Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:19
All research is underpinned by ontological and epistemological assumptions of some form. The choice of research philosophy is an important step in the research development process. On completion of this course, students will be able to critically reflect on the foundations of research styles and be able to identify and justify an appropriate research design and theoretical approach for their own project, which will enable them to conduct academically rigorous research. This course bridges the gap between the master’s level research skills and the doctoral level.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session | First Sub Session | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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This course bridges the gap between the master’s level research skills and the doctoral level and introduces students to the common ontological and epistemological assumptions within social science and business research.
All research is underpinned by ontological and epistemological assumptions of some form, business research is no exception. The choice of research philosophy is an important step in the research planning process. Different philosophical and theoretical assumptions inform and have implications for the choice of research methods, the approach to fieldwork or data-gathering, and the analysis and synthesis of the findings. This course introduces students to some common paradigms in business research: positivism, which is often associated with quantitative methods, interpretivism (or constructivism,) which is applied to qualitative research, and the more recent mixed methods approach which combines both qualitative and quantitative methods. Understanding of the foundations of these research approaches will enable development of a research design that will ensure the different components of the research project are properly integrated, which will assist in answering of the research question.
This course is designed to introduce students to the role of philosophy and theory, and the critical skills that are involved in doing research.
By the end of the course students will have knowledge of the common ontological and epistemological approaches within social sciences and business research and be able to assess and understand the:
• The ontological foundations of different research traditions
• The differences in the epistemological starting points of qualitative and quantitative approaches
• The links between philosophical debates and research practice.
• Fundamental issues involved in research design
• Why various approaches may be ethically appropriate/ inappropriate for their work-based research question and
• How to outline and defend the choices they have made in designing their research project.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 80 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 10 | Feedback Weeks | 12 | |
| Feedback |
Written feedback will be provided. |
Word Count | 3000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Critically analyse research outputs and assess their theoretical and methodological soundness. (Programme objective 4) |
| Conceptual | Apply | Identify and apply an appropriate philosophical and theoretical framework to their own research. (Programme objective 2) |
| Conceptual | Create | Demonstrate writing analysis and interpretation skills. (Programme objective 5) |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Ability Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the different study designs. (Programme objective 1) |
| Procedural | Apply | Apply ethical standards and codes of practice to their own research and professional activity. Demonstrate awareness of the importance of information security and research data protection. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 8 | Feedback Weeks | 9 | |
| Feedback |
Immediate feedback via discussion of the presentation content. Written comments will also be provided by week 9. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Critically analyse research outputs and assess their theoretical and methodological soundness. (Programme objective 4) |
| Conceptual | Apply | Identify and apply an appropriate philosophical and theoretical framework to their own research. (Programme objective 2) |
| Conceptual | Create | Demonstrate writing analysis and interpretation skills. (Programme objective 5) |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Ability Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the different study designs. (Programme objective 1) |
| Procedural | Apply | Apply ethical standards and codes of practice to their own research and professional activity. Demonstrate awareness of the importance of information security and research data protection. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback will be provided. |
Word Count | 3000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Ability Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the different study designs. (Programme objective 1) |
| Conceptual | Apply | Identify and apply an appropriate philosophical and theoretical framework to their own research. (Programme objective 2) |
| Procedural | Apply | Apply ethical standards and codes of practice to their own research and professional activity. Demonstrate awareness of the importance of information security and research data protection. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Critically analyse research outputs and assess their theoretical and methodological soundness. (Programme objective 4) |
| Conceptual | Create | Demonstrate writing analysis and interpretation skills. (Programme objective 5) |
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