This book introduces students with little or no background inapplied research to a deeper understanding of the philosophies thatunderlie the methods researchers use to acquire, verify andvalidate information in applied research. It focuses on appliedresearch as a service to a client with a problem that research cansolve. It seeks to help students understand how they can applyresearch to their own businesses, or employ consultants to do thesame in the knowledge that they can make informed decisions,emphasising the efficient use of research resources while trying tomaximise the likelihood of providing a useful product. Applied Business Research is aimed at improving students?understanding of the practical application of both qualitative andquantitative research methods. It provides a detailed examinationof the different methodologies available, such as interviews, focusgroups and questionnaires and how to select and apply thesedifferent techniques. It explores the various analyticalapproaches, including both constant comparative analysis andstatistics. Above all, it details the full research cycle, from theresearch catalyst and definition of research objectives to themanagement of the research project and the writing of the finalreport. The book emphasises a practical orientation, focusing onthe development of research questions and the use of researchmethods for effective decision making in business. SPECIFIC TO AUSTRALIAN EDITION Retains the strong theoretical framework of Uma Sekaran?sResearch Methods for Business with regard to the full researchcycle Emphasises both qualitative and quantitative researchmethods Guides students through the various processes in the ninestages in the research cycle Expands the discussion of other research methods, such aslaboratory experimentation and case study analysis Includes new material on managing a research project, coveringissues such as topic analysis, client brief, guidelines formanaging the process and putting together a proposal Offers broader coverage of the outcomes of the research,covering evaluating the implications of the findings, writing aresearch report and presenting results to different clients Contains examples of Australian and New Zealand researchprojects.