Quantitative Research Methodology Assignment

Introduction

To evaluate the research Quantitative Methods and their effectiveness in conducting a specific research. It is to be noted that most of the researchers tend to use either quantitative, qualitative, or mixed research or data collection methods. Thus, the thesis statement of this assignment is to know their significance and the level of reliability and validity that each of them possesses. A number of updated articles are referred in this, in order to carry out the work effectively.

Quantitative Methods

Section 1

This section lays down a critical assessment of the two important articles on the act of plagiarism, which are Formative feedback within plagiarism education: Is there a role for text-matching software by Davis & Carroll, (2009) and A Study of Electronic Detection and Pedagogical Approaches for Reducing Plagiarism by Chao, Wilhelm & Neureuther, (2009). It is quite evident from the titles of the articles that both the articles stress on ways to decrease the level of plagiarism, thereby elucidating the turnitin reports.

It is to be noted in Chao’s article that, the main findings of this particular research Quantitative Methods are there is an evident difference between the instructional treatment group and a control group, which is eventually reflected in the form of reduced rate of plagiarized text. While the students who already received instructions and feedback regarding plagiarism seem to produce less works of plagiarism rather than those without the instructions. This specific finding however, points out that the shortage of information or knowledge in appropriate documentation as well as rephrasing or interpreting serves as a foremost reason because of which most of the students indulge themselves into the acts of plagiarizing. Similarly, in Davis & Carroll’s article (2009), there is a manifestation of certain feedback lessons on the respondents or the students in lowering the rate of plagiarism, thereby enhancing the students’ mentality in adhering to the ethical considerations in relation to the act of plagiarism. It is found in the article that the authors stress on significance of the formative procedures in respect to the domain of academics and make sure that the research meets the Quantitative Methods objective appropriately. It is to be noted that Turnitin acts as an effective tool to scrutinize the level of plagiarism in each of the students’ work produced. In fact, the advantage of this text-matching tool is highlighted in the article.

The particular research method that Chao and others use in their article is solely quantitative methods, thereby choosing two sets of samples for each of the groups. In case of level 1, 20 respondents for on-campus business report and 22 respondents attending on-campus MBA operations management class are chosen. Moreover, in case of level 2, 41 students are segmented into two groups for business report writing class. On the contrary in Davis& Carroll in their article conducts a mixed data collection method, thereby using quantitative and qualitative method. A segmented sample size of 66 students is chosen, where 19 students are from the first year batch, 23 students are from the second year batch and 24 students are from the third. The researchers ask them to questions in relation to plagiarism (to collect quantitative data), then gives tutorial feedback and eventually conducts an interview (to collect qualitative data). The questions mainly focus on the significance of the usage of the Turnitin. It is to be noted that the results may not be generalized considering it from the view of the limited sample size. This is because in case there have been huge sample sizes, the findings may have differed. This particular aspect is highlighted even in the lecture notes.

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It can be stated that it is with the help of an extensive study that Chao’s provides an organized and informative introduction to the article, which eventually acts as a literature review. For instance, the introductory portion, which lays down information on the factors that lead to the rising trends of plagiarism, helps the readers to gain knowledge regarding the ways by which students tend to get access to ample information from which they tend to plagiarize. In modern times, internet serves as a useful factor, with the help of which students in computer labs or dormitories make effective use of search engines and eventually plagiarize. In fact, it is to be noted that certain students even get access to powerful databases such as EBSCO host and ProQuest, with the help of which they tend to download entire text articles regarding the concerned Quantitative Methods topic. There are certain academic journals, which the author uses to write the introduction, also provides sufficient information in relation to the act of cheating and the way it leads to the rise of plagiarism. Moreover, it also provides enrich information in context to academic dishonesty. In fact, the suitable introduction to the article leads to a smooth flow to the literature review part, thereby stating the intentional and unintentional aspects of plagiarism.

In case of Davis & Carroll’s article, it is also evident that the sources of information stands out as authentic, thereby offering an extensive as well as enriched knowledge in relation to the topic. In the introduction section of this article, there is an enriched illustration of the idea of plagiarism the usage of Turnitin, its effectiveness and its requirement in the field of education in future. In order to conduct the study, the foremost ethical consideration that the researchers of both the articles follow is to make sure that the instructors maintain an unbiased behavior and attitude towards the students. There needs to be a random selection of students for undertaking the research Quantitative Methods as well as the random distribution of the case studies. Moreover, the researchers need to focus that the instructors do not disclose the identities of those students whose interpretations are caught for plagiarism.

It is to be noted that Chao’s article stands out as a valid research since it successfully finds out the ways of reducing plagiarism. As Chao, Wilhelm & Neureuther (2009) put forward in their work, a research work can be considered as valid because the Quantitative Methods is able to measure what it is supposed to measure, thereby not involving the interference of any other factors. On the other hand, however, Chao’s article may be considered reliable enough because even though three different types of case studies are provided to different students, nonetheless, two sets of students are involved in each group (instructional treatment and control group). Moreover, three different instructors are involved to evaluate whether the interpretations are plagiarized, who come to a common decision. Based on Davis & Carroll (2009) opinions, it can be stated that the measures in the researches, which are free from errors, thereby coming up with consistent outcomes can be termed as reliable enough. Thus, in case a specific research method helps in providing the same and consistent result no matter how much time the research is repeated, then it is a reliable method. Davis & Carroll, on the contrary makes sure that their journal is reliable enough since it obtains data, thereby conducting the research three times. Moreover, it even maintains the level of validity as well as authority as it successfully proves that tutorial feedback sessions help in reducing the level of plagiarism, thereby enhancing the potential of paraphrasing among the students.

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The gap that can be identified in this article is choosing a limited sample size because of which the research becomes limited enough. Moreover, the article needs to have concentrated more on the aspects as to how to handle those students whose rate of producing plagiarized works did not reduce even after providing instructions.  On the contrary, in Davis & Carroll’s article, the over-reliance on certain academic sources by the students, improper rephrasing, and inappropriate ways of referencing emerge as gaps. Hence, creation of individual tutorial feedback at the beginning stage, thereby using Turnitin along with instructors’ supervision can be helpful.

Section 2-

This specific section stresses on Endacott’s Consumers and CRM :  A National and Global Perspective from Journal of Consumer Marketing (2004). It can be commented on the research Quantitative Methods that the introduction of the article undoubtedly serves as a beginner of the literature review since it provides appropriate information related to the topic. In fact, the introduction of the article provides a background to the topic as well as the rationale behind working on this topic (Endacott, 2004). Moreover, it is to be noted that the author follows the APA referencing style in this particular article.

A research method of both Quantitative Methods, as well as quantitative research method, is used in this specific article, thereby conducting a survey on the consumers who tend to experience the services of a number of organisations, thereby putting forward the level of appropriateness that the companies tend to maintain in maintaining a relationship with the customers. It is to be noted that as it has been stated in the lecture notes, since quantitative research helps in collecting the data of a huge population.  On the contrary, this article even focuses on obtaining qualitative data in from the managers of the different companies and the market analysts in order to gain a n  in-depth knowledge in relation to the topic. The managers tend to provide information in regards to their experiences. This article does maintain the level of validity more than reliability since it has measured what it is expected to measure. However, since different customers have different viewpoints, therefore it does not attain the level of reliability.

Section 3-

This particular section critically analyzes the article by Iriana & Buttle (2006) which is named as ‘Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System Implications’ from International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management

As Iriana & Buttle (2006) reveal, organisational culture stands out as a significant factor, thereby either enabling or disabling the attainment of expected Customer Relationship Management results apart from handling other human resource related issues. It can be commented in context to the literature review done by the authors that in order to maintain a positive relationship with the customers, the employees within an organisation, first need to share a compatible relationship among them as well as with the senior management. Cultural differences, as Iriana & Buttle (2006) indicate in their work, hamper the work environment of the workplace, which in turn has a detriment effect on the corporate culture. Thus, the employees tend not to attend the customers in the appropriate way in which they are supposed, which in turn adversely affects in building pro-relationship among the customers and the employees of the companies. It can be commented in context to this particular research, the researchers have done an extensive secondary Quantitative Methods also, thereby finding suitable theories and conceptual models in relation to the topic.

It is to be noted that the main findings of this article point out that quite a less amount of organisations in Australia executing the CRM techniques tend to have proper organisational cultures within their organisations.  The researcher makes sure to follow certain research ethics in this article. For instance, they make sure that the every employee in Australia gets the opportunity to be a part of the research in case he or she fulfills the criterions required. Moreover, the researcher also adheres to the fact that the identities of the employees or the other respondents are kept confidential. It focuses on quantitative research, thereby choosing a sample size of employees working in Australian companies.

It is found that the article fulfills the criteria of validity because of which it can be considered a valid research.  It is successful in using an appropriate research method with the help of which it is able to measure what it is anticipated to measure. This particular article focuses on the issues related to reliability, thereby finding out that the research does follow the criterions of reliability. It is found that the article conducts a research on various organisations, which have already adopted CRM techniques and the results are the same in each of them. The gap of this particular article is the improper interaction between the senior management and the employees leading to the negative propagation of corporate culture, thereby adversely affecting customer relationship management.

Section 4-

This specific section concentrates on the research question: Does the policy of immigration help the Australian Government to overcome the shortage of skilled workers? Based on this research question, this assignment focuses on 5 articles in context to the question, which areas as follows:

The first article chosen for this particular assignment is the work by Junakar (2009), which titles ‘Was there a Skills Shortage in Australia?’ from Institute for the Study of Labor. In this particular work, the author concentrates on the issues and problems in relation to the shortage of skills in Australia. While it evaluates the functions of Australian labor market in context to acquisition of human capital, it also attends to the fact as to whether the intervention of the Australian Government is required and whether allowance of immigration can be a successful policy in this case.

Another chosen article is Healy, Mavromaras & Sloane’s (2011) ‘Adjusting to Skill Shortages: Complexity and Consequences’ from Institute of the Study of the Labor, where the researchers delve into the labour market of Australia in order to identify the complexities and incidences in regards to skills shortages in Assignment Help Australia. This article mainly focuses on research on the fact as to whether skill shortage can be studied from other aspects apart from being detected as a homogenous phenomenon.

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In Quirk’s (2009) article namely, ‘A 21st century solution to Skill Shortages in Australia’ from Centre of Full Employment and Equity, where the author stresses on the necessity of developing an overseas competitive workforce in Australia and the way it is possible by the procedure of immigration. It attempts to find out the extent to which immigration can prove to be effective enough in overcoming Australia’s skill shortage problem.

The fourth article entitles ‘Responding to Australia’s Regional Skill Shortages Through Regional Skilled Migration’ from Journal of Economic and Social Policy, where Cameron (2011), the author, makes sure to conduct an extensive research in order to work upon the role as well as significance of the schemes related to regional skilled migration.

The next article is on ‘Globalization and Changes in Australian International Migration’ from Journal of Popular Research. Hugo (2006) puts forward the several dimensions from which international migration can be analyzed with special reference to Australian labor market. Since there is a complex relationship between migration and globalization, therefore the researcher delves into this arena.

Thus, it is evident enough after studying all the five articles that there exists a common gap, thereby indicating that even though the Australian companies are technologically advanced yet there still lies problems in relation to the shortage of skilled workforce.

Conclusion

On the completion of this assignment, it can be stated that the researcher has gained adequate and extensive amount of knowledge in context to various research methods and referencing styles. Moreover, the researcher also gains in-depth knowledge regarding the validity and reliability issues of researches and the research ethics, which the researchers need to follow.