Proposed research - in short

Proposed title: Competitiveness of Firefox
The preliminary introduction was a rough assertion of my topic direction. By now, I have realized the magnitude of research areas this subject has potential of evolving into. So, confining the subject area has been my first priority. Focus is, well yes – you guessed it – in focus. This research will direct attention to the Mozilla Firefox web browser.

Purpose of research:
By analyzing Mozilla Firefox’s technological innovation processes in combination with results from the questionnaire, this paper will articulate a set of propositions that could contribute, if executed, to the future success of Firefox.

I will address the specifics of the technological innovation processes later. First, here is what spured my idea concerning the questionnaire:

A self-acclaimed requirement of this paper is collection and use of primary data – in order to prove my understanding of what constitutes as a methodological correct approach. Investigating the web browser industry/market poses several challenges concerning this requirement.

First, undisclosed financial information from both Microsoft (MS) and Mozilla limits comparative research using financial results. Although MS is required to release periodic financial statements, it is impossible to subtract web browser specific earnings and costs. Along the same lines, Mozilla Corporation – a wholly owned subsidiary of non-profit Mozilla Foundation – is not required to disclose financial information and to not do so accordingly. From an organizational perspective, conducting email interviews with respective individuals from Mozilla may supply the needed primary data. However, I believe it is a partially saturated subject area. Numerous email and chat interviews of chief personnel from Mozilla are available online [Insert sources]. I will use it as a secondary data source and instead concentrate on an area that poses as less investigated: Why do users actually shift to Firefox?

The research question can be broken up into three principle directions which subsequently include different questions: (1) Yes, I am only using Firefox; (2) I only use IE; (3) I use both; (4) I use none of them. Selecting the fourth option ends the questionnaire at that point. To separate between home and office usage the questionnaire can be answered twice, one for each IP.

• (1) This line of questions will answer many of the unknowns regarding product characteristics as well as highlight the influence from users that are ideological adverse toward Microsoft. Additionally, this will identify to what extend users consciously consider the importance of having multiple active browsers in order to ensure proliferation of none-proprietary web standards.
• (2) This line of questions concerns issues related to shifting costs which includes some degree of product characteristics, user behavioural adaptation, and institutional settings. In additional, this direction will answer a marketing related question concerning awareness of Firefox which is used to exclude non-informed users.
• (3) Finally, this line of questions highlights user behaviour concerning multiple browser usage.

The questionnaire will follow within a month.