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2020/2021  KAN-CINTO1821U  Research Project

English Title
Research Project

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc/MSc in Business Administration and Information Systems, MSc
Course coordinator
  • Torkil Clemmensen - Department of Digitalisation
Main academic disciplines
  • Information technology
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 06-05-2020

Relevant links
Learning objectives
  • Describe connections between research question, analysis or theoretical work, and the conclusions or results.
  • Combine and synthesize models/ theories central to the study program.
  • Reflect on methods and theory, e.g. the choice of theoretical perspective, tools, methods, data, analysis, delimitations as well as the validity and reliability of results.
  • Outline possible perspectives for further research at third semester and/or thesis.
Course prerequisites
Completion of first semester at cand. merc.(it.)
Prerequisites for registering for the exam (activities during the teaching period)
Number of compulsory activities which must be approved (see s. 13 of the Programme Regulations): 3
Compulsory home assignments
There are four assigments in the course, each covering a major stage in research design (for example, motivation, theoretical grounding, data collection, data analysis). The purpose with the assignments is to systematically provide students with opportunities for feedback on their work from fellow students and from their teacher(s), see the desciption of feedback in this course.

The students have to get 3 out of 4 assignments approved in order to go to the exam.

Each assignment will be max 4 pages long. It is a group assignment with group size from 1-5.

There will not be any extra attempts provided to the students before the ordinary exam.
If a student cannot hand in due to documented illness, or if a student does not get the activity approved in spite of making a real attempt, then the student will be given one extra attempt before the re-exam. Before the re-exam, there will be one home assignment (max.10 pages) which will cover 3 mandatory assignments.
Examination
Research Project:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance.
Individual or group exam Oral group exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group 2-4
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
The report needs to be within 15 standard pages, plus appendix.
Assignment type Project
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
15 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam period Spring
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Students can submit the same project or they can choose to submit a revised project.
Description of the exam procedure

The oral exam is a dialogue based on the project written by the students.

 

2 students are examined in 30 minutes.

3 students are examined in 40 minutes.

4 students are examined in 50 minutes.

 

The examination time includes time for the examinator to inform the students about the grade.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

The IT Research project is a key element in shaping either the research design (process) and/ or content / domain of your thesis within the business adminstration and information systems study program.

 

The objective is to help you engage in learning activities that matter and where you are setting the scene for the learning journey fulfilling the academic, domain, and operational learning objectives of the study program's competence profile.

 

Besides aligning you and the study program's other learning activities, we also want to stimulate you in problem solving that matters and where the solutions are not trivial. 

 

The project is organized as a number of seminars where students meet with supervisors and discuss the status of their projects. At each seminar, the key texts will be introduced by the superviso in a lecture. 

 

The project is pointing forward to study relevant activities in the third semester and while writing the master thesis.  

 

The project need to be have synergy with other learning  activities at the M.Sc. study program in business economic and information systems at first and/or second semester. 

 

The project needs to be anchored in subjects and themes central to the study program, and where relevant, incorporate theory and/or models and methodologies and / or tools. 

 

The project report needs, for each key part, to to provide both an illustrative example and a plan for furhter research. The example may include  mini-literature review, some data collected, example analysis of the data, two-three sketches, a single hypothesis testing prototype, and more.  The plan will give a reasonably detailed view of how to scale the example up to master thesis level. A gantt chart should be included. 

 

 
Description of the teaching methods
The students will receive supervision for the project.
There are 5 hours for two students, 7 hours for three students, 10 hours for four students.
Feedback during the teaching period
Systematic peer-review of each of four mandatory assignments provided the students with excellent feedback from three (number may vary) other student groups, plus review by the track teacher(s), all of which is done in a CBS endorsed peer review system (e.g., Peergrade.io). This is followed up systematically by the teachers during group supervision, based on the completed mandatory assignments and the reviews of those. Additional, per request feedback is provided by emails and F2F (when possible) from teachers.
Student workload
Workshops 8 hours
Supervision 5 hours
Preparation for workshops 35 hours
Individual study 148 hours
Preparation for exam and the exam 10 hours
Total hours 206 hours
Further Information

No later than three weeks after the project starts, the detailed project description including name of supervisor and all group members must be mailed to the project coordinator. 

 

Instructions on the project description will be available at Canvas prior to the course sta

 

There can be adjustments to the project description, but these will have to be justified and approved by the supervisor.

 

Supervisors for the projects will be approved and, if necessary, assigned by the course coordinator.

 
Expected literature

For inspiration on how problem formulation,. problemsolving, research design, and theory can be a dynamic learning journey, please consult:

- Van de Ven, Andrew H. Engaged scholarship: A guide for organizational and social research. Oxford University Press on Demand, 2007.

-Mathiassen, Lars, and Peter Axel Nielsen. "Engaged scholarship in IS research." Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems 20.2 (2008): 1.

 

For a usefull guide in writing a project /thesis, please consult:

-  Reinecker, Lotte, and Peter Stray Jørgensen, (2013). "The Good Paper - A handbook for writing papers in higher educations." Samfundslitteratur.

 

For a useful guide on how to do action research, please consult:

- Sein, M.K., Henfridsson, O., Purao, S., Rossi, M., Lindgren, R.: Action Design Research. MIS Q., 35(1), 37-56, (2011).

 

 
Last updated on 06-05-2020