Sample Research Proposal
Research Methodology
Establishing a comprehensive research process requires a well-thought methodology. There are several studies that have been conducted and some still to be done. The glaring variations in the aims of the different researchers call for the flexibility in the adoption of the study methodology to be employed (Howell, 2013). The suitability differs depending on the study, the phenomena under investigation and sometimes the type of the research, whether quantitative or the qualitative research design.
According to USC Libraries, (2018), the research methodology section describes the steps taken by the researcher in the investigation and the determination of rationale as well as the techniques used to reveal, choose, process and analyze the data used for understanding the phenomena under investigation. This, in turn, allows the reader to critic and establishes the overall reliability and the validity of the study. Therefore, it is an important aspect of the research paper and the one that brings out the direction in which the study took towards the accurate results.
For the purposes of this research, the methodology will involve a diverse approach to establish the main factors contributing to the passengers’ baggage loss at the airports. This process will entail underpinning the main objectives of the study, the rationale of the study, the scope of the study and the main data collection methods used to collect information from the subjects. The quantitative nature of the paper means that the research would generally base its results and assumptions on the obtained data to represent the bigger picture but in a more credible manner.
It is important to note that, aspects such as the study rationale and the scope of the study brings out the credibility of the process through where the study was based and who participated (Franklin, 2012). The rationale outlines the significance to the affected stakeholders, both the transport providers and the passengers.
The Objectives of the Study
This paper seeks to establish a number of goals that are related to the loss of passenger luggage at the airports, the main causes as well as the ways through which these issues can be addressed by the people involved, especially the air transport providers, to minimize on such cases across the world. The Study objectives are an integral part of the research as they give the primary purpose of the researcher for engaging in the study. The objectives can either be qualitative or quantitative for this purposes, the aim of the quantitative research is to perfect specific performance measures of the research process (MBA Lectures, 2011). Therefore, the following are the main objectives this study seeks to achieve in the long run.
Firstly, this study seeks to identify the factors which contribute to baggage loss at the airports. This is the main problem that needs an answer, and establishing this one eventually leads to the systematic analysis of the problem. It is also an objective that highlights the primary purpose of the study and highlights the main idea under investigation.
Secondly, this research seeks to find out who is responsible for the lost items. The mismanagement of the passenger valuables indicates some form of complacency from the side of the transport providers. Sometimes, this may be a case of intentional actions, negligence or improper mechanisms put in place to protect the customer baggage.
Thirdly, the study seeks to describe the mitigation measures that need to be put in place to prevent baggage loss, and this includes the possible solutions that can ensure customer satisfaction. The solutions may provide a lasting impact if adopted by the stakeholders, hence, the research will provide some of the recommendations to be employed by both the passengers and the airline providers.
Scope of the Study
The scope is a similar term to an area or an extent that the study covers (PhD Thesis, 2014). This case will entirely seek to cover the general air transport across the Australian environment and the air passengers across the country. The study targeted passengers of all the characteristics, both the male and the female, and from all the social backgrounds. The main aim of having a specific scope is to narrow down on the main objectives and to enhance accuracy.
In research, having a well-thought scope provides a clear direction and the foundation on which to base your study fundamentals. The scope also provides the direction in which the researcher and the research should take. For that matter, this study was undertaken with serious considerations of four main airports in four major cities across Australia. These included the Melbourne Airport in Melbourne, Jandakot Airport in Perth, Bankstown Airport in Sydney and Brisbane Airport in Brisbane.
The Rationale of the Study
The rationale represents the benefits of the studies to the various stakeholders, especially in the air transport industry. It is obvious that the recommendations in this work would prove important to both the service providers and the travelers altogether. In addition, since the loss of the passenger valuables at the hands of the airline companies has been a longtime norm, it has raised serious pertinent questions on how this problem could be mitigated once and for all.
This study will provide the data and the results that the stakeholders in the air industry can utilize to make the travel experience even better. The information will also provide a clear blueprint on how the airline carriers can improve their luggage handling capacities through the incorporation of technology and enhancement of proper security. The recommendations from this study will also ensure continuous improvement in baggage handling at the airports.
The Research Design
As a researcher, before engaging in the study process, one needs to plan on how to design the study process (Night, 2010). Research design refers to the general techniques that a researcher chooses to integrate different components of the investigation in a more rational and coherent way (USC Libraries, 2018). The purpose of the research design is to ensure that the research problem is extensively addressed in a more logical manner and unambiguously.
This research design is, therefore, a case study. In these types of studies, the researcher adopts a pragmatic approach and solution-inspired results through the testing of specific theories and how they apply to the real world. This design also offers a researcher a chance to use a variety of methodologies and the use of the different sources to investigate a phenomenon. Many social scientists have used this design to investigate and bring out understanding of numerous complex issues through a comprehensive contextual analysis, occurrences, events or conditions and how they relate in the real world. This study will employ this design through the contextual analysis of the constant luggage losses by travelers in airports. This will be done by the reviewing of literature and theoretical evidence that directly reveal the relationship between the analysis and the luggage loss by the passengers.
The Study Population
The research will seek to obtain its data in a more accurate and credible way. For that reason, the specified airports in four different towns will provide a specific number of passengers who will act as the study population. The airports include Melbourne Airport in Melbourne, Jandakot Airport in Perth, Bankstown Airport in Sydney and Brisbane Airport in Brisbane. Each airport will provide an average of between 15-20 passengers to complete the questionnaire. In addition, an online survey will be conducted with a total target of 100 respondents.
The Data Collection Methods
The study will employ the questionnaire as the main data collecting tool. With the circumstances in the airport and the convenience of the travelers, employing a short questionnaire would be beneficial and time-saving as opposed to the interviews which are more time consuming and very rigorous and demanding. Other methods such as the personal observation could prove impossible in this case, as a researcher cannot tell beyond what he/she can see. This is because the matters of baggage losses are an internal affair that arises from the mishandling of the valuables by the people charged with protecting them. Additionally, a short similar online survey would be conducted for the travelers to complete within a short time of 3-5 minutes, and this targets 100 online respondents.
Sample Questionnaire
This is a travel experience and luggage handling questionnaire by the airport authorities towards passengers. Your honest responses are highly appreciated.
BACKGROUND
Please tick appropriately in the box [√]
Gender:[ ] Male [ ] Female [ ] Other
Age: [ ] 18 to 25 [ ] 25 to35 [ ] 35 to 45 [ ] 45 to 55
Have you ever lost a luggage while travelling in air? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, what kind of luggage? How often? _________________________________
If your answer is yes, were you compensated? And after how long? ___________________
Do you know anyone who has ever lost a luggage while travelling? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, kindly describe their experience______________________________________
Sampling Techniques
This study employed purposive sampling to arrive at the needed data for analysis. Given the situation under which the study was carried out, the questionnaire was the only appropriate method employed to collect data, hence, it necessitated the need for the researcher to purposefully sample the data. According to the Research Methology (2017), purposive sampling is the technique in which the researcher relies on his/her own judgment in choosing specific units under study for investigation.
Ethical Considerations
Ethics are a significant part of research processes. In this case, the administering of questionnaire demands an acceptable way through which a social scientist obtains his/her information. For that reasons, before the administering of the questionnaire, consent forms were given to the respondents to ensure their participation was voluntary and much appreciated (University of Greenwich, n.d.). The consent form also ensures honest participation and hence, it raises the accuracy of the data obtained.
References
Franklin, M.I. (2012) Understanding Research: Coping with the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide, London and New York: Routledge.
Howell, K.E. (2013) Introduction to the Philosophy of Methodology, London: Sage Publications.
MBA Lectures (2011) What are the Objectives of Research, 6 March, [Online], Available: http://mba-lectures.com/advance-research-methods/1360/what-are-the-objectives-of-research.html [26 January 2018].
Night, K.L. (2010) ‘Study/Experimental/Research Design: Much More Than Statistics’, Journal of Athletic Training, vol. 45, no. 1, Januar-February, pp. 98-100.
PhD Thesis (2014) Scope of the Study, 7 July, [Online], Available: http://www.phdthesis.in/scope-of-the-study/ [26 January 2018].
Research Methodology Case Studies, [Online], Available: https://research-methodology.net/research-methods/qualitative-research/case-studies/ [26 January 2018].
Research Methology (2017) Purposive sampling, [Online], Available: https://research-methodology.net/sampling-in-primary-data-collection/purposive-sampling/ [26 January 2018].
University of Greenwich Participant Consent Form, [Online], Available: http://www2.gre.ac.uk/research/rec/participant-consent-form [26 January 2018].
USC Libraries (2018) Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: 6. The Methodology, 25 January, [Online], Available: http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/methodology [26 January 2018].
USC Libraries (2018) Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Types of Research Designs, 25 January, [Online], Available: http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/researchdesigns [26 January 2018].
