301130 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Alex Araujo Batlle

Trimester: Third term

Credits: 4

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.

NOTE: This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in case it is 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.

• 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.

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 subject. These capsules are integrated into the structure of the subject and serve students to review as many times as needed the ideas or proposals that the teacher needs to highlight in their classes.

Guided learning    

MD5. Seminars: Face-to-face format in small work groups. 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. Discussions and forums: Face-to-face or online conversations, depending on the objectives pursued by the teacher responsible for the subject. 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-face-to-face tutorials: for which the student will have telematic resources such as e-mail and virtual classroom resources.

BLOCK I: Research activity in the social sciences

Module 1

0. Teamwork. Dynamics for success

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 Mendele

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.          Tools for processing data and producing results

11.1.       General introduction to spreadsheets and their basic tools

11.2. Summarize, present and analyze data. Synthesize information in figures and tables

BLOCK IV. Oral presentation of research papers

Module 5

12. Elements of communication 

12.1. Differences between written and oral communication

12.2. Objectives of a presentation

13. Oral communication strategies

13.1. Characteristics of oral discourse

13.2. Nonverbal and paraverbal language

13.3. Analysis and practice of oral discourses

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

14.1. How the presentation is organized and designed.

14.2. The writing and practice of the speech.

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

14.4. Effective time management.

14.5. 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…)

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

14.7. How to face the defense.

• 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 starting level to address goals to be achieved consciously throughout the degree being studied.
• Validate knowledge (TEST or module exam).

The group activities their basic objective is:

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

CONTINUOUS EVALUATION (70%)

Block I (10%)

• Individual and group activities.
• Presentation of a scientific article
• Topic proposal document, keywords, information search and list of references in appropriate format.

Block II (10%)

• Individual and group activities.
• Some individual activities are considered prior and compulsory to group activities. If the individual activity is not recorded, the group grade will not be charged to the individual record.
• One of the activities consists of drawing up a research question proposal document, objectives, content outline and a more advanced search for sources of your own work. It must contain a draft of the theoretical framework and hypotheses.

Block III (20%)

•  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 proposal of the research design of the work to be elaborated. An archive with the summary of the quantitative and qualitative information to be included in the work must be submitted. 

Block IV (10%)

• Individual and group activities.
•  The group activity consists of the preparation of the exhibition, defense and presentation document of the project worked on throughout the course.
• The individual activities are aimed at the student to develop their own skills in oral communication as a step prior to group execution.
• This blog does not compute activity for the final exam.

 Final work (20%)

Word document with complete reporting of research work.  

This work will be graded with a rubric that takes into account the work done throughout the course. Each teacher will evaluate the items in the rubric that correspond to their module.

FINAL EXAMINATION (30%)

It will consist of a written test in which concepts of the scientific method and other substantive topics included in each module of the course will be evaluated.

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.

Amat Salas, O., Rodrigo de Larrucea, J., & Rocafort Nicolau, A. (2017). How to do research ?: final degree project, master's thesis, doctoral thesis and other research projects (First ed.). 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