BUINESS RESEARCH METHODS Module Guide

In this module, we shall cover: Academic writing, including referencing, style and format Introduction to business and management research Undertaking effective post graduate research

On completion of this module you will be able to: 1. Learning Success:

Understand various approaches and methods in management research and be able to discern
which is appropriate when. Be able to distinguish between poor and well founded research project proposals 2. Research Success:

Understand the key concepts involved in developing a research proposal and how they
interrelate in a complementary way to form a coherent research proposal. Undertake a critical review of the literature in the chosen subject area prior to framing the research question. Formulate a set of research objectives. Critically compare alternative research techniques and evaluate their uses and limitations. Prepare a research proposal which reflects utility and which demonstrates an understanding of validity, reliability and generalisation. The units in this module are entitled: 1. Introduction into research methods 2. Developing a Research Topic 3. Doing a literature review 4. Business research Design 5. Collecting and analysing qualitative data 6. Collecting and analysing qualitative data (Part 1) 7. Collecting and analysing qualitative data (Part 2) 8. Writing your proposal and research 9. Politics and ethics of research Module Assessment:

Pass Requirements A 'pass' for the module is recorded with a grade of at least 40% for all assignments. All failed assessments must be resubmitted at the next available opportunity, normally the following term. You need to have submitted an assessment to qualify for each resubmission opportunity. Late Submission Assignments need to be submitted electronically in Moodle by the specified deadline. Assignments submitted after the deadline without extenuating circumstances will be treated as a 'fail' and given a mark of '0'. No Submission Students who do not submit either one or all of their assignments are not entitled to resubmit and will therefore fail the module. As a result of their failure to pass the module, students will automatically fail to qualify for a Masters Award. Resubmission Provision Students who have failed one or more assessments for this module are required to resubmit the failed assessment(s) at the next available opportunity, usually the following term. University regulations related to the capping of resubmission marks apply. Deadline: Week 6 Monday 21 May 2012 by 09.00am via Turnitin Weighting: 40% (Individual Research Proposal) Assessor: Tutor Word limit: 1500 words.
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Assignment 1 requires you to engage with the Business and Management Research Methods tools typically employed to plan for a proposed piece of original research. The Mid
Term Module Assessment requires you to produce a Research Proposal to investigate a relevant business issue and will contribute to existing knowledge. It is imperative that you complete

the requirements of L01-L04 as part of the marking criteria.

Option 1 - Prepare a Research Proposal based a business issue selected by you or Option 2 - Prepare a Research Proposal based on the business issue supplied by your programme coordinator (a list to follow). Your research proposal MUST be in line with your specialisation. Approaching the Assignment: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Identify the key terms and requirements for a Research Proposal Use the Marking Criteria to understand the expectations of the reader. Create an outline of your assignment. Use your Research and Referencing to support and justify all your points Use Evidence to support your proposed research design and methodology

Your assignment should include in-text citations and be supported with a full List of References. You are expected to use the CU Harvard Referencing Style. Please refer to the CU referencing guide. Please remember that when you submit your assignment, you need to include:

Your Name Your Student ID number The Title of the Assignment (in the Submission Title box)
Suggested Structure - Research Proposal

1. Research Proposal Title Reflect as accurately as possible the content of your chosen topic. 2. Abstract This is a brief statement of what you are intending to research. It should be no
more than 1-2 paragraphs. This needs to describe the proposal content. 3. Introduction

Relevance of the Proposed Research to Business Research Place the proposed study in context Justification of the chosen topic Value of this research 4. Research Question(s) and Research Objectives The research question(s) can be one overall question or a number (preferably 3-4) question(s)
that the research process will address. Research objectives (3 different research objectives) must be clear statements that identify what the research process seeks to achieve. Both research questions and research objectives must relate to the literature review 5. Literature Review

Clear and precise knowledge that relate to the research topic. Explain how your proposal relates to the academic debate which has been identified as part of
the literature review.

Demonstrate a link between previous work and current work that has been done in your field
of research interest.

Highlight in your literature review where your research question(s)/objectives came from. 6. Method Relates to your research questions and research objectives and shows how you will achieve
them.

Your method consists of two parts: (1) Research design relates to the research opinion (philosophies, approaches, strategies,
choices, time horizon). You are expected to make strong justifications in support of your chosen research design. (2) Data collection relates to the last phase of the research onion (techniques and procedures). Identify how specifically the data will be collected (i.e. questionnaire, focus group, etc...). You are expected to provide the advantages and disadvantages of the various data collection methods and select the most appropriate data collection method(s). Your chosen method (1) Research design and (2) Data collection must relate to the purpose of your study. 7. References 8. Appendix (if required) End of Module Assessment Rubric <><><>

SECTION A: LEARNING OUTCOME ASSESSMENT LO Number

Marks Available Learning Outcome Descriptor Research topic investigates an area of business and justifies the focus of the study as well as the significance of the study Compile an appropriate literature that informs an appreciation of complexity of the chosen business issue to be investigated Develop three different aims and objectives are clearly stated and relevant to the area of research highlighted in the abstract and based on the review of literature Selects an appropriate research designs that is fully justified in relation to the chosen topic. Defines the key terms and relates the design to previous studies carried out in the field of research. Clearly demonstrates an appreciation of research epistemology and ontology in relation to their chosen design.

Marks Awarded

L04.1

0-20

L04.2

0-20

L04.3

0-20

L04.4 Comments

0-20 Section A Total Marks Available 0-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10

0 Marks Awarded

SECTION B: Criteria Professional Presentation

RESEARCH PROPOSAL Level Descriptor Very poor presentation, organisation and basic issues with use of written English Poor presentation, badly organised, weak communication in written English Acceptable level of presentation, some issues with overall structure, no serious faults in use of English Good level of presentation and clear structure, good use of English grammar & syntax Outstanding level of presentation, faultless and compelling use of English grammar & syntax Actively participates with the teaching and learning styles of the module, actively engaged in class based activities in seminars and group activities. Participation is supported by attendance in classes that meets the expected 100% attendance and not below 80%. Evidence provided through in class presentations in each week between Week 1-5.

Attendance and Participation

0-10 Section BTotal Assessment Total (A+B+C)

0 0

Deadlines for Final Assessment: Week 9 Monday 11th June 2012 by 09.00am via Turnitin Weighting: 50% (Individual Research Proposal) Week 10 Monday 18th

Weighting: 10% of your marks contribute to your attendance and participation of a group presentation. Assessor: Tutor Word limit: 2500 words.

Assignment 1 requires you to engage with the Business and Management Research Methods tools typically employed to plan for a proposed piece of original research. The Mid
Term Module Assessment requires you to produce a Research Proposal to investigate a relevant business issue and will contribute to existing knowledge. It is imperative that you complete the

requirements of L01-L04 as part of the marking criteria.

Option 1 - Prepare a Research Proposal based a business issue selected by you or Option 2 - Prepare a Research Proposal based on the business issue supplied by your programme coordinator (a list to follow). Your research proposal MUST be in line with your specialisation. Approaching the Assignment: 1. Identify the key terms and requirements for a Research Proposal 2. Use the Marking Criteria to understand the expectations of the reader. 3. Create an outline of your assignment. 4. Use your Research and Referencing to support and justify all your points 5. Use Evidence to support your proposed research design and methodology Your assignment should include in-text citations and be supported with a full List of References. You are expected to use the CU Harvard Referencing Style. Please refer to the CU referencing guide. Please remember that when you submit your assignment, you need to include:

Your Name Your Student ID number The Title of the Assignment (in the Submission Title box)
Suggested Structure - Research Proposal

1. Research Proposal Title Reflect as accurately as possible the content of your chosen topic. 2. Abstract This is a brief statement of what you are intending to research. It should be no more
than 1-2 paragraphs. This needs to describe the proposal content. 3. Introduction Relevance of the Proposed Research to Business Research Place the proposed study in context Justification of the chosen topic Value of this research 4. Research Question(s) and Research Objectives The research question(s) can be one overall question or a number (preferably 3-4) question(s) that the research process will address. Research objectives (3 different research objectives) must be clear statements that identify what the research process seeks to achieve.

Both research questions and research objectives must relate to the literature review 5. Literature Review Clear and precise knowledge that relate to the research topic. Explain how your proposal relates to the academic debate which has been identified as part of
the literature review. Demonstrate a link between previous work and current work that has been done in your field of research interest. Highlight in your literature review where your research question(s)/objectives came from. 6. Method Relates to your research questions and research objectives and shows how you will achieve them. Your method consists of two parts: (1) Research design relates to the research opinion (philosophies, approaches, strategies, choices, time horizon). You are expected to make strong justifications in support of your chosen research design. (2) Data collection relates to the last phase of the research onion (techniques and procedures). Identify how specifically the data will be collected (i.e. questionnaire, focus group, etc...). You are expected to provide the advantages and disadvantages of the various data collection methods and select the most appropriate data collection method(s). Your chosen method (1) Research design and (2) Data collection must relate to the purpose of your study. 7. Research Ethics 8. Timescale Break down the research process into a series of steps Highlight how much time is needed to be made available for data collection and analysis 9. Resources Think about the resources needed for the completion of the project that you are proposing. This could include direct costs (travel, accommodation) or indirect costs (time). 10. References 11. Appendix (if required)