Ethical Assurances

Ethical assurances are indispensable to conducting a successful research study. It is mandatory to consider certain ethical factors while conducting research studies so as to avoid adverse implications either during or after the study is complete (Creswell, 2013). One ethical assurance regarding the exploratory research design is that as much as some of the previous studies relating to the issue of micro-funding options may be consulted to inform in this study, the respective authors or researchers will be credited for their work. This research study will not actively steal or copy information from another researcher’s findings without acknowledging the actual owner. Basically, plagiarism will be averted in this research study (Ritchie et al., 2013).

Additionally, consent will be acquired from the participants of the study before any information is published for public use. Usually, the participants of research studies prefer to maintain their anonymity and hence, often require assurances from the researcher that none of the information published in the research study will be traced back to them. Therefore, to ensure that the confidentiality of participants is maintained, the study will desist from mentioning the names of the business owners or even their businesses. Each participant will partake in the research study as an anonymous participant (Ritchie et al., 2013).

Concerning the formal approval of the study, I will approach the business owners of the location that will be chosen for the study. I will liaise with both the authorities for the rural and urban locations and acquire the necessary permission to conduct my research study in the area undisturbed. Relatedly, before any data is collected the IRB approval will be sought to ensure that the process runs smoothly (Ritchie et al., 2013).

Summary

Chapter three provides an analysis of the research method and design. The introduction section primarily introduces the section by highlighting the contents of this chapter. It also provides a review of the purpose of the research study as well as the research problem that is being addressed (Kirby, & Worner, 2014). Lastly, the introduction section reflects the research questions that were presented in chapter one of this research study. Simply, the research problem is that small and medium-sized business owners are prevalently unaware of the most crucial components of the three micro-funding options: peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, and microfinance. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to identify precisely how much these micro-entrepreneurs know by collecting information on the perceptions of micro-funding options.

The section on research methods and design present the exploratory research design, which involves exploring the responses derived from the study participants. The chosen research design is appropriate, not only for its suitability for use in a qualitative research study but also because it will allow the researcher to explore new ideas and perceptions that have never before been examined. Through the exploratory research design, the researcher will be able to gain tremendous familiarity with an area that is yet to be researched thoroughly before. Subsequently, the results obtained through the use of exploratory research design will be used to inform future research studies in the same area. Some of the information that this research design can provide includes the feasibility of future related research studies and the development of techniques, theories, and hypotheses to be used in future studies (Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault, 2015).

In relation to the population, the study will use small and medium-sized business owners from a particular area, both in rural and urban settings. To identify the sample, the stratified random sampling method will be used, whereby the researcher will categorize the population into groups and select an even number of members from each group (Glesne, 2015). Moreover, in relation to materials and instruments, the survey, interviews, and questionnaires will all be used in this research study.

Data will be collected through interviews. One skilled interviewer will be used to interview the study participants. Subsequently, questionnaires will be distributed to enable a more precise response system. After the data has been collected, the relevance of each response will be assessed (Lindlof, & Taylor, 2010). In analyzing these responses, the information acquired from the participants will be compared to identify similarities and differences in terms of the perceptions of micro-entrepreneurs towards micro-funding options.

Some of the assumptions of the study are that respondents will provide honest responses and that there will be multiple responses derived from the data collection process. Alternatively, the limitations of the study are a lack of sufficient information on previous research studies that may inform the current study; the possibility of inadequate funds to suitably complete the study; and the possibility of lacking access to the desired sample or participants of this study (Mertens, 2014). Failure to access the sample of small and medium-sized business owners will invalidate the entire research study since they are the primary focus of the research. It is mandatory that their perceptions are obtained. Relatedly, the threat to validity is that the respondents may provide strategic responses to the questions.

Regarding delimitations, the study will only focus on micro-entrepreneurs who have a history of using micro-funding options and hence have a certain amount of information based on their experiences. Furthermore, ethical assurances for the study encompass: seeking IRB approval and assuring the respondents of their anonymity (Creswell, 2013). The ethical confidence will also deal with the local authorities, which may ensure that the research is conducted legally and without disruptions.
Chapter 4: Findings

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Begin with an introduction and restatement of the problem and purpose sentences verbatim and the organization of the chapter.

☐ Organize the entire chapter around the research questions/hypotheses.

Trustworthiness of the Data

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ For qualitative studies, clearly identify the means by which the trustworthiness of the data was established. Discuss credibility (e.g., triangulation, member checks), transferability (e.g., the extent to which the findings are generalizable to other situations), dependability (e.g., an in-depth description of the methodology and design to allow the study to be repeated), and confirmability (e.g., the steps to ensure the data and findings are not due to participant and/or researcher bias).

☐ For quantitative studies, explain the extent to which the data meet the assumptions of the statistical test and identify any potential factors that might impact the interpretation of the findings. Provide evidence of the psychometric soundness (i.e., adequate validity and reliability) of the instruments from the literature as well as in this study (as appropriate). Do not merely list and describe all the measures of validity and reliability.

☐ Mixed methods studies should include discussions of the trustworthiness of the data as well as validity and reliability.

Results

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Briefly discuss the overall study. Organize the presentation of the results by the research questions/hypotheses.

☐ Objectively report the results of the analysis without discussion, interpretation, or speculation.

☐ Provide an overview of the demographic information collected. It can be presented in a table. Ensure no potentially identifying information is reported.

Research Question 1/Hypothesis

Text…

☐ Report all the results (without discussion) salient to the research question/hypothesis. Identify common themes or patterns.

☐Use  .

☐ For quantitative studies, report any additional descriptive information as appropriate. Identify the assumptions of the statistical test and explain how the extent to which the data met these assumptions was tested. Report any violations and describe how they were managed as appropriate. Make decisions based on the results of the statistical analysis. Include relevant test statistics, p values, and effect sizes in accordance with APA requirements.

☐ For qualitative studies , describe the steps taken to analyze the data to explain how the themes and categories were generated. Include thick descriptions of the participants’ experiences. Provide a comprehensive and coherent reconstruction of the information obtained from all the participants.

☐ For mixed methods studies, include all of the above.

Evaluation of the Findings

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Interpret the results in light of the existing research and theoretical or conceptual framework (as discussed in Chapters 1 and 2). Briefly indicate the extent to which the results were consistent with existing research and theory.

☐ Organize this discussion by research question/hypothesis.

☐ Do not draw conclusions beyond what can be interpreted directly from the results.

☐ Devote approximately one to two pages to this section.

Summary

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Summarize the key points presented in the chapter.

Chapter 5: Implications, Recommendations , and Conclusions

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Begin with an introduction and restatement of the problem and purpose sentences verbatim, and a brief review of methodology, design, results, and limitations.

☐ Conclude with a brief overview of the chapter.

Implications

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Organize the discussion around each research question and (when appropriate) hypothesis individually. Support all the conclusions with one or more findings from the study.

☐ Discuss any factors that might have influenced the interpretation of the results.

☐ Present the results in the context of the study by describing the extent to which they address the study problem and purpose and contribute to the existing literature and framework described in Chapter 2.

☐ Describe the extent to which the results are consistent with existing research and theory and provide potential explanations for unexpected or divergent results.

☐ Identify the most significant implications and consequences of the dissertation (whether positive and/or negative) to society/desired societal outcomes and distinguish probable from improbable implications.

Research Question 1/Hypothesis

Text…

Recommendations for Practice

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Discuss recommendations for how the findings of the study can be applied to practice and/or theory. Support all the recommendations with at least one finding from the study and frame them in the literature from Chapter 2.

☐ Do not overstate the applicability of the findings.

Recommendations for Future Research

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Based on the framework, findings, and implications, explain what future researchers might do to learn from and build upon this study. Justify these explanations.

☐ Discuss how future researchers can improve upon this study, given its limitations.

☐ Explain what the next logical step is in this line of research.

Conclusions

Begin writing here…

Checklist:

☐ Provide a strong, concise conclusion to include a summary of the study, the problem addressed, and the importance of the study.

☐ Present the “take-home message” of the entire study.

☐ Emphasize what the results of the study mean with respect to previous research and either theory (PhD studies) or practice (applied studies).

Tip: When research involves human subjects, certain ethical issues can occur. They include but are not limited to protection from harm, informed consent, right to privacy, and honesty with professional colleagues.

Tip: Review peer-reviewed research articles to locate examples of how to report results generated using the research design used in your study.

Tip: Present sufficient information so the reader can make an independent judgment regarding the interpretation of the findings.

Repeat this process for each research question.

Tip: Tables and figures should not be included on the same page. If you introduce a table or figure in the middle of the page and there is not enough room to include the entire table or figure on the page, it must be placed on the next page. Perform a hard right return (hold down the shift key while hitting the return key) and begin the table on the next page.

Tip: Tables and figures should be placed with the corresponding research question. The formatting of tables varies, depending on the statistical test. Follow APA formatting requirements for tables, titles, figures, and captions.

Tip: Tables and figures must be referenced in the text. Please refer to APA guidelines regarding when and how to use tables and figures. Do not fully describe data in the text and also present them in a table.

Tip: Review published articles that used the same design for examples of how to present qualitative, thematic findings.

The Academic Success Center has a weekly group session on both Writing Quantitative and Writing Qualitative Analysis. Learn more about these sessions and find the link to register here.

Tip: A common tendency is to rush through Chapter 5 and fail to develop ideas fully. Take time to remember why the study was important in the first place and ensure Chapter 5 demonstrates and reflects the depth and importance of the study. Refer back to the study problem and significance and consider what professional and academic organizations might be interested in your research findings. As you complete Chapter 5, seek out avenues to present and publish your research.

Repeat this process for each research question.