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The choice of the appropriate research design and data collection technique is one of the most difficult aspects that students must consider when working on their IGNOU project. Many students begin the ignou mcom proposal without clearly understanding what kind of research they are actually doing. As a result, the methodology section is uninspired, copied, or out of touch with the topic.
This article focuses only on the steps to select the appropriate research methodology and method of data collection appropriate for IGNOU MCom projects. It will explain concepts in a straightforward words and provides them to practical examples so that students can use them effectively.
Research design acts like an outline for your study. It outlines the direction of your research project. If the research strategy isn't correct, everything else that includes data collection, analysis and conclusion will be questioned.
IGNOU does not expect complex or highly technical research design. What they are looking for is alignment. The design should align with your goals, topics, and the availability of data.
Students lose marks often not just because their content isn't good or their writing style is bad, but because the design does not align with the goals they've stated in their essay.
Research design is the way to describe the kind of research you're conducting. It can answer three main questions.
What is being studied
The reason why it is being examined
How it is being researched
For ignou's MCOM projects research design typically falls in one or more of these categories.
The Descriptive Research Design is the most widely used design for IGNOU Project Report for MCOM MCom projects. It is used for projects that aim to describe a situation, condition, or performance.
This design is suitable for topics like.
Customer satisfaction
Satisfaction of clients
Performance analysis
Management of working capital
The impact of training on employees
In descriptive research researchers are unable to alter variables. The primary focus is looking at and explaining existing facts.
Example explanation.
The study is based on an analytical research plan that analyzes the current financial situation of the company based upon relevant data.
This design is safe to use, well-accepted, and easy for an organization to support in their project for mcom.
Analytical research methodology is used when the research goes beyond descriptions and attempts to investigate relations or performance trends.
This design will work if your project includes.
Ratio study
The trend analysis
Comparative analysis between companies
Financial year wise evaluation
A variety of finance related ignou topics are based on analytical design along with descriptive design.
Example explanation.
The study adopts an analytical design of research to evaluate the financial performance of the business with the help of ratios and trend analysis.
This shows depth without sounding complex.
Research design that is exploratory is often used for topics that are unknown or has not been defined clearly. It's not so common when it comes to IGNOU MCom projects but may be used in areas such as.
Emerging business practices
Digital payment adoption
New accounting standards awareness
Example explanation.
The study is based on the design of an exploratory study in order to examine the knowledge of employees about the most recent accounting practices.
Use this design only when your topic genuinely explores something new.
When choosing the right style, ask yourself these questions.
Do I need to describe an existing situation
Do I look at the performance of or trends
Are I researching some new ideas
If your answer is description and not a description, then you should go with a descriptive design.
If it is based on numbers and comparison and analysis, you should add an analytical design.
If it is focused on understanding new ideas consider exploratory designs.
For the majority of ignou MCOM project submissions, descriptive and analytical designs are more than adequate.
Once you've decided on a research strategy the next step is deciding how data will be collected. Data collection methods should align with your research concept.
IGNOU permits primary as well as secondary data. It is the honesty and clarity.
Primary data is data collected directly by the researcher for the first time.
The most commonly used data tools are.
Questionnaire
Interview
Observation
Primary data can be helpful whenever your project requires opinions or perceptions.
Examples of topics suitable for data that is primary.
Employee satisfaction
Customer service quality
Investor perception
Training effectiveness
A lot of students take questionnaires, but fail to design them correctly. IGNOU is not evaluating the questionnaire in depth, however it should appear appropriate and rational.
Guidelines for questionnaire design.
Make sure questions are simple
Beware of Technical language
Use close ended questions
Answers to questions should correspond with objectives
Example description for methodology section.
Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire consisting of questions with a close-ended format that was designed according to the objectives and goals of this study.
Don't claim advanced survey methods if the method you used did not employ them.
Interviews aren't very common but useful for small sample studies. It's useful for case study and qualitative research topics.
Example explanation.
The initial data collection was done through personal interviews with employees to get their opinions regarding the matter.
Only use the interview method if you have interacted with respondents.
Secondary data refers to data already obtained by someone else. It is commonly used in projects like ignou's mcom.
The sources of secondary data are.
Annual reports Financial statements Books Research journals Company websites Government publications
Finance and accounting topics mainly depend on secondary data.
Example explanation.
The research is based on secondary data obtained from company annual reports books, textbooks, journals as well as official sites.
Data that is secondary to the original source is perfectly acceptable provided it is properly cited.
Students are often of the opinion that data from primary sources appears prettier. It's not always so.
Make sure to select primary data when.
Your topic may involve opinions or conduct
You have access to people
Sample size is manageable
Use secondary data only when.
Your topic is either financial or accounting based
There is data available from reports
But time is limited
IGNOU doesn't penalize any projects on the basis of secondary information. What matters is proper analysis.
A sampling method explains how the participants or units were picked.
In the ignou project work easy sampling techniques are enough.
Convenience sampling is the most frequently utilized method for students.
Example explanation.
A convenient sampling technique was employed to select participants based on accessibility and availability.
This is realistic and has been accepted by IGNOU.
Random sampling might be mentioned if respondents were selected randomly.
Example explanation.
Random sampling was the method used to select the respondents from the general population.
Use this only if selection was truly random.
Size of the sample should be appropriate and manageable.
Standard sample sizes for IGNOU projects vary from 30 and 100 respondents in surveys.
To conduct financial analyses, the size of the sample may refer to number of years or the size of companies.
Example explanation.
The sample size consists of 50 respondents from the chosen organisation.
Or
The study covers financial data from five consecutive years.
Keep this consistent with your analysis section.
Period of study defines the timeframe of your study.
For financial topics, list your financial year clearly.
For survey topics, provide the time of research.
Example.
The study period consists of three months during which data were collected and analysed.
This is a sign of planning and clarity.
A large number of submissions for projects to ignou fail due to mistakes that are avoidable.
Copying methodology and methods from internet
using terms from the internet that are not understood without knowing
the difference between the objectives and methodological approach
in claiming primary data without supporting evidence
Make sure you avoid these mistakes in order to increase the quality of your work.
IGNOU evaluators look for.
Acuity
The flow of logic
Relationship to the subject
Honest explanation
They do not expect perfect research. They look for honest efforts.
Simple and well-explained approach is often better than a duplicated technical method.
Always check your objectives prior to making your writing strategy. Each goal should be supported through a system.
If the objective is to evaluate the financial performance of an organization, be sure to mention proportions.
If objective is to determine employee satisfaction, refer to questionnaire.
This alignment leaves a strong impression.
Selecting the most appropriate research design and data collection method does not require complexity. It is about suitability. In an ignou mcom project basic choices made clear can be the most effective.
Find out the topic you are discussing. Be sincere about your data. Write in your own words. This alone can boost your marks and confidence.