peter.sandiford@adelaide.edu.au

Location: Nexus Tower – Room 10.28, 10 Pulteney Street

Telephone: 8313 2017 (office)

On completion of this course, successful candidates will be able to:

1. apply methodological theory to critically evaluate existing research in business and related research.

2. differentiate between alternative research methodologies, philosophies and strategies in business oriented research and identify their limitations and implications.

3. explore relevant ethical issues and apply (systematise, defend, recommend and implement) ethical principles to the conduct of scholarly research.

4. plan, design and conduct a scholarly research project.

5. reflect critically and transparently on their own research preferences, philosophy and ideology when evaluating existing research and conducting their own investigations.

6. engage in scholarly discussion and debate within the academic community in the spirit of collegiality.

There are a large number of research methods/methodology texts in business and management (some below). However, no single source provides everything we need in a course like this one. This is partly due to disciplinary and philosophical differences across and within our
various sub-disciplines (finance, accounting, management, marketing and international business).  So, even within the same discipline we can expect research to vary according to theoretical influences, the purpose (and question) of the research project and researcher preferences. This is so much the case that few scholars are able to agree on what to do or how to do it, when discussing research). So, we do not have a single core text for the course, but will use various different sources, normally available through the library and/or the myuni website. It is also worth bearing in mind that a lot of the issues we will explore in this course are faced by researchers in other fields of social sciences (eg economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, education etc) – after all business is a wholly social activity – so don’t be surprised to see readings from different disciplines to your own. This also reinforces the necessarily inter-disciplinary nature of
business research, within the even wider field of social research, so candidates are encouraged to read widely across the diverse types of social research during (and after) their program of studies.

When preparing for your own research project it is particularly important to recognise this need for wider reading. It is very tempting to only rely on written sources within your own discipline, topic area or preferred research method. This would limit your research and development enormously. The best research (and researchers) focus on their research topic/question, while recognising how this fits into the wider
literature and exploring ideas from other disciplines. So, the management (or marketing, finance, accounting, international business) researcher who only reads management (or etc) research is doomed to present a very limited view of business and, indeed, the world!

Weekly readings will seek to apply the key ideas introduced here into a more business oriented context. These are taken from the following sources (these sources include ‘required reading’ for the course, but  you are encouraged to explore other books and articles, especially more specialist sources that apply more fully to your own research).

E-texts

Clough, P. & Nutbrown, C. (2012) A Student's Guide to Methodology, 3rd Edition, London: Sage.

This Text can be accessed online through the library; simply search the title in the library catalogue and log in using
your normal credentials.

 

Feest, U. & Steinle, F. (eds.) Scientific Concepts and Investigative Practice, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, pp. 1-22

Another e-book, though this is an edited text, with chapters by different authors. It is accessible direct from the library.

 

Saunders, M. Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2016) Research Methods for Business Students, 7th Ed., Harlow, UK: Pearson.

This is available as an e-text, but can only be accessed by two readers at any one time. There is also one printed copy
in the library and various other editions are available.

 

Strang, K.D. (ed) (2015) The Palgrave Handbook of Research Design in Business and Management, New York: Palgrave.

The library holds e and paper copies of this text too.

 

Williams, M. (2000) Science and Social Science : An Introduction, London: Routledge.

This is another e-book 

 

All these e-books are included in the weekly readings, though you are likely to find their other content useful throughout the course and the whole program. Other individual readings will be specified weekly in myuni.

There are many student texts and otherscholarly works on research methodology, research philosophy, research ethicsand research methods/techniques. As explained above, candidates are alsoexpected to draw from published research. Various readings will be recommendedduring the course, though candidates are expected, increasingly, to discover,discuss and evaluate sources for themselves during the course. The readings arespecified in the weekly schedule below and these sources are given in full inthe lists above. Most are available from the library as e-books or journalarticles (it is good practice—and very easy—to find these for yourselves (butdo let me know if you have any difficulties). A small number have beendigitized from print copies and these are available from the myuni coursereading folder/ This reading should include, but not belimited to refereed journal articles and monographs in their disciplinary field. Such sources may be methodological in nature, but it is also important to readempirical, review and conceptual/theoretical work through a methodological lensin order to better understand the philosophical and methodological influencesof authors, thus contributing to a more critical approach to reading and‘doing’ scholarly research. 

Please do remember that this coursecovers a lot of different disciplinary traditions and it is essential for wellrounded researchers to be aware of other traditions and approaches to research.The course includes material relevant across the business disciplines (andbeyond) so this is a good opportunity to develop your understanding well beyondyour own narrow research topic. You will probably find some of the readings andideas presented within the course as challenging, unusual or even bizarre –this is not unusual, but it is essential to recognise that there is almostalways more than one way of understanding a social phenomenon (business is asocial science, after all) and it is rare to find a single ‘right’ answer toany human endeavour!

The course utilises MyUni as a communication tool and as the main means for coursework submission and feedback provision. Students should be actively scanning the MyUni course webpage regularly for course updates and additional information.

This is a challenging and interactive course, providing an introduction to all areas of scholarly research. Research
methodology is underpinned by a variety of (often conflicting) theories and
assumptions about human existence and knowledge. The subject itself is complex,
often controversial and cannot be effectively ‘taught’ or ‘learnt’ in
traditional didactic lecture sessions. Much of the learning experience is based
on critical and reflective reading across a variety of disciplines, supported
by scholarly discussion and debate in the classroom environment; this requires
all participants to develop an awareness and openness towards alternative ways
of thinking and research paradigms. It is not necessary to agree with each
other, but it IS necessary to
demonstrate scholarly respect for other ways of doing research.

 

In order to perform well in this course,
students will develop some familiarity with and understanding of the relevant
research theories and concepts covered in class and in the broader literature, enabling
them to successfully apply these in their written and class-based work.
Therefore, students are expected to have reviewed the topic to be discussed
every week and be fully prepared. In addition, it is essential for participants
to engage in seminar discussions in an informed way. The communication skills
developed in seminars by regularly and actively participating in discussions
are considered to be most important by the School and are highly regarded by
employers and professional bodies.

 

Although face-to-face classes will vary
in approach. After week one, a typical class will normally involve most of the
following activities:

 

Preparation

Weekly guided preparation (activities
and/or reading). This will include readings suggested by the tutor and student
selected weekly seminar readings. Weekly preparation may also include more
practical activities (especially for the seminar). Class activities assume some
familiarity with all the readings, although we recognise that some of these
will be more challenging than others – come prepared to ask about any content
that you find particularly challenging – in such a broad subject area no-one
can realistically “know it all”, so there may well be some ideas that we all
(including lecturers and even professors) struggle with!

 

Individualised preparation.

 

Each week, every candidate is expected
to search for, find and analyse a relevant additional reading and come to class
prepared to introduce the reading to coursemates. This reading should be a
scholarly piece of work (such as a research article or an edited chapter/conference
paper or monograph) relevant to the week’s topic. This preparation should,
whenever possible, focus on the candidate’s own research, although it can also
represent a follow-up to something you found intriguing, challenging or
disagreeable from other parts of the course, the program or, indeed, the wider scholarly,
political, commercial or popular media. The tutor guided reading list reduces
as the semester develops, based on the expectation that candidates will
increasingly search out their own readings relevant both to the topic under
consideration and their own research plans.

 

Class content

 

Lecturer led introduction to the topic
(normally including key discussion questions).

Group discussion of guided readings.

Individual sharing of additional
readings/prepared activities.

Insights and research journal debrief

Seminar (tutor/participant led)

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

 

The University expects full-time
students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48
hours per week to their studies. This means that, for this course, you are
expected to commit approximately 9 hours for private study (i.e., the study
time outside of your regular classes). Students are required to attend all
class sessions.

Theme 1: Theorising knowledge and research

     1.  General Introduction to the Course & to Research Methodology.

     2.  Research Philosophy in historical context. Philosophy; epistemology; methodology etc.

     3.  Research Philosophy into the 21st century.

     4.  Philosophical questions; methodological ‘answers’: concepts, epistemology, deductive reasoning; induction; abduction etc.


Theme 2: Researcher values and ethics

     5.  Defining and theorising Ethics for Research.

     6.  Formalising Ethics for researchers; ethics and risk management

     7.  Researcher values; the value of research. Evaluation research; evaluation of research etc.
 

Theme 3 Designing, Planning, Doing and Communicating research

     8.  The role of the literature: conceptual frameworks and contribution

     9.  Research design and planning: problem, aim, objective, question or hypothesis; qualitative or quantitative (or something else      altogether)?

     10. Data issues: negotiating access, data collection, analysis and interpretation, secondary, primary or meta?

     11.  Communicating research: Proposals; Dissemination 

     12.  Applying methodology in practice – from idea to thesis and beyond

 
 

Tentative seminar schedule

Please note that after seminar 3, candiates will deliver/facilitate seminars, subject to numbers; specific titles/foci will be negotiated with the course coordinator within the broader weekly topic area. 

This course assumes team-work between class members as peers, but working as supportive individuals, not as 'a group'. The course is preparation for each student's thesis, so coursework and assessment is, as much as possible, tailored to individual thesis topics.

Assessment Item	Weight	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Essay (1000 words)	10%	Week 3 Tuesday 3:00pm	1, 5
Seminar presentation (45 mins)	20%	assigned & negotiated date in-class	5, 6
Participation	10%	weekly, throughout semester	1, 6
Research Proposal (2500 words)	40%	Week 12 Thursday 5pm	2, 3, 4
Research Proposal Presentation (30 mins)	20%	SWOT week Thursday and Friday	4, 6
Total	100%

In order to pass this course, students must achieve at least 50% overall, and achieve a passing mark of, at least, 50% for their final research proposal.

In order to pass this course, students must achieve at least 50% overall, and achieve a passing mark of, at least, 50% for their final research proposal.

Any requests for extension or modification to coursework deadlines and requirements must be made using the appropriate university form (available from the examinations website)

The assessment components are as follows:


Individual essay

You should prepare a short, introductory essay exploring your initial research plans. You have already considered a broad area of interest to pursue with your thesis research (outlined in your application enquiry). This essay requires you to develop your original proposal and introduce your topic area and research objective/questions/problem in relation to the literature. This essay requires you to provide an overview of your research plans concisely, briefly positioning your research within the relevant disciplinary and methodological literature and outlining your chosen research approach; you should carefully justify this approach, drawing from the literature on social research, with a particular focus on the specific context of business, management and/or marketing.

Essay assessment criteria:

1. Positioning of research (question, problem, hypothesis etc) within theexisting disciplinary literature.
2. Selection and critical evaluation of methodological theory.
3. Quality and relevance of support material (up to a MAXIMUM of 8 RESEARCH references – so it is essential to be selective).
4. Strength of argument (eg. to explain and justify methodological approach).
5. Grammar, structure and presentation (clear and concise).

You should submit the essay on myuni by the submission deadline.

 

Seminar Presentation

Candidates will (individually or in small groups) present a one hour-long seminar to the whole class. Each candidate/group
will prepare, organise and deliver a relevant seminar based on the weekly topic areas (specified above). These seminars are designed to complement the lecturer-led learning sessions in a particular and specific aspect of the, more general topic area. This gives the class an opportunity to explore a more focused issue/question in rather more depth. It also allows the candidate(s)
leading the seminar to explore an issue of particular interest and/or relevance to their own research work. There is considerable flexibility in the seminar title/focus, although candidates are recommended to discuss their initial ideas with the course coordinator in advance to ensure their plans are appropriate. Early seminars will be facilitated by the course coordinator, providing
examples to guide you towards seminar facilitation.

You should prepare a brief overview ofyour seminar including a brief introduction to the topic, bibliographic details of a single scholarly reading for other participants and possible seminar questions to discuss (maximum one page in total). This should be submitted via
myuni at least seven days before your seminar, so that it can be posted to the seminar page by the course coordinator. It is your responsibility to ensure that the reading is available electronically, ideally through our library resources. This preparatory overview contributes to assessment criteria 1 and 2 (below). Late penalties (5 marks per day) apply to this material.


Seminar assessment criteria:

1.     
Preparation and communication of other participants’ preparation requirements

2.     
Quality of reading and any other references utilised

3.     
Construction of seminar question (relevance and scholarly focus)

4.     
Facilitation of discussion and cohesion of seminar

5.     
Articulation of discussion result (session conclusion)

 

Participation
All candidates are required to prepare carefully and participate in all the learning sessions; attendance alone is insufficient. You are expected to draw from your preparation and wider reading during discussions and volunteer constructive, critical and supportive
questions, answers and suggestions during formal and informal learning sessions (eg presentations and/or classmate enquiries/reflections.

Your participation in classroom settings will be assessed by the course coordinator based on the level and quality of your contribution to discussions and activities throughout the course.


Participation assessment criteria:

1.     
Contribution to discussion

2.     
Participation in learning activities

3.     
Evidence of thorough preparation (guided and independent)

 

Research Proposal

The written proposal is the culmination of your work in this course and provides the basis for your study and the resulting thesis. A well planned proposal is key to conducting high quality research. Although there can be various unforeseeable challenges with any research project, effective planning can help avoid or minimise many of these. As well as course material, your supervisors can provide much advice on this, so do ensure that you seek feedback and advice as you work through the course and prepare your proposal.

 

The proposal must include:

A clear, concise title.

A short, one paragraph summary.

Statement of the research problem (this should clearly develop into clearly stated and justified research aim, objectives, questions, hypotheses etc. Not all of these will be specified in the proposal – this will depend on the type of research project).

Overview of the literature demonstrating where the proposed research will contribute.

Philosophical and methodological issues relevant to your study (this would normally involve positioning your researcher methodologically and providing a rationale for your overall approach.

Research design and plan (include details of time-plan, sample, specific methods and techniques, timeplan, limitations etc).

Overview of the projects ethical issues and consideration of how these can be addressed.

References.

 

Assessment criteria for research proposal

1. Adequate assessment of the literature
2. Clear identification and justification of research problem
3. Clear identification of underpinning theoretical or conceptual framework
4. Justification of proposed methodology within an appropriate philosophical and ethical framework
5. Proposed data collection and analysis
6. Quality of written presentation (referencing, grammar, punctuation andclarity)

You should submit your proposal on myuni within the submission deadline.


Research Proposal Presentation
All participants are required to prepare and deliver a short presentation of their research proposal to the school at the end of 1st semester. This is scheduled to take place during the last week of formal classes.

 

The main purpose is to obtain valuable feedback and suggestions for improvements to your research design from more
experienced researchers. The presentations will be relatively short so it is essential for candidates to prepare well (in particular, you should avoid ‘death by overhead’ – keeping visual aids few, , informative, clear and uncluttered); it is a good idea to give a short introduction, outlining your research aim and rationale; a crisp overview of the key literature (ideally showing how your plans ‘fit’ into it; a critical introduction to your methodological approach; clear and specific methods/techniques, with particular attention to planned sampling strategy, data collection and data analysis/interpretation; and, of course, ethical issues and research limitations/delimitations. 
 

You will be required to address audience questions at the same time as receiving their feedback/comments. It is a good idea to solicit feedback to particular issues/challenges/questions that have arisen during your preparation – do make good use of your more experienced audience.
 

You should prepare a small number of powerpoint slides to support/illustrate your presentation – do take care not to keep these clear, relevant and helpful to the audience. You should upload your slides in a single file to myuni at the latest by 5:00pm on the day preceding your seminar.


Assessment Criteria for Proposal Presentation:

1. Critique and appropriateness of content (literature, research aim, methodology, methods etc)
2. Quality of presentation (clarity, use of appropriate visual aids)
3. Quality of discussion/questions generated and answered

1.     All written assignments must be submitted on myuni through the relevant link, preferably each should be submitted as a single word
document.

2.     Extensions to the due date of written assessments may be granted under special circumstances. An extension request based on illness or on exceptional personal circumstances must be made using the appropriate form (in line with the university’s assessment policy), available from:         https://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/forms

3.     Students applying for an extension based on medical reasons must visit their medical practitioner, with the approved University
form, and have the medical practitioner complete it.  A normal doctor's certificate will not be accepted.

4.     Please note that all requests for extensions should be directed in writing to the course coordinator no later than 48 hours before the due date. Extension requests after this time will only be granted for exceptional circumstances. This does not include poor time management or poor file management.

5.     All assignments are to be lodged at, or prior to, the due date and time.  A late assignment where no extension has been granted will be penalised by a reduction of 5 marks for each day, or part of a day, that it is late.

6.     Assessment marks will be provided on the course myuni site.  Students are encouraged to check their marks and notify their tutor and the course coordinator of any discrepancies.


Presentation of Assignments

1.     Students must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.

2.     All individual assignments must be attached to an Assignment Cover Sheet that must be signed and dated by the student before
submission.  Lecturers will withhold students’ results until such time as the student has signed the Assignment Cover Sheet.

Students may not submit work for an assignment that has previously been submitted for this course or any other course.


Markers can refuse to accept assignments that do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s Policy on Plagiarism:  www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/230/