RESEARCH PROJECT

MANAGEMENT
(756N1)

Prof. Dimitra Petrakaki

24 May 2022
AGENDA
 Supervision process: setting the expectations

 Different types of projects

 Key steps in the research project

 Marking criteria

 Research Ethics
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
 Independent research (guided)

 Output: 8,500 words (excluding references & appendices)

 30 credits

 Summer term (June-September)

SUPERVISION: SETTING THE
EXPECTATIONS
 You are responsible for initiating contact with your supervisor.

 3 meetings during the summer term are expected.

 Dates and modes of communication need to be mutually

agreed in advance!
 Online, in person or mixed ways of communicating are all

acceptable.
SUPERVISION: SETTING THE
EXPECTATIONS
 Take advantage of the time the supervisor gives you to ask

questions that matter.

 Draw on supervisors’ feedback to improve work (forward

orientation).

 Supervisor is the first marker & the moderation process.

STRUCTURED
RESEARCH
PROJECT
STRUCTURED RESEARCH
PROJECTS
 For students whose average performance in TB1 below 60%.

 Option for all other students.

 Focus: a research project on organizational change.

 Choose: any organisation (public; private; NGO) anywhere in the world.

 Use secondary data or primary data (must have supervisor’s consent).

Please note primary data collection require research ethics application
and approval.
STRUCTURED RESEARCH
PROJECTS
Compulsory questions:
1. What were the reasons that led to organisational change and
what was the purpose of change?
2. Who were the involved stakeholders and what role did each
of them play in the process of change?
3. Describe, using relevant theory and/or framework, the
process of change that occurred in the organization you’ve
chosen.
4. Describe how the changing organisational context has
influenced the changes that have been undertaken.
5. How would you evaluate the outcome of change?
 STRUCTURED RESEARCH
PROJECTS
 Choose two questions from the following:
1. Discuss the role that leadership played in this organisational
change project.
2. Analyse the challenges of changing organizational culture.
3. Describe the role that Information Technology played in
organisational change.
4. Discuss the role of innovation (in products and/or services) in
the changes that have been observed.
5. Analyse the politics that occurred in the process of change and
report instances of resistance to change.
6. Report on what were the lessons that we can learn from the
reported organizational change.
 STRUCTURE OF STRUCTURED
PROJECTS
 Abstract (about 300 words)
1. Introduction (about 600 words)
2. Literature Review (about 2,000 words)
3. Research Methodology (about 1,000 words)
You are expected to provide a description of the methods you
used to gather information, the ways in which you analysed it,
justification of the methodology you followed and reflection on
the limitations of the project drawing upon relevant literature
(see Research Methods module)
 STRUCTURE OF STRUCTURED
PROJECTS
4. Case study (about 2,500 words)
Company background and profile; describe its
organisational change responding to the five compulsory
questions above.
5. Discussion (about 1,500 words)
You should discuss and analyse in depth two issues of
organisational change using relevant literature (optional
questions above).
Conclusions (about 600 words)
References (must be in Harvard style not included in the word
limit)
 Appendices (optional)
DISSERTATIONS
 DISSERTATIONS/RESEARCH
PROJECTS
 Focus on a few research questions (ideally no more than three,

with exceptions)

 Why this topic?

 Topical and Fashionable? (Covid-19; digital work; e-health;

online education etc.)

 Well-known problem, approached from a novel perspective?

 Supervisor said so?

NARROWING DOWN YOUR
TOPIC
 From a broad topic to a specific topic

“The consequences of technology on work”

“The consequences of information technology on the work of healthcare

professionals”
NARROWING DOWN YOUR
RESEARCH QUESTIONS…AN
EXAMPLE
 How does technology change work?

 How does technology change professionals’ work?

 How does information technology change professionals’ work?

 How does information technology change healthcare professionals’

work?
 TOPIC & RQ
 Research questions

 ‘How’ & ‘Why’ questions (qualitative, exploratory studies).

 ‘What’ questions are descriptive; to be avoided.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 Are your questions specific enough? (ideally neither too specific nor

too broad).

 Can your research questions be addressed through your project? A

question of feasibility.

 Are the questions relevant to the review of the literature? Ideally

they should come from an identified gap, problem or limitation of

the literature.

 Avoid research questions that are descriptive.

 Avoid saying that this research has never been done before (usually

reality proves otherwise).

 STRUCTURE OF
DISSERTATIONS

Abstract (up to 300 words)

1. Introduction (about 600 words)

2. Literature review (about 2000 words)

3. Research Methodology (about 1,000 words)

4. Findings (about 2,500 words)

 STRUCTURE
5. Analysis/Discussion (about 1500 words)

Conclusions (about 600 words)

References

Appendices (if any e.g. transcripts of recorded interviews;

sample of questionnaires; examples of analysis etc.)
 CONTRIBUTION
 Your purpose should not be simply to review or summarise existing

research on the topic.

 The purpose should be to build on the literature and develop the topic

further, extending knowledge and understanding.

 A degree of originality is expected:

e.g. an investigation of a topic in a new industry; country;

organisation; a different interpretation; new ideas; new findings etc.
KEY STEPS
IN THE
PROCESS
 FIELDWORK OR DESK-BASED
RESEARCH?
 Methods for collecting primary ‘data’:

 (Online) interviews (structured/semi-structured)

 (Online) observations (participant/non-participant)

 Questionnaires (surveys)

 Consider which methods are more appropriate in the current

context.
 FIELDWORK OR DESK-BASED
RESEARCH?
 Types of secondary ‘data’:

 Reports from organisations

 Policy documents

 Archives in libraries

 Articles in newspapers, blogs,

magazines etc.
 Data on social media (online
platforms, communities etc.)
 FIELDWORK OR DESK-BASED
RESEARCH?
 All options are possible and acceptable. Marks are not dependent

on the choice of your methods but on their relevance and

application.

 Issues to consider when you decide:

 Time scale – how much time will you need to access, collect and

analyse your data?

 What is the right type of data for your research questions?
 LITERATURE REVIEW
 A three-fold process:

 Stand under the author (interpretation/what?)

 Stand over the author (analysis & evaluation (critical thinking)/why?)

 Stand in for the author (reproduction)

 Chronologically or Thematically structured

 Basis of your Analysis/Discussion

 Referencing systematic, relevant and accurate (see Canvas)

 ANALYSIS/
DISCUSSION
 Always use the review of the literature

 Discussion is a discussion/conversation between your findings (your

project) and previous work that has been done on the topic.
 What do you say compared to others?

 What do you add to what has already been said?

 Agreements and disagreements/ similarities and differences

 Identifying your contribution – the stronger the analysis the easier to identify

contributions
 MARKING CRITERIA
 Structure & Presentation

 Use of literature

 Findings/Evidence

 Analysis & Discussion

 Conclusions & Contributions

 Research process

PLEASE NOTE: FAILURE TO GET AN ETHICAL APPROVAL PRIOR TO PRIMARY

DATA COLLECTION MAY LEAD TO FAILURE TO PASS THIS MODULE.
RESEARCH
ETHICS
 RESEARCH ETHICS
DEADLINES
  Ethical Review Pre-Check – ALL.

Deadline 15th of June. 2022. Communications from the school office with
further details have already been sent.
 Full research ethics application

ALL projects that involve primary data collection will subsequently

require a full ethical review PRIOR to the beginning of data collection.
Deadline: 01/07/2022
PRE-ETHICS FORM
Email
Name
First Name
Family Name
Candidate Number
E-mail address
Name of Supervisor
Dissertation module
Dissertation Title
Brief Outline of Proposed Dissertation (max 250 words)
Will the research project involved human participants, with or without their knowledge or consent at the time?
Will the research project involve animals?
Is the research project likely to expose any person, whether or not a participant, to physical or psychological harm?

Will you have access to personal information and/or data that allows you to identify individuals or to corporate or confidential company
information?
Does the research project present a significant risk to the environment or society?
Are there any ethical issues raised by this research project that require further review?
Please give reasons for your answers to the above questions:
I confirm that I will/will not be proceeding to full Ethical Review
RESEARCH ETHICS
APPLICATION
 Complete online through SxD/Research tab/ Select Ethical
Reviews/New
 Introductory section: title of the project, student name, supervisor.
 Ethical Review Form Section A- Checklist to assess the risk of the
project
 Consent
 Anonymity
 Participants’ safety
 RESEARCH ETHICS
APPLICATION
 Ethical Review Form Section B
 Data collection and analysis (open questions)
 Anonymity and confidentiality
 Informed Consent and Recruitment of Participants
 Context
 Any further concerns

 Documents to support your application

 Consent form
 Information sheet
 Sample of interview guides, surveys, questionnaires etc.

 Templates:
 http://www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/research/governance/apply
USEFUL INFORMATION
 Access templates for your research ethics application here:
 http://www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/research/governance/apply

 How to submit a research ethics application:

 Section A:
https://sussex.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=969ae275-14
c1-4801-bbc8-ac0100b38dc7
 Section B:
 https://sussex.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=4de00b45-2f
4b-418d-8711-abfa00e0b316
 Section C:
 https://sussex.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=162b63ad-56
7d-4a70-ad24-ac0100eb14e6
QUESTIONS?