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MN50358 Unit Handbook (Course Outline)
MN50358 Unit Handbook (Course Outline)
MN50358 Unit Handbook (Course Outline)
Learning Outcomes:
The aims of this module are to help students to understand the importance of research as an aid to management decision making and as a means
of gaining insights into marketing phenomena and practices. The module also enables students to evaluate the relative merits of different types
of research. More specifically this module underpins and prepares students to plan, design and conduct their own independent research based
project.
Lecture Schedule:
Week Readings from
Class Lecture Topic
Commencing Saunders et al (2016)
5-Feb 1 Introduction + Research Philosophies Chapter 1
Chapter 3
12-Feb 2 Literature Reviews and Sources
Identifying a research topic and question; research aims & Chapters 2 & 5
19-Feb 3
objectives;
Quantitative Methods (1) Questionnaire design, variable types Chapters 7 & 11
26-Feb 4
and measurements, sampling and Variables
Quantitative Methods(2)Descriptive statistics, hypothesis Chapter 12
5-Mar 5
testing and presenting findings
Qualitative Methods (1) – Research Design, qualitative data Chapters 9 & 10
12-Mar 6
collection, interviews and focus groups, etc
Qualitative Methods (2) – Qualitative Data Analysis Chapter 13
19-Mar 7
techniques and presenting findings
2-Apr
Recommended text:
• Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2016 edition). Research methods for business students, 6/e. Harlow, Essex: Pearson.
Assessment
Evaluation is fully based on your coursework. 20% of your final mark comes from your team research poster design. From this there should be
5-6 research questions generated, one for each person on the team. Each individual research question should be supported by its own relevant
literature and a suggested methodology. This will culminate in a team poster presentation session in week 9. 80% of your final mark comes from
an individual research proposal. Both shall reflect the full scope of learning over the term. However, the poster session presentation aims to
provide an opportunity for formative feedback on the student’s research ideas. The individual proposal will provide an opportunity for evaluative
feedback.
Please note that a ten percent penalty applies to any work handed in late. Any work handed in later than one week after the deadline will not be
marked. Any requests for coursework extensions should first be made to the course convenor and then (as appropriate) to the Departmental
Director for Teaching and Learning. The course work must show evidence of individual research.
Course Outlines:
Lecture Contents:
• Introduction to the programme
• Research Philosophies
Lecture Contents:
• Critically reviewing the literature
• Theoretical frameworks and arguments
• Research question development
Session 3: Identifying a research topic and question; research aims and objectives
Session 4: Quantitative Methods (1) – Questionnaire Design, Variable types and measurements, sampling
Lecture Contents:
• Questionnaire design
• Variables types and measurements
• Sampling
Lecture Contents:
• Descriptive statistics
• Hypothesis testing statistics
• Presenting Findings
Lecture Contents:
Research design, qualitative data collection, interviews, small group discussions and focus groups
Session 7: Qualitative Methods (2) – Data Analysis techniques and presenting findings
Lecture Contents:
• Qualitative data analysis techniques
• Qualitative findings presentation
Lecture Contents:
• Framing arguments, positioning your research
• Write-up techniques
Course Project
Late submission
Any report submitted late without prior approval will normally receive a maximum mark of 40%. This is a cap, i.e. if you achieve 39 out of 100
you will receive 39%, if you receive 59 out of 100 your mark will be recorded as 40%.If the case work or individual report is submitted after 5
working days, without prior approval, it will normally receive a mark of 0.
More details on the regulations on late submission and penalties for late submission are given in the School of Management policy in your
student handbook.
Remember to allow generous time for making final corrections, printing and binding your work. Never leave printing or binding to the day of
submission. No extensions will be given due to poor time management.
Poster Presentation
Submission Details:
Weighting: 20%
Format: 1 Page
Submission Details:
Weighting: 80%
Word limit: 3000 words
Spacing: 1.5
Font: 12 point, Times New Roman
Overview
The research proposal should reflect and be based upon the topic you are planning to investigate as part of your IRS. It is the principle
summative assessment for this unit an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the research process and your ability to
critically reflect on your proposed research design and epistemological approach. Fundamentally, the proposal is an explanation of your ideas
and how you wish to go about conducting your research. There are three main components to a research proposal:
2. Literature Review
Your literature review should build on the introduction to critically analyse what research currently exists about your topic. You also need to
discuss the theoretical foundation of your research. It should NOT just describe other research, but analyse and integrate theories together to help
you understand your research questions and help you develop your research questions and/or hypotheses. The literature review will be the
academic basis for the research and as such should make up a significant chunk of your proposal. Your IRS may then (if acceptable) build on
your proposal’s literature review and explain some of the concepts in more depth.
The following table outlines the criteria your assignments will be marked against.
Contribution 10%
▪ To literature
▪ To Practice
Presentation 10%
▪ Professional
▪ Good grammar & spelling
▪ Good structure
▪ Clearly written
Total