MN50551: Principles and skills of management research
 Academic Year: | 2019/0 |
| Owning Department/School: | School of Management |
| Credits: | 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 120 |
| Level: | Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7) |
| Period: |
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| Assessment Summary:
| CW 70%, OT 30% |
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| Description:
| Aims: The unit aims to: * critically introduce the epistemological and methodological traditions in social research and the basic principles of social research design; * critically introduce key epistemological aspects of the relationship between measurement and meaning; * critically introduce the ethical and policy issues surrounding the practice of social research; * introduce key skills for organising a research project and collecting data; conducting critical reviews of published research; and disseminating and communicating research. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit students are expected to: in terms of Knowledge and Understanding: * understand the significance and rationales of alternative epistemological paradigms and modes of social scientific enquiry; * understand the principles of alternative research designs and corresponding techniques of social analysis; * understand the social, political and ethical context of the social research process; * be aware of several significant developments in methods including hermeneutics, the analysis of metaphor and standardisation of methods; the rise of statistics, bureaucracy and trust in numbers. in terms of Intellectual competence: * have developed their capacity in problem solving, conceptualising the dimensions of a problem and operationalising its key parameters; * understand the contextual character of methods and how they become established as definitive of a disciplines or of research fields within a discipline. in terms of Professional and Practical competence * be able to evaluate research, including undertaking refereeing and book reviews; * be able to organise a research project and collect data using a variety of methods including using Internet-based tools, as well as generate data; * understand issues posed by social research in relation to ethics, confidentiality and legality; * respect, consider and attend to the rights of other researchers and research participants; * develop their competence in formulating research proposals for external funding and complete end-of-award reports to sponsors. in terms of transferable/Key skills: * develop their competence in critical oral argumentation, particularly in terms of the application of complex general principles to particular practical situations; * develop their competence in effective writing, presentation and dissemination of research findings to practitioners and lay audiences; * develop career management skills, including skills in using new technologies for obtaining information about new career opportunities, evaluation of personal and career development needs, self-promotion and marketing. Skills: During the course students are expected to develop their skills in the following areas: * Comprehensive and scholarly written communication (e.g. essays) (Taught/Facilitated/Assessed); * Ability to select, summarise and synthesise written information from multiple sources (T/A); * Ability to develop rigorous arguments through precise use of concepts and models (T/F/A); * Ability to produce work to agreed specifications and deadlines (T/F/A); * Ability to work independently, without close supervision of guidance (T/A). Content: Part 1 - The Principles of Social Research * Science, objectivity, subjectivity and reflexivity * Paradigms of Enquiry - positivism; hermeneutics and phenomenology; post-empirical perspectives * Modes of enquiry - inductive and hypothetico-deductive of scientific approaches * conceptualisation and operationalisation, levels of measurement, transforming qualities to quantities, techniques of collecting and generating quantitative data, types of quantitative data analysis * conceptual frameworks, techniques of collecting and generating qualitative data, types of qualitative data analysis * The use and analysis of Metaphors in scientific discourse * Ethical issues in social research Part 2 - The Skills of Social RResearch * key skills in organising and executing a research project, * critically reviewing published research * disseminating and communicating research Practical Session - Using the internet as a research tool Computer lab session introducing the tools for disciplined web-based research. |
| Programme availability: |
MN50551 is Compulsory on the following programmes:School of Management
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