Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Challenges: A Qualitative Study with ONDAS Framework Across Multiple Disciplines and Innovative Research Methodologies

Abstract

The integration levels among research methods, management, research tools, and psychology could guide the development of the ONDAS framework toward the secrets of knowledge. The research grounds on undergraduate and graduate students' challenges, with particular emphasis on the need for writing critical literature reviews and weaknesses in identifying benchmark studies to extract the research gap and main research questions, resulting in most fresh graduate students not graduating on time. Some master’s students write doctoral theses, and vice versa, confusing their identified research approach. The study utilizes desk documents to identify the main problems that most students experienced during their research, to determine the knowledge structure through the analysis of benchmark studies, and to achieve the framework’s development foundation. As a result, it proposes ONDAS framework characteristics, procedures, and rules to be applied in different fields through data triangulation. Aiming to help the research process, ONDAS focused the study from its very beginning until viva voice discussion; this framework decreases the time of writing and preparation, guiding the research and strategy processes, and promoting tools to help with the analysis and elaboration of final theses. Results were achieved by a qualitative approach using the case study method that includes 40 participants in a semi-structured questionnaire on their experiences with ONDAS framework. Most participants showed higher control and motivation, finishing on time and conducting their research with high precision and focus, establishing the integration of four primary levels that aid in developing the ONDAS framework across multiple disciplines and innovative research methodologies. Specifically, it is helpful for the scientific research community in academic-industry liaisons. This study is seen as the first of its kind to assess participants' attitudes, especially their research journey that serves as the primary way of adoption.