Planning: Competitor Analysis
Literature/competitors analysis is the most basic research for any further research methods. Research must begin with literature/competitors analysis. hat can prove you are capable to understand, compare, and conclude these data is you can analyze, summarize these original materials and put them into 'TABLE'.
Tips for an analysis table:
Column: for common relevant factors, significant findings.
Row: for source data by a certain order.
Example: Students Satisfaction of E-education
|
Researcher |
Methods |
Students |
Satisfaction |
|
|
Al |
Survey |
General |
Yes: 50%; No: 50% |
|
|
Bill |
Survey |
Executive |
Yes：29.4%；No：33.8% |
|
|
Regular |
Yes: 62.8% ；No: 25.7% | |||
|
Carl |
Case Study |
Regular |
Engineering |
Yes: 90% ; No: 10% |
|
Sciences |
Yes: 69.8% ；No: 30.2% |
|||
|
Social sciences |
Yes: 60.4% ；No: 39.6% |
|||
|
Liberal Art |
Yes: 52.2% ；No: 47.8% |
|||
|
Dell |
Case Study |
General |
Yes: 45.8% ；No: 41.7% |
|
|
Fall |
Case Study |
Regular |
Yes: 68.12% ；No: 31.87% |
|
Possible Conclusions:
-Students are not very satisfied.
-There are differences between executive students and regular students.
-There are differences among schools and majors.
-Research methods concerns.
Suggestions:
-Opportunity and risk for the market of e-education.
-Further questions: the reasons of students' satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
-Strategy for running a new e-education business.
Example: Models of E-education Websites
Detailed
Example in Chinese Version
| Sites | Text on web | AV assistance | Grant Degree | Faculty: Cross Campus | Students: collaborative interaction | Programs: interdisciplinary | Implication: SES breakthrough |
| Ark | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Book | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Click | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Dink | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Eerk | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Possible Conclusions:
-Websites with the former 3 characteristics could be categorized as 'Distanced Learning Model'.
-Websites with the whole 7 characteristics could be categorized as 'Virtual Integrated Campus Model'.
-'Virtual Integrated Campus Model' is still a vision more than a reality by now.
-Research methods concerns.
Suggestions:
-The meaning and implication of the latter 4 characteristics.
-The advantages and barricades of the 'Virtual Integrated Campus Model'.
-Where is the bridge to the vision?
