The Research Process

The following pages were created to allow hospitality and tourism managers to familiarize themselves with some of the basic quantitative and qualitative research techniques, concepts and terminology. The objective is to provide this information in an easily accessible format and non-technical language, and link it to references for more in-depth information and other research sites. This undertaking was made possible by the generous support of the Ontario Hostelry Institute, AMEX Canada, and Ryerson University.

The research process involves six distinct phases, although they are not always completely linear, since research is iterative (earlier phases influence later ones, while later ones can influence the earlier phases). Perhaps one of the most important characteristics of a good researcher is the unwillingness to take shortcuts, to rush through the research. It is important to keep an open mind to recognize changes that must be accomodated to ensure the reliability and validity of the research.