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2011/2012  KAN-CBL_RMWS  Research Methods and Writing Strategies

English Title
Research Methods and Writing Strategies

Course Information

Language English
Point 7,5 ECTS (225 SAT)
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study Board
Study Board for BSc og MSc in Business, Language and Culture
Course Coordinator
  • Charles Tackney - Department of Intercultural Communication and Management
Main Category of the Course
  • Philosophy and philosophy of science
Last updated on 29 maj 2012
Learning Objectives
Each course session will present material to enhance student knowledge, understanding and insight regarding the domains specified above. Thus, by the end of this course students should be able to
  • Identify, compare, and contrast the most important contemporary varieties of quantitative and qualitative methods available for performing research on topics and issues in management studies and business and development studies.
  • Explain which of these approaches and methodologies are most appropriate and relevant for academics and/or practitioners to adopt when performing research on a range of specific topics in these areas.
  • Identify, compare and contrast the relative strengths and characteristics of academic writing and writing for company research or consulting, and discuss the ethical issues raised in the conduct and communication of research in these two areas.
  • As regards writing English communicative competence, by the end of this course students should be able to
  • Display an ability to communicate effectively the conduct, results and significant contribution of social science research in written English, including the ability to
  • ) Use a sophisticated range of vocabulary and grammatical structures relevant to the genre, i.e. academic or consultancy English;
  • Formulate a relevant and effective research question;
  • c) Structure, develop, and support an effective argument or thesis
Research Methods and Writing Strategies:
Assessment Written Exam
Marking Scale 7-step scale
Censorship Internal examiners
Exam Period May/June
Aids Closed Book
Duration 4 Hours
Students are expected to submit four written assignments during the course and then pass a final examination. The design of the assignments follows the path of any typical research methods course cycle. The four written assignments are to be no more than three or four double-spaced pages in length, with a cover sheet. They are evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis. Each assignment must be completed to become eligible for the final exam. Details may be found in course description on LEARN
The Final Examination: consists of one unique case question and a data set.
The examination is a four hour, PC-based, individual written examination. In order to attend the examination, students must have successfully passed the last three written assignments (Pass/Fail grading basis). The final exam will present students with a current research issue that will oblige analysis, research methods proposals, and a consulting-related written analysis or proposal dimension. Thus, while the exam is based on the course syllabus, materials, discussions, and assignments, the facts and data of the examination will be unique. Again, the examination is done individually. Non-electronic dictionaries are permitted, but text books are not allowed. Electronic aids of any sort are not allowed and internet access is strictly prohibited.
Students will be givenTwo grades : one for course content, the other for written English competence. Both aspects must be passed.
Course Content
This required course (hereafter, “RMWS”) ensures that students pursuing their Master’s course of studies have ample opportunity to learn, review, refine and, if need be, remediate the insights and skills needed to craft, conduct, complete, and successfully defend research for a Master’s thesis written in English at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). Because the degree aims at practical career success, the role, function, and evaluation of the consulting endeavor is also introduced and rehearsed.
Research and communications strategies are grounded in research methods. The course design acknowledges the methods instruction given in the undergraduate research-oriented participatory education programs of Asian Studies (ASP) and Business, Language, and Culture (BLC) of Copenhagen Business School. Through this, we hope to build upon the undergraduate studies experience of all Master’s students. If students come to their Master’s studies from other undergraduate programs, we will incorporate diverse undergraduate studies experience as a matter of course. The skills sets for the course can be grouped as follows:
1. Research methods skills: concern knowledge, insight, and judgment regarding the philosophical and social scientific grounds for conducting valid and reliable research. This grounding provides the reflective and reflexive ability to assess research issues and craft appropriate qualitative and quantitative means for their assessment.
Qualitative and quantitative skills: These are part of our approach to research methods and concern the ability to validly and reliably assess the numerical, qualitative, and even ethical - aesthetic aspects of research issues and concepts. Issues of generalization will, in respect to quantitative variables, involve a correct understanding of sampling, the grounds for making statistical inference, and a discerning knowledge of the various statistical procedures in common use, including multiple regression.
2. English language research-oriented communications skills: address the ability to successfully consider, discuss, and craft research issues, engage in consultative discourse and planning, and report research outcomes for both academic and consulting ends.

3. Consulting skills: involve the practitioner’s ability to both conduct and evaluate external investigations for organizational goals. This ability involves knowledge of research methods deployed in a particular, focused manner that necessarily raise ethical and other evaluative questions and norms.
Teaching Methods
Written language and content feedback: A particular evaluative feature of the course is the opportunity for individual feedback on the quality of one’s submitted English. Class and specialization (BADS/LMS) feedback session are in the schedule to address common language and content issues as instructors discover them. In addition, two rounds of individual feedback about written language performance are allotted, each to take approximately 15 minutes per student.

> Individual feedback queries on specific matters of content can be taken up by scheduling an appointment with the appropriate course instructor or coordinator.
Literature
Required and recommended readings:
  1. Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., and Jackson, P.R. (2008). Management Research (Third Edition). London: Sage Publications.

> This is the central, most important text for the course. Each lecture should be evidently grounded in the assigned readings from this text and build upon that material when appropriate. The statistics section, in particular, is sufficient for the skills competency stated earlier in this Course Description.
  1. Yin, R.K. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (Third Edition). London: Sage Publications.

  1. A Course Compendium will be required. A supplemental, yet required, Compendium will be on sale at the Dalgas Have CBS Bookstore.
  2. Required texts that are available to students in electronic form (ie, through the CBS reference library search functions) will be presented in a readings list. Others may be uploaded to Sitescape.
  3. Students will be expected to have access to Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet software or the equivalent and enable the statistical analysis component, which may involve add-ons.