Research Methods
Module Handbook
Module Leader’s introduction
The aims of this module are to:
1.
Facilitate the generation of
high-quality, rigorous and systematic research;
2.
Encourage students to reflect
critically upon the theoretical and philosophical assumptions underpinning
research methodology;
3.
Consider the ethical aspects of
conducting research;
4.
Allow students to undertake a
self-managed process of systematic enquiry within the domain of the MSc
programme being studied;
5.
Produce a coherently structured
research proposal.
By the end of the module, students should
be able to:
1.
Recognise and critically
evaluate approaches to business and management research and the assumptions
upon which they are based;
2.
Develop a structured programme
of research based upon informed choices about the methodological approaches to
be followed;
3.
Conduct the research in a systematic
rigorous yet critically reflective manner;
4.
Synthesise data from a wide
variety of sources having due regard to issues of generalisability, validity
and reliability within an acceptable dissertation format.
Module leader contact details
Name: Prof Levent Altinay /
Dr Peiran Su
Room: CLC.1.31 / CLC.1.29,
Headington Campus
Telephone: 01865 48 3832 / 01865 48 5724
email: laltinay@brookes.ac.uk / psu@brookes.ac.uk
Office hours: Appointment via email / Appointment
via email
Seminar tutors
Levent Altinay,
Peiran Su and Chengbo Wang.
Name: Dr Chengbo Wang
Room: CLC.1.29, Headington
Campus
Telephone: 01865 48 5932
email: chengbowang@brookes.ac.uk
Office hours: Appointment via email
Academic Liaison Librarian
Name: Isabel Virgo / Deborah
Lenihan
Email: ivirgo@brookes.ac.uk / dflenihan@brookes.ac.uk
|
Week |
Topic |
Reading/Activity |
Deadlines |
|
1 |
Introduction |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
2 |
Research
Question |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
3 |
Conceptual
Framework |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
4 |
Questionnaires |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
5 |
Interviews |
Lecture and discussion |
|
|
6 |
Mid-term Review
and Discussion |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
7 |
Observation |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
8 |
Secondary Data and
Research Philosophies |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
9 |
Developing the
Research Proposal |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
10 |
Q&A |
Research
proposal |
Friday, 13.00 03/04/2020 |
|
11 |
Qualitative Data
Analysis |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
|
12 |
Quantitative
Data Analysis |
Lecture and
discussion |
|
Students on MSc programmes are expected to
undertake effective research drawing upon a range of primary and secondary data
sources in the preparation of coursework. Research skills are therefore of
general relevance to all MSc modules. It is important that students are exposed
to a range of generic methodological issues, techniques and study skills. The
Research Methods module is particularly geared towards preparation for, and
successful completion of, high quality, rigorous and systematic management
research which is especially required for the dissertation. It is of general
relevance to the successful completion of coursework.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A.
(2016) Research Methods for Business Students (7th ed.). Harlow: Pearson.
Further reading:
Altinay, L. Paraskevas, A. and Jang, S.
(2016). Planning Research in Hospitality and Tourism, Routledge: Oxford.
Bryman, A. & Bell, E. (2015) Business
Research Methods (4th. ed.). Oxford University Press.
Fisher, C. M., Buglear, J. (2010)
Researching and writing a dissertation: an essential guide for business
students (3rd. ed.). Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall.
Forsyth, P. (2016) How to write reports
& proposals (4th ed). London: Kogan Page.
Hart, C. (2005) Doing your masters
dissertation: realizing your potential as a social scientist. London: Sage.
Punch, K. (2016) Developing effective
research proposals (3rd ed). London: Sage.
Ridley, D. (2012) The literature review: a
step-by-step guide for students. London: Sage.
Sekaran, U. & Bougie, R. (2016)
Research Methods for Business (7th ed.). Chichester: Wiley.
Silverman, D. (2015) Interpreting
qualitative data (5th ed). London: Sage.
Yin, R. (2018) Case study research and
applications: design and methods (6th ed.). London: Sage.
The library at
Oxford Brookes University is of primary importance as an information resource
whilst you are a student here. The specialist resources for students in the Business
School are based on the Headington Campus site and are supported by a highly qualified
team of specialist Academic Liaison Librarians.
The Library home
page is at http://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/ and
from here you can navigate to the resources you need.
Your first priority will probably be to find
books on your reading list. This
can be done by going to the Library home page and clicking on ‘Books and e-books’, and entering the
title, author or other information into the search box.
You will also probably want journal articles on your
reading list if these are not provided through Talis Aspire. These can also
be accessed from the Library home page by clicking on ‘Find a database’ then choosing your subject. This takes you to a
page from where you can navigate to the appropriate resource.
You can learn more about how to find books
and journals in the Libraries by clicking
on https://www.brookes.ac.uk/library/library-services/information-skills/teach-yourself/. Please feel free to get in touch with the
Academic Liaison Librarian for help and advice.
Upgrade is the University's confidential
study advice service for anyone who wants advice on statistics, maths and study
skills such as planning and writing essays, assignments and dissertations, and
more.
For more information about Upgrade and the
services offered, check the website at http://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/upgrade/
This module follows the principles of the University’s Assessment
Compact developed in conjunction with the Student Union, to ensure good
practice and transparency in assessment and feedback processes. The Assessment
Compact can be found in your Programme Handbook or on your programme’s Brookes
Virtual site.
Coursework
Learning outcomes assessed
All
Assignment task
The individual assignment is to write a research proposal. The
weighting of the assignment is 100%.
The research proposal is divided into the following parts (with each
part’s weighting in the brackets):
Working title (5%), including information which relates to the proposed study which you
wish to undertake.
Introduction (20%), including research rational and research objectives. This section
should highlight the importance of the topic for the literature (new body of
knowledge) and explain how and why the research topic was chosen. This should
also highlight the aim and the objectives of the study.
Literature review (25%), this section should review the literature on the study topic. It
should compare and contrast perspectives that have been gleaned from reading
and investigating the subject. The literature review must be fully referenced
using the Harvard style format. This introductory literature review will be a
substantive part of this proposal and form the basis of the literature used
within your dissertation. This is a crucial part of the Research Proposal.
Methods (40%), including research strategies and data sources. This should include:
(a) the data collection methods to be used with a brief rationale for the
choice of these methods. (b) choice of sampling (where appropriate). (c) The
potential limitations that have already been discovered with the research topic
and how the student might be able to overcome these limitations.
Plan (5%). This should explain the key activities that need to be undertaken
to complete the dissertation. It should also include a time plan and the
resources needed to undertake the proposed research.
References (5%) In text citations and the reference list should use Harvard style.
Appropriate referencing is important to avoid plagiarism so please take this
seriously. Please read the guidelines and regulations provided later for more
specific details.
Assessment criteria
DISTINCTION (a mark of 70%-100%) – Your Proposal provides a powerful
rationale for the subject. The proposed topic is challenging, as well as being
appropriate to the requirements of the Master’s Dissertation (in terms of focus
and academic level). The aims and objectives are precise, realistic and
consistent with the rationale. You provide a thorough review of the relevant
literature in the subject area by using a range of appropriate and up-to-date
sources. Identifies and critically evaluates an appropriate theoretical
framework which underpins the study. There is evidence of evaluation and
selectivity of the material presented. The literature review also demonstrates
an excellent understanding of the subject through critical interpretation and
analysis of issues. The proposal evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the
chosen research approach. A research method(s) is chosen which is excellently
justified through the evaluation of at least three methods. Potential
limitations are assessed. A realistic, detailed and practical time plan has
been developed. The proposal is well structured and excellently presented.
MERIT (a mark of 60%-69%) – Your Proposal provides a good rationale
for the subject. The proposed topic is very appropriate to the requirements of
the Master’s Dissertation. The aims and objectives are well conceived and
formulated, and are consistent with the stated rationale. You provide a
thorough review of relevant literature in the subject area using appropriate
sources. There is evidence of a theoretical framework having been developed.
The literature review demonstrates an understanding and critical review of the
subject and its implications for the study. The proposal identifies and begins
to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the chosen research approach. A
research method(s) is chosen which is well justified through the evaluation of
at least three methods. Potential limitations are identified. A realistic and
practical time plan has been developed. The proposal is well structured and
presented.
PASS (a mark of 50%-59%) – Your Proposal provides a relatively sound
rationale for the subject. The proposed topic is appropriate to the
requirements of the Master’s Dissertation. The aims and objectives are
consistent with the stated rationale. You provide a review of relevant
literature in the subject area using appropriate sources. There is some
evidence of a theoretical framework having been developed. The literature
review demonstrates an understanding of the subject and its implications for
the study. The proposal identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the chosen
research approach. A research method(s) is chosen which is justified through
the evaluation of at least three methods. Potential limitations are identified.
A realistic and practical time plan has been developed. The proposal is
effectively presented.
REFER (a mark of 0-49%) – Your Proposal does not provide a specific
rationale for the subject. The proposal is unfocused and not presented well.
The aims and objectives are poorly conceived. There is evidence that you have
carried out some review of the literature, but this is likely to be limited.
You have not identified an appropriate theoretical framework to underpin your
study. The proposal does not sufficiently identify the strengths and weaknesses
of the chosen research approach. A research method(s) has been chosen which is
not sufficiently justified through the evaluation of at least three methods and
as a result may be inappropriate. Potential limitations are not identified.
Lack of a realistic and practical time plan. The proposal is not well
presented.
Presenting coursework for assessment
Your assignment must be presented in the following
format:
q It must be word-processed in
11-point Arial font and double-spaced
q All pages must be numbered
q Margins
must be as follows: Top: 1 inch, Bottom: 1 inch (2.5 cm), Left: 1.25 inches,
Right: 1.25 inches (3.2 cm)
q It
should not contain your name(s)
Assignment length
The length of an assignment is limited by a set
number of 2,000 words to contribute towards the development of writing skills
and to ensure all work is assessed equitably. We therefore require you to
complete your assignments within this number of words specified in the
assignment brief.
You will need to think carefully about how best to
explain your case within the permitted number of words, using, for example, an
appropriate mix of text, drawings, diagrams and tables, supplemented by
information contained in appendices.
Please also remember that a report can be enhanced
or damaged through layout, for example, placing all tables and drawings in
appendices can hamper the flow of discussion. Decisions therefore need to be
made about the most appropriate place to use tables etc, to support your case.
The specified word count refers
to the main body of the report and does not include front cover, title page,
contents page, executive summary, reference list, bibliography or appendices. The
word count does include headings, tables and in-text citations, but not equations
or diagrams.
Appendices themselves will not be marked. However,
inappropriate use of appendices will be taken into consideration when awarding
the final mark.
Words that exceed the maximum allowed will not be
marked. If in doubt, you should discuss this with the Module Leader before submission.
Submission date and instructions
Your
work must be uploaded to Turnitin in Moodle by 13.00 on 03 April 2020.
For
electronic submission: Give the file(s) which you intend to upload a name which
begins with your student number followed by the module name or code. For
example ‘12345678_moduleXXXXX’.
For student who are registered
with the Dyslexia/SpLD Service, any submission through Moodle and Turnitin will
trigger a notification of a Blue Card and there is no action required by a
student.
Please ensure you submit your assignment no later than the deadline
set above (these are fixed but students may exceptionally secure a 24-hour
grace period if last minute untoward circumstances affect your ability to
submit on time). Please note over-use of this facility will be reviewed.
University
policy is that the default is that all assessment submissions will be online.
Any cases for exception to this policy needs to have appropriate approval at
Programme or Faculty level.
Marking and moderation of your work
Following internal moderation, a sample of
work is reviewed by the External Examiner for the programme to ensure that the
standards applied are comparable to those at other institutions.
Feedback
Feedback on your work will be provided in a
range of ways at various times throughout this module, and different feedback
will serve slightly different purposes. Feedback is designed to support your
learning and help you to improve subsequent work, so you need to engage and get
the most out of the feedback provided.
Please note that feedback is provided
throughout the module NOT JUST ON FORMAL ASSESSED TASKS. It will be provided on
your work and contribution in class, on the formal assessment tasks and, in
some circumstances, during staff office hours.
If you would like further information about
feedback, or how to use it, please talk to your tutor on this module or your
Academic Adviser or Programme Lead
Please note that all marks are provisional
until they are ratified by an Examination Committee.
Turnitin<Mandatory if applicable>
The assignment
on this module will be submitted through Turnitin. Turnitin is a web-based tool
that supports the development of good academic practice when preparing written
work for assessment. This text-matching tool allows academic staff to check
assignments for improper use of sources or potential plagiarism by comparing it
against continuously up-dated databases (including webpages and other student
work).
Exceptional Circumstances Policy
If circumstances outside of your control (for example, medical circumstances)
affect your ability to meet an assessment deadline or attend an assessment
event (e.g. examination, presentation) then it is ESSENTIAL that you access and
utilise the Exceptional Circumstances Policy.
Please see the Programme Handbook for an outline
of the principles and operation of the Exceptional Circumstances Policy within
Oxford Brookes University and links to the University Regulations.
Where can I find out more?
The advice and guidance landing page link is https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/your-studies/exceptional-circumstances/
As already advised in the Submissions
information for this Module Handbook, students may exceptionally secure a 24-hour
grace period if last minute untoward circumstances affect your ability to
submit on time. Please note over-use of this facility will be reviewed
Resit Requirements
All students who do not pass, at the first
attempt, an assessment will be entitled to a resit.
The
full mark for any assessment component of assessment passed at first sit will
go forward to be combined with any capped marks achieved at resit in accordance
with weightings stipulated in the module description
Please also see
Programme Handbook for details of the Resit and Retake Policy within Oxford
Brookes University and links to the University Regulations.
Guidance on the University policy on Resits and
Retakes can be found here:
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/your-studies/resits-and-retakes/
Authenticating your coursework
You must be able to demonstrate that the course
work you submit for assessment is your own. You must therefore keep all working
documents (electronic and paper) that you used or created while preparing the
assignment, such as photocopies of sources and internet pages, your own notes
on your reading and preparation and where primary research has been conducted,
completed questionnaires or interview schedules, details of the process of
analysis, field notes and so on. Most importantly, you
should keep the early developing drafts of your coursework as evidence of the
originality of your work by saving each revision to a file with a different
name. This material should be kept until after the module results have been
published on “Student Information”
If you are not too confident in the accuracy
of your written English, you may want to ask someone to help you by checking
your work. However it is important that this is not done in such a way that you
are committing academic misconduct, which could result in disciplinary action. University
guidance can be found at:
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/Documents/Regulations/Current/Other/E21-Guidance-on-Proofreading/
In addition, if a checking or proofreading
service is used, the Faculty of Business requires you to declare this at the
front of your work, giving the name of the person who did this for you.
University
regulation C1.1.4 Behaviour
which will be regarded as a breach of the Academic Conduct Regulations
Please ensure you are
familiar with the regulations in relation to Academic Integrity. The University
takes this issue very seriously and students have been expelled or had their
degrees withheld for cheating in assessment. It is important that students
having difficulties with their work should seek help from their tutors rather
than be tempted to use unfair means to gain marks. Students should not risk
losing their degree and undermining all the work they have done towards it. You
are expected to have familiarised yourself with these regulations.
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/regulations/current/appeals-complaints-and-conduct/c1-1/c1-1-4/
Please
also see https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/student-disputes/student-conduct/academic-misconduct/
A note on equality, diversity and inclusion
Oxford Brookes Business School promotes an
inclusive learning environment in which individuals are valued and supported in
achieving their full potential. The Faculty endeavours to meet its duties under
the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate unfair discrimination and promote equality
of opportunity and good relations among members of the university
community. For the university statement on equality,
diversity and inclusion please see
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/staff/human-resources/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/edi-at-brookes/
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