11/08/2023

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Overview of the research
The concept of research
 Definition
Research.
a. the systematic investigation into and study of materials, sources, etc, in order to establish facts and
reach new conclusions.
b. an endeavour (nỗ lực) to discover new or collate old facts etc by the scientific study of a subject or by
a course of critical investigation.
Crtitical analysis before coming to a conclusion.
1. Research is seeing what everybody else has seen and thinking what nobody else has thought.
2. Bad news sell papers. It also sells market research.
3. Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing.
4. Research means that you don’t know, but are willing to find out.
5. Research is something that everyone can do, and everyone ought to do. It is simply collecting
information and thinking systematically about it.
6. In fact, the world needs more nerds.

 Science?
Natural sciences Social sciences
The physical and biological sciences The social-cultural sciences
deal with the physical and material world involve the study of human social-cultural life:
(e.g., rocks, plants, chemical compounds, beliefs, behaviors, relationships, interactions,
stars, muscles, blood, electricity) institutions, and so forth
 most people first think of them when they  “soft sciences”: subject matter—human
hear the word “science.” social life— is highly fluid, formidable to
observe, and difficult to measure precisely.
Biology(environment, material things u can Anthropology (Nhân loại/Nhân chủng học)
see and touch), Chemistry, Zoology, Physics, (relationship between human and society
Astronomy (thiên văn học), Earth science around), Economics(behaviours, attitudes, how
we make money, make decisions), Human
Geography (Dia ly dan cu)(relationship between
 human being) Psychology(mind and behaviours),
Political science, Sociology, Law, Linguistics
(Ngôn ngữ học), Archaeology (Khảo cổ học)
 Soft sciences - Three key terms of soft science.
o Theory: A system of consistent and interconnected ideas that condenses and organizes the
knowledge about the social world and explains how it works.
Theory Opinion/Idea
Establish-> widely recognized Personal perspective: right/wrong/bias

Group discussion: A theory (5W-1H) Herzberg’s two-factor theory

o Data: the forms of empirical evidence - numerical (quantitative: định lượng) and non-numerical
(qualitative: định tính) information and evidence that have been carefully gathered according to
rules or established procedures.
o Empirical (nghiên cứu thực nghiệm): description of what we can observe and experience directly
through human senses (e.g., touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste) or indirectly using techniques that
extend the senses.
Ex: interview: hear pp talk, present opinions
Classification of research
● Based on the use and audience of research

BASIC RESEARCH APPLIED RESEARCH

(Nghiên cứu Cơ bản) (Nghiên cứu Ứng dụng)
(academic research or pure research) (practical solution)
“Research designed to advance “Research designed to offer practical
fundamental knowledge about how the solutions to a concrete problem or
Definition world works and build/test theoretical address the immediate and specific
explanations by focusing on the “why” needs of clinicians or practitioners”
question and other wh-questions
Scientific community (other researchers) Practitioners, participants, or
Primary
because it sets out some theories, supervisors (nonresearchers) because
audiences
foundation so as to apply in reality more practical and ezer to access
Practitioners, supervisors because it is
Evaluators Research peers
applicable by whom uses it
Autonomy of
researcher
High Low-moderate
(freedom to do
research)
Research rigor
Very high Varies, moderate
(nghiêm ngặt?)
 Highest prority Verified truth Relevance
Purpose Create new knowledge Resolve a practical problem
Success Publication and impact on knowledge/ Direct application to address a specific
indicated by scientists concern/problem
Examples:
1. The Theory of Firm Behavior Under Uncertainty → Basic: outcome is the practical use in the longterm
2. The Effectiveness of Government Policies for Promoting Small Business Growth → applied, target
audience: gov, small businesses: practicioner
3. The Theory of Behavioral Finance and Investor Decision-Making → basic
4. The Impact of Climate Change on International Trade → applied
5. The Economics of Social Networks and Network Externalities → basic
6. The Determinants of Corporate Bond Yields and Default Rates → applied

Tại sao basic higher autonomy than applied? - Basic research thì k có fund, applied thường có sponsor hoặc
là theo lệnh của giám đốc,... nên k có freedom

● Based on the purpose of research

○ Exploratory research
■ Research whose primary purpose is to examine a little understood issue or phenomenon and
to develop preliminary (sơ bộ) ideas about it and move toward refined research questions.
→ thường là What question, something new, know little, not 4 everyone bc challenging
thường là làm basic research, very difficult. Exploratory research rarely yields definitive
answers. It addresses the “what” question: What is this social activity really about?: few
guidelines, not many materials, changeable direction… so challenging
E.g. 3: Troshynski and Blank (2008) conducted a study of men who engage in illegal
sex trafficking. The study was unusual because the research participants had actively
engaged in an illegal activity. The authors had a chance meeting with someone who
knew people“inthebusiness.” Over a 3-month period, the authors were able to meet
and conduct open-ended interviews with five traffickers. Their goal was to explore
how the traffickers saw their business and learn about their backgrounds.
Descriptive research:
■ to “paint a picture” using words or numbers and to present a profile, a classification of
types, or an outline of steps to answer questions such as who, when, where, and how
■ A descriptive study presents a picture of types of people or of social activities and focuses
on “how” and “who” questions (How often does it happen? Who is involved?).
■ Descriptive researchers use most data-gathering techniques: surveys, field research, content
analysis, and historical-comparative research.
→ there are some researches about the topic already, answer the question who when where,
focus on how and who
E.g1:a study focused on the relationship between parents who are heavy alcohol
drinkers and child abuse. Results could show that 25 percent of heavy-drinking
parents hadphysically or sexually abused their children compared to 5 percent of
parentswhoneverdrinkordrinkverylittle.
○ Explanatory research
■ Research whose primary purpose is to explain why events occur and to build, elaborate,
extend, or test theory. (Newman, 2014, p. 40).
■ We use multiple strategies in explanatory research.
 – Develop a novel explanation and then provide empirical evidence to support it or refute it.
– Outline two or more competing explanations and then present evidence for each in a type
of a “head-to-head” comparison to see which is stronger.
– start with an existing explanation derived from social theory or past research and then
extend it to explain a new issue, setting, or group of people to see how well the explanation
holds up or whether it needs modification or is limited to only certain conditions.
→ main purpose: give explanation on the issue, test hypothes → Based on the main purpose
to tell what kind
E.g.2: a study that is interested in learning why heavy-drinking parents abuse their
children
Not always clearly specified into particular filed because it can be a mix of these three.
● Classification based on the single or multiple points in time
○ Single point in time  Cross-sectional research: Any research that examines information on
many cases at one point in time. Wide range of diff pp at one time. Key point: measure the data
at one point in time
○ Multiple points in time  Longitudinal research: Any research that examines information from
many units or cases across more than one point in time (Newman, 2014, p. 44). Can be
conducted in many different periods of time.
■ Time-series research
Longitudinal research in which information can be about different cases or people in each
of several time periods: different people at different times
■ Panel study
Longitudinal research in which information is about the identical cases or people in each of
several time periods (Newman, 2014, p. 45): same people at different times
■ Cohort study
Longitudinal research that traces information about a category of cases or people who
shared a common experience at one time period across subsequent time periods.
○ Case-study research
Research that is an in-depth examination of an extensive amount of information about very
few units or cases for one period or across multiple periods of time (Newman, 2014, p. 42).:
limited quantity, extensive information
● Classification based on data collection techniques
Data: the forms of empirical evidence - numerical (quantitative: định lượng) and non-numerical
(qualitative: định tính) information and evidence that have been carefully gathered according to rules or
established procedures.
○ Quantitative data
■ Experiments - Researcher manipulates conditions for some research participants but not
others and then compares group responses to see whether doing so made a difference
(Newman, 2014, p. 49).

Between-subject experiment Within-subject experiment

different people test each condition, so the same person tests all the conditions
that each person is only exposed to a (i.e., all the user interfaces
single user interface
■ Survey: Researcher systematically asks a large number of people the same questions and
then records their answer. Unlike an experiment, we do not manipulate a situation or
 condition to see how people react; we only carefully record answers from many people who
have been asked the same questions. Often we select the people for a survey using a random
technique.
■ Nonreactive: Research methods in which people are not aware of being studied.
- Secondary data analysis: The statistical analysis that were previously collected and stored (often
originally from a survey).
- Content Analysis: Research in which the content of a communication medium is systematically
recorded and analyzed. The system might include counting how often certain words or themes
appear. We most frequently use content analysis for descriptive purposes, but exploratory or
explanatory studies are also possible
- Existing statistics: Research in which one reexamines and statistically analyzes quantitative data that
have been gathered by government agencies or other organizations
Ex: read other works: other researchers don’t know their work is being studied, you are using their
research as references.
○ Qualitative data
■ Field research (ethnography (dân tộc học), participant observation, depth interviewing):
Researcher directly observes and records notes on people in a natural setting for an extended
period of time (Newman, 2014, p. 51).
■ Historical-comparative research: Researcher examines data on events and conditions in the
historical past and/or in different societies (Newman, 2014, p. 52)

The process of scientific research

 Library Resources For Economics & Business Research

Five steps common to all database searches

● Summarise your topic in one or two sentences
● Keywords and phrases need to be highlighted
● Identify synonyms/alternative terms and variant spellings
● Link your keywords and phrases with Boolean operators
● Locate your information
 Key word, synonyms  Boolean (talking about using the keywords)

Boolean search operators

Using keywords in the search box is useful, be sensible about the keywords and join them with the search
operators to make your search more accurate.
Let’s have a refresher on Boolean search operators and how they work.
And: intersection, the common
Or: all

Search Operators and their use

Operator Use for Examples
Truncation A truncation symbol added to the end of a Econom* = Economic or
(Asterisk *) term allows you to find word variations Economical or Economy, etc
or alternative spellings. Expend the in4
you want to search for, get more in4
about related topics
Wildcards Are used for alternative spellings by Organi?ation = organisation or
(Question mark ?) substituting a symbol for a single letter organization
(character) of a word Wom?n = woman or women
Phrase searching Allows you to search for words as exact “civil rights”
(Quotation Marks phrases in the exact order specified
“ “) within the “quotation marks”
Hyphen -: Dấu indicate a range when searching YR(2005-2008)
nối numerical fields, such as Publication
date.
Note: Check each database
Help Instructions as some use different
symbols for this operator
Quiz
 1. Which Boolean operator will give you the most search results?
A. OR. B. AND. C.NOT
2. Which of these two searches will give you fewer results?
A. (diabetes OR cancer) AND diet
B. (diabetes AND cancer) AND diet
3. What part of the following will be searched first? Hawall AND (invasive species" OR
"introduced species")
A. introduced species
B. Hawai
C. “invasive species" OR "Introduced species"
4. You have to write a paper on the "treatment of depression". Which search strategy would
find the least number of documents
A. Depression AND psychotherapy
B. Depression OR psychotherapy OR antidepressants
C. Depression AND psychotherapy AND antidepressants
D. Depression
E. Don't know
5. If you have searched using your topic keywords and you aren't retrieving many results, what
should you always do?
A. Use synonyms for your search terms
B. Use a different database
C. Use only the results you've retrieved
D. Don't know

Impulsive buying behavior of teenagers in Ho Chi Minh City on TikTok Shop

(Buying behavior OR buying habits) AND (teen* OR young adult) AND “impulsive”

AND (Tiktok Shop OR TikTok Shopping) AND (HCMC OR Ho Chi Minh City OR Sai Gon)

("impulsive buying behavior" OR "impulse buying" OR “impulsive buying habit”) AND (teen*
OR young adult* OR adolescence OR youngsters) AND online shopping AND (HCMC OR Ho
Chi Minh City OR Sai Gon)

AND ("Ho Chi Minh City" OR "HCMC" OR "Saigon") AND ("TikTok Shop" OR "TikTok
shopping")

What is acceptable in your discipline?

 Journal articles: peer-reviewed journal  most reliable
 Databases  google, proquest, Heinonline, emerald
 Book/textbook
 Conferences proceedings (Kỷ yếu hội nghị?)  may have peer review : similar as working papers.
 Dissertations (Luận văn)
 Government reports and reports from other bodies  official information
 Oral recordings  interview and record
 Newspaper/magazines  BBC/CNN/Baochinhphu/VNExpress
  Working paper

What is journal?
A journal is a scholarly publication containing articles written by researchers, professors and other
experts. Journals focus on a specific discipline or field of study. Unlike newspapers and magazines, journals
are intended for an academic or technical audience, not general readers.
Journals are pulished on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.) and are sequentially numbered.
Each copy is an issue; a set of issues makes a volume (usually each year is a separate volume). Like
newspapers and magazines, journals are also called periodicals or serials.

Most journal articles...

- Are peer reviewed (another name of peer reviewed journal is refered journal)
AUTHOR SUBMISSION: submit directly, got the system to guide how to submit in that
EDITORIAL REVIEW: reviewed by the panel of editor of the journal. (check if problem or not)
PEER REVIEW:
+ double-blind peer review: cả 2 bên (author and reviewer) không biết nhau, tên được để là
anonymous  most popular
+ Single- blind peer review: chỉ một bên biết người còn lại
+ Open peer review: the author and the reviewer know each other
REVISION or REJECTION
- Rejection
- Minor amendment
- Major amendment
Tạp chí trường FTU thuộc loại double-blind  acedemic integrity
- Have original research
- Focus on current developments
- Cite other works and have bibliographies
- Can be in print, online or both
- Scholarly and Research Journals
- Professional, Trade & Industry Journals
- Popular and News Magazines
Ex về journal: tạp chí quản lý và kinh tế quốc tế (Journal of International Economics and Management)

Những nhà xuất bản uy tín

  Có publisher -> good one
 2 popular ranking (2 criteria để xác định journal good quality or not)
o SCOPUS journal
o ISI journal
 ISI: institute for Scientific Information = SCIE (Science Citation Index Expanded  natural science)
+ SSCI (Social Science Citation Index  kinh tế,… nếu được public ở đây thì tốt) + A&HCI
(Arts & Humanities Citation Index  nghệ thuật, nhân văn)
 ESCI: emerging sources citation index  chưa được list vào nhưng mới nổi, có tiềm năng
 Scopus:
Scopus is abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and
conference proceedings. Delivering a comprehensive overview of the world's research output in the
fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities, Scopus features smart
tools to track, analyze and visualize research.
Each subject category of journals is divided into four quartiles: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4.
- Q1 is occupied by the top 25% of journals in the list, : highest ranking
- Q2 is occupied by journals in the 25 to 50% group;
- Q3 is occupied by journals in the 50 to 75% group and
- Q4 is occupied by journals in the 75 to 100% group
The most prestigious journals within a subject area are those which occupy the first quartile, Q1.

VN ranking journal: In Vietnam, có “Hội đồng Giáo Sư nhà nước - The State Council for Professorship”
Hàng năm, họ sẽ rank, phê duyệt “Danh mục tạp chí Khoa học được tính điểm năm 2023 Journal list
- Top 3 Journals that accept English Paper in Vietnam.
+ JABES (Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies) - SCOPUS Index Q1, 2 điểm
+ Journal of Economics and Development – NEU 1.25 điểm
 + Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of science economics and business administration -
Open university HCMC 1.25 điểm
- FTU journal: Journal of International Economics and Management
- Scopus index journal in VN: UEH (Q1)

Open-Access journals
Open Access (OA) is the practice of providing the public with unrestricted online access to scholarly
journal articles.
FTU: free download
Oher uni: provide account
Pros Cons
• Free access = wider audience • Author Fees
• Author often retains copyright • Some predatory journals (see Beall’s List)
• Concerns about quality control and authenticity

h-index: evaluate output of the individual researcher

2 other: journal level:
IF: calculate in 2 years
SJR: 3,4 years

an overview of the similarities and differences between Impact Factor, h-index, and SJR (SCImago Journal
Rank):
Similarities:
1. All three are metrics used to evaluate the quality and impact of academic journals, publications, or
researchers.
 2. They are widely used in academia, especially in the context of tenure, promotion, and funding
decisions.
3. They aim to provide a quantitative measure of the influence and importance of scholarly outputs.
Differences:
1. Impact Factor (IF):
 The Impact Factor is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal
has been cited in a particular year or period.
 It is calculated by dividing the number of citations in a given year by the total number of
articles published in the two preceding years.
 The IF focuses on the average citation performance of a journal and is often used to rank and
compare journals within the same field.
2. h-index:
 The h-index is a metric that combines the productivity and impact of a researcher's scholarly
publications.
 It is calculated as the maximum number 'h' of a researcher's publications that have at least 'h'
citations each.
 The h-index reflects both the number of publications and the number of citations those
publications have received, providing a measure of an individual's research output and
impact.
3. SCImago Journal Rank (SJR):
 The SJR is a metric that evaluates the scientific influence of academic journals based on the
number of citations received by a journal and the importance or prestige of the citing
journals.
 It takes into account the quality and not just the quantity of citations, weighting citations
based on the prestige of the citing journal.
 SJR is often used to compare and rank journals within a specific subject category or field of
study.

Session 2: Relevant journal article databases to locate quality journal articles p.22/41

Mid: h-index, sjr, IF

 Writing Literature Review
(Tổng quan tình hình nghiên cứu)

Lit review Entrance test - Yes/No

1. Everything that has been written on this topic  No: not necessary, given the time limit and the scope, we
cannot write everything, select words
2. What are the major debates and issues about the topic?  Yes.: Provide Context and Background,
Identify Research Gaps, Facilitate Further Research, Demonstrate Scholarly Engagement, Justify the
Research Approach: paint a picture, key in4, mention main points
3. What are the key sources?  Yes: refer to the very important paper journal article (key theory, key
author, key paper relevant to your topic, leading scholar in that filed, methodology) that have strong
influence on our topic.: Mkt: Micheal Porter
4. What are the main questions and problems that have been addressed up to date?  Yes, 2024 cant
2020,2021: contemporary
5. What will my research do?  No. They are research objectives/aims of the research, literature review
only reflects the past picture (?) about the topic, introduces, paints a picture what pp have been doing so far,
see the guide what pp have done.
6. What are the key theories, concepts and ideas?  Yes
7. What conclusions will my thesis make?  No, in the conclusion part at the end of the research paper

What is a lit review?

Text book style: basic in4: definition

Monograph (sach chuyen khao): more detailed inf
Summary of diff studies: critical appraisal : combination: summary, evaluation, synthesis
Red-color: important: up-to-date: key theory, concept, at the end: rationale why do that: what have covered,
not have been done

Purpose of the literature review ( ideally 20 papers/references relevant to your topic)

Demonstrates knowledge of the field: provide general audience an up-to-date overview, basic knowledge
can understand
Provides background and context for your own work
Evaluates and critically assesses scholarship
Helps to conceptualise your topic & the significance of what you are doing; to extend the work of others
 What approaches were taken or conclusions reached in important earlier research, by whom and when
 The main concepts and controversies which surround the topic you are researching
 How previous research informs your understanding and investigation of the topic
 Whether these approaches/conclusions are in agreement or conflict with each other
 Which areas provide issues of contention?
 Where does your topic fit within existing scholarship?
 Significant gaps in previous research and new possibilities
 Provides material with which to compare your findings

Time saving ways:

 Systematic lit review on ABC
 Thesis on the same topic
Traditional ways:
1. Skim and scan  Abstract + conclusion
 focus on lit review
2. Categories  select reluctant papers

WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

delimit: phân định

29/8
WHAT IS THE FORMAT OF A LIT REVIEW
There is no standard requirement for the format  depend on your discipline
- Lit review can be stand-anlone  1 chapter riêng cho lit review (lam theo type nay)
- Embedded in the discussion  everywhere in every discussion, could be in the finding
- Segmented into a series of chapters on several topics  chứa trong bất kì chap nào?: each issues
have 1 chapter, every chapter has lit review, applicable when have many issues, separated issues

Introduction lit review example

Steps to write a lit review

Chỗ citation free: zotero

K free: endnote
Assessing your literature review
 Purpose
o Does your review contribute to the reader’s understanding of the research problem?
 o Does it reach some conclusion on the current state of knowledge in an area, and suggest the next
step in the investigation of the problem or question of interest?
 Critical evaluation of the literature
o Have you compared and contrasted authors? Discussed possible reasons for conflicting results?
Indicated relevance to your research? Been critical of methodology?
 Selection and organisation of material
o Have you indicated the most recent, relevant and significant research?
o Is your material sensibly organised to highlight issues?
 RESEARCH PROPOSAL
A. What is a research proposal?
❖A research proposal is a key ‘gateway’ document to your thesis
❖It sets out the main details of how research will be conducted
❖Thus, a research proposal is your ‘thinking’ document and provides the foundation of all the work that
follows
- Why write research proposal? Make sure that it will be working in the future.
A research proposal deals with a detailed planning, structuring and writing up on:
• what to be studied;
• why it is an important topic; and
• how you as a researcher will go about doing it
❖Researchers need to plan all the detail of the proposal carefully as it will provide the outline of the
intended research
B. The purpose of a research proposal is to:
❖show that the problem you propose to investigate is significant enough to warrant the investigation, the
method you plan to use is suitable and feasible, and the results are likely to prove fruitful and will make an
original contribution
❖help you to focus and define your research plans. These plans are not binding, in that they may well
change substantially as you progress in the research
❖However, they are an indication to your School of your direction and discipline as a researcher.
❖They also help you to prepare your application to the Ethics Committee (will be discussed later in the
semester)
❖The research proposal ensures that you:
- have done sufficient preliminary reading in the area of your interest; and
- have thought about the issues involved and are able to provide more than a broad description of the topic
which you are planning to research
C. The contents of a research proposal
❖Research proposals can take many forms and can look very different, but a good starting point is to follow
the main outline headings given below
(i) Title
❖Good titles are: short, interesting and informative
❖The emphasis is on simple, clear and straightforward title which requires no explanation and allows the
reader to anticipate what the research is about without having to hunt through the entire the proposal
❖So, your title should answer the question: what is your research about?
❖The normal way to proceed with titles is give your proposal a ‘working title’ and return to the title as the
last act before submitting your proposal

(ii) Abstract should:

❖include the research problems, aims, objectives, methods and procedures, data and anticipated research
outcome
❖demonstrate to the reader the most important parts of each of the sections of the research proposal in
around 200-250 words (nếu là university thesis thì tầm 1 page).
It is often useful to write the abstract last, after the rest of the research proposal has been written. However,
you could start with a working abstract as well
(iii) Background/introduction
❖In some proposals, the introduction and background are separate; in others they serve the same purpose
and can be combined
❖Both an introduction and background section outlines why you chose your topic. The section should
include:
- what prompted your interest in the topic
- relevance to previous research (literature, briefly)
- what your research will contribute to the research and the field.
❖Generally, the introduction covers the following elements:
- state the research problem (i.e. purpose of the study)
- provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a way as to show its necessity and
significance
- provide the rationale of your proposed study and clearly show why it is worth doing
- briefly explain the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by your research
- identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment (alternatively, specify the
phenomenon you want to study)
- state your hypotheses or theory, if any
- set the boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus
- describe key concepts where appropriate
(iv) Literature review
❖The literature review needs to demonstrate that you have read broadly on the topic and its wider context
❖It should highlight trends in the literature relating to your research topic, including research areas,
methodology, theoretical approaches and findings
❖Your review should outline some of the limitations and/or gaps in the literature that you have identified.
You need to draw on your literature review to justify your own research
❖In your literature review indicate the gaps your research is addressing and note the original contribution it
will make to the field in general

A literature review need to address the following main issues:

▪ What is already known about the research problem?
▪ What are the gaps in the present body of knowledge?
▪ Where and how does the proposed research fit into this picture?
▪ What contribution will the proposed research make the existing knowledge base and how will it enrich
current practices?
❖The literature review serves several important functions. It:
- ensures that you are not wasting your time doing something that has already been done by other people;
- gives credit to those who have laid the groundwork for your research;
- shows your understanding of the research problem;
- shows your knowledge of the issues linked to your research question;
- shows your capacity to critically evaluate important literature information;
- reveals your ability to integrate and synthesise the existing literature;
- gives new theoretical insights or develops a new model as the conceptual framework for your research; and
- persuades readers that your proposed research will make a significant contribution to the literature (by
either resolving an important theoretical issue or filling a major gap in the literature) or applying a particular
theory in a new context
❖Most literature reviews written by students suffer from the following problems:
- lacking structure: lacking focus, coherence and logic;
- being repetitive and longwinded;
- failing to cite influential papers;
- failing to keep up with recent developments;
- failing to critically evaluate cited papers;
- citing irrelevant or unimportant references; and - depending too much on secondary sources
- Failing to cite quality research in the field
(v) Research question and objectives
Aim (mục đích nc) Objective (mục tiêu nc)
General final results Checklist of things to achive aims
Equivalent to research question Equivalent to sub research questions
Thường khoảng 2 main research questions The more sub questions the clearer
❖The research question can also be termed as the aim or purpose of the research
❖Aims are broad statements of desired outcomes or the general intentions of the research, which 'paint the
picture' of your research proposal
❖ Aims emphasise on what is to be accomplished, not how it is to be accomplished - more specific
❖Aims address the long-term project outcomes, i.e. they should reflect the aspirations and expectations of
the research topic
❖Whereas Objectives are the steps you are going to take to answer your research questions or a specific list
of tasks needed to accomplish the goals of the project
❖Objectives emphasise on how aims are to be accomplished
Objectives
❖must be highly focused and feasible
❖address the more immediate project outcomes.
❖make accurate use of concepts and precisely described
❖are usually numbered so that each objective reads as an 'individual' statement to convey your
research intention
(vi) Method
❖Here, you need to demonstrate that you have read other studies in your area of research
❖ You should also be able to address the strengths and limitations of the methods in similar research and
justify why you have chosen the method that you have
❖In your method, you should discuss the following aspects
- participants: describe the people who participate in your study
- research design:
- are you doing qualitative or quantitative research; is it exploratory, descriptive or explanatory?
- Explain why you are using this type of study and what you plan to explore, describe, or explain.
- Do you plan to use interventions, interviews, behaviour observation, questionnaires, etc.?
• What subtype of each do you plan to employ (e.g., structured vs. unstructured interviews or closed vs.
open-ended questions)? State your rationale for your approach. List all of your variables - independent or
dependent? What level of measurement do you plan to use for each variable?
• data collection procedure: describe how participants were recruited, whether they participated alone or in
groups, how informed consent or assent was obtained, what they were asked to do, how they were
compensated for their participation, etc.
- data analysis: include any tools you will use to assist you with analysis (e.g. programmes, odels). Indicate
how analysing the data in this way will answer your research question
- limitations: look at your methodology and consider any weaknesses or limitations that may occur as a
result of your research design. Address the limitations by indicating how you will minimise them
(vii) Timescale (bắt buộc phải có trong bài)
❖A timeline that estimates how long each task will take helps determine the scope of your research and if it
is feasible within a given timeframe
❖ Your research proposal timeline should contain time allocation for a detailed literature review, time for
approval from ethics committee, reviewing or testing of research design, data collection and analysis and
writing up of findings
❖It is crucial to be realistic with the timeframe, consider if you are able to dedicate full time work to the
research, or if it is to be conducted while you are studying other courses, working part or full time or have
family commitments
❖It is good to set up a Gantt chart for your research proposal (see a hypothetical Gantt chart in the next
slide)

(viii) Resources
❖The type of resources required depends on the nature of the thesis. For instance, if you plan a quantitative
study that involves mailing, or telephoning participants then resources are likely to be needed
❖The research proposal should include an estimate of the resources required to the extent that this is
possible
(ix) References
❖Crucial to include all references you have used when writing your proposal.
❖Emphasis is on quality not quantity.
❖Recent references to demonstrate your awareness of the latest developments in the field.
❖Consistency in referencing style – Harvard or APA not a mixture of the two
(x) Appendices
❖The function of appendices is to display documents that are important to main text but whose inclusion in
the text would disturb rather than improve the flow of the writing
❖This may include copies of letters seeking participants, consent forms and draft surveys/questionnaires
Common mistakes when writing a research proposal
- failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question
- failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research
- failure to quote significant studies
- failure to precisely state the theoretical and empirical contributions by other researchers
- failure to stay focused on the research question
- failure to develop a sound and convincing argument for the proposed research
- too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues
- too much rambling — going "all over the map" without a clear sense of direction
- too many citation errors and inaccurate references
- failure to keep to the word limit - poor writing style

Reasons why research proposal fail

- aims and objectives are unclear and vague
- mismatch between the approach being adopted and the issues to be addressed
- too ambitious overall plan
- failure to conduct enough in-depth background research
- problem is insufficient importance
- insufficiently detailed information on data collection and method of analysis
- unrealistic timescale
- topic has been done many times before

The main purposes of a research proposal are set out in:

(i) organising and developing your topic ideas;
(ii) testing the scope of the research;
(iii) identifying an appropriate supervisor;
(iv) convincing your supervisor of the merit in your ideas;
(v) initiating progress on the research;
(vi) foundation for developing your research
 PLAGIARISM AND HOW TO AVOID IT
Social capital refers to the total number of relationships that an individual has, encompassing networks
of contacts, family members and friends as well as memberships or affiliations and occupational social
networks (Donald et al., 2019). These connections, including mentors or advisors, offer jobseekers job-
related information, guidance and support (Zamudio et al., 2014). Social relationships can also influence
recruiters by providing positive recommendations that can be decisive in selection situations (Stiff & Vugt,
2008) or conveying resources that range beyond a job seeker’s skills, abilities and knowledge (Lin, 2002).
The positive effects of personal relationships and social networks on SPE have been identified in previous
studies (Caballero et al., 2021; Tomlinson et al., 2021).

In accordance with the findings of Donald and colleagues (2019), social capital encompasses a person's
complete set of connections, encompassing various networks of contacts, family members, and friends,
alongside memberships in organizations and professional social networks. These connections, which may
involve mentors or advisors, offer valuable guidance, support, and insights related to navigating the job
market (Zamudio et al., 2014). Social relationships can also wield influence over hiring decisions by
providing strong recommendations that play a pivotal role in the selection process (Stiff & Vugt, 2008), or
by sharing resources that extend beyond an individual's own knowledge, skills, and talents (Lin, 2002).
Earlier research has consistently demonstrated that interpersonal connections and social networks have a
beneficial impact on job search success (Caballero et al., 2021; Tomlinson et al., 2021).

In relation to the second channel, empirical evidence suggests that uncertainty may negatively affect
critical financial decisions that are closely aligned with firm fragility, such as cash holdings. Specifically, N.
Xu et al. (2016) employ a sample of Chinese firms from 1998 to 2014 to examine the effects of political
uncertainty on cash holdings. The authors suggest that corporations hold less cash in response to uncertainty.
Meanwhile, low liquidity (cash holding) could be a cause of firm default risk, since cash holding is seen as a
buffer for firm managers to defer default risk (Arnold, 2014), especially during periods of uncertainty
(Acharya, Davydenko, & Strebulaev, 2012).

Turning to the second channel, uncertainty is considered as a factor that can adversely impact critical
financial decisions, particularly those closely tied to a company's fragility, such as its cash reserves. In a
study examining Chinese firms from 1998 to 2014, N. Xu et al. (2016) found that political uncertainty tends
to lead companies to reduce their cash holdings. This reduction in cash liquidity can, in turn, increase the
risk of firm defaults. Cash holdings are typically seen as a safety net that helps managers mitigate default
risks, particularly in uncertain times (Arnold, 2014; Acharya, Davydenko, & Strebulaev, 2012).
 REFERENCING

What is a reference?
• An acknowledgement of all sources of information and ideas you have used in your assignment.
• Recognises the work of others – work that you have used in order to prepare your assignment.

Why we do references?
Referencing provides weight to your work and can protect you from accusations of bad academic
practice.

Importance of referencing
• Evidence of your research skills and that you have read around the subject matter.
• Reveals your ability to engage with the relevant literature.
• Demonstrates your understanding of the concepts and issues pertinent to the topic.
• Gives supporting evidence for your ideas, arguments and opinions.
• Shows your ability to critically analyse and evaluate the issues.
• Allows others to identify the sources you have used.
When do we reference?
• To provide supporting evidence for the points you are making.
• Whenever you use an idea from someone else’s work, regardless of whether you have paraphrased,
summarised or directly quoted their work.
• When using someone else’s words verbatim, remember to use quotation marks as well as
acknowledging the source.

- Khoá luận tốt nghiệp: Harvard style

- Thi SVNCKH: APA  APA is more popular in the field of social science.

APA STYLE
The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is the most commonly used format for
manuscripts in the social sciences.
APA regulates: • Stylistics • In-text citations • References
● POINT OF VIEW: First-person pronouns rather than third-person (✓: “We conducted an
experiment...” not “the authors conducted”)
● VOICE:
 Active voice when stressing the actions of the research •✓: “We asked participants
○
questions.” not “The participants have been asked questions by the researchers.”
○ Passive voice when stressing the recipient or object of the action ✓: “The tests were
inconclusive.” Not “We found the tests inconclusive.”
● LANGUAGE: Language in an APA paper should be:
○ Clear: be specific in descriptions and explanations
○ Concise: condense information when you can
○ Plain: use simple, descriptive adjectives and minimize figurative language
● TYPE OF APA PAPERS
○ Quantitative Articles: Report quantitative research, which uses empirical and numerical
information often analyzed through statistical means.
Includes: Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion.
○ Qualitative Articles: Report qualitative research, which uses scientific practices to learn more
about human experiences that cannot be numerically quantified.
Includes: Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Method, Findings/Results • Discussion
○ The Literature Review:
Summarizes scientific literature on a particular research topic
While the APA Publication Manual does not require a specific order for a literature review, a
good literature review typically contains the following components:
• Introduction
• Thesis statement
• Summary and synthesis of sources
• List of References
● GENERAL APA FORMAT
○ Your essay should:
• Be typed
• Double-spaced
• Have 1” margins
• Use 10-12pt. Standard font (ex. Times New Roman)
• Be printed on standard-sized paper (8.5”x 11”)
○ Every page of your essay should include:
• The page number in the upper right
• If it is a professional paper: A page header (shortened title, all caps) in the upper left-hand
corner.
• Student papers do not require running headers.
o Your essay should include four major sections: Title page, abstract, main body, References

APA 7
Note that APA 7 has slightly different formatting rules for professional and student papers. Professional
papers are those intended for academic/commercial publication, while student papers are those written for
credit in a course.
Most of these differences extend to the title page and the running header.
Student’s paper Professional paper
Title page (use Insert Page Header) Type short
Contain no running head. Simply
Page header form of title flush left in all capitals
insert a page number flush right.
+ page number flush right.
Title (in the upper half of the page, (in the upper half of the page,
centered) name (no title or degree) centered) name (no title or degree) +
+ academic department, course, affiliation (university, etc.)
 instructor, and date.
this may contain the following items,
each on a separate line:
- Links to ORCID iDs
- Any affiliation changes
Author Note K có - Any special disclosures or
acknowledgments
- Contact info for the corresponding
author
Omit any items that are irrelevant.
Header Contain only the page number. Page header continues on all pages.
Chữ “Abstract” centered and bolded at the top of the page.
Abstract
Write a 150- to 250- word summary of your paper in an accurate, and
page
Content abstract concise manner.
Follow the abstract with a short list of keywords
Number the first text page as page number 3
Center and bold the (full) title of the paper at the top of the page
Type the text double-spaced with all sections following each other without a break
Main body
Identify the sources you use in the paper with either narrative citations or parenthetical, in-
text citations
Format tables and figures
Reference Chữ
Center the title (References) at the top of the page. Bold this title.
page “references”
Double-space reference entries
Flush left the first line of the entry and indent subsequent lines
Order entries alphabetically by the surname of the first author of each
work

SURVEY DESIGN