Research Methods and Consultancy Practices module (BU30010)

You will study the nature of Research Methods and Business Consultancy processes.

These methods will help you develop your skills for writing a either a dissertation or consultancy proposal, one of which you will choose in 4th year.

You will develop your skills to gather and analyse information on a specific topic. Turning information into data through analysis and interpretation, learning how to provide evidence to support decision-making and improve problem-solving.

Consultancy practices lead to the provision of professional advice and solutions to organisations or individuals. Consultants assess problems, offer recommendations, and support implementation.

This module will develop an understanding of methodologies and methods appropriate to conducting research and consultancy projects in Business Management.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• gain the ability to apply research methods in professional settings to inform decision-making
• critically assess various research approaches, methods, and techniques relevant to your chosen area of study or consultancy
• engage in discussions around the ethical and practical considerations associated with research and consultancy projects
• develop subject-specific skills including creating research proposals or tender specifications
• conduct detailed academic literature searches
• evaluate and interpret information from diverse sources
• explore creative/imaginative methods of data collection
• gain confidence in handling, dealing with, and presenting different types of data and information

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand the research process and consultancy practices
• review literature and craft a research proposal
• appreciate research design and research ethics
• understand processes of data collection, analysis and interpretation
• understand challenges and issues with sampling and methods of data collection
• make effective decisions and solve problems

Assignments / assessment

Elevator pitch (30%)

• video of 120-150 seconds
• written brief of no more than 500 words
• both video and brief to give an outline for a potential UG final year project (for example: a dissertation or consultancy project)
• issued in week 1
• due half way through the module

Research Proposal (70%)

• 2,500 words
• create a research proposal in a scholarly style appropriate to dissertations and projects at undergraduate level; or develop a tender specification for a client
• issued in week 1
• due at the end of the module

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

A typical week will involve a blend of lectures and seminars, including group discussion and student-led presentations. There will also be opportunities to practice some of the quantitative methods of analysis covered in this module in computer-lab based seminars.

There are 11 weeks of teaching. For this module, the exact dates of teaching and/or reading weeks are to be confirmed.