The prevalence of research methodology mis/conceptions among business and management academics

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which misconceptions and conceptions about research methodology are held by academics involved in its teaching. Following consideration of the nature of misconceptions, the literature on misconceptions of research methodology is reviewed. Whilst the notion of students' misconceptions of research methodologies has been reported reasonably widely, little research explores the extent to which these are endorsed or contested by academics. Using a web based questionnaire (comprising of 35 Likert-type items on the nature of research and mis/conceptions of the research process, and 6 demographic questions) data were collected from a purposive sample of business and management academics with an expressed interest in research methodology. Academics' conceptions of research practice varied, the most salient differences being between those in the qualitative and quantitative traditions. Particularly evident were the contesting of commonly held beliefs about qualitative research among quantitative researchers.