Been a busy summer. Glad to be back on job. Just last month I was privileged enough to have attended an early career research (ECR) conference held by ESRC, UKRI and Closer.ac.uk with a plenary session presented by Commons Librarian Prof. Grant Hill-Cawthorne. Much of the conference experience involved ascertaining how good research studies are constructed, where exactly relevant sources of data are extracted from and how study results are compiled and interpreted via publication for various audiences including academia and those involved in policymaking.

https://closer.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/CLOSER-ECR24-Grant-Hill-Cawthorne-keynote.pdf

Designing a Robust MSc in HRM Dissertation Research Question

Craig Starbuck (2023) has a great entry in his book on People Analytics which explains the fundamentals of research design. He begins with a focus on the research question. In homage to the 5 A’s of evidence-based practice, Starbuck (2023) explains a simplistic design process that begins with the premise of a (null) hypothesis. The 1^st A, i.e. ask, is made analogous to the following criteria in his book:

• Internal validity refers to the robustness of the study.
• Confounding variables refer to an extraneous variable whose presence affects the results
• External validity (i.e. ‘the general or ‘can what we deem to work, work in general contexts'?)
• The use of Randomization…

Starbuck (2023) is a good source of short, sharp, and punchy insights. He later explores quantitative and non-experimental research approaches, particularly cross-sectional, correlational, and observational research in a people analytics context.

References