In Land Barge Transportation in Europe and China - Research Paper Example

? In Land Barge Transportation in Europe and China China and Europe are two distinctively different regions with different cultures and different demographic factors. China is in Asia and is an economic powerhouse in the region. With a population of more than a billion people, China is arguably the most populated country in the world. It is a developed country and continues to attract more investors annually due to its cheap labor and electricity costs. The country has an efficient transportation infrastructure, which includes an effective roads and rail transportation system. This coupled with an expansive waterway, which allows for a number of water transportation key among which is the Inland barge transportation system, results in an efficient economy that continues to grow at an annual rate of 6.7%. Europe on the other hand lies thousands of miles away from china and is an entire continent with tens of developed countries. This is arguably the only continent in the world consisting of only developed country. The region uses a single currency a factor that allows free movement of goods and labor across the countries in the continent. The region too has an effective transportation infrastructure, which includes state of the arts roads and efficient rail network coverage of the entire region. Apart from these, the region enjoys a wide access to major water world water bodies and a number of inland lakes all of which further necessitate the use of the inland barge as a means of transportation. With such backgrounds, the regions undeniably use inland barge as a means of transporting both goods and labor in and out of the regions. The history if the means of transport dates back to the seventeenth century when the regions used mundane technologies to power the machines. The efficiency the regions enjoyed from the use of the transportation system led to the development of the regions and the modern technology continues to perfect the machines to increase their reliability making them of utmost relevant to the modern society and the modern day development process. The topic is therefore researchable since it is evident that the mode of transport contributed to the development of the region and it is speculated that the two regions use different technologies to power the machines and employ the machines in different uses. The claim that inland barge is a more efficient means of transporting goods than rail and roads is also worth investigating since despite the claims, the two regions still have extensive road and rail coverage and use these to transport goods across the regions. Despite these, the geographical context of the two regions and the distance separating the two regions pose a great challenge in conducting the research (Kuada, 2012). The scope of the research is too wide to collect the data within the set period of two months. The research therefore requires a large budget if the researcher is to employ some of the involving means of data collection. However, to remedy the challenges posed by these, the research assumes both a qualitative and quantitative research structure. Fusing the two in most researches normally widens the scope of the research but the reach in this context is wide already and therefore complex. The qualitative aspect of the research vies the features of the means of transportation and the uniqueness of its employment in the different regions. Finding data for this type of research is not difficult since it all relies on the previous works done by other scholars and researchers (Rajendra, 2011). This therefore makes this aspect of the research a content analysis of the structures of the mode of transportation and the different features it possesses. The quantitative aspect of the research relies on the measurable components of the transportation system in the two regions. This type of research makes comparison easier to conduct since the researcher will require only a workable variable or a number of workable variables that apply to both regions and compare the findings (Kothari, 2005). This is easier said than done especially in this context that the research covers such a wide region. The comparable variable requires actual determination, which will therefore require the researchers’ presence in the locations of data collection. Quantitative research also deduces effectual conclusions since the researcher compares his or her findings and draws conclusions from the collected data. This makes the research more factual since the figures are presented as from the findings. From the findings of a quantitative research, the researcher easily presents the findings in graphical presentations, which are easier to interpret thus, deduce the conclusions and recommendations. The use of such graphical representations as charts and graphs make the research look more realistic besides the aesthetic role they play. To overcome the limitations presented by the geographical locations of the two research regions, the research therefore employs convenient tactics to ensure that the researcher collects the appropriate data for the study. The research therefore employs the possibilities availed by the developments in information technology. Thanks to the internet, the world is now a global village, one in which every region is accessible from whichever location one is. Additionally, the research strategically chooses both China and Europe two of the most developed regions in the world. Information technology usage in the two regions is rife and the average population has access to high speed internet connectivity with adequate knowledge of its operation. This makes accessing the regions easier; furthermore, the internet is a pool of information on virtually every topic that one may think of (Goddard & Melville, 2001). This therefore makes it a preferred source of information on the usage of the inland barge as a means of transportation in the two regions. This makes it easier for the researcher to conduct the content analysis part of the research and make valid claims and conclusions. The research will therefore employ the use of a number data collection methodologies key among which will include the use of questionnaires. These are more preferred in such a scenario where the respondent is thousands of miles away from the researcher. The questionnaires will be mailed to the respondent over the internet and received through the same mechanism. In addition to the questionnaires, the research employs the use of interviews and observation to collect data. The qualitative aspect of the research relies heavily on the observational skills of the researcher. To necessitate this in time, the researcher will therefore employ the researchers in the regions of the research (Panneerselvam, 2004). The internet offers effective forms of employment and payment. The researcher will therefore contract clerks and instruct them on the type of data to collect and the time within which to submit their responses. This way, the research collects effective data without the researcher having to incur the transportation costs. References Goddard, W., & Melville, S. (2001). Research methodology: An introduction. Lansdowne: Juta. Kothari, C. R. (2005). Research methodology: Methods & techniques. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd. Kuada, J. E. (2012). Research methodology: A project guide for university students. Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur. Panneerselvam, R. (2004). Research methodology. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India. Rajendra, K. (2011). Research methodology. New Delhi: APH Publishing. Read More