Getting acquainted with the Business Research

There are two directions of a business research namely mathematical modeling and empirically/data driven method. The former is based on various mathematical techniques, like Linear Programming in Operations Research, wherein the later is driven by data collected primarily or secondarily as per the research questions. The primary data collection requires a structured questionnaire with single/multiple segments meant for different stakeholders of the research study. However, for both approaches a systematic approach is quite essential to complete the research within the specified time. A scientific/systematic guideline in a broader way is to follow the steps mentioned below (especially for empirical research, but not exhaustive):Part I: 1. Getting acquainted with research methodology (the books listed out):a. Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach (4th edition/latest), Uma Sekaran, Willey.b. Research Methodology: Methods and Technology (3rd edition/latest), C.R Kothari, New Age International.c. Research Methodology: A Step by Step Guide for Beginners (2nd edition/latest), Ranjit Kumar, Pearson.2. Getting acquainted with Statistics, SPSS (including AMOS), MS-EXCEL etc. (the books listed out):a. Statistics for Management (7th edition/latest), Richard I. Levin, David S. Rubin, Sanjay Rastogi, Masood Husain Siddiqui, Pearson.b. SPSS for Windows, Step by Step: A Simple Study Guide and Reference, 17 Update, Paul Mallery, Pearson.3. Getting acquainted with style of referencing (acknowledging others work, the lists are as mentioned, can be googled for details):a. American Psychological Association (APA) style of referencingb. Chicago style of referencing c. Harvard style of referencing d. Others (University/Institution specific and varies)Part II:1. Getting acquainted with the concepts (say supply chain, in depth, the books list would be given later upon finalization of broader topic).2. Getting acquainted with the field (say Agriculture, IT, Transportation etc.)Both for 1 and 2 books, research papers, industry reports, databases etc. are to be studied in depth. However, news paper items can be studied to get someone updated with very recent topics but cant be cited in work as references. Note: Both Part I and Part II should be studied in parallel and not in a sequential manner. Broadly, three years is a good time to finish an empirical work and time should be allotted to various stages scientifically.Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra