"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma"

A long time has passed from when I entered my first qualitative research class twelve weeks ago, fresh and naïve with aspirations to make the most insightful research contribution of the century. Needless to say I have been grounded, though am still motivated to make my contribution to the literature. 

My research project for the course has come quite a way as well. Whilst the same concept is there, the quality has improved dramatically. Attached below is a summary of where I am currently at. I have conducted my focus groups between both groups of university students, and have both transcribed and coded my data- I am in a position to personally vouch for NVivo, which has allowed me to organise my data in a way that would even make my mum proud (apparently the state of my room is less than desirable).

Whilst I have not yet analysed the data to draw conclusions, I have put in some basic and preliminary findings just to provide a bit of a taste, but the best is yet to come. From here, I will proceed to refine and explain my data to make it meaningful, being conscious of presenting my argument. I have given myself some guidelines to ensure I do this successfully. From looking at the different codes I have come up with, I have made a clear picture of the argument to be made and have written a structure based on this. I feel this will provide me with more direction, as ordinarily I just try to write with assertion and imbed the argument rather than be driven by the argument itself. I am also being conscious of using short, clear sentences rather than the waffle that I am susceptible too. In doing so, I am also hoping that this will display a more confident writing style. And to aid in this, I have already roped in a friend into proofing my first draft (providing dinner is always a good vibe)- This way I can get feedback from a third-party perspective, which will not only help with basic edits like spelling and grammar, but identify areas that could do with some more simple language and clarity of expression.

I am looking forward to the final product, but it can’t be all talk and no action. So on that note, I best get to it!

Title	Making a Splash: The influence of contextual cues on consumption practices for low involvement products
Theory	The study uses Bourdieu’s (1977) theory of practice and the notion of ‘habitus’ to ascertain the nature and motivations of habitual behaviour when applied to common consumption. Further, it applies the cue theory of consumption (Laibson, 2001) to ascertain the implications on habitual consumption practices when a stable consumption cue is removed.
Relevant Literature	An analysis of the literature has been undertaken in order to gain an understanding of the application of the theory of practice consumption to the habitual low involvement paradigm of consumer behaviour.  Habitual buying behaviour occurs under conditions of low consumer involvement and minimal functional difference between product offerings. This framework of practice occurs with automacity and is directly cued by the given context. However, the cue theory of consumption argues that removing consumption cues negatively affects the consumers involvement with the product and/or brand.
Research Gap	Whilst there is sufficient research in the field of habitual consumption, there is no prior study that ascertains the affect on consumption habits when a contextual cue is removed. This presents an opportunity for the current research project to address the habit disconuity hypothesis. This study aims to conduct research into the consumption habits of particular groups, exploring the implications for when contextual cues and product availability are removed and the manner in which this affects consumption habits. In doing so, the study proposed that consumption habits for a low involvement common repeat purchase product will decline when a key consumption contextual cue is removed (Wood & Neal, 2009). To test this, the research used a bottled water case study with Australian university students.
Methodology	In January 2011, the University of Canberra banned the sale of bottled water on campus in an attempt to influence students to becoming environmentally aware and to promote a sustainable campus (ABC News, 2011). As a result, a comparative case study was conducted to determine whether there are any attitudinal differences between students from the Australian National University and the University of Canberra, and whether this has been affected by removing the contextual consumption cue. This was done by conducting separate focus groups with students from each university, with results coded and synthesised to generate findings and answer the research question.
Preliminary Findings and Initial Observations	Early stages of analysis have identified different attitudes on the topic. University of Canberra students were observed to be more environmentally aware about bottled water and in support of the ban. On the other hand, ANU students strongly opposed the ban on bottled water and did not believe it would solve the issue- instead, it would cause more of an inconvenience. However, both groups agreed that they only buy the product for the bottle rather than the water itself, which they retain and fill up when empty. Consumption patterns for UC students have altered as a result of the ban. As they can no longer buy bottled water on campus, they will simply source the product from elsewhere and make more of a conscious effort to take care of the bottle. This reduces the amount of bottled water they purchase and in turn saves money. Furthermore, the university has begun pushing the sale of metal reusable water bottles, which have become a fashion accessory and point of conversation amongst students.
Conclusions	I am still in the process of coding data and am soon to commence the interpretation of findings. Therefore, there are no absolute conclusions. These will be presented in the final report after a thorough analysis.