Business Research Methods
Evaluation: Written, closed-book exam (3h)
o Questions on:
• Assessing a scientific paper
• Applying the quality criteria for different methods, for a good
paper etc…
o Give 3 strong points of the paper/give 3 weak points
and how the authors can improve the quality of their
paper (not purely in terms of the scientific method, but
also in terms of the structure etc…)
• Possible approach of certain research questions
o Is a qualitative study/survey/experiment suitable to
investigate a particular research question?
o How can you tackle a particular research question with
a qualitative study/survey/experiment ?
o Which important design choices need to be
made?
o Make some very concrete choices in the context
of a particular research question
• Evaluating particular research outcome
o Total score on 20
• Part of prof. Cools on 60%
• Part of prof. Cleeren on 40%
, Theoretical part of paper
Stages in an academic research process; iterative process (go back to literature, hypothesis,
…) including research proposal and second semester to do’s
Components of scientific paper
Abstract
o What? Very short summary of the paper, which needs to speak for itself
o Characteristics:
Very short
Typical word limits:
o Journal of Accounting Research: max 150 words
o Journal of Accounting and Economics: max 100 words
o The Accounting Review: max 150 words
Needs to stand on itself
Required components:
o Problem statement
o Approach/method
o Results
o Conclusions and implications
Without details
From Author Guide (2020, p. 7)
‘A concise and factual abstract is required. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of
the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented
separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References
should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or
uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their
first mention in the abstract itself.’
,How to write the abstract?
• Write out your full paper first
• Consider the different parts of your paper
- Introduction
- Literature review (Theoretical part)/ hypotheses
- Research method
- Results with discussion
- Conclusion
• Summarize each of these parts in 1 sentence
Examples:
• Avramov, Chordia, Jostova & Philipov (JOF, 2007):
“This paper establishes a robust link between momentum and credit rating. Momentum profitability is large and significant
among low-grade firms, but it is nonexistent among high-grade firms. The momentum payoffs documented in the literature
are generated by low-grade firms that account for less than 4% of the overall market capitalization of rated firms. The
momentum payoff differential across credit rating groups is unexplained by firm size, firm age, analyst forecast dispersion,
leverage , return volatility, and cash flow volatility.”
• Clubb & Naffi (JBFA, 2007):
“The fundamental valuation perspective on stock returns suggests that book-to-market will be positively related to returns if
market value of equity equals future expected cash flows discounted at the expected return and book value proxies for
future cash flows. Building on this perspective, we develop a log linear model which includes expectations of future BM and
ROE in addition to current BM as explanatory variables for future stock returns. We show that these three variables explain a
significant part of UK cross-sectional stock returns and that they remain highly statistically significant after including
additional risk proxy variables. This supports relevance of fundamental valuation based firm characteristics for explaining
stock returns and indicates their potential usefulness for predicting future stock returns. ”
Introduction
o ≠ Abstract
o Differences?
Abstract Summary, purpose, methods, results,
conclusion, standalone, concise
Introduction Background, context, objectives, scope,
rationale, literature gap
• Goals of the introduction:
- Situate the study
- Present the research problem
- Describe the solution proposed in the paper
• Questions to be answered in the introduction:
- What is the background of the study?
- What is the importance of the study?
, - Which problem is tackled?
- How is it tackled?
- How is the research delineated?
o Scope?
o Limitations?
o Assumptions?
• How to write your introduction?
Situating the study
- Include the importance of the research domain
- Go from general to more specific
- Refer to previous important research
Presenting the research problem
- Point at the “research gap” OR
- Bring up a question OR
- Follow a previous research line OR
- Question previous research
Describing the solution proposed in the paper
- Clarify the goals of your study
- Explain which method you use
- Give an overview of your most relevant findings
- Give an overview of the structure of the paper
Difference between research question and research goal
• Research goals/problem = one or more clear, specified statements that have to clarify
what the researcher wants to reach with undertaking this research (Saunders &
Lewis, 2018, p. 21)
• Research questions = one or more questions that will be answered through executing
this research. They often precede the development of the research goals (Saunders &
Lewis, 2018, p.19)
From research question to goal
Research Questions Research Goals
1. Why do organizations develop a 1. Identification of the reasons why
communication plan for organizations introduce/ develop a
communicating with their communication plan for
employees? communicating with their employees?
2. How can the effectiveness of a 2. Determine accurate effectiveness
communication plan be criteria for a communication plan
measured? 3. Investigate to what extent the
Evaluation: Written, closed-book exam (3h)
o Questions on:
• Assessing a scientific paper
• Applying the quality criteria for different methods, for a good
paper etc…
o Give 3 strong points of the paper/give 3 weak points
and how the authors can improve the quality of their
paper (not purely in terms of the scientific method, but
also in terms of the structure etc…)
• Possible approach of certain research questions
o Is a qualitative study/survey/experiment suitable to
investigate a particular research question?
o How can you tackle a particular research question with
a qualitative study/survey/experiment ?
o Which important design choices need to be
made?
o Make some very concrete choices in the context
of a particular research question
• Evaluating particular research outcome
o Total score on 20
• Part of prof. Cools on 60%
• Part of prof. Cleeren on 40%
, Theoretical part of paper
Stages in an academic research process; iterative process (go back to literature, hypothesis,
…) including research proposal and second semester to do’s
Components of scientific paper
Abstract
o What? Very short summary of the paper, which needs to speak for itself
o Characteristics:
Very short
Typical word limits:
o Journal of Accounting Research: max 150 words
o Journal of Accounting and Economics: max 100 words
o The Accounting Review: max 150 words
Needs to stand on itself
Required components:
o Problem statement
o Approach/method
o Results
o Conclusions and implications
Without details
From Author Guide (2020, p. 7)
‘A concise and factual abstract is required. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of
the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented
separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References
should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or
uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their
first mention in the abstract itself.’
,How to write the abstract?
• Write out your full paper first
• Consider the different parts of your paper
- Introduction
- Literature review (Theoretical part)/ hypotheses
- Research method
- Results with discussion
- Conclusion
• Summarize each of these parts in 1 sentence
Examples:
• Avramov, Chordia, Jostova & Philipov (JOF, 2007):
“This paper establishes a robust link between momentum and credit rating. Momentum profitability is large and significant
among low-grade firms, but it is nonexistent among high-grade firms. The momentum payoffs documented in the literature
are generated by low-grade firms that account for less than 4% of the overall market capitalization of rated firms. The
momentum payoff differential across credit rating groups is unexplained by firm size, firm age, analyst forecast dispersion,
leverage , return volatility, and cash flow volatility.”
• Clubb & Naffi (JBFA, 2007):
“The fundamental valuation perspective on stock returns suggests that book-to-market will be positively related to returns if
market value of equity equals future expected cash flows discounted at the expected return and book value proxies for
future cash flows. Building on this perspective, we develop a log linear model which includes expectations of future BM and
ROE in addition to current BM as explanatory variables for future stock returns. We show that these three variables explain a
significant part of UK cross-sectional stock returns and that they remain highly statistically significant after including
additional risk proxy variables. This supports relevance of fundamental valuation based firm characteristics for explaining
stock returns and indicates their potential usefulness for predicting future stock returns. ”
Introduction
o ≠ Abstract
o Differences?
Abstract Summary, purpose, methods, results,
conclusion, standalone, concise
Introduction Background, context, objectives, scope,
rationale, literature gap
• Goals of the introduction:
- Situate the study
- Present the research problem
- Describe the solution proposed in the paper
• Questions to be answered in the introduction:
- What is the background of the study?
- What is the importance of the study?
, - Which problem is tackled?
- How is it tackled?
- How is the research delineated?
o Scope?
o Limitations?
o Assumptions?
• How to write your introduction?
Situating the study
- Include the importance of the research domain
- Go from general to more specific
- Refer to previous important research
Presenting the research problem
- Point at the “research gap” OR
- Bring up a question OR
- Follow a previous research line OR
- Question previous research
Describing the solution proposed in the paper
- Clarify the goals of your study
- Explain which method you use
- Give an overview of your most relevant findings
- Give an overview of the structure of the paper
Difference between research question and research goal
• Research goals/problem = one or more clear, specified statements that have to clarify
what the researcher wants to reach with undertaking this research (Saunders &
Lewis, 2018, p. 21)
• Research questions = one or more questions that will be answered through executing
this research. They often precede the development of the research goals (Saunders &
Lewis, 2018, p.19)
From research question to goal
Research Questions Research Goals
1. Why do organizations develop a 1. Identification of the reasons why
communication plan for organizations introduce/ develop a
communicating with their communication plan for
employees? communicating with their employees?
2. How can the effectiveness of a 2. Determine accurate effectiveness
communication plan be criteria for a communication plan
measured? 3. Investigate to what extent the
