Working on a research paper or doing an analysis on a case study is an obvious task in universities. But what stays challenging is getting accurate data. So, students often bluff when using facts and numbers in a research paper.
For example, if you are working on a case study related to the population explosion in developing countries, you need census reports, demographic data, etc. Now, when you research such factors, you need to be cautious about collecting only the correct data.
So, how can you bring that accuracy? Here are a few steps to guide you -
1. Look for qualitative data
Many professionals use interviews to gather qualitative data. You can opt for this method as well in person or over the phone.
Suppose you are researching the Jaguar case study. Depending on the requirements, you can conduct an interview in a structured and formal way or unstructured and informal as well. This will depend on your research's subject and format.
Make sure your questions you have enlisted to conduct interviews are crystal clear.
To ensure the efficacy of your strategy, encourage people to express their opinions.
Also, remember to have a digital record of the interview so that you don't miss out on any facts.
2. Use the survey method
You can use questionnaires to collect qualitative or quantitative data when you do a survey.
Experts offering Shell case study help recommend using a scale to assign a numerical value.
Now, to make your source trustworthy for gathering qualitative data, use observation as the tool to comprehend and analyze a pattern or behavior.
When applying the survey method for more than 100 participants, try digital tools like Google Forms.
That way, you won't have to check data manually, figure out any average percentage, etc. Instead, you can click the charts, and you will get the required data in separate sets.
3. Focus on behavioral patterns
You can examine different behavioral patterns by using focus groups.
Focus groups can be employed in psychological research or scientific experiments.
When you observe a focus group, your task is to check on the individuals who share a common interest so that data can be gathered and categorized.
Make sure you record the responses from your focus group accurately.
4. Look for recent data
When you are working on a case study, you need to have data, both of the current and previous years. This way, you will be able to provide a contrasting analysis.
Another reason to focus more on the current facts is to highlight the current scenario. So often, facts taken before five years only stand as data, not a complete justification for your current case study.
So, keep an eye on the recent data, news, follow-up stories etc.
5. Create a manual
If you're conducting a study with multiple researchers, create a thorough manual to standardize the way data is collected.
By conducting experiments under the same conditions and using unbiased criteria to record and categorize observations, you can ensure that everyone on your research team gathers data consistently.
To do this, you must lay out precise step-by-step instructions.
You can use this to repeat the study in the future, and it also helps to ensure the validity of your data.
Facts and figures are the backbones of any case study, so you can't skip them. But what you can do is adopt these tips and prepare your research with proper facts and data.
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