UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH PROCESS

In this course, I developed a strong foundation in tourism engaging and understanding the research process and design. This course made me think critically and I learnt ethical research practices. I learned the full research process, from formulating research questions and identifying gaps in the literature to selecting appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods and analyzing data. Through key assignments involving interviewing, literature review, and survey design, I built foundational research skills. This helped prepare me for my independent research in my TMGT 4020 Graduating Seminar course. 

In this course, I completed an independent research project to show the knowledge I have gained at TRU throughout studying in the Bachelor of Tourism Management program. This course required the development of a professional research document and a formal oral presentation. The seminar served as a capstone experience, highlighting my ability to apply academic research to the tourism industry and present findings in a professional context. I chose to research “how does planned tourism-related consumer behaviour among study abroad students change before, during, and after study abroad?”

During my first co-op work term, I supported the early stages of a tourism employer engagement research project (Tourism Sponsorship Program) within the Career and Experiential Learning Department under Jamie Noakes. I compiled and organized a database of tourism employers to identify potential participants for the study. As the project moved into its employer engagement phase, I assisted in preparing documentation for Research Ethics Board approval (File # 103871, 103870, 103568). I also contributed to the initial development of the research proposal, helping direct the study’s purpose, objectives, and methodological approach. The proposal shows early-stage planning, while ethics training and consent procedures show appropriate preparation before engaging in semi-structured interviews.