REFLECTIVE PAPER

Conducting this research gave me an opportunity to learn and explore a topic of interest. The
research project was one in which I learnt a lot about myself in that I have a deep passion to start
up my own business and I like the idea of being my own boss. Through this experience of research,
I gained further knowledge on the challenges young entrepreneurs face in business on the rise. The
topic informed my thinking and helped me to think more critically in these situations. Ways in
which I have benefited through this research is through gaining knowledge on the challenges,
giving me more confidence on the task ahead and more ideas to make my own small business a
success.
I believe I was very proactive throughout this research, but I could have pushed a little harder and
expound on certain and persevered harder in the last section of my research. I was a bit mediocre
and that is not a good quality for a person planning to grow and start a business. First, the key to a
successful business is being positive and planning or beforehand. This research project taught me
a good value of being honest and fair

THE CHALLENGES FACED WHILE WORKING ON THE PROJECT

Challenges faced while working on this research project were finding a research topic, finding
research participants, conducting the quantitative research, dealing with the data and analysis,
meeting the word limit and deadline and basically the whole process of doing the research was an
obstacle. Avoiding plagiarism was another challenge encountered in carrying out this research
which I was able to overcome.

In overcoming these challenges of the research, I have learnt to not wait until the last minute to
complete assignments. genuinely hopped through the obstacles of a research design that did not
work but overcoming these obstacles can lead to a greater understanding, a stronger design and
better results.
In pursuing my research project, I have undoubtedly readily admitted that there were some
attempts that were not successful and while brainstorming obstacles were overcome. However, as
a researcher, I learnt that the best response to any impossible challenge to overcome in this research
project was to not give up reflecting on what I can do better and
adjusting.
THE PHILOSOPHICAL SCHOOL (POST POSITIVIST, PRAGMATIST,
CONSTRUCTIVIST, ETC.) BY REFLECTING ON YOUR ONTOLOGICAL,
AXIOLOGICAL AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL STANCE, BEFORE, DURING AND
AFTER THE PROJECT

The choice of a research philosophy which underpins the research, helps to design the research by
considering the necessary options to collecting data and analysing it. According to the role of
philosophy which is the research approach, considering issues a researcher faces may have most
necessarily many layers. The controversial philosophies have evolved over the last couple of years.
although there is controversy, there is more agreement on the value and use of philosophy.

The philosophy used by the research is basically the positivism and constructivism which are two
extremes of a variety of research philosophies. Firstly, post positivism and related realism is
popular as it relates to business. Therefore, it suggests that this research is ontological, however
peoples’ perspectives of it vary. Ontological philosophy is the nature of being for the issue in
question. The research that was done clearly states, that there many challenges faced by young
entrepreneurs in Jamaica. As I continued the research project, it was shown that to an extent that
it became increasingly apparent how these issues are central to research whether carried out on a
small or large scale.

The axiological stance of this project was to basically keep the privacy of participants. The
axiological stance is basically the value of the researcher, participants or someone using the
research may have. The value in my perspective may mean the importance that this topic may have
at this time. The topic which I chose ‘The challenges faced by young entrepreneurs in Jamaica” is
of great value in these modern times as there are many youths at this stage who are setting up small
businesses to make a living.

Lastly, the epistemological stance of this project beforehand and during this project is of
paramount importance. Epistemology is the study of knowledge and in a research study there is
imperative that the researcher has knowledge of the topic beforehand to explain the terms and
explanations during the study. The researcher will therefore be able to properly explain and debrief
the participants before they participate in the study.
HOW ETHICAL ISSUES ENCOUNTERED IN PRODUCING THIS WORK WERE
MANAGED; SUCH AS DATA CONFIDENTIALITY, OBTAINING INFORMED
CONSENT, DEBRIEFING PARTICIPANTS, ETC.

The ethical issues encountered in producing this work were carefully assessed.
Firstly, voluntary participation, which requires people not be coerce into participating. Therefore,
for this to be voluntary, I relied on “captive audiences” for example at universities and places
where mostly young persons reside. Another notion which a requirement of voluntary participation
is is informed consent meaning the research participants were fully informed and debriefed
beforehand, which was before they gave consent to participate.
Another ethical issue of research is data confidentiality in which participants were assured that
their information would not be made available to anyone who were not involved in the study. The
principle of anonymity essentially meant that the participant would remain anonymous throughout
the study, so they were not required to put their names. Therefore, privacy was ensured.
According to the APA Ethics code, the following rules must e followed and must pay keen
attention to:
 Beneficence and no maleficence: Safeguard welfare of those interacted with. In this I, being
the researcher ensured that the welfare of the participants or those interacted with during
this study were protected.
 Fidelity and responsibility: Trust must be built and must comply to ethics.
 Integrity: Accurate honest and truthful. In showing integrity, honesty in debriefing the
participants and carrying out the research was ensured
 Justice: Fair and equal to all people. In being fair, there was no bias in the research. I made
sure to address the biases of the individuals completing the survey before results would be
generalized in a larger population.
 Respect for people’s right and dignity: Respect individual rights to dignity, privacy,
confidentiality and self-determination. As explained earlier every individual has the right
 to privacy therefore information was kept confidential by giving anonymity to participants
in the study.

In concluding, throughout the challenges that were faced in the research project, and the issues
that were able to be overcome I earned knowledge. In reflecting on this project on the philosophical
stances, the challenges and the ethical issues that is somehow of paramount importance, I was able
to complete but in all honesty, I truly could have successfully completed if only I had a bit more
time and better planning.

References

Additional Reading: USW General Ethnical Guidelines for Research and Consultancy File,
University of South Wales, [Downloaded]. Available at http://vle-
usw.unicaf.org/course/view.php?id=707.(Accessed: 7 December 2017). Reading: Research Ethics
File, University of South Wales, [Downloaded]. Available at http://vle-
usw.unicaf.org/course/view.php?id=707.(Accessed: 7 December 2017).

Additional Reading: Philosophy of Research: A Useful IntroductionFile, University of South

Wales, [Downloaded]. Available at http://vle-usw.unicaf.org/course/view.php?id=707.
(Accessed: 14 December 2017).
Reading: Research Philosophy and Design File, University of South Wales, [Downloaded].
Available at http://vle-usw.unicaf.org/course/view.php?id=707.(Accessed: 14 December 2017).

Nagy Hesse-Biber S. and Leavy, P.,2011. The Practice of Qualitative Research. 2nd ed. London:
SAGE Pubications Ltd.