Research Methodology Methods and Techniques

Methodology During the study there is there is a process which involves the preparation of the report which includes data collection, analysis and inference. This section of the research proposal will show us the methods to be used in the study.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The section is important as it would guide the reader on the methods used to come up with the report. The areas to be covered under this research entail the research design, definition of the population to be used for the study, the sampling techniques and then the data collection and analysis methods. Research design The study will rotate around evaluating the role of stakeholders in the cosmetic industry both in the retail trade and the direct trade or network marketing and compare them as well as seeing how they influence each other (Shepard, 1999). In addition, the research will also be shaped and designed to help in the achievement of the objectives set out by the researcher under the research objectives. Population The population to be used in the study is diverse and it ranges from performers in the same industry, competitors of the same industry and those in the retail industry. Therefore exploratory research is to be used in this case since there is less information at hand and there is no recorded data about the same that can be used as reference. Data collection For the sole purpose of this research, and also in order to achieve the objectives data will be collected using both the primary and secondary data collection methods. The secondary data collected will help us for a backing and strong grounds for our introductory remarks which are both vital and needed also by the researcher in order to build on the project positively. The reader to the research will also be assisted by the secondary data to comprehend more thorou ghly the outcomes of the research and even be able to analyze the interpretations of the outcomes.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Primary data on the other hand shall be collected using two approaches or ways. The first way will require that a questionnaire survey is constructed and used to question the stakeholders in the cosmetics industry. Then secondly, interviews will also be carried, the forms of interviews may be face to face for respondents who are highly reachable and accessible while telephone interviews will also be done to those who cannot be reached easily. This is due to the wide nature of the cosmetics industry. The respondents in this case will be competitors in the industry who are both internal and external. Relevant authority will also be questioned and interviewed. Samples and sampling designs For the purpose of generalization and fair outcome it would ha ve been highly acceptable if all the elements of the population would be studied, but this is not possible due to the large number (Dawson, Catherine, 2002). The impossibility of this compels the researcher to resort to the use of just a sample or a portion of the population to be used for the study. A sample in this case is a portion of the elements taken from a population, and it is considered or taken to be representative of the entire population under study. As noted earlier primary data will be collected using the questionnaire technique where questionnaires shall be prepared and distributed to the target respondents for responses. The sampling method to be adopted in this case is the random probability sampling method since the sample selected of 150 elements of the population is within the normally required limit of if above 30 then below 500 elements (Kothari, 1985).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is the appropriate sample in this case; therefore 150 questionnaires will be prepared to be distributed for responses. Also, the interview technique will be used alongside the questionnaires; the interview exercise will be conducted across the board within the industry. The questionnaire A questionnaire is a tool that is normally used to collect or gather information that is of interest to the study that is normally undertaken. In this research closed ended questions will be constructed, this is due to the need to narrow down the exercise (Kumar, and Ranjit, 2005). The exercise is narrowed down in the sense that respondents are able to strictly choose on from a fixed set of responses. In this case the analysis and interpretation is also made easier since statistical analysis can then be employed. The only demerit with the questionnaires is that they are likely to create bias in case the right resp onses are not among the choices. The interview technique An interview schedule may or may not be prepared depending on the type of audience to be interviewed as well as the nature. Personal interviews may require the schedules since they are always conducted so as to help in the achievement of data collection (Benslaben, 1992). Telephone interviews are only done in instances where the respondents had to be collected from as a matter of fact and they themselves cannot be reached at face value. Reference List Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. Research Methods for Business Students (4th ed.) Harlow, England: FT Prentice Hall, 2007.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Blumberg, B., Cooper, D.R., and Schindler, P.S. Business Research Methods, Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill, 2005. Dawson, Catherine, Practical Research Methods, New Delhi, UBS Publishers’ Distributors, 2002. Kothari, C.R., Research Methodology- Methods and Techniques, New Delhi, Wiley Eastern Limited, 1985. Kumar, Ranjit, Research Methodology-A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners, (2nd.ed.), Singapore, Pearson Education, 2005. Benslaben, J. Predictive Modeling. In E. Nash (Ed.). The Direct Marketing Handbook. London: London Bookstores, 1992. Shepard, D. The New Direct Marketing, 3d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999. This research paper on Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques was written and submitted by user Billy A. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Magnetic Reversal of the Earths Poles

Magnetic Reversal of the Earth's Poles In the 1950s, ocean-going research vessels recorded puzzling data based on the magnetism of the ocean floor. It was determined that the rock of the ocean floor had bands of embedded iron oxides that alternately pointed toward geographic north and geographic south. This  was not the first time such confusing evidence had been found. In the early 20th century, geologists had found some volcanic rock was magnetized in a manner opposite to what was expected. But it was the extensive 1950s data that prompted a widespread  investigation, and by 1963 a theory of the reversal of the earths magnetic field was proposed.  It has been a fundamental of earth science ever since. How the Earths Magnetic Field Is Created The earths magnetism is thought to be created by slow movements in the liquid outer core of the planet, which consists largely of iron, caused by the rotation of the earth. Much the way  the rotation of a generator coil creates a magnetic field, the rotation of the liquid outer core of the earth generates a weak electromagnetic field. This magnetic field extends out into space and serves to deflect solar wind from the sun. The generation of the earths magnetic field is a continuous but variable process. There is a frequent change in the intensity of the magnetic field, and the precise location of the magnetic poles can drift. True magnetic north does not always correspond to the geographic North Pole. It also can cause the complete reversal of the earths entire magnetic field polarity. How We Can Measure Magnetic Field Changes Liquid lava, which hardens into rock, contains grains of iron oxides that react to the earths magnetic field by pointing toward the magnetic pole as the rock solidifies. Thus, these grains are permanent records of the location of the earths magnetic field at the time the rock forms. As new crust is created on the ocean floor, the new crust solidifies with its iron oxide particles acting like miniature compass needles, pointing to wherever magnetic north is at the time. Scientists studying the lava samples from the bottom of the ocean could see that the iron oxide particles were pointing in unexpected directions, but to understand what this meant, they needed to know when the rocks formed, and where they were located at the time they solidified out of liquid lava.   The method of dating rock through radiometric analysis has been available since the early 20th century, so it was an easy enough matter to find the age of the rock samples found on the ocean floor.   However, it was also known that the ocean floor moves and spreads over time, and it was not until 1963 that rock aging information was combined with information about how the ocean floor spreads to produce a definitive understanding of where those iron oxide particles were pointing at the time the lava solidified into rock.   Extensive analysis now shows that the earths magnetic field has reversed about 170 times over the last 100 million years. Scientists continue to evaluate data, and there is much disagreement over how long these periods of magnetic polarity last and whether the reversals happen at predictable intervals or are irregular and unexpected. What are the Causes and Effects? Scientists do not really know what causes the reversals of the magnetic field, although they have duplicated the phenomenon in laboratory experiments with molten metals, which also will spontaneously change the direction of their magnetic fields. Some theorists believe that magnetic field reversals may be caused by tangible events, such as tectonic plate collisions or impacts from large meteors or asteroids, but this theory is discounted by others. It is known that leading up to a magnetic reversal, the strength of the field declines, and since the strength of our current magnetic field is now in steady decline, some scientists believe we will see another magnetic reversal in about 2,000 years.   If, as some scientists suggest, there is a period during which there is no magnetic field at all before the reversal occurs, the effect on the planet is not well understood. Some theorists suggest that having no magnetic field will open the earths surface to dangerous solar radiation that potentially might lead to global extinction of life. However, there is currently no statistical correlation that can be pointed to in the fossil record to verify this. The last reversal occurred about 780,000 years ago, and there is no evidence to show that there were mass species extinctions at that time. Other scientists argue that the magnetic field does not vanish during reversals, but merely grows weaker for a time. Although we have at least  2,000 years to wonder about it, if a reversal were to occur today, one obvious effect would be mass disruption to communications systems. Much the way solar storms can affect satellite and radio signals, a magnetic field reversal would have the same effect, though to a much more pronounced degree.