Research Methods: Design, Implementation and Analysis 7.5 credits

The importance and relevance of conducting scientific research is imperative for our understanding of phenomena, issues and problems which are around us. Therefore, it is of immense importance that students understand how to conduct, design, implement, analyze and interpret research with a scientific and systematic approach. Specifically, the course will help students to understand, the philosophical roots underpinning research such as the epistemological basis for generating scientific knowledge and the demarcation between science and pseudoscience. Furthermore, the course provides students an opportunity to discuss approaches for searching relevant literature in order to form sound empirical and theoretical understanding of the phenomenon being investigated. The course also covers aspects of crafting research reports, understanding the research process, advice on how to write a thesis, and how to begin problematizing and formulating a purpose for a research project and its relevance for practice. A number of research methodologies are introduced which will help students to determine an appropriate data collection strategy. Included (among other topics) are sampling issues, case study research, surveys, interviews and experiments. Finally, methods for analyzing and presenting your data, such as inferential statistics, qualitative/quantitative content analysis, and grounded theory are presented. **Connection to Research and Practice** Research methods cover both the theoretical and practical side of the topic, focusing on understanding and evaluating theoretical frameworks and their applications through empirical material. For instance, the course draws on multiple research focus areas at JIBS and provides students with an opportunity to develop theoretical models and empirically explore them through quantitative and qualitative methods. The course is also based on a real project where students collect primary data and present their findings and analysis in the final group seminar.