BUSI40I60: Dissertation with Research Methods

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• To provide students with the opportunity to conduct an in-depth investigation at an advanced level of an issue which is applicable and relevant to their degree subject. The positioning of the dissertation at the end of the programme is intended to promote integration of material covered in the core and optional modules.
• To equip students with an in-depth understanding of key principles of research design and methodology in business and management, and to develop their skills in conducting and disseminating research at an advanced level.

• Research methods:
• introduction: approach to social research;
• formulating a research question;
• developing a research strategy that fits your question;
• the nature of qualitative research;
• the nature of quantitative research;
• an overview of data gathering methods, including interviews, questionnaires and experiments;
• the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data;
• ethics of research.
• Planning and managing a research project.
• The dissertation topic is chosen by the student and formally approved by the Board of Examiners. It should be one that is suitable for in-depth investigation, and relevant to their degree subject.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of the module students should have:
• a critical appreciation of the range of philosophical approaches to research in business and management;
• knowledge of the facilities available for conducting literature searches and obtaining relevant data to facilitate empirical investigation;
• a critical understanding of a relevant topic through utilisation of appropriate techniques of research and analysis.

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of the module students should:
• be able to conduct research into business and management issues through research design, use of appropriate methods, data collection, synthesis and reporting;
• be able to organise, structure and manage a business research project effectively at an advanced level;
• be able to critically evaluate published research and assess its relevance to a chosen research project.

Key Skills:

• Planning and organising;
• using initiative;
• computer literacy;
• numeracy;
• written communication of research on a chosen topic;
• time management
• self-discipline;
• problem solving and analysis.

• A combination of lectures, seminars, computer labs and guided reading addressing key topics in research will cover the subject-specific knowledge and skills together with general aspects of the dissertation process.
• The combined summative components of the dissertation require students to write a draft research proposal, including a short literature review, and a detailed initial plan for a research method, including - where relevant - detail on data collection and likely analytical methods. Students then work independently on their research, analysis and writing up, for their dissertation, under the guidance of a supervisor, modifying their research design if necessary. Within the dissertation, students produce a short Exec summary providing a business perspective on their research findings.
• Normally the student will meet their supervisor on no more than six occasions. This is considered appropriate, given that the dissertation module is underpinned by lectures and seminars/computer labs.

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