When conducting rigorous research into a topical issue, it is natural to expect serious challenges at each stage. In order to overcome them, it appears useful to categorize these challenges per each stage of the project. In terms of planning, the time factor may become a problematic point without due preparations (Adams, Khan, & Raeside, 2014). More specifically, the timeline for each step of the research may be compromised, leaving less space for an in-depth investigation of the research problem. Therefore, both the deadlines and the quality of the project face serious risks. To limit the impact of this factor, the plan is to conduct preliminary evaluation of each stage’s duration. The estimation should be realistic and cover some extra space for manoeuvring in case any issues emerge in the process. Thus, a serious presence of time management is involved at this stage. Unexpected troubles may appear at any moment of such a profound project, which is why time is of the essence in this case.
Next, the collection and consolidation of relevant research data is one of the vital components of a successful study. This phase is multi-tiered, as it includes a series of potentially problematic points. First of all, the presence of bias may compromise the integrity of the entire project (Haffar, Bazerbachi, and Murad, 2019). It is imperative to ensure an objective point of view on the matter at hand, as the findings will not reflect the reality of the situation otherwise. Anticipating this issue, it is important to ensure that the final research includes a variety of evidence-based, academic sources of data. For this purpose, the project will revolve around reliable and reputable sources, mostly including expert books and peer-reviewed journal articles. The range of data sources should also be broad in order to include and synthesize a variety of perspectives in pursuit of an objective conclusion (Cooper, Valentine, and Hedges, 2019). This way, it is expected to anticipate and prevent the influence of researcher bias on the outcome of the study.
Second, the irrelevant nature of the data obtained is another potential issue that can affect the research process. When addressing a topical question, it is possible to stray from the initial direction and concentrate on the wrong aspects of the central problem (O’Gorman and MacIntosh, 2015). This is particularly relevant for major, complex topics that encompass a variety of elements. In other words, the discussion may become too broad and lose focus. As a result, it will be inconclusive, lacking validity and relevance to the subject matter. The plan is to avoid digressing by centering the research process around specific key words that will channel it in the right direction. The exact contents of the key word list will be determined during the final stages of the planning stage. Accordingly, the obtained findings are expected to be pertinent to the discussion, gradually advancing the project toward the answer to the central research question.
In addition, the relevance of the discussion will be ensured by focusing on the contemporary body of academic knowledge. Specifically, it is appropriate to only consider the sources that were released in the past four or five years. Today, social and economic processes occur at a rapid pace, causing major paradigm shifts within the global space (Krishnaswami and Satyaprasad, 2010). Thus, the tendencies that prevailed in the past decade may not reflect the situation as it is at the moment. Overall, these measures are expected to negate the vast majority of potential issues that may impede the research process. By implementing them, it will be possible to produce a relevant and valid project that will contribute to the contemporary discussion.
Reference List
Adams, J., Khan, H.T.A. and Raeside, R. (2014) Research methods for business and social science students. 2nd ed. Sage, New Delhi.
Cooper, H., Valentine, J. C., and Hedges, L V. (2019) The handbook of research synthesis and meta-analysis. Russel Sage Foundation, New York.
Haffar, S., Bazerbachi, F., and Murad, M. H. (2019) ‘Peer review bias: a critical review’, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 94(4), pp. 670–676.
Krishnaswami, O.R. and Satyaprasad, B.G. (2010) Business Research Methods. Himalaya Publishing House, New Delhi.
O’Gorman, K. and MacIntosh, R. (2015) Research Methods for Business & Management. A guide to writing your dissertation. 2nd ed. Goodfellow Publishers Ltd, Oxford.