1175 - RESEARCH METHODS FOR COMPANIES AND ENTREPRENEURS

Subject type: Optional

Coordinator: Monica Juliana Oviedo León

Trimester: Third term

Credits: 6

• Spanish
• Catalan

The material can be in any of the three languages: Catalan, Spanish and/or English.

This course aims to be the advanced continuation of two courses: market research and / or methodologies for research (as well as other courses with statistics and metrics), offering theoretical and practical knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research techniques. In this sense the course has a double objective: (i) to deepen in the design of the different methods and the implementation and (ii) to work the techniques of data analysis associated to the different methods. The course also has a secondary goal in presenting results and reports, the way the data is presented becomes key to communicating the findings of the research.

Identify the most appropriate methodology to answer a research question, given the resources and limitations that contextualize the research. Provide theoretical-practical information for the implementation of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Communicate information effectively, obtained from the data generated and analyzed.

Theoretical sessions

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

MD2. Lectures: Face-to-face or streaming sessions, both in university classrooms and in the framework of another institution, in which one or more specialists present their experiences or projects to students.

MD3. Presentations: Multimedia formats that support face-to-face classes

Guided learning or practical sessions

MD5. Seminars: Face-to-face format in small work groups (between 14 and 40). These are 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. Debates and forums: Face-to-face or online conversations, according to the objectives that the teacher responsible for the subject pursues.

MD7. Case study: Dynamics that starts from the study of a case, which serves to contextualize the student in a specific situation, the teacher can propose different activities, both individually and in groups, among their students 

Autonomous learning

MD9. Solving exercises and problems: Non-contact activity dedicated to solving practical exercises based on the data provided by the teacher

This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in the case of being necessary for reasons related to the Covid-19. In this way, the achievement of the same knowledge and skills that are specified in this teaching plan will be ensured.

The Tecnocampus will make available to teachers and students the digital tools needed to carry out the course, as well as guides and recommendations that facilitate adaptation to the non-contact mode.

1. Research in the social sciences: The scientific method
2. Methodological pluralism and multimethod mixed designs
3. Quantitative Research
   1. Descriptive Quantitative Research
      1. Poll
      2. Quantitative Observational Method
      3. The design of the Questionnaire
   2. Experimental Quantitative Research
      1. Experiments in social sciences and their design
      2. Internal validity and external validity
   3. Quantitative data analysis
   4. Presentation of quantitative results
4. Qualitative Research
   1. Features, design and sampling
   2. Interview
      1. Typology of techniques
      2. Implementation
   3. Focus Groups
      1. Typology of techniques
      2. Implementation
   4. Other qualitative methods
   5. Qualitative data analysis
   6. Presentation of qualitative results

AF1. Theoretical sessions

AF2. Seminars

AF3. Work in group

AF4. Individual work

AF5. Personal study

Exam: 40% (2 exams, you have to take a 5 in each to average)

Continuous evaluation: 60%

- Seminars / practical classes: 20%

-Mini-projects or works: 40%

In the recovery period (January; –day, time and classroom: TBA–) only the part of the exam mark can be recovered. A student who has not applied for the first call, can NOT apply for recovery. 60% of the grade (project and continuous evaluation) is NOT recoverable (except in exceptional and duly justified cases, the project grade may be recovered).

Salmons, JE (2015). Doing qualitative research online. Sage

Merino, MJ, & Yagüez, E. (Eds.). (2012). New trends in research and marketing. Esic Editorial.

Hennink, M., Hutter, I., & Bailey, A. (2020). Qualitative research methods. Sage

Kubacki, K., & Rundle-Thiele, S. (Eds.). (2016). Formative research in social marketing: Innovative methods to gain consumer insights. Springer.

 Talaya, Á. E., & Collado, AM (2014). Market research. Esic Editorial

 Malhotra, Naresh K. (2007) Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson / Prentice Hall (6th edition)