ABSTRACT

The research process is a research map and identifies key stages to locate resources and develop ideas. This chapter outlines the different stages of the process and describes the interrelationship between the stages as part of an overall process. It adopts an iterative approach to make the process fluid. To understand the research process, the chapter identifies five phases which are important to define the overall process. The five main phases are: identifying the research topic, reviewing the literature, designing the research strategy, implementing the research design, and reflecting and evaluating. The implementation stage of the research design involves strategies to be used to collect and, subsequently, to analyse the data. The research strategy involves making use of, for example, a survey, case studies and grounded theory. Data collection is very much linked with ethical issues relating to permission to conduct the study, gaining access to organisations and people and reporting the 'truth' about the data.