Research Methods

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Dr Kevin Teoh
• Tutors: Dr Kevin Teoh, Kate Mackenzie Davey, Professor Almuth McDowall, Dr Rebecca Whiting
• Assessment: a 1500-word quantitative research proposal (50%) and 1500-word qualitative research proposal (50%)

In this module we cover key issues in organisational research that apply to both academic and applied contexts. Three main areas are covered, including:

• foundations of research, including ethics, epistemology, ontology, theories, reliability, validity, databases, literature searches, writing research questions and hypotheses, avoiding plagiarism, and practical issues when engaging with a research project
• qualitative methods, including assumptions, paradigms, reflexivity, value and credibility, data gathering and analytic techniques, interviews, thematic analysis, collecting and analysing digital data, discourse analysis, and visual approaches
• quantitative methods, including item and scale analysis, an introduction to generalisability theory, multiple regression, factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.

We also host an online, self-study statistics bridging course if you require extra support on statistics or would like a refresher. This bridging course is entirely optional and is not assessed.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• formulate sound research questions and/or hypotheses
• demonstrate awareness of ethical issues involved in your research project
• demonstrate a familiarity with research process (e.g. recruiting participants, designing research materials, analysing data)
• critically evaluate empirical studies from a methodological perspective
• examine research questions or hypotheses by following robust qualitative or quantitative methods
• understand the pros and cons of using different methodological approaches.