Study Guide

Objective

Upon completing this course the student will:
- Construct a well-rounded thesis plan
- Understand the importance and impact of key methodological choices
- Apply trusted appraisal techniques in evaluating written work
Information search skills
Presentation skills (oral and written)
Strategic planning skills:
- Time management
- Information management
- Data collection and analysis

Content

Preparation for Bachelor’s thesis, including
- Information retrieval
- Critical appraisal techniques
- Bibliographic and citation methods
- Data collection and analysis
- Philosophy of science

Location and time

Wednesdays, 11:00 - 14:00 in room MMB 235

Materials

There are many good guides to research methods, including this:

Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill (2019) Research Methods for Business Students, 8th ed. Harlow: Pearson. (ISBN 978-1-292-20878-7)

There is a large selection of books that discuss research methods in the library. Almost all of these are suitable as reference books to consult during your research.

Most of the required reading relates to the topic chosen by each student as their research focus.

Teaching methods

This course comprises a short series of lectures followed by student presentations based on the research topic of their choice. The focus is on learning about research methods by applying them in practice. It is not a course *about* research methods. Instead, it is an opportunity to use them in practice. Ultimately each student must produce a well-developed research plan that is intended to serve as the basis for their Bachelor's Thesis.

Employer connections

For students who wish to combine their thesis with their work experience, this course provides useful guidance about how to manage the sometimes conflicting demands of employers and the academic requirements necessary for a successful thesis.

More generally, the ability to complete what should be an independently produced piece of work that demonstrates individual expertise in a business or economy-related subject area of the student's choice is a significant attribute on any person's curriculum vitae. This course is focused on helping students achieve that goal.

Exam schedules

There are no exams for this course. There are two assignments, and the deadlines for these are dependent on each student's individual circumstances. More information will be provided in the first lecture.

International connections

The international aspect of the course depends very much on the choice of research topic. Nevertheless, the class is very international in composition, and the variety of research topics selected by students ensures a thoroughly international array of content.

Student workload

There is a total of 130 hours allocated to this course. These are divided as follows:

Lectures, 18 hours
Assessment (including presentations) 62
Reading, literature search 50

Content scheduling

Preliminary literature review - a presentation followed by the delivery of a written report one week later, using feedback and criticism gained from the discussion following the presentation. This is worth 25% of the total assessment.

Presentations are scheduled to begin in March. Confirmation of the presentation schedule will be agreed in class with the lecturer.

Further information

Regular attendance is strongly encouraged. This applies particularly to the presentations, which are often the most rewarding and informative parts of the course. Regardless of the topics chosen by other students, we are all able to learn from each other's experiences of problems in research work, and together we learn how to overcome these challenges.

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Sufficient performance:
showing just enough understanding of the subject to merit a pass grade but requiring greater effort to achieve a more satisfactory result

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good performance:
showing strong understanding of basic concepts and good grasp of techniques, but with certain minor problems still requiring further attention

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent performance:
not only fulfils all standard requirements but demonstrates originality and imagination

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Sufficient performance:
showing just enough understanding of the subject to merit a pass grade but requiring greater effort to achieve a more satisfactory result

Assessment methods and criteria

Grade Percentage/points Explanation

5: 90 – 100 Outstanding performance: not only fulfils all standard requirements but demonstrates originality and imagination

4: 80 – 89 Excellent performance, fulfilling all tasks in an appropriate manner

3: 70 – 79 Strong performance, showing strong understanding of basic concepts and good grasp of techniques, but with certain minor problems still requiring further attention

2: 60 – 69 Good performance, demonstrating basic grasp of concepts and techniques but less adept at more advanced application of these

1: 50 – 59 Adequate performance, showing just enough understanding of the subject to merit a pass grade but requiring greater effort to achieve a more satisfactory result

0: 0 – 49 30 – 49: insufficient to pass but capable of achieving a more satisfactory result if greater effort is made
0 – 29: a result indicating a significant lack of effort on the part of the student, and a clear signal that major improvements are necessary in the organisation of study time

Prerequisites

None

Further information

English language proficiency required
Recommended reading:
Jill Collis and Roger Hussey (2009), Business Research: A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students, 3rd ed., Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Assessment:
Preliminary literature review 25%
Final research plan 75%