Course goals
Data Collection & Research Methods for Sustainability is a module which aims to equip the students with the skills necessary to plan and undertake independent research, with a view towards the master thesis and beyond. The course will begin with the introduction to the fundamental principles that underlie approaches to research and the practical implications of these principles, including formulation of research questions and issues of research ethics. Students will learn to produce a literature review as a part of a research project. We will then proceed to unpack the main qualitative and quantitative methods used in business research. Formulating their own research project proposals will help develop students’ practical research skills, and analysis of published research and other students’ research projects will sharpen their ability to critically evaluate the information coming from research conducted by others. Students who have successfully completed the course and all its assignments will be able to define the research question, formulate the research design, choose the appropriate methods for data collection and analysis, present and apply their findings, and critically evaluate other researchers’ output. Finally, the skills and knowledge gained in this course will also be employable during the preparation of their final theses.
Course results
- To conduct a review of relevant and appropriate literature.
- To produce and structure a research report in the approved format.
- To have an awareness and practical knowledge of a range of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods.
- To understand what makes for a good research proposal and report.
- To effectively utilise data and other evidence adopting correct statistical or qualitative practices.
- To formulate research questions and associated hypotheses.
- To use appropriate data sets (primary and/or secondary) and devising a suitable schedule of analysis, which may involve fieldwork.
- To plan a research project to address specific research questions.
- To understand why risk assessments and ethical assessments are needed for data collection and be able to create them.
