Postgraduate Course: Critical enquiry for business: doing and using research for management (BUST11204)
Course Outline
| School | Business School | 
College | College of Humanities and Social Science | 
 
| Course type | Standard | 
Availability | Not available to visiting students | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | 
Credits | 0 | 
 
| Home subject area | Business Studies | 
Other subject area | None | 
   
| Course website | 
None | 
Taught in Gaelic? | No | 
 
| Course description | This course has three objectives. First, to help the student understand the research process in the field of management. Second, to facilitate them in planning, carrying out and communicating the research project that will be the basis of their Capstone Project/Masters dissertation. Third, to assist them in understanding how to read and evaluate research in the management task. | 
 
 
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites | 
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Co-requisites |  | 
 
| Prohibited Combinations |  | 
Other requirements |  None | 
 
| Additional Costs |  None | 
 
 
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2012/13  Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1) 
  
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WebCT enabled:  Yes | 
Quota:  None | 
 
	
		| Location | 
		Activity | 
		Description | 
		Weeks | 
		Monday | 
		Tuesday | 
		Wednesday | 
		Thursday | 
		Friday | 
	 
| No Classes have been defined for this Course |  
| First Class | 
First class information not currently available |  
| No Exam Information | 
 
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes 
After completing this course, students should be able to:&· 
 
explain the principles of research  in social sciences and management studies; 
 
plan how they define research questions in relation to their chosen topic area;  
 
choose an appropriate research design for a  management research question; 
 
identify and critically evaluate literature in a given management field; 
 
evaluate, select, justify and apply appropriate qualitative or quantitative data collection, presentation and analysis methods to their chosen area of research, in order to ensure that the evidence generated, its analysis and the conclusions drawn from it are valid and reliable; 
 
use such knowledge to construct an original piece of research of their own, and develop further independent research skills as well as the skills for presenting the findings of their research in a professional manner. 
 
 
Cognitive and Subject Specific Skills: 
 
After completing this course, students should be able to: 
 
develop research questions and objectives in a chosen research area; 
 
critically evaluate both relevant literature and different research design and data collection/analysis methods 
 
produce a sound research or business plan/report proposal 
 
recognize qualitative and quantitative techniques appropriate to the analysis of some particular circumstances, understand their strengths and limitations, and choose between them. 
 
design and implement a research project to form the basis of their dissertation or business plan/report. 
 
 
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Assessment Information 
Assessment is by way of a 3,000 word research proposal $ú whether the student is planning to write a dissertation, business plan or business report. This should  
 
identify clearly their research question,  
 
critically evaluate the key literature that underpins this question,  
 
review the efficacy of qualitative and quantitative research approaches to addressing this question, and 
 
present their chosen approach and the rationale for it. 
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Special Arrangements 
| None |   
 
Additional Information 
| Academic description | 
Not entered | 
 
| Syllabus | 
Week 1:  
The research process 
 
Week 2:  
Literature searching and reviewing 
 
Week 3: 
Desiging a research study, identifying and clarifying your research question, and research ethics 
 
Week 4: 
Writing your proposal and your dissertation/business plan/business report 
 
Week 5: 
Collecting qualitative research data 
 
Week 6:  
Collecting qualitative research data 
 
Week 7: 
Presenting qualitative research data 
 
Week 8: 
Collecting quantitative research data 
 
Week 9  
Analysing quantitative research data 
 
Week 10 
Presenting quantitative research data 
 
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| Transferable skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Reading list | 
Not entered | 
 
| Study Abroad | 
Not entered | 
 
| Study Pattern | 
Not entered | 
 
| Keywords | understand research process for dissertation or capstone project | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Prof Stephen Osborne 
Tel: (0131 6)50 8358 
Email:  | 
Course secretary | Mr Stuart Mallen 
Tel: (0131 6)50 8071 
Email:  | 
   
 
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© Copyright 2012 The University of Edinburgh -  7 March 2012 5:42 am 
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