Stretech Activity 2: Complete Research Project Self-Paced Independent Project

Stretech Activity 2: Complete Research Project Self-Paced Independent Project

Overview

Time: 3-4 weeks (self-paced) Purpose: Execute a full research project from planning to final report Deliverable: Complete research report (5-7 pages) + presentation (7 slides)

The Project

Conduct actual research on your Activity 1 company. Execute what you planned, collect real data, analyze it, and present findings.

Requirements

You must:

1. Collect primary OR secondary data (or both)
2. Analyze a minimum of 50 data points (posts, reviews, survey responses, etc.)
3. Generate at least 3 findings with supporting evidence
4. Create actionable recommendations
5. Document your process
Budget: £0 (use only free tools)

Phase 1: Refine Your Plan

Choose Your Research Focus

Pick 1-2 questions from your Activity 1 (not all 3 - focus is better than breadth).

Select Your Method

Choose ONE primary method:

Option A: Content Analysis

• Analyze 50-100 social media posts, ads, or reviews
• Code for specific variables (content type, tone, themes)
• Calculate percentages, compare time periods

Option B: Survey

• 50-100 responses minimum
• 8-10 questions maximum
• Mix of scales and open-ended
• Recruit via Reddit, social media, and your network

Option C: Customer Review Analysis

• Analyze 50-100 reviews from multiple sources
• Code for themes and sentiment
• Identify patterns

Option D: Comparative Analysis

• Compare your company to 2-3 competitors
• 30+ data points per company
• Benchmark performance

Create Data Collection Tool

• Content analysis: Excel coding sheet with clear categories
• Survey: Google Forms with tested questions
• Review analysis: Excel template with theme categories
• Comparative: Comparison matrix

Phase 2: Collect Data

Execute Your Plan

Follow your method systematically. Document:

• What you did each day
• Any problems encountered
• How you solved them
• Any changes to the original plan

Organize As You Go

• Use Excel or Google Sheets
• One row per data point
• Clear column labels
• Save frequently

Quality Checks

• Are you being consistent in coding/categorization?
• Are you capturing enough detail?
• Do you need to adjust your approach?

PHASE 3: Analyze Data

Basic Analysis Required

Quantitative data:

• Calculate percentages
• Compare groups (2019 vs 2024, Company A vs B)
• Identify top themes by frequency
• Create simple charts (bar, pie)

Qualitative data:

• Group similar responses into themes
• Count frequency of each theme
• Pull representative quotes
• Note surprising patterns

Look For

• Patterns and trends
• Unexpected findings
• Contradictions
• Clear differences between groups
• Strong quotes or examples

Create Visuals

Make 2-3 simple charts:

• Bar chart for comparisons
• Pie chart for proportions
• Table for detailed breakdowns

Phase 4: Write Report

Report Structure (5-7 pages)

1. Executive Summary (½ page) Problem, method, key findings, recommendations
2. Introduction (1 page)

• Company background
• Problem statement
• Research questions
• Why this matters

3. Methodology (1 page)

• What you analyzed
• How you collected data
• Sample size and recruitment
• Analysis approach
• Limitations

4. Findings (2-3 pages)

3-4 key findings
Each with data support
Include charts/tables
Use quotes or examples

5. Conclusions (½ page) What findings mean collectively

6. Recommendations (1 page)

• 3-4 specific actions
• How to implement
• Expected outcomes

7. Appendices (optional)

• Survey questions
• Coding framework
• Additional data tables