Executive summary

This is a research design for the purpose of ethically altering the emotional state of users of a social network named XYZ. In this research, the author will apply the qualitative research method for the purpose of getting some useful findings to respond to the chosen topic. An online interview will be held to get some useful answers from 5 users to find the major ways that can be used to ethically alter their emotional states as consumers. The inductive reasoning analysis method will be applied by the author to analyze the data to be collected with the interview method in data analysis. The ethical considerations about personal information of interviewees and the reliability of findings to be reached are all considered in the process of deciding on the research methods for responding to the chosen topic in this research.

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Introduction

Research methods prove to be very important to academic studies and social research practices conducted for people to have a good knowledge of important facts of trends relating to their key concerns (Watari 2015). The appropriateness of the methods used in the research may turn out to be of different outcomes in terms of the impacts on the concerned research targets. In the field of social network industry sector, there is a trend for more and more people, especially young and mid-aged consumers, to be increasingly emphasizing on the effectiveness of affecting the emotional states of their customers, so as to reach more pleasing business performance in meeting the needs of their clients, which are mainly business players that provide their own goods or services to target customers in the marketplace. An important aspect to be taken into consideration is the ethical issues (Adeyemi 2013). With the purpose of reaching objective and practical findings in relevant research practices, researchers are needed to pay sufficient attention to the research methods to be used in their research practices in their processes of trying to reach meaningful and practical, as well as objective findings in responding to their chosen research topic or target. It is because of the fact that lack of ethical considerations in designing and implementing the specific research methods would result in challenges for researchers to reach credible answers while trying to answer corresponding research questions selected in their research practices.

Literature Review

Investigation is one of the most commonly used methods in specific research tasks (Vincent 2006). It is a purposeful, planned and systematic method of collecting materials about the actual or historical situation of the object of study. Investigation method is a basic research method commonly used in the research. It comprehensively uses historical method, observation method, conversation, questionnaire, case study, test and other scientific methods to have a planned, thorough and systematic understanding of educational phenomena, and to analyze, synthesize and compare a large amount of data collected from the investigation (Mcvey 2001). Moreover, induction is encouraged, so as to provide people with regular knowledge. Questionnaire survey is the most commonly used method in the survey. It is a method of collecting data by means of asking questions in writing. The investigators compile a form for the survey items, distribute or mail them to the relevant personnel, ask for answers, and then collect, sort out, statistics and research.

Observation method

Observation refers to the direct observation of the subject by the researcher with his own senses and auxiliary tools according to a certain research purpose, research outline or observation table (Birley and Moreland 2008). Scientific observation is purposeful, planned, systematic and repeatable. In scientific experiments and investigations, observation has the following functions: first is expanding people’s perceptual knowledge. Second is to inspire people’s thinking. Third is to lead to new discoveries.

Experimental method