General information


Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Alex Araujo Batlle

Trimester: First term

Credits: 4

Teaching staff: 

Maria Dolors Celma Benaiges
Enric Camón Luis 
Núria Masferrer Llabinés 
Yolanda Tarango Julian 

Skills


Basic skills
  • B3_Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of ​​study), to make judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues

     

  • B4_That students can convey information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialized and non-specialized audiences

     

Specific skills
  • E7_AdE_Elaborate projects and proposals of innovative companies establishing principles of social responsibility in the management and integrating the perspective of gender like indicators of quality and innovation

     

  • E15_AdE_Collect and interpret significant data to make judgments that include a reflection on relevant issues in the business field and be able to prepare a document that allows the transmission of information or an innovative business proposal

     

  • E4_TUR_Turn an "empirical" problem into a research project and draw conclusions

General competencies
  • G1_TUR_Be able to work in a team, actively participating in tasks and negotiating dissenting opinions until reaching consensus positions, thus acquiring the ability to learn together with other team members and create new knowledge

  • G2_TUR_Be able to generate ideas and solve problems, both individually and collectively

Transversal competences
  • T1_TUR_Communicate properly orally and in writing in the two official languages ​​of Catalonia

  • T3_TUR_Form critical and well-argued reasoning, using accurate terminology, specialized resources, and documentation that supports these arguments

  • T5-ADE- Develop tasks applying with flexibility and creativity the acquired knowledge and adapting them to new contexts and situations

Description


This course aims to deepen the basics of the scientific method and provide students with the basic tools to work to design and execute a research project. On the other hand, improve your skills to use a series of instruments and tools that allow you to manage the different steps of the research process more efficiently and communicate your results more effectively: research tools and information management ; word processing and editing; organization and data processing; and presentation and communication of results.

Also, knowing and mastering the characteristics of the scientific method is of crucial importance in the business world: setting questions, carefully observing reality through the collection of data and verifiable facts, formulating and contrasting hypotheses, drawing conclusions and reformulating the problems and questions we ask ourselves is fundamental to the functioning of markets, companies, and organizations.

This subject has the following specific objectives:

  1. Provide students with a basic knowledge of the scientific method and a set of fundamental skills to apply it to their academic and professional activities.
  2. Convey the importance of the use of empirical data and databases and provide the basic tools to organize and present the information derived from this data in the form of diagrams, graphs, tables, etc. using the appropriate software.
  3. Develop useful communication skills for the presentation of the results of a research project, or any academic or professional work, from the design of the contents and materials used in a presentation, to the most effective strategies in oral communication for present ideas effectively and efficiently.

Learning outcomes


Turn an empirical problem into a research object and draw conclusions.

  • Solve problems through scientific methods.
  • Evaluate different resources for analysis.
  • Conduct research in scientific databases and critically analyze the usefulness of research results in the context of your work question
  •  Present a synthesis of studies and information in an orderly manner and following a line of argument, so that useful conclusions can be drawn for the development of their own arguments and analysis.
  • Identify different ways of answering the research question and elaborate the design of the research based on the main methodologies and their adaptation to each type of question.
  • Understand the main decisions in the processes of data collection and analysis according to the type of research methodology.
  • Improve the communication of the results of empirical work, whether in reports, essays or research work.
  • Design and conduct oral and written presentations to convey information, ideas, problems, and solutions effectively.

Working methodology


Theoretical sessions

MD1.Master class: Expository class sessions based on the teacher's explanation attended by all students enrolled in the subject

MD4. Video capsules: Resource in video format, which includes contents or demonstrations of the thematic axes of the subjects. These capsules are integrated into the structure of the subject and serve students to review as many times as necessary the ideas or proposals that the teacher needs to highlight in their classes.

Guided learning

MD5. Seminars: Sessions linked to the face-to-face sessions of the subject that allow to offer a practical perspective of the subject and in which the participation of the student is key.

MD6. Discussions and forums: Face-to-face or online conversations, according to the objectives that the teacher responsible for the subject pursues. The debates have a start and end date and are energized by the teacher

Autonomous learning

MD10. Research and critical reading of articles. Students start from a working hypothesis that they will develop, following the phases of the research methodology, including the critical reading of articles.

MD11. Non-contact tutorials: for which the student will have telematic resources such as e-mail and virtual classroom resources

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents


 

BLOCK I: Research activity in the social sciences

Module 1

1. The scientific process. The phases of research in the social sciences

1.1. Problem definition (observation of reality, state of the art, theoretical framework)

1.2. Formulation of objectives and hypotheses

1.3. Data collection and analysis

1.4. Hypothesis testing

1.5. Analysis of results

1.6. Conclusions

Module 2

2. Sources of information

2.1. Types of information sources

2.2. Analysis of sources and evaluation of information (authorship, relevance, reliability, timeliness, etc.)

2.3. Sources of information in the field of business

2.4. Specific search engines (Google Scholar, Scopus, etc.) and keywords

2.5. Information sources

3. Introduction to the critical reading of scientific articles and academic works

3.1. Types of academic work

3.2. Structure and planning of an article (introduction, body and conclusions)

4. Source management and bibliographic citation

4.1. Why quote? Plagiarism in scientific and academic work

4.2. How to quote? Methodologies and styles (Vancouver, APA)

4.3. Bibliographic reference managers (Mendeley)

BLOCK II. Written presentation of research papers

Module 3

5. Scientific writing

5.1. The style and grammar of the scientific and academic text

5.2. Written communication strategies

6. Organization of written work

6.1. Introduction

6.1.1. Establish the context, background and / or importance of the topic.

6.1.2. Present the problem / controversy in the field of study

6.1.3. Define the topic and / or key terms used in the document

6.1.4. Indicate the specific objective of the research or academic work

6.1.5. Provide an overview of the scope and methods used

6.1.6. Briefly explain the structure of the work

6.2. Body of the work according to the type of text

6.2.1. Exposition of the context / facts

6.2.2. Literature review, theoretical framework

6.2.3. Specific objectives, hypotheses

6.2.4. Methodology

6.2.5. Main results

6.3. Conclusions according to type of text

6.3.1. Summary of the main ideas

6.3.2. Main results and discussion of its implications

6.3.3. Limitations of work

6.3.4. Future research

7. Edition and presentation of written documents

7.1. Word processor tools for organizing information: styles, tables of contents, footnotes, pagination and margins, inserting tables, graphics, and more.

7.2. Link with Mendeley

BLOCK III. Quantitative and qualitative information. Collection and analysis

Module 4

8. Introduction: The design of research

9. Quantitative methodologies vs. qualitative

9.1. Definition and differences

9.2. Selection criteria

10. The data collection process

10.1. Types of sources: primary sources vs. secondary

10.2. Population and sample: type of sampling

10.3. Definition and types of variables

10.4. Data collection methods and techniques: quantitative vs. qualitative

11. Quantitative methods

11.1. Collection methods: experimental methods, surveys

11.2. Analysis techniques: exploratory and inferential analysis

12. Qualitative methods

12.1. Collection methods: interviews, focus groups, observations, diaries

12.2. Analysis techniques: analysis of meaning and language

13. The presentation of results

13.1. Presentation and discussion of results

13.2. Good practices in the presentation of figures and tables

BLOCK IV. Oral presentation of research papers

Module 5

14. Elements of communication 

14.1. Differences between written and oral communication

14.2. Objectives of a presentation

15. Oral communication strategies

15.1. Characteristics of oral discourse

15.2. Nonverbal and paraverbal language

15.3. Analysis and practice of oral discourses

16. Planning, design and execution of academic and professional presentations. What to present from my written work?

16.1. How the presentation is organized and designed.

16.2. The writing and practice of the speech.

16.3. Document (and other resources) to support the exhibition.

16.4. Effective time management.

16.5. Tools for preparing the document (and other resources) to support the exhibition: Software similar to PowerPoint (create slides and insert text objects, images and graphics, configure the master slide…)

16.6. Rehearse the staging (time, speech and gesture tics, record the presentation, etc.).

16.7. How to face the defense.

Learning activities


  • AF1. Theoretical sessions
  • AF2. Seminars
  • AF3. Work in group
  • AF4. Individual work
  • AF5. Personal study

In addition to the teaching team sessions, there are individual and group activities.

The individual activities they aim to:

  • Review and, if necessary, incorporate (science-based) methodologies for collecting information and data for further analysis.
  • Review the aspects to be considered in written and oral communication, both from the point of view of structure (how the contents are articulated) and form (style and technique) and tools to facilitate execution.
  • Understand the decisions in the design process of the own research work and the implementation of the data collection methodology and its analysis.
  • Be aware of the level achieved during previous academic years.
  • Validate knowledge (TEST or module exam).

 

The basic objectives of the group activities are:

  • Compare your own individual work with that of your classmates.
  • Detect improvement options.
  • Put into practice the revised theoretical concepts

Evaluation system


CONTINUOUS EVALUATION (70%)

Block I (15%)

  • Individual and group activities.
  • Presentation of a research project with a proposed topic, keywords, close information and a list of references in the appropriate format.

Block II (15%)

  • Individual and group activities.
  • Some individual activities are considered pre-compulsory and compulsory for groups. If the individual activity is not recorded, the group grade will not be charged to the individual record.

Block III (25%)

  •  Individual and group activities.
  •  The activities are aimed at the analysis and presentation in class of cases of different methodologies.
  •  For groups, a document will be delivered with the research design proposal of a set of hypotheses and proposed proposals.

 

Block IV (15%)

  • Individual and group activities.
  • The group activities are worked from TFG of previous courses.
  • The individual activities are aimed at the student already working on their TFG.
  •  This blog does not count for the final exam.   

             FINAL EXAMINATION (30%)

Blocks I, II and III incorporate 1 exam that counts 10% each in the final grade.

 

RECOVERY

To pass the course it will be necessary:

  • Get an average of 5 out of 10 in Block IV. That is, even if the result of the continuous assessment is approved, if a minimum grade of 5 has not been obtained in this block, this module must be retaken. Recovery will be individual
  • From blocks I, II, III, an additional recovery activity must be carried out (it can be an exam) in the event that:

(a) The examination mark of this block is equal to or less than 4 out of 10.

(b) The overall grade for the activities in this block is equal to or less than 4 out of 10.

The activity will be, in any case, individual.

 

REFERENCES


Basic

Amat Oriol and Rocafort Alfredo (2017). How to do research. Barcelona: Profit Editorial.

Lluch, G., & Nicolás, M. (2015). Academic writing: planning, documentation, writing, citation and models. Barcelona: Editorial UOC.

Turull, A., Ardanuy Baró, J., Arroyo and Amayuelas, E., & Arroyo and Amayuelas, E. (2017). Work and communication techniques: instrument for the legal and social sciences. Barcelona: Huygens Editorial