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How to formulate a research strategy?

A research strategy refers to a step-by-step plan of action that gives direction to the researcher’s thought process. It enables a researcher to conduct the research systematically and on schedule. The main purpose is to introduce the principal components of the study such as the research topic, areas, major focus, research design and finally the research methods.

An appropriate strategy has to be selected on the basis of the following:

• Research questions.
• Research objectives.
• Amount of time available.
• Resources at the researcher’s disposal.
• Philosophical underpinnings of the researcher.

Types of research strategies

Research strategy helps a researcher choose the right data collection and analysis procedure. Thus, it is of utmost importance to choose the right strategy while conducting the research. The following section will focus on the different types of strategies that can be used.

• Qualitative: This strategy is generally used when to understand the underlying reasons or the opinion of the people on certain facts or a problem. It does not involve numerical data. It provides insights into the research problem and hence helps in achieving the research objectives. Various methods that can be used include interviews, observations, open-ended surveys and focus group discussions.
• Quantitative: It involves the collection of primary or secondary data which is in numerical form. Under this strategy, the researcher can collect the data by using questionnaires, polls and surveys or through secondary sources. This strategy mainly focuses on when, where, what and how often a specific phenomenon occurs.
• Descriptive: This is generally used when the researcher wants to describe a particular situation. This involves observing and describing the behaviour patterns of either an individual, community or any group. One thing that distinguishes it from other forms of research strategies is that subjects are observed in a completely unchanged environment. Under this approach surveys, observations and case studies are mainly used to collect the data and to understand the specific set of variables.
• Analytical: This involves the use of already available information. Here the researcher in an attempt to understand the complex problem set, studies and analyses the available data. It majorly concerns the cause-and-effect relationship. The scientifically based problem-solving approaches mainly use this strategy.
• Action: This strategy aims at finding solutions to an immediate problem. It is generally applied by an agency, company or by government in order to address a particular problem and find possible solutions to it. For example, finding which strategy could best work out to motivate physically challenged students.
• Basic: According to this strategy no generalizations are made in order to understand the subject in a better and more precise way. Thus, it involves investigation and the analysis of a phenomenon. Although their findings are not directly applicable in the real world, they work towards enhancing the knowledge base.  
• Critical: It works towards analyzing the claims regarding a particular society. For example, a researcher can focus on any conclusion or theory made regarding a particular society or culture and test it empirically through a survey or experiment.  
• Interpretive: this strategy is similar to the qualitative research strategy. However, rather than using hypothesis testing, interpretation is done through the sense-making process. In simple terms, this strategy uses human experience in order to understand the phenomena.
• Exploratory: It is mainly used to gain insights into the problem or regarding certain situations but does work towards providing the solution to the research problem. This research strategy is generally undertaken when there is very little or no earlier study on the research topic.
• Predictive: It deals with developing an understanding of the future of the research problem and has its foundation based on probability. This is generally very popular among companies and organizations.

Difference between the types of research strategy

How to write a research strategy

The main components of a research strategy include the research paradigm, research design, research method and sampling strategy. It should be in a form such that your research paradigm should guide your research design. Which in turn should lead to the appropriate selection of the research methods along with the correct sampling strategy. It is applicable to different kinds of research such as exploratory, explanatory and descriptive.

Step1: Defining the research paradigm

This involves a basic set of beliefs that guides the researcher regarding the way of performing the research. There are various types of research paradigms, including positivism, post-positivism or constructivism.

Step 2: Defining the research design

The research paradigm and the type of research mainly guide the choice of research design. For example, some researches that include experiments lean quantitative research design. On the other hand, exploratory research in social sciences often uses a qualitative research design. This must be done very carefully because the research design will eventually impact the choice of research method and sampling strategy.

Step 3: Defining research methods

This step helps the researcher to explain the potential methods that can be used for carrying out the research. The choice here also depends on the research paradigm and research design selected in the above steps. For example, if a researcher followed a constructivist paradigm using a qualitative research design, then the data collection method can be interviews, observation or focus group discussions.

Step 4: Defining the sampling strategy

This step involves specifying the population, sample size and sampling type for a study. In the population, the researcher defines the profile of respondents and justifies their suitability for the study. For defining the sample size , a specific formula can be applied.  Finally, there are many sampling types for a researcher to choose from.

Things to keep in mind while writing research strategies

As there exist different types of research strategies, for the researcher, order to embark according to the study needs he or must identify the three main questions in order to write an appropriate strategy.

Is it suitable for the research aim?

As shown in the figure above the first thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the strategy should be suitable with respect to the purpose of the study i.e. it should rather support the researcher in finding the answers to the research questions which are under the consideration.

For example, a case study may be considered the right choice when investigating the social relationship in some specific setting, while it might be probably inappropriate when it comes to measuring the attitude of a large population.

Feasibility as per available sources

The second point that needs to be considered, is that it should be feasible from the practical point of view. The researcher should formulate the strategy so that he or she had complete access to data sources. Also, some of the research strategies like action research which are generally highly time-consuming, thus the researcher must consider all these aspects while preparing the strategy.

Ethical considerations

Also, another point that needs to be considered, is that the researcher should ensure that the strategy chosen must be followed in a responsible way. For example, in social science research participants of the study should be allowed to remain anonymous.

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I am a management graduate with specialisation in Marketing and Finance. I have over 12 years' experience in research and analysis. This includes fundamental and applied research in the domains of management and social sciences. I am well versed with academic research principles. Over the years i have developed a mastery in different types of data analysis on different applications like SPSS, Amos, and NVIVO. My expertise lies in inferring the findings and creating actionable strategies based on them. 

Over the past decade I have also built a profile as a researcher on Project Guru's Knowledge Tank division. I have penned over 200 articles that have earned me 400+ citations so far. My Google Scholar profile can be accessed here . 

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Methodology

Research Methods | Definitions, Types, Examples

Research methods are specific procedures for collecting and analyzing data. Developing your research methods is an integral part of your research design . When planning your methods, there are two key decisions you will make.

First, decide how you will collect data . Your methods depend on what type of data you need to answer your research question :

• Qualitative vs. quantitative : Will your data take the form of words or numbers?
• Primary vs. secondary : Will you collect original data yourself, or will you use data that has already been collected by someone else?
• Descriptive vs. experimental : Will you take measurements of something as it is, or will you perform an experiment?

Second, decide how you will analyze the data .

• For quantitative data, you can use statistical analysis methods to test relationships between variables.
• For qualitative data, you can use methods such as thematic analysis to interpret patterns and meanings in the data.

Table of contents

Methods for collecting data, examples of data collection methods, methods for analyzing data, examples of data analysis methods, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research methods.

Data is the information that you collect for the purposes of answering your research question . The type of data you need depends on the aims of your research.

Qualitative vs. quantitative data

Your choice of qualitative or quantitative data collection depends on the type of knowledge you want to develop.

For questions about ideas, experiences and meanings, or to study something that can’t be described numerically, collect qualitative data .

If you want to develop a more mechanistic understanding of a topic, or your research involves hypothesis testing , collect quantitative data .

You can also take a mixed methods approach , where you use both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Primary vs. secondary research

Primary research is any original data that you collect yourself for the purposes of answering your research question (e.g. through surveys , observations and experiments ). Secondary research is data that has already been collected by other researchers (e.g. in a government census or previous scientific studies).

If you are exploring a novel research question, you’ll probably need to collect primary data . But if you want to synthesize existing knowledge, analyze historical trends, or identify patterns on a large scale, secondary data might be a better choice.

Descriptive vs. experimental data

In descriptive research , you collect data about your study subject without intervening. The validity of your research will depend on your sampling method .

In experimental research , you systematically intervene in a process and measure the outcome. The validity of your research will depend on your experimental design .

To conduct an experiment, you need to be able to vary your independent variable , precisely measure your dependent variable, and control for confounding variables . If it’s practically and ethically possible, this method is the best choice for answering questions about cause and effect.

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Your data analysis methods will depend on the type of data you collect and how you prepare it for analysis.

Data can often be analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. For example, survey responses could be analyzed qualitatively by studying the meanings of responses or quantitatively by studying the frequencies of responses.

Qualitative analysis methods

Qualitative analysis is used to understand words, ideas, and experiences. You can use it to interpret data that was collected:

• From open-ended surveys and interviews , literature reviews , case studies , ethnographies , and other sources that use text rather than numbers.
• Using non-probability sampling methods .

Qualitative analysis tends to be quite flexible and relies on the researcher’s judgement, so you have to reflect carefully on your choices and assumptions and be careful to avoid research bias .

Quantitative analysis methods

Quantitative analysis uses numbers and statistics to understand frequencies, averages and correlations (in descriptive studies) or cause-and-effect relationships (in experiments).

You can use quantitative analysis to interpret data that was collected either:

• During an experiment .
• Using probability sampling methods .

Because the data is collected and analyzed in a statistically valid way, the results of quantitative analysis can be easily standardized and shared among researchers.

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If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Chi square test of independence
• Statistical power
• Descriptive statistics
• Degrees of freedom
• Pearson correlation
• Null hypothesis
• Double-blind study
• Case-control study
• Research ethics
• Data collection
• Hypothesis testing
• Structured interviews

Research bias

• Hawthorne effect
• Unconscious bias
• Recall bias
• Halo effect
• Self-serving bias
• Information bias

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.

Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses . Qualitative methods allow you to explore concepts and experiences in more detail.

In mixed methods research , you use both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods to answer your research question .

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population . Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research. For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

In statistics, sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population.

The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

• If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts and meanings, use qualitative methods .
• If you want to analyze a large amount of readily-available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how it is generated, collect primary data.
• If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of your research project . It involves studying the methods used in your field and the theories or principles behind them, in order to develop an approach that matches your objectives.

Methods are the specific tools and procedures you use to collect and analyze data (for example, experiments, surveys , and statistical tests ).

In shorter scientific papers, where the aim is to report the findings of a specific study, you might simply describe what you did in a methods section .

In a longer or more complex research project, such as a thesis or dissertation , you will probably include a methodology section , where you explain your approach to answering the research questions and cite relevant sources to support your choice of methods.

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Research Strategy

• First Online: 24 January 2021

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• Rafal Dudkowski 2  

Part of the book series: Contributions to Management Science ((MANAGEMENT SC.))

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This chapter tackles the numerous aspects related to the research strategy of the study. The first subchapter presents various research methodologies applied in management science, compares them in relation to the objectives of the study, and, finally, makes a judgment about the most appropriate approach. It also introduces the logic of abductive research, which is constitutive of the adopted methodological choice. Further, the research structure is presented, and particular research stages are described. Subsequently, the research setting is introduced, and the case selection criteria are discussed. The next subchapter discusses the research process including data sources, data collection, and data analysis, and in the concluding subchapter, the various aspects related to the quality of the study are examined.

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Dudkowski, R. (2021). Research Strategy. In: Managing Value Co-creation in University-Industry Partnerships. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60477-6_4

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Phase #2: Clearly Define Your Research Strategy

Read about the 5 Phases of an effective marketing research process here Phase 1: Research Inventory Phase 2: Clearly Define 2014 Research Strategy

A Research Strategy is a step-by-step plan of action that gives direction to your thoughts and efforts, enabling you to conduct research systematically and on schedule to produce quality results and detailed reporting. This enables one to stay focused, reduce frustration, enhance quality and most importantly, save time and resources. The Research Strategy is the nuts and bolts of your application, describing the rationale for your research and the experiments you will do to accomplish your desired goals. This post will discuss an extremely important phase in the process; clearly defining your research strategy.

In phase 1 we focused on inventory of all research, current and past. This week we will use that data to identifying specific research targets for both customer segments and feedback criteria.

This defined research strategy will also act as a reference point for benchmarking purposes so your company can see if it yielded the desired results. It requires the clear communication of targets and criteria ensuring all relevant stakeholders move in the same direction.

Identify gaps in existing data

A good place to start this process is to first examine the results of Phase 1 where you took an inventory of existing data and current research projects. With this framework you can identify gaps in data sets and create a research strategy that will compliment your company’s existing information.

Include all departments to maximize resources

Understanding the needs of your company’s individual departments, like marketing , communications , human resources and others, will help you to avoid repetitive research efforts which are both a waste of resources and damaging to communication channels with your clients. So determine data needs by department to make sure everyone is involved, to insure the highest possible value to your research investment.

Map out your customer’s life cycle

Another approach is to map out the customer’s life cycle in three steps.

• information seeking
• purchase decision
• product use

With these three steps you can visualize when you are attempting to reach your customers and evaluate whether or not the timing is appropriate for the specific information you’re trying to collect. You can also set the frequency at which you are requesting feedback or information from your customers; it is wise to avoid over-saturating a customer base with research inquiries.

What are your company’s priorities?

Once you’ve identified a need for data by examining your research inventory (established in Phase 1) and you’ve mapped out the customer life cycle to pinpoint the ideal timing for a research project, consider your company’s overall priorities to determine if a research project will help accomplish your goals. If so, then you’ve done your due diligence and moving forward with a research project is a prudent way to increase the likelihood of future success. As we’ve mentioned before, due to an ever-changing environment and variables it is impossible to predict with absolute certainty how a market will react to your product or service. However, an educated perspective of your consumer base will always improve your chances of achieving company-wide goals.

Our series will continue with – Phase #3: Conduct Research . We will discuss effective ways to communicate with your target respondents and keys to developing a successful research instrument.

Jenny Dinnen is President of Sales and Marketing at MacKenzie Corporation. Driven to maximize customer's value and exceed expectations, Jenny carries a can-do attitude wherever she goes. She maintains open communication channels with both her clients and her staff to ensure all goals and objectives are being met in an expeditious manner. Jenny is a big-picture thinker who leads MacKenzie in developing strategies for growth while maintaining a focus on the core services that have made the company a success. Basically, when something needs to get done, go see Jenny. Before joining MacKenzie, Jenny worked at HD Supply as a Marketing Manager and Household Auto Finance in their marketing department. Jenny received her undergrad degree in Marketing from the University of Colorado (Boulder) and her MBA from the University of Redlands.

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Start organizing your existing data files with this inventory checklist.

Customers that leave a brand for a competitor usually have specific reasons for doing so; whether tangible or intangible. In the case of a lost customer, it’s extremely valuable to understand WHY and WHAT (if anything) would bring that customer back. Sometimes nothing can be done and the customer is simply lost; but other times a simple adjustment can make a big difference. It might feel awkward at first, but reaching out to lost customers is actually beneficial in more than a few ways. For starters, you show customers that you care about them and that you still value their opinion. This is a strong gesture and it’s a way to passively reengage consumers who might consider returning.

Digital platforms, both social and shopping, have forever changed the consumer experience. At the same time, in-person experiences are still relevant and need to be aligned with the online experiences to provide a seamless, fluid flow between the real and digital worlds. Furthermore, consumers want personalized experiences that adjust as quickly as their preferences and favorite trends. This can be an overwhelming ordeal, or it can be as straightforward as direct and open two-way communication with your customers. This is the power of an ongoing Voice of Customer satisfaction program. By understand what your customers want, listening to how they feel your brand is performing, and being open to improvement suggestions, you will have all the data-driven insights you need win customer loyalty.

In addition to marketing reach and visibility, it’s important to consider the impact of specific brand messages. If the goal is to shape or reinforce brand image, customer feedback is the only way to measure marketing effectiveness. If the goal is to motivate action, such as visiting a website or purchasing a particular item, then sales tracking is one way to measure marketing effectiveness. However, transaction data doesn’t address purchase decision drivers so it’s difficult to attribute a sale to a particular marketing campaign. Again, direct customer feedback is required to identify their decision drivers.

For up-and-coming brands, or even established brands looking to expand their products/services, it’s important to answer the question, “Are consumers aware of our brand?” This is the first step in developing a strong, long-term marketing strategy and will provide a reliable benchmark for future reference. By segmenting awareness and perception data, you’ll have a clear indication of your current standing within specific markets and customer demographics.

It’s easy to become narrow-sighted and overly focused on one objective to the point where surrounding activity is unnoticed; especially with the rapid progression of technology and emerging consumer trends. The most successful brands will occasionally take a step back for a high-level, impartial look at the overall market landscape for a refreshed perspective on how their business fits into the bigger picture. Detailed Market Mapping not only acts as a preventative measure by exposing threats and potential danger, it will also uncover secondary variables that may be flying under the radar. This dual-benefit will swing the competitive balance in your favor by equipping your organization with the insights needed to make confident decisions; both short-term and long-term.

There’s no way to predict the future with absolute certainty but there are ways of applying market insights to improve success probabilities. Rather than conducting a series of trial-and-error initiatives, conducting research prior to forward-thinking strategic development will support informed decision making today and establish benchmarks for comparative analysis in the future. Just like having a map on a road trip, Market Mapping defines the surrounding area so decision makers can see where they’re going, stay on track and safely reach their destination. A clearly illustrated framework of your competitive environment enables your team to run through possible scenarios and how the market might react under specific circumstances.

Consumers are complex and unique individuals whose purchase decisions are influenced by a broader spectrum of attributes than the traditional price, product, placement, and positioning. Of course these are still relevant, but modern consumers are looking for more. Factors that may not seem to align at first glance are now connected (i.e. Health Concerns and Retail). The Market Mapping process will not only uncover the pieces it will act as a guide to reveal how the pieces fit together. Brands that understand their surroundings and create action plans based on market insights are best equipped to take proactive rather than reactive measures.

Understanding the past is a great place to start when strategically planning for the future. Consider market conditions and consumer preferences as they exist today, then examine the historical timeline of economic, social, political and technological shifts that have impacted your industry. By highlighting the environmental factors that have shaped consumer behavior, your brand will be equipped with consumer insights explaining the why, how and when of significant market shifts.

Imagine each existing dataset is a brick. If the bricks are haphazardly tossed in a pile then standing on that pile won’t be easy, But if the bricks are organized and positioned in a way that they work together, then there’s a foundation to not only stand on but to build on. Treat your existing data inventory as building materials rather than the byproducts of past efforts. No matter when or why data was collected, it still holds considerable value. After completing the Data Inventory Assessment, ensuing efforts will continue building on a solid foundation rather than merely adding more bricks to the pile.

Every company has its missing puzzle pieces, but not every company is willing to do something about it. Actively searching to identify the gaps in what you know about your customers and your market is an important part of strategic brand development. There’s also the benefit of ensuring that any steps taken are covering new ground rather than repeating what’s already been done. Pursuing the missing pieces will build upon the bigger picture and add cohesive value, but the only way to pursue the missing pieces is by knowing with certainty which pieces are missing.

By organizing and analyzing the existing customer data, brands will gain a clear picture what is quantifiably known at that point in time. This process will also itemize the types of data being held and it will establish benchmarks for future comparative analytics. Identifying the metrics that are most beneficial to current goals and objectives will produce the actionable insights needed to guide decision making.

Market research and data analytics are commonly applied on a “need-to-know” basis; meaning individual projects or initiatives are launched to address a specific set of questions for short-term application. After serving their intended purpose, these data files usually go into the vault and are rarely (if ever) seen again. But our Data Inventory Assessment digs into this data vault and offers a second life to the dormant files within.

Strategy Explained

• Business Strategy
• Creating a Successful Strategy
• Corporate Strategy
• The Role of Leaders
• Related Topics

All strategy is based on understanding competition. Michael Porter’s frameworks help explain how organizations can achieve superior performance in the face of competition. Strategy defines the company’s distinctive approach to competing and the competitive advantages on which it will be based. A good competitive strategy is one that creates unique value for a particular set of customers.

Key Concepts

Making trade-offs, fit across the value chain, thinking strategically, competing to be the best vs. competing to be unique.

Strategy starts with thinking the right way about competition. Many managers compete to be “the best”—but this is a dangerous mindset that leads to a destructive, zero-sum competition that no one can win. Competing to be unique, on the other hand, is the basis of a sound business strategy that leads to a positive-sum competition with multiple winners.

Setting the Right Financial Goals

Managers should also think about setting proper financial goals for the company. Pleasing today’s shareholders is not the right goal. The fundamental goal of a company is superior long-term return on invested capital (ROIC) .  Only if you achieve strong ROIC are you creating true economic value, which says that you can produce a product f or a price that’s greater than the cost of making it (including the cost of capital employed). Revenue growth is good only if superiority in ROIC is achieved and sustained.

Levels of Strategy

There are two fundamental levels of strategy: corporate level strategy and business unit strategy .  Cor p orate strategy defines what set of businesses to compete in, while business unit strategy describes how to compete in each distinct business or industry.

While both are essential, business units typically account for 90% or more of economic performance—and therefore it is the focus of Michael Porter’s strategy work. The business unit, and not the company overall, is the core level of strategy.

Business strategy

Competitive advantage is won or lost at the business unit level. To achieve competitive advantage, companies must position themselves strategically within their industries.

Corporate strategy

In diversified companies, corporate leaders can enhance competitive advantage by capturing synergies across business units within the corporate portfolio.

The Five Forces

The Five Forces is a framework for assessing competition in any industry by analyzing the industry’s structure and profitability. Five Forces analysis is the first step in thinking about strategy, about how to shift the forces in your favor, and where to establish a unique positioning.

Terminology

The terms “business unit strategy,” “business strategy” and “competitive strategy” are often used interchangeably in Porter's work.

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What Is Strategy?

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About The Author

Michael E. Porter

More from the author.

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• Vanderbilt: Transforming an Academic Health Care Delivery System, 2020  By: Michael E. Porter, Robert S. Kaplan, Mary L. Witkowski and David N. Bernstein
• India’s Quest for Sustainable Growth in a New Global Reality:: The Need for a Region- and Sector-Driven Approach  By: Christian H.M. Ketels and Michael E. Porter

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What Is Strategy?

• Michael E. Porter

Today’s dynamic markets and technologies have called into question the sustainability of competitive advantage. Under pressure to improve productivity, quality, and speed, managers have embraced tools such as TQM, benchmarking, and re-engineering. Dramatic operational improvements have resulted, but rarely have these gains translated into sustainable profitability. And gradually, the tools have taken the place of strategy. In his five-part article, Michael Porter explores how that shift has led to the rise of mutually destructive competitive battles that damage the profitability of many companies. As managers push to improve on all fronts, they move further away from viable competitive positions. Porter argues that operational effectiveness, although necessary to superior performance, is not sufficient, because its techniques are easy to imitate. In contrast, the essence of strategy is choosing a unique and valuable position rooted in systems of activities that are much more difficult to match. Porter thus traces the economic basis of competitive advantage down to the level of the specific activities a company performs. Using cases such as Ikea and Vanguard, he shows how making trade-offs among activities is critical to the sustainability of a strategy. Whereas managers often focus on individual components of success such as core competencies or critical resources, Porter shows how managing fit across all of a company’s activities enhances both competitive advantage and sustainability. While stressing the role of leadership in making and enforcing clear strategic choices, Porter also offers advice on how companies can reconnect with strategies that have become blurred over time.

For starters, it’s not the same as operational effectiveness.

For almost two decades, managers have been learning to play by a new set of rules. Companies must be flexible to respond rapidly to competitive and market changes. They must benchmark continuously to achieve best practice. They must outsource aggressively to gain efficiencies. And they must nurture a few core competencies in race to stay ahead of rivals.

• Michael E. Porter is the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor at Harvard Business School. He has served as an adviser to governments and campaigns around the world on the advancement of social policy and economic policy, including Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. His latest paper is  The Role of Business in Society . He is an academic adviser to the Leadership Now Project.

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