COURSE SYLLABUS
SCOPE OF COURSE SYLLABUS
Intended for students enrolling in Seminar on Advanced Research Design, this syllabus contains information specific to the course. It is a definitive record of the course's primary characteristics and the learning outcomes that a typical student can reasonably be expected to achieve if they take full advantage of the available learning opportunities. This document also serves as a reference for academic and support staff, internal and external examiners, and for future course monitoring and review.
COURSE AT A GLANCE
Course Title
Seminar on Advanced Research Design
Subject Area:
Management
Course Code
RESM 68011
Course Level
Graduate
Credits
4.0
Prerequisites
RESM 50011
RESM 610xx
Methods of Delivery
Online
Expected Length
7.0 Weeks
Class Meetings
To be determined
Faculty
To be determined
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Computer Software: Any computer software that aids learning.
TEXT(S)
Text 1: SRRW
Title: Student Research and Report Writing: From Topic Selection to the Complete Paper
Author(s): Gabe T. Wang and Keumjae Park
Year Published: 2015
ISBN: 9781118963937
SYNOPSIS
This academic course is tailored to doctoral students who aim to craft meticulously designed research projects in the sciences. It delves into diverse methodologies and research design strategies, emphasizing their effectiveness and drawbacks when employed independently or in combination. This course also encourages systematic and reflective research practices while also affording students opportunities to apply diverse research techniques to their research interests.
Intended for doctoral students who have finished two years of coursework, this seminar commences with pivotal themes in research design, including concept formation, case selection, and comparison. Moreover, it explores data collection techniques, covering ethnography, archival research, interviews, focus groups, survey research, and experimental design. The course also addresses pragmatic considerations when composing a dissertation prospectus, culminating with students showcasing their research designs.
Ultimately, this academic sequence endeavors to guide students through the development of their dissertation prospectus. Prior to enrolling in the course, students should have a distinct research topic in mind and utilize the coursework to refine their ideas into a comprehensive dissertation prospectus.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:
Create methodologically sound social science research designs.
Complete a written draft of a dissertation proposal.
Evaluate the tradeoffs involved in various research designs.
WEEK 1
Module 1
Introduction: Start Your Research Journey
Reference(s): SRRW Ch1
Module 2
Topic Selection: Getting Started
Reference(s): SRRW Ch2
WEEK 2
Module 3
Searching for Information
Reference(s): SRRW Ch3
Module 4
Reviewing the Literature
Reference(s): SRRW Ch4
WEEK 3
Module 5
Research Questions and Methods
Reference(s): SRRW Ch5
Module 6
Steps of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Designs
Reference(s): SRRW Ch6
WEEK 4
Module 7
Writing a Research Proposal
Reference(s): SRRW Ch7
Module 8
Practical Issues While Carrying Out Research
Reference(s): SRRW Ch8
WEEK 5
Module 9
Quantitative Data Analysis
Reference(s): SRRW Ch9
Module 10
Qualitative Data Analysis
Reference(s): SRRW Ch10
WEEK 6
Module 11
Writing the Final Report
Reference(s): SRRW Ch11
Module 12
Revision
Reference(s): SRRW Ch12
WEEK 7
Module 13
Revision
Reference(s): N/A
Module 14
Revision
Reference(s): N/A
PROFESSIONALISM
WEIGHT: 10.0%
DEADLINE: 23:59 (GMT+0) on Sunday of Week 7
All students must participate actively in discussions, class exercises, activities, simulations, and group work. Regular attendance, preparation, and participation in class discussions (online and in discussion forums) are required—good attendance results in more opportunities to engage in quality participation and earn a higher participation grade.
Class participation and discussion indicate that students have read the assigned readings. Grades will not be based on the number of posts submitted or comments made in a class but on the overall contribution to the discussion. Students are encouraged to exchange contact information and support one another if a class is missed. They must contact the course instructor if concerned about attendance or need additional information on any assignment. If a student cannot attend three or more classes, they may be asked to complete additional assignments to complete a course.
RESEARCH QUESTION PAPER
WEIGHT: 10.0%
DEADLINE: 23:59 (GMT+0) on Sunday of Week 2
General Information
This must be 3 pages (approximately seven hundred and fifty words) not including references, title page, and appendix. The purpose of this assessment is to determine the level of comprehension and mastery of the material covered over seven weeks, focusing on the practical aspects of the course. The deadline to submit this assessment is always on Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 2. The grade is stored in the online grade book. As only one attempt per piece of coursework is allowed, it is highly recommended that students review all course materials and complete some test preparation tasks before attempting the graded assessment.
Description
The research question paper should outline the puzzle or question that you are interested in pursuing for your dissertation prospectus. You should state it in the form of an explicit question and provide a brief background statement on the topic with selected literature references to justify both the empirical and the theoretical aspects of the puzzle.
MINI-RESEARCH PROPOSAL
WEIGHT: 20.0%
DEADLINE: 23:59 (GMT+0) on Sunday of Week 4
General Information
This must be 6 pages (approximately one thousand five hundred words) not including references, title page, and appendix. The purpose of this assessment is to determine the level of comprehension and mastery of the material covered over seven weeks, focusing on the practical aspects of the course. The deadline to submit this assessment is always on Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 4. The grade is stored in the online grade book. As only one attempt per piece of coursework is allowed, it is highly recommended that students review all course materials and complete some test preparation tasks before attempting the graded assessment.
Description
Each student will provide a detailed research proposal stating the puzzle or question, justifying the substantive and theoretical significance of the problem through a succinct review of relevant scholarship, and advancing tentative thoughts on questions of case selection and the proposed methods of investigation.
DATA SOURCES PAPER
WEIGHT: 10.0%
DEADLINE: 23:59 (GMT+0) on Sunday of Week 6
General Information
This must be 4 pages (approximately one thousand words) not including references, title page, and appendix. The purpose of this assessment is to determine the level of comprehension and mastery of the material covered over seven weeks, focusing on the practical aspects of the course. The deadline to submit this assessment is always on Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 6. The grade is stored in the online grade book. As only one attempt per piece of coursework is allowed, it is highly recommended that students review all course materials and complete some test preparation tasks before attempting the graded assessment.
Description
The data sources paper should provide an outline of the specific data sources for the dissertation research, along with a justification for why each data source is being considered and a discussion of the methods that will be used to interrogate this evidence.
RESEARCH DESIGN PRESENTATION
WEIGHT: 20.0%
DEADLINE: 23:59 (GMT+0) on Sunday of Week 7
General Information
The research design presentation will be approximately 30 minutes (15-minute presentation, 3-5 minutes for discussant comments, and 10 minutes Q&A). The presentation should summarize the research design and pose questions concerning unresolved issues in the project. The discussant will deliver a set of comments and suggest additional discussion questions for the Q&A portion.
RESEARCH DESIGN PAPER
WEIGHT: 30.0%
DEADLINE: Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 7
General Information
This must be 8 pages (approximately two thousand words) not including references, title page, and appendix. The purpose of this assessment is to determine the level of comprehension and mastery of the material covered over seven weeks, focusing on the practical aspects of the course. The deadline to submit this assessment is always on Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 7. The grade is stored in the online grade book. As only one attempt per piece of coursework is allowed, it is highly recommended that students review all course materials and complete some test preparation tasks before attempting the graded assessment.
Description
Each student will submit a research design paper articulating a planned dissertation research approach. This assignment is based on the dissertation prospectus guidelines in the Ph.D. Program Handbook. The paper should address the following questions: What question will the dissertation address? What do we know about this issue now? What is the proposed research methodology, and what are the proposed forms of evidence? What will the proposed research contribute to the field? The paper should include a bibliography of works cited, an appendix with a timeline detailing a schedule for completion of the dissertation, and a brief summary of the main topic of the dissertation (150 words or less).
PARTICIPATION POLICY
Please be sure to review the following important information about the University Policies and Procedures.
All students must participate in all classroom activities, attend classes regularly, and prepare before classes for classroom activities that require advance preparation. Students need to fully appreciate that good attendance results in more opportunities to engage in quality participation, which, in turn, results in a more thorough acquisition of subject knowledge and higher participation grades.
Participation in classroom discussions indicates that students have read the assigned readings. Grades will not be based on the number of posts submitted or comments made in the classroom but on the overall quality of contributions to discussions.
If a student is unable to attend 3 or more classes, he/she may be asked to complete additional assignments to complete the course.
Mode of Attendance
For the portion of the course that takes place over Microsoft Teams:
Students are required to arrive on time and engage appropriately with their fellow students, their teacher(s) and course materials. They must attend with a functional web camera and microphone, have the latest version of Microsoft Teams installed on their computers, avoid attending via a mobile phone or web browser, and have all necessary materials to hand. Also, their cameras must be always switched on, except for occasions when privacy becomes a necessity. In addition, they must be appropriately attired, attend in an environment that will not distract them, their fellow students or their teacher(s), especially avoiding attending while in a vehicle, whether moving or stationary.
For the on-campus portion of the course:
The mandatory on-campus session meets as per the AUS Campus schedule. Good attendance is required to earn credits and pass the course. Students cannot arrive late or leave early. Students traveling from afar must plan accordingly, giving themselves plenty of time to arrive by the start of class. No exceptions can be granted.
Classroom Expectations
Classes start and end on time, with late entry or reentry allowed only under exceptional circumstances. All phones and electronic devices must be turned off.
GRADING
The expectation is that students read assigned materials prior to class. Class discussions are based on their reading of these materials and their reflections on what they have learned and how these relate to their experiences. Assignments are intended to encourage students’ exploration, reflection on and synthesis of assigned topics and course discussions.
Assessments are listed in the course syllabus and are due by the stipulated deadlines.
No assessment will be accepted after the day following the day it is due. If an assessment submission is one day late late, it will receive an automatic reduction in grade of one letter, for example, from an A to a B. After that, no late work will be accepted, and the student will receive an F grade for the assessment.
Submission of late papers must be approved in advance. Late final papers will not be accepted.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
Students are responsible for understanding the University Policies and how to use sources responsibly. Violations of academic integrity are taken very seriously. Students are asked to visit the course RESM 50011: Fundamentals of Graduate Research Reading and Writing to review important information on academic citation and referencing rules.
ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES POLICY
The University is committed to providing an accessible academic community. The Disability Services (DS) is responsible for providing accommodations to students with disabilities. Students must request accommodations or adjustments through the DS. Instructors cannot grant accommodation requests without prior DS approval. It is imperative to be in touch with the DSS as soon as possible to avoid delays in the provision of an accommodation.
The University takes student privacy seriously. Any medical documentation should be provided directly to the DS if a substantial accommodation is required. If a student misses any classes due to a short-term illness, he/she should notify his/her instructor but to avoid the inclusion of a doctor's note. Course staff will not request, accept, or review doctor's notes or other medical documentation. For more information, email DS@TheAUS.us
PUBLISHING OR DISTRIBUTING COURSE MATERIALS POLICY
Students may not post, publish, sell, or otherwise publicly distribute course materials without the written permission of the course instructor. Such materials include, but are not limited to, the following: lecture notes, lecture slides, video, or audio recordings, assignments, problem sets, examinations, other students’ work, and answer keys. Students who sell, post, publish, or distribute course materials without written permission, whether for the purposes of soliciting answers or otherwise, may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including a requirement to withdraw. Furthermore, students may not make video or audio recordings of class sessions for their own use without written permission from the instructor.
ETHICS AND USE OF PRIOR MATERIALS
It is never appropriate to use materials prepared for previous courses by students or faculty. Students should not use previously completed case write-ups, or summaries of readings.
WEEKLY CLASS MEETING SCHEDULE
Additional information can be found on the course website.
Please note: the syllabus may be modified prior to and during a course, including updates to assignments and additional material.
OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
