Unit of Analysis and Sampling Strategy

3.1 Chapter introduction
•€€€€€€€€€What is the purpose of this chapter?
•€€€€€€€€€How sections constituting this chapter? 3.2 Unit of analysis & sampling strategy
•€€€€€€€€€Who was your target sample or respondents and why?
•€€€€€€€€€How did you sample or recruit the respondents? Probability versus non-probability sampling?
•€€€€€€€€€How many people did you recruit and why?
•€€€€€€€€€Refer to journal articles to understand how to decide a sampling strategy. 3.3 Research design
•€€€€€€€€€Which research method did you use and why? Qualitative versus quantitative?
•€€€€€€€€€Please note that students often provide textbook-based rationale in this chapter (e.g. it’s quick and cheap and easy to administer).
•€€€€€€€€€Be very specific with your rationale, try to link to your research objectives and the theoretical or managerial outcomes that you wish to achieve. 3.4 Questionnaire design and administration (OR 3.4 Interviewing Process and Protocol)
•€€€€€€€€€The section title will vary depending on whether you opted for a quantitative or qualitative method.
•€€€€€€€€€If you’re doing a QUALITATIVE research, this section should be Interviewing Process and Protocol.
•€€€€€€€€€You need to specify how many sections you will have in the questionnaire, what purpose of each section, and how many questions in each section.
•€€€€€€€€€Questionnaire administration is about the process (e.g. online versus offline versus face-to-face) that you have applied in collecting questionnaire data.
•€€€€€€€€€If you’re planning to MIX your questionnaire administration process, please ensure you have a good rationale for doing so.
•€€€€€€€€€A table can be used to summarise your questionnaire design, see an example. Table X: Questionnaire structure |No. of section |Objective/purpose of the section |No. of questions |
|1 |XXX |XXX |
| | | |

• In this section I will also expect you to include a table summarising the theoretical factors under investigation and the journal articles you have used to develop the questions or measurement statements.
Table X: Development and sources of survey questions
|Theoretical factors |Measurement items/statements |Adapted from |
|e.g. perceived online quality |•€€€€€€€€€the website is easy to use |Merrilees & Charles (20XX) |
| |•€€€€€€€€€the website has attractive design| |
| |•€€€€€€€€€the website's layout appeals to | |
| |me | |

•€€€€€€€€€For QUALITATIVE research, in this section, you need to explain how and who conducted the in-depth interviews or focus groups.
•€€€€€€€€€How many interviews or focus groups did you conduct?
•€€€€€€€€€How many interview questions did you use and WHY? 3.5 Data analysis strategy
•€€€€€€€€€Explain and justify WHAT statistical analyses you have used in terms of profiling your respondents and testing hypotheses.
•€€€€€€€€€Read the SPSS handbook for justification.
•€€€€€€€€€In this section, you DON’T need to present the results because it will be in Chapter 4 Results and Discussion.
•€€€€€€€€€This section is merely designed to describe and justify your data analysis plan.
•€€€€€€€€€For QUANTITATIVE method, you should clearly describe how to test the VALIDITY and RELIABILITY of your data.
•€€€€€€€€€All these bullet points also apply to QUALITATIVE Research, particularly in regards to VALIDITY and RELIABILITY. 3.6 Ethical issues
•€€€€€€€€€A brief section, identify and explain there were any ethical issues surrounding or constraining your research.
•€€€€€€€€€If so, how did you address or minimise these issues?
•€€€€€€€€€E.g. privacy and confidentiality? Data security? 3.7 Chapter summary
•€€€€€€€€€A brief section summarising what you have covered in this section and what the next chapter will be.

4.1 Chapter introduction
Briefly describe the purpose of this chapter and how many sections it has and in what sequence. 4.2 Response rate
Report how many usable responses you have collected and what the response rate is. 4.3 Profile of respondents
This is where you will report the demographic AND/OR behavioural profile of your respondents. 4.4 Descriptive statistics*
This is where you will report the descriptive statistics (e.g. means, median or mode) of all the key factors under investigation.
For instance, if your research focuses on Experiential Value dimensions, this is where you will report mean scores (if interval scale was used) of each dimension.
To get a good mark, you need to provide an explanation for the statistics.
For instance, if a factor has a mean score of 3.5 (out of 5), what does this score communicate?
Does it refer to the factor being perceived as important or unimportant by the respondents? 4.5 Data normality, validity, and reliability*
This is where you need to analyse the normality, test and discuss the validity (if applicable), and check the reliability (i.e. Cronbach’s alpha) of the data.
The normality of your data distribution will determine whether parametric or non-parametric test should be used, check SPSS handbook for information about normality testing. *You may merge section 4.4 and 4.5 into one section. 4.6 Hypotheses testing
This is where you reiterate your hypotheses, and identify and explain the tests that you have used to check the hypotheses.
If applicable, identify and justify why you have used a particular test (e.g. parametric versus non-parametric).
Of course, you will report the significance or non-significance score (i.e. p-value) of your hypotheses.
If it is significant, and the hypothesis is about relationship, you will need to report the statistical score and direction of relationship (e.g. beta value and positive/negative).
If it is significant, and the hypothesis is about test of difference, you will need to report how the mean scores of the two or three respondent groups are different.
Once again, read the SPSS handbook on the types of statistical scores you will need to report for a test you use. 4.7 Discussion**
This is where you will discuss the findings of your hypotheses.
A good discussion will link the findings to your literature review.
For example, your research is about experiential value dimensions. Your literature review suggested 6 dimensions that are important for Facebook usage. However, your results showed that only 4 dimensions are important for the Facebook usage in Thailand.
Why do you think this result has occurred?
Is it because the type of people you surveyed is different from previous studies?
Is it because some dimensions are less emphasised by Thai consumers?
**Must do well in this section to get a good mark.

4.8 Chapter summary
Summarise what you have covered in this chapter and briefly describe what the next chapter is. 5.1 Chapter introduction
Briefly describe what this chapter is about and how many sections it has. 5.2 Summary of research purpose and findings
Briefly reiterate your research focus (question and objectives) and hypotheses.
Briefly reiterate the results of your hypotheses, and may briefly indicate if the results are as expected or unexpected. 5.3 Theoretical implications*
Briefly explain how your results contribute to, extend or expand existing theories or concepts (those you've discussed in literature review).
Around THREE theoretical implications will suffice. 5.4 Managerial implications*
Briefly explain how your results offer ‘practical or managerial insights’ into planning, developing, and executing a marketing strategy.
For instance, if your research is about the experiential value of Facebook, what can a fashion retailer learn and apply your results in executing its Facebook or other social media strategy?
DON’T need to conduct extra or additional statistical tests.
You can think of practical implications in relation to issues such as market segmentation, 4P's, or branding.
Around THREE practical implications will suffice. NOTE:*REFER TO JOURNAL ARTICLES AND GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO WRITE THESE TWO SECTIONS. EVERY JOURNAL ARTICLE WILL HAVE BOTH OF THESE SECTIONS. 5.5 Limitations and future research
Identify and discuss TWO or THREE limitations of your research project.
Issues to be considered include the theory you have used (have you neglected other theory for this research?), the methodology (could other method or sample been used?), the data analysis strategy (could have the data been analysed differently to yield different results?), and so forth.
Once you've identified a limitation offer a suggestion on how to "DO IT BETTER" in future research.
For instance, if you have focused on Thai consumers only, should future research focus on other cultural consumers like Indians and why?
If your research has mainly used a quantitative approach, should future research apply a qualitative method and why? 5.6 Chapter summary
Reiterate the purpose of this chapter and conclude this chapter.