Research and project work (5cr)

Objective

• You can describe various research methods applied to RDI tasks and participate in research project tasks.
• You can use various research methods and RDI techniques to develop products, services, processes, and organisations.
• You can plan and conduct applied research and RDI projects ethically using trustworthy data, relevant research methods of data collection and data analysis.

Content

• What qualitative, quantitative, and action (processual) research methods are applied to RDI tasks?
• What research methods and RDI techniques should be used in the development of products, services, processes, and organisations?
• How to select trustworthy data, relevant research methods of data collection and data analysis in applied business research and RDI projects?

Evaluation

• Students can
o find, study, produce and assess critically multidisciplinary data in their field of expertise.
o solve demanding problems in research, development and innovation activities.
o assess different strategic approaches and justify their use in terms of management.

Course material

The lecture notes on the course page highlight key information from multiple sources. Attending classes regularly and completing assigned tasks should suffice to meet the learning objectives. However, research methods is a complex and well-developed field, with a wide range of textbooks available. For deeper exploration, I recommend:

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2016). Research Methods for Business Students. Essex: Pearson
Silverman, D., & Marvasti, A. (2008). Doing Qualitative Research: A Comprehensive Guide. Los Angeles: SAGE

Study forms and methods

You are able to plan a research project and formulate the research questions.

You are able to select and justify suitable qualitative and quantitative methods for a given project.

You are able to select and apply appropriate data analysis techniques.

You are able to evaluate the quality of your own research.

You are able to apply ethical principles in research work.

RDI and work-related cooperation

Students are encouraged to create a development plan in collaboration with their chosen commissioning company or an available XAMK project.

Timing of exams and assignments

Details of class tasks and their deadlines will be provided as the course progresses. The tasks will include:

Searching for and evaluating a journal article as instructed
Selecting a research topic and formulating a clear research statement
Outlining methodology and a data collection plan (qualitative or quantitative)
Completing a data analysis exercise (qualitative or quantitative)
Preparing a comprehensive research proposal

Student workload

The maximum number of points for the course is 100, allocated entirely to separate tutorial tasks. To pass the course, you must:

Completing all assigned tutorial tasks based on the course themes
Attaining at least half of the available points for each task
Acknowledging that no exceptions will be made to these minimum requirements

Course part description

How to generate new ideas for research?

How to formulate the research question properly?

What are the different qualitative and quantitative research methods?

How to analyze the collected data through various procedures?

How to determine if the study is reliable, valid and ethical?

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Students can

b. look for information in the key information sources of the field

c. identify interrelated tasks

e. use the key models, methods, software and technologies of the professional field

f. work as a team member in a goal-oriented way justify your actions according to the ethical principles of the professional field Students can