Inhalt

[ 514REMEIRMK21 ] KS Introduction to Research Methods

Versionsauswahl
Workload Education level Study areas Responsible person Hours per week Coordinating university
3 ECTS B2 - Bachelor's programme 2. year Business Administration Dimitri Prandner 2 hpw Johannes Kepler University Linz
Detailed information
Pre-requisites KS Statistics, KS Mathematics
Original study plan Bachelor's programme International Business Administration 2025W
Learning Outcomes
Competences
Students are able break down a research problem into a research question and select an appropriate research method to discuss it and conduct simple empirical research themselves. Students are able to read and understand empirical research papers that use standard research methods.
Skills Knowledge
Learning Outcome

Learning Outcome 3 (LO3): Explain why certain research methods and methodological approaches work for specific research questions.

Learning Outcome 4 (LO4): Develop a data collection and analysis plan for research problems and questions

Learning Outcome 5 (LO5): Collect data via observation, interviews, content analysis or surveys

Learning Outcome 6 (LO6): Conduct simple analysis of quantitative or qualitative research data

Course Topics:
Part I: Epistemology, Methodology and Methods
  1. Introduction into different epistemological perspectives and their base line assumptions
  2. Introduction into research methodology and it’s relation to both methods and epistemology
  3. Introduction into the concepts of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods
  4. Introduction into the concepts of research problems, research questions and hypothesis
Part II: Applications and key methods
  1. Observation as a research tool
  2. Qualitative interviewing and interview analysis
  3. Quantitative survey data collection and basic hypothesis testing
  4. Content and Document analysis

Learning Outcome

Learning Outcome 1 (LO1): Recall the basic epistemological and methodological concepts that are part of business studies and social research at large (see course topics).

Learning Outcome 2 (LO2): Recall the basis methods used to gather, process and analyse data in the field of business studies and social research (see course topics).

Criteria for evaluation In total, students have the possibility to reach 100 points, 60 (60 %) for the final exam and 40 (40 %) for dealing with three methods exercises (10% / 15% / 15%). A minimum of 31 points at the exam is necessary in order to obtain a positive grade.

Final grades will be given as follows:

PointsGrade
87.5 - 100.01
75.0 – 87.02
62.5 – 74.53
50.0 – 62.04
0.0 - 49.55
  1. Written Exam: Individual exam at the end of the semester, a second date is offered (retry exam). The exam consists of theoretical as well as practical questions. It lasts 60 minutes.
  2. Methods exercises: there are 3 task which must be submitted via Moodle. Tasks are discussed in class after submission. Late submissions result in 0 points for the task

Synchronization of learning outcomes and assessments:
LO1: Written Exam
LO2: Written Exam
LO3: Written Exam + Methods exercises
LO4: Written Exam + Methods exercises
LO5: Methods exercises
LO6: Written Exam + Methods exercises

Methods The course uses a combination of different teaching methods in order to

  1. maximize the motivation and attention of the students.
  2. address the learning objectives in the didactically best way.

This includes the following

  • Introductory lectures by the lecturer; supported by slides and mandatory literature
  • Group tasks during lectures to develop a deeper understanding of the content presented by the lecturer
  • Practical exercises during and outside of lectures to get hands on experience with the problem
  • Small group discussions to focus on specific topics that are covered via inverted classroom settings.
Language English
Study material
  • Slides
  • In-class and out-of-class exercises
  • Further exercises with solutions for individual practice
  • Short video sequences and recordings of lectures
  • Mandatory Reading:
    • Cresswell and Cresswell (2018 [or later]). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage.
    • Bryman (2016 [or later]). Social Science Research Methods. Oxford University Press.
  • Supplementary reading materials are provided during class

(All content is provided via Moodle)

Changing subject? No
On-site course
Maximum number of participants 100
Assignment procedure Assignment according to priority