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MAN-40192 - Module Specification
Keele Business School
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2023/24 Last Updated: 13 February 2024

MAN-40192 - Research Methods
Coordinator: Carola Weissmeyer Room: DW1.27 Tel: +44 1782 7 33603
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733094

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2023/24

The research methods module will develop your analytical and research skills to develop competencies for future work based research and consultancy work. The module provides the essential guidance in conducting the research and problem solving activities that you will undertake as part of your summative dissertation/work based project/work placement or entrepreneurship project. The module includes how to scope a research or problem solving project, exploring underlying assumptions, designing an appropriate methodological approach and examining the ethical concerns of any research or problem solving project. The module will enable you to examine and apply appropriate paradigms for your sector and context, develop knowledge of the various research styles available to researchers, and explore epistemological rationales and ethical implications. In so doing you will develop an understanding of the potential strengths and weaknesses of each research style so as to enable the critical selection and use of the most appropriate research style, in the light of your chosen dissertation/work based project/work placement or entrepreneurship project.

Aims
This module aims to prepare students for the summative element of their PGT programme. The summative element may be a dissertation, an extended company project, an entrepreneurship project or a work based placement. The specific aims of the module are to:
- provide an understanding of the theory and practice of research in business and management subjects;
- raise awareness of ethical conduct in research and practical problem solving;
- develop an understanding of the wide range of research methodologies and methods used in the business and management discipline;
- evaluate different methodological approaches to business and management research;
- develop an awareness of the theoretical and practical issues associated with research and problem solving and the presentation of findings.

Intended Learning Outcomes

relate research literature and research methods to a research topic or practical problem solving: 1,2
appreciate the importance of an ethical approach to research or practical problem solving and be able to identify issues of validity and reliability: 1,2
evaluate the different methodological approaches used in business and management research: 1,2
differentiate between research methods, be able to critically assess the strengths and weakness of each method and be able to select an appropriate method or methods to be used in given context: 1,2

Study hours

A minimum of 14 hours face to face or synchronous online lectures. The synchronous online lectures will be recorded so can also be accessed asynchronously
Tutorial sessions as required and dependent on the specific programme of study
14 * 6 hours guided reading (84 hours in total)
10 hours summative assessment preparation for assessment 1
42 hours summative assessment preparation for assessment 2


School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Multiple Choice Questions - Knowledge weighted 15%
Multiple choice exercise to assess the student's understanding of research methodologies and methods
A total of 100 online multiple choice questions (MCQs) on different research methods. The MCQs will be divided into 5 sets of 20 questions each. As part of the module students are required to select 5 research methods topics to study in depth. Each topic will be assessed via 20 MCQs. All MCQs will be equally weighted to achieve a single, overall mark for the MCQ assessment. The MCQs assessment will be online. The test will be open for a fixed 3 hour time slot.

2: Assignment weighted 85%
Research Proposal/Project Scoping Report (2,000 words)
The precise assignment specification will be dependent on whether the student's final element is intended to be a Dissertation, a Work Based Placement, or a Consultancy Project. The Research Proposal/Project Scoping Report will identify the research/work placement or project topic, identifying the scope of the project, relevant primary and secondary sources of information about the project area, consider appropriate research methodology/methods to use when researching in the project area, reflect on ethical issues to be considered when exploring the project area.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 13 February 2024