RES500-Academic-Writing-and-Research-Skills

Use the Management-Research Question Hierarchy: move from management dilemma to management question, research question, investigative questions, and finally measurement questions. Every measurement must trace back to a decision, otherwise it is scope creep.

Choose probability sampling when you need confidence intervals and population generalization from a sound frame. Choose nonprobability sampling for exploration, hidden populations, or atypical cases, but disclose that it does not support statistical inference.

Branch on sample count, independence, measurement scale, and assumptions: one-sample t or chi-square for one sample, independent t or Mann-Whitney for two independent samples, ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis for k independent samples. Set alpha before examining results.

Use qualitative methods when the question asks how or why, covering meaning, motivation, and process. Recruit for relevance and range, continue until data saturation, and do not generalize findings statistically to a population.

Diagnose whether missingness is MCAR, MAR, or NMAR before deleting or replacing values. Preserve a CaseID and codebook, edit for completeness and accuracy, and use visual exploratory analysis before confirmatory analysis.

It covers content from Schindler's Business Research Methods, Thirteenth Edition, and does not replace current statistical software documentation, institutional review requirements, project-specific sampling frames, or professional judgment.