Research Skills

Module Provider: School of Construction Management and Engineering, School of Built Environment
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2016/7

Summary module description:
Understanding the process of doing research is essential for preparing for your dissertation. This module will give students the grounding in research methods, statistical analysis, evaluating academic literature and the process of writing a dissertation required. It is delivered by active research staff with a mix of lectures, group work and hands-on activities. During the module, you will gain the key research skills required, have the opportunity to develop your ideas and prepare a dissertation proposal and you will find out about the range of research activities going on within the school.

Aims:
Develop the knowledge and skills necessary for students to prepare a research proposal in preparation for undertaking their dissertation.

Assessable learning outcomes:
The student will be able to:

?Identify a suitable topic for academic research, formulate a clear research question and develop research aims and objectives.
?Plan and conduct a search for literature relevant to the research question; evaluate and critically review that literature; cite references to that literature correctly.
?Select a research strategy, sampling technique, data collection method and data analysis strategy suitable for the research question.
?Understand issues of research ethics.
?Develop a research proposal.
?Undertake statistical analysis and evaluation of data.
Additional outcomes:
?Transferable skills in interpersonal communication, written communication, critical thinking, problem solving and time management.

Outline content:
?The nature of academic research and the research process. Developing a research topic; formulating clear research questions; identifying research aims and objectives.
?Planning and conducting a literature search; evaluating and critically reviewing the literature. How to cite references correctly.
?The purpose of sampling; probability and non-probability sampling techniques.
?Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and analysis techniques.
?Putting it all together - developing a research proposal.
?Classes will include lectures, practical exercises and group work. Students will put into practice what they learn and develop their research proposals.
?Statistics component: Probability, sampling, inference & hypothesis etc
Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Lecture Schedule
Week 1: Overview of course. Aims and outcomes. Assessment.
Presentation on the research activities of the school.
Week 2: Literature Reviews in Construction Research
Week 3: Library Skills and Study Skills.
Week 4: Statistics Session 1 .
Week 5: Statistics Session 2 .
Week 6: Research methods in action ? Quantitative methods
Week 7: Research methods in action ? Qualitative Methods
Week 8: Case Study Research
Week 9: What Makes a Good Dissertation
Week 8: Preparing undergraduate dissertations

Contact hours:
Lectures- 20
Practicals classes and workshops- 2
Guided independent study- 78
Total hours by term- 100
Total hours for module- 100

Summative Assessment Methods:
Written assignment including essay- 60%
Practical skills assessment- 15%
Set exercise- 25%

Other information on summative assessment:
Formative assessment methods:

Automated feedback on blackboard library skills test.

Length of examination:
Requirements for a pass:
40%

Reassessment arrangements:
Re- submission of failed elements