Stages of the Research process

The research process can be divided into four stages:

• Preparation
• Select your research methods
• Collecting the data and information
• Putting the research findings to good use

 Stage 1: Preparation

Once you have identified a consumer problem you will need to carry out preparatory research. If little is known about an area, further explanatory research may be needed so that you can familiarise yourself with a new subject.

At this stage, your organisation will need to make crucial decisions on:

• The objectives of your research
• The scope of your research
• The research methods you will use
• A devised timetable for research activities and delivery
• The direct and indirect costs involved

Remember, the preparations and implementation of your research needs to be strongly linked to what your organisation intends to use the research findings for.

Stage 2: Selecting your methods of research 

To ensure the facts and information collected are the most meaningful for the goals of the research, the organisation must decide what type of research is best.

There are many different types of research which can be used for varying purposes:

Correlative and explanatory research

Correlative research seeks to establish whether a correlation or link exists between two variables.

Stage 3: Research and data collection methods

The methods you use to collect your information and eventually turn it into data will be determined by the variables and relations in your research.

Data types can be divided into two main categories:

1. Primary data is collected and targeted specifically for the research project
2. Secondary data is additional data gathered for other purposes but with some application in the research

Stage 4: Putting the research findings to good use

The last part of conducting research is the interpretation of your results. Editing involves assessing the correctness of the raw data, in respect of adherence to standards of accuracy and consistency.

Unsatisfactory data may be discarded completely or corrected, providing time and money allows for data collection tools to be redesigned and replaced.

Coding is a process whereby the responses are allocated a ‘code’ according to a category to tabulate the data. This ‘tabulation’ of the data enables the researcher to find out how the data is distributed, what is typical, how much it varies and whether there is any significant relation between different sets of data.

The research findings can then be used to feed into further actions and outputs such as: issuing press releases, arranging interviews with the media, informing policy statements and making submissions to legislative reviews.

Even uncontroversial reports call for a post-mortem evaluation. This is a review of what went well and what went wrong during the research and how successfully the published report met the stated objectives of the research project.

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Born on the 25th November. Am a freelance website designer,Mobile App programmer and Technology blogger with clientlists and portfolios focused on arts, music, film and community work. Dedicated advocates of Clean, accessible design and have a sharp attention to detail. Since November 2007, i have a strong management and communication skills. I Keep aware of current web and print technologies and trends. Am a diligent Internet researcher. I also have a passion for typography, having designed a number of my own fonts. Panoramic photography is an activity that has always been a hobby, but which we are now bringing into my professional work.