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• To ensure that students are familiar with relevant and rigorous theories of business studies or finance.
• To ensure that students are aware of neighbouring theories that they can take advantage of in terms of borrowing insights and/or research methods.
• To develop the level of integration of students field knowledge.
• To develop students ability to identify a suitable research topic, and generate theoretically relevant research questions that can be answered rigorously and scientifically.
• To develop students ability to identify suitable research methods to answer their research questions.
• To develop students ability to appreciate ethical issues in research.
• To enable students research projects to make a potentially important contribution to both academic knowledge and the practical business world.

• Logic and argumentation
• Rigor and relevance in business or finance research theories, models and methods
• Suitability of different analytical methodologies
• Data structures
• Data collection methods: Unstructured, semi structured and structured interviews; Questionnaire design; Experiment design; Survey data; Panel data; Finance databases, such as Datastream; Archival data
• Research ethics

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Have a comprehensive understanding of the relevant theoretical basis for their research topic
• Understand contemporary developments in research methods in business or finance
• Have an advanced understanding of research design issues in business or finance
• Have a comprehensive understanding of key methodological considerations in business or finance research
• Understand the time demands of different data collection methods as well as limitations on data availability in business or finance
• Understand ethical challenges and other practical issues concerning research access and confidentiality
• Devise/propose a research design incorporating appropriate research methodology

Subject-specific Skills:

• Ability to skilfully conduct research in business or finance
• Ability to critically assess existing research in business or finance
• Ability to develop novel theory in business or finance
• Ability to unify or synthesise theories relevant to business or finance

Key Skills:

• Ability to make an initial formulation and articulation of a research problem
• Ability to transform the research problem into a set of research questions
• The ability to formulate, articulate and complete a scheme of research at doctoral level
• Ability to design and execute data collection
• Ability to design data coding
• Ability to design the data analysis
• Effective oral communication skills

• The module will be delivered in a workshop format over an intensive three-day teaching block taking the students through all the relevant phases of research design.
• By commenting on each others suggestions students will acquire both the capability and the attitude to critically evaluate and improve research designs.
• Learning will also occur through tutor-supported learning groups.
• The assessment of the module is by a combination of: an oral examination of the students on research design issues by an independent panel AND a 15,000 word written assignment based on an extensive literature review and field knowledge. The assessment is designed to test students' knowledge and understanding of the subject-matter and their ability to articulate a researchable issue.
• The module is assessed on a pass/fail basis, with a pass required in both components.

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