. What do you do? Take out a sample.
5. The whole class in this scenario is the population.
6. The people you select to be a part of your study (by asking about their
color) is a sample.

7. Let’s identify a problem statement/ research objective now: To Identify the

most popular/ favorite color of Division __, of batch ___ of NMIMS SoBA.

8. Let’s identify a hypothesis?:

Volunteer A- Red is the favourite color
Volunteer B- Black is the favourite color etc.
9. Everyone in the population is an element.
10. Everyone who will be a part of the sample is a sampling unit.
11. Sample Size is the total numbers of elements to include in a sample.

12. Decide on a sample size?: sample size calculator. Let’s say it came out to be
20.
13. How would you choose the 20 students you want to include in the sample?-
Sampling
Technique (Probability and Non-Probability)
14. Assuming that we have to do random sampling. How would you go about it?
15. You need a sampling frame: a representation of the elements of the target
population. The sampling frame is the actual list of individuals that the sample
will be drawn from.

Let’s pick the sample and find the results!

Basic Concepts in Sampling- Definitions

1. Population: In research terms, ‘population’ is defined as the totality of cases

that confirm to some designated specifications. For example, if a manager of
brand X of washing machine was interested in understanding customer
satisfaction relating to washing machines, the researcher will need to study all
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consumers who owned a washing machine (i.e. population) to get an accurate

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idea.

• Example: If you’re studying the effectiveness of online teaching in the US, it

would be very difficult to get a sample that’s representative of all high school
students in the country.
• To make the research more manageable, and to draw more precise conclusions,
you could focus on a narrower population—for example, 9th-grade students in
lowincome areas of New York.
2. Elements: An element is defined as a person or object from which data is
sought and about which inferences are to be made. The people who a part of the
population are elements.

Sampling units are the target population elements available for selection
during the sampling process. People who are a part of the sample are sampling
units.

3. Sample Size: The number of individuals in your sample depends on the size of
the population, and on how precisely you want the results to represent the
population as a whole.
In general, the larger the sample size, the more accurately and confidently you
can make inferences about the whole population.
Several qualitative and quantitative factors are considered when determining
the sample size. The qualitative issues considered may include factors such as:
(a) nature of research and expected outcome; (b) importance of the decision to
organization; (c) number of variables being studied; (d) sample size in similar
studies; (e) nature of analysis and (f) resource constraints. Various quantitative
measures are also considered when determining sample size such as: (a)
variability of the population characteristics (greater the variability, larger the
sample required);
(b) level of confidence desired (higher the confidence desired, larger the
sample required); and (c) degree of precision desired in estimating population
characteristics (more precise the study, larger the sample required).

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4. A sampling frame is a representation of the elements of the target population.

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The sampling frame is the actual list of individuals that the sample will be
drawn from. Ideally, it should include the entire target population (and nobody
who is not part of that population).
It consists of a list or set of directions for identifying the target population.
Some common sources of sampling frame are lists of voters, commercial
directories, telephone directories, or even maps.

• Example: You are doing research on working conditions at Company X. Your

population is all 1000 employees of the company. Your sampling frame is the
company’s HR database which lists the names and contact details of every
employee.

5. Sample Size: The number of individuals in your sample depends on the size of
the population, and on how precisely you want the results to represent the
population as a whole.

In general, the larger the sample size, the more accurately and confidently you
can make inferences about the whole population.
Several qualitative and quantitative factors are considered when determining
the sample size. The qualitative issues considered may include factors such as:
(a) nature of research and expected outcome; (b) importance of the decision to
organization; (c) number of variables being studied; (d) sample size in similar
studies; (e) nature of analysis and (f) resource constraints. Various quantitative
measures are also considered when determining sample size such as: (a)
variability of the population characteristics (greater the variability, larger the
sample required);
(b) level of confidence desired (higher the confidence desired, larger the
sample required); and (c) degree of precision desired in estimating population
characteristics (more precise the study, larger the sample required).

6. Sampling Method/Technique: The method through which a sample is drawn

out of population is termed as a sampling technique.

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2.3 Analysis Design

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• The type of analysis technique to be used for analysing the data – depends upon
the type of data collected

• Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio (these types are also in levels)

• Higher the level of data – the more rigorous type of analysis technique can be used.

• Usually, market research data is at the third level (interval) – and analysis techniques like
Factor analysis, cluster analysis conjoint analysis, correlation, regression etc. can be applied.

3. Step 3: Data Collection

Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on variables of

interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one to answer stated
research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes.

The data collection component of research is common to all fields of study including
physical and social sciences, humanities, business, etc. While methods vary by
discipline, the emphasis on ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same.

Step 4: Interpretation of Data

Involves three things:
• Data Processing Data
• Analysis and Data
• Interpretation

• Data Processing is a form of information processing, which is the modification of

information in any manner detectable by an observer.
• Data Analysis is the process of systematically applying statistical and/or logical techniques to
describe and illustrate, condense and recap, and evaluate data.
• Data Interpretation is the process of reviewing data and arriving at relevant conclusions
using various analytical research methods.

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5. Step 5: Report Writing

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A report is a well-written formal document that briefly describes the process and
findings of a research. It outlines the systematic investigation, recommendations, and
gaps that need further inquiry.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A research proposal is a formal document that presents the research objectives,

design of achieving these objectives and the expected outcomes/deliverables of the
study.

This step is essential both for academic and corporate research, as it clearly
establishes the researcher’s conceptualization of the research process that is intended
to address the research questions. Through this written document the reader (academic
expert or manager) is able to assess the rigour and validity of the study and whether or
not it will result in an objective and accurate answer to the research problem. In a
business or corporate setting, this step is often preceded by a PR (Proposal Request).

The research proposal should indicate the logical and systematic approach intended
to be followed in order to achieve the listed objectives.

Contents of a Research Proposal

As stated above, the requirements and the origin of the research would direct the
sequential formulation of the research proposal. However, there is a broad framework
that most proposals adhere to. In this section we will briefly discuss these steps.

1. Executive Summary

This is a broad overview or abstract that spells out the purpose and objective of the
study. In a short paragraph, the author gives a summary about the management
problem/academic concern, which is the backdrop of the study. The probable research
questions which might need to be answered in order to arrive at any conclusive results

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are further listed This would include the Introduction to the study specifying the
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problem and stating the need to study and its relevance to the population to be studied,

2. Background of the Problem

This is the detailed background of the management problem. It requires a sequential

and systematic build- up to the research questions and also a compelling reason for
pursuing the study. The researcher has to be able to demonstrate that there could be a
number of ways in which the management dilemma could be addressed.

3. Problem Statement and Research Objectives

The clear definition of the problem broken down into specific objectives is the next
step. This section is crisp and to the point. It begins by stating the main thrust area of
the study. For example, in the above case, the problem statement could be:

To test the acceptability of a spray or capped bottle dispenser for a new sanitizer . The
basic objectives of this research would be to:

• Determine the comparative preference of the tprototypes amongst customers of

liquid based solutions

• To conduct a sample usage test of both the bottles with the identified population

• To assess the ease of use for the bottles amongst the respondents

• To prepare a comparative analysis of the advantages and problems associated with

each bottle, on the basis of the sample usage test

• To prepare a detailed feasibility report on the basis of the findings

4. Research Design

This is the working section of the proposal as it needs to indicate the logical and
systematic approach intended to be followed in order to achieve the listed objectives.
This would include specifying the population to be studied, the sampling process and
plan, sample size and selection. It also details the information areas of the study and

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the probable sources of data, i.e., the data collection methods. In case the process has
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to include an instrument design, then the intended approach needs to be detailed here.

5. Scheduling the Research

The time-bound dissemination of the study with the major phases of the research has
to be presented. This can be done using the CPM/GANTT/PERT charts.

This gives a clear mechanism for monitoring and managing the research task. It also
has the additional benefit of providing the researcher with a means of spelling out the
payment points linked to the delivered phase outputs.

6. Results and Outcomes of the Research

Here the clear terms of contract or expected outcomes of the study have to be spelt
out. This is essential even if it is an academic research. The expected deliverables
need to clearly demonstrate how the researcher intends to link the findings of the
proposed study design to the stated research objectives. For example, in the
pharmaceutical study, the expected deliverables are:

• To identify the usage problems with each bottle type.

• To recommend on the basis of the sample study which bottle to use for packaging
the liquid.

7. Costing and Budgeting the Research

In all instances of business research, both internal and external, an estimated cost of
the study is required. A typical sample budget format with payment schedules is
presented in the following sample proposal.

In addition to these sections, academic research requires a review of related literature

section; this generally follows the ‘problem background’ section. If the proposal is
meant to establish the credentials of the research supplier, then detailed qualifications
of the research team, including the research experience in the required or related area,
help to aid in the selection of the research proposal.

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8. Glossary of technical Terms :Sometimes, the research study requires an

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understanding of some technical terms or explanations of the constructs
under study; in such cases, the researcher needs to attach a glossary of
terms in the appendix of the research proposal.

9. References: The last section of the proposal is to state the complete details
of the references used in the formulation of the research proposal. Thus the
data source and address has to be attached with the formulated document.

OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS

The process of research is implemented as a series of actions or steps that are essentially performed in
a specific order. These actions or activities usually overlap each other rather than pursuing a specific
sequence. A brief description of the steps is given as follows:

Selecting the topic: The first step of a researcher is to select a topic of research. While doing so, he
should restrict himself to the most potential topic that is open for extensive research out of several
alternatives. The factors to be considered for topic selection are: o Relevance o Scope for research, i.e.
the required data should be available and accessible o Contribution to knowledge in the specific field
o Required cooperation from the research guide

Formulation of a problem: There are two types of research problems: o Problems related to the state
of nature o Problems related to the relationship of variables In defining the research problem, the
researcher should study the existing literature like books and journals, available in the field with an
interdisciplinary perspective to base his research topic on some reliable background. He should also
concentrate on the relevance of the present research with the past works.

Mention the objective of research: After selecting the topic and defining the research problem, the
researcher should mention the objective of research. This means that he should explain what he aims
to achieve through the research. His objective should also explain the extent to which the research
work is related to the specific field.

Survey existing literature: To understand the basis of research, it is important for the researcher to
review the existing literature. This involves: o Surveying the existing books available in the field o
Reviewing other published literature like articles, journals, reports, conference proceedings etc. The

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researcher should then prepare his own index for a period, in chronological order, in
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addition to his consultation of various indices.

Development of working hypothesis: A hypothesis is an uncertain statement that involves the

proposed answer to the problem. The hypothesis statement provides high priority to accountability and
responsibility of research procedure. The solution proposed by working hypothesis cannot be
considered as the only solution to the research problem. It only acts as the chain or interface between
the theory and the research problem. It can also be considered as the point of departure. Hypotheses
are thus the tentative statements that can either by rejected or accepted after the research process.
Hypothesis also provides a structure and guides the researcher in the direction he should move to reach
the solution of the problem. The researcher must keep the following things in mind while formulating
a working hypothesis: o Hypothesis can only be developed after the researcher is certain about the
nature, extent and intensity of the problem. o Hypothesis should be figured out throughout the research
process which provides appropriate structure to the problem. o The researcher should keep it in mind
that hypothesis is only the tentative statements/solutions of the problem and this hypothesis should not
be generalized much. o A research problem does not need to have only one hypothesis. It only depends
on the research proposal that how many hypotheses are required to solve the problem.

Preparing the research design: Once the researcher has gained enough knowledge about the problem
statement, he needs to prepare the plan that will act as the outline of the investigation in research
process. The research design consists of a series of steps that has to be carried out during research.
There are two types of research design: (i) Exploratory research (ii) Conclusive research (i)
Exploratory research: The researcher conducts exploratory research when the problem has not been
defined or he has not gained much knowledge about the research problem.

(i) Exploratory research allows the researcher to become familiar with the problem or the concept to
be studied. The researcher can determine the best research design, data collection method and selection
of subjects with this research. Sometimes, this research can also conclude that the problem does not
exist. Exploratory research can be quite informal and can rely on secondary research and qualitative
research.

(ii) Conclusive research: As specified by its name, it is used to provide information that can help the
researcher in decision-making or in reaching a conclusion. This search is likely to be quantitative in
nature. It depends on both secondary data, which is also called existing data, and primary research, or
data that is collected for the current study only.

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(a) Descriptive research: Descriptive research, also called statistical research, provides data
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about the population or universe that has to be studied during research. Descriptive
research provides information about ‘who, what, when, where and how’ of a situation but it does not
provide information about who caused the problem. The researcher can use the descriptive research
when the objective is to provide systematic, accurate and factual description. There are two types of
descriptive research designs: - Observations - Surveys
(b) Causal research: It is used to find out the variable causing certain behaviour. This research is applicable
when the researcher has the knowledge of variables that are causing the problem and that are affected
by the problem. This type of research tends to be very complex and the researcher may sometimes be
unable to determine the attitude of an individual by this research. There are two types of causal research
designs: - Experimentation – Simulation

Determine the sample design: Often only a few items are selected for universal study purposes, for
example, blood testing on a sample basis to perform census inquiry. The items selected are technically
known as a sample. The researcher must decide the way of selecting a sample or decide about sample
design. A sample design is a definite plan determined for data collection to obtain a sample from a
given population. The various types of sample designs are as follows: o Deliberate sampling o Simple
random sampling o Systematic sampling o Stratified sampling o Quota sampling o Cluster sampling o
Multi-stage sampling o Sequential sampling The researcher should decide the sample design after
considering the nature of inquiry and other related factors. Sometimes several above-mentioned
methods of sampling are used in the same study, which is called mixed sampling.

Data collection methods: There are a variety of ways to collect data. Primary data can be collected
through experiments or through surveys. If the researcher performs an experiment, he observes some
quantitative measurements. This helps him examine the validity of his hypothesis. In the case of
surveys, however, the researcher can adopt one or more of the following ways to collect data: o By
observation o Through personal interviews Through telephone interviews o By mailing of
questionnaires o Through schedules

Execution of project: This is the most important step in the research process. The researcher should
ensure that the project is performed in a logical way and in time. If a survey is to be carried out, steps
should be taken to ensure that it is under statistical control, so that the collected data is in accordance
with the pre-determined standard of accuracy.

Analysis of data: After data collection, the researcher turns to the task of analyzing it. The bulk data
should be compressed into a few manageable groups and tables for further analysis. The researcher
can then analyze the collected data by using various statistical measures.

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Hypothesis testing: After analyzing the data, the researcher should test the hypothesis, if
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any. He should check if the facts support the hypothesis or are contrary. Statisticians have
developed tests like Chi square test, t-test and F-test for hypothesis testing. This testing further results
in either acceptance or rejection of hypothesis.

Generalizations and interpretations: The real value of research lies in its ability to arrive at certain
generalizations. If the researcher cannot find a hypothesis to start with, he might seek to explain his
findings on the basis of some theory. This is called interpretation. This may give rise to new questions
and lead to further research.

Report writing: This is the concluding step of research, where the researcher has to prepare a report
of what has been done by him. Generally, the report should be designed in accordance to the following
layout: o The preliminary pages: Here the title, date, acknowledgements and foreword with the table
of contents, should be mentioned. o The main text: This should be divided into introduction, summary,
main report and conclusion. o End matter: This should contain appendices, bibliography and index. A
report should be written in a precise and objective style in simple language.

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COMPONENTS OF A RESEARCH PAPER

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Research paper in nothing but the report that in presented at the end of the research. Before you write
a report, you should define the high level structure of the report. Defining a clear logical structure will
make the report easier to write and to read.

There are two types of report structures, which are listed as follows:

Report structure I: In general, the report writing structure comprises the following subheadings:

o Title Page

o Abstract

o Table of Contents

o Introduction

o Technical Detail and Results

o Discussion and Conclusions

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o References
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o Appendices

Report structure II: There is also a specific structure of report writing

pertaining to technical or scientific reports which is as follows:

o Introduction

o Background and Context

o Technical Details

o Results

o Discussion and Conclusion

Order of writing:

o Start with the technical chapters/sections.

o Follow with the discussion.

o Finally, write the conclusions, introduction and abstract, if you are including any.

Appendix: The appendix should contain the following: Material that suits or goes well with the flow
of the main report but cannot be included in the main text of the report either because it is too long or
is not an essential reading, for example, lists of parameter values, etc.

o Bibliography, i.e., list of all the sources of material, you referred to in your report

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 Dr. Neha Singh Agarwal | Dr. Dasika Chaitanya

DON’TS OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH WRITING

Module 2

1. Use AI as the main author of the

research AI is an excellent Research
Support tool.

View AI as a tool for refining their ideas, not creating content from scratch.

How to use AI the CORRECT way.

Idea Generation - AI can suggest ideas, but students should further analyze and expand
on them. Outlining - Create a structured outline for your paper based on your research
findings. Grammar and Style - Tools like Grammarly can be used for grammar checks or
clarity improvements.
Summary - Summarizing complex articles or research to get an overview is fine, but the
student should still read and analyze the source material.
Citation Assistance - Automatically generate citation lists in the correct format.

Choose the right AI tools

Academic-focused platforms:
• SciSpace – Literature Search and Synthesis, Citation Help, Finding Topics etc.
• Elicit – Summarize papers to identify if they’re worth your time.

Don’ts when using AI for research papers

Plagiarism: Do not copy and paste large sections of AI-generated text – Plagiarism software
can detect it!
Over-reliance on AI: Do not let AI write your entire paper for you; your own analysis and
interpretation are crucial.
Ignoring ethical concerns: Be aware of potential biases in AI algorithms and address them
appropriately.

2. Copy pasting from several sources and saying – I am the author – aka
PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas without properly crediting the original
author.

Sometimes plagiarism involves deliberately stealing someone’s work, but more often it happens
accidentally, through carelessness or forgetfulness.

Steps to avoid plagiarism

 Use plagiarism checkers
 Paraphrase & Cite
 Quote the original author
 Remove and rewrite the content entirely

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 Dr. Neha Singh Agarwal | Dr. Dasika Chaitanya

Module 2

Different Citation Styles

• A citation is a way of giving credit to individuals for their creative and intellectual works that
you utilized to support your research.

• APA Citation Style

• MLA Citation Style

• Chicago/Turabian Citation Style

• Harvard Referencing Style

• Tools for creating bibliographies (Citation Managers)

3. Not using Credible Sources

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 Dr. Neha Singh Agarwal | Dr. Dasika Chaitanya

In the context of academic research, a credible source is one that is supported by

Module 2
evidence and is trusted by the academic community. It is important for your research to
be credible, otherwise your work may be built on wrong or illegitimate information.

Where can I find Credible Sources?

 Materials published within at least the last 10 years (sometimes sooner- Peer-
reviewed articles and books written by qualified authors with citations;

 Google Scholar

 Websites registered by government and educational institutions (.gov, .edu,

.ac);

 Academic databases (i.e. JSTOR, EBESCO, Research Gate etc.)

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