Application of a Multi-method to Identify a Research Problem

Abstract

Context: there is a certain difficulty for students in understanding what steps need to be followed to guarantee that a chosen research problem is academically valid. There are also difficulties in executing, training, and passing on the methodological procedure. Objective: the present study aims to detail the operationalization of a method of identifying research problems, allowing the students to prove the unique and singular character of their research. Methods: it is a qualitative, interpretive, and applied research, which uses the action research method with the participatory intervention by one of the authors of this paper, in the definition and guidance on how to use a multi-method to identify a research problem. Results: the main contribution of this research is to describe, with examples for each stage, a step-by-step procedure explaining how to perform a multi-method to identify a research problem that helps students operationalize it correctly and systematically. Conclusion: following the guidelines proposed in this paper, students are able to bring up real problems from both academic and managerial perspectives, as the method will be executed properly. It also allows teachers to better train their students about how to properly use the multi-method detailed in this paper.