Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convener
Dr Dale Tweedie
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
With MQBS8020
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides students with an introduction to theoretical and empirical research approaches informed by qualitative methods of inquiry within the business and economics discipline. It seeks to develop students' understanding of the contexts in which qualitative research can be undertaken, and the ability to analyse, conduct, and evaluate qualitative forms of research. |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Late submissions of written assessments
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.
For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Critique your preferred method | 20% | No | Week 7 |
Qualitative research design | 40% | No | Week 10 |
Weekly reviews | 40% | No | Week 12 |
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 31 hours
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 20%
Select three recent (within the last 5 years) empirical research papers from three different top academic journals that have used a particular research method that you are interested in exploring more deeply, and write a 1,500 word critique of the three papers through critically comparing them on your assessment of the following: 1) Suitability and justification of the chosen method in relation to the research question 2) Technical adequacy of the method application in terms of data collection and analysis
Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 40%
Prepare a 2,500 word research proposal that is based on a qualitative research design. The report should contain: 1) Your research problem and research question(s) 2) A justification of your choice of qualitative method(s) in relation to your research question(s) based in a literature review of relevant methodological literature 3) The relation of your choice of qualitative method(s) to your onto-epistemic research philosophy 4) An explanation of how you will conduct your analysis 5) A significant example of actual data collection and analysis, including a summary of your main findings 6) A discussion of limitations and next steps
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 40%
For each of the sessions from weeks 2-12, write a 500 word review that: 1) Summarises what you believe to be the most important learnings from the seminar and readings in each week, and 2) Critically discuss how the materials covered could relate to your own research project e.g. how might you use some of the points discussed to improve, critique, and/or justify your research project?
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Please see iLearn for details.
WEEK |
Date |
Title |
Topic |
1. |
20 February |
Introduction |
Introduction to the unit |
2. |
27 February |
Philosophy of social science |
Epistemology and qualitative research |
3. |
6 March |
Designing qualitative research |
Research design, sampling, and ethics |
4.
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13 March |
Methods: Interviews and Focus Groups |
Interview paradigms, approaches (e.g. semi-structured) and techniques. |
5. |
20 March |
Methods: Case studies |
Selection, motivation, generalising from cases. |
6.
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27 March |
Methods: Ethnography |
Ethnography and participant observation, autoethnography |
7. |
3 April |
Methods: Action Research |
Qualitative questionnaires and document research, action research, arts-based methods Hand-in assessment: critique your preferred method |
RECESS (2 weeks) |
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8. |
24 April |
Methods: Content analysis. |
Analysing documents and images, including e-research. |
9.
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1 May |
Data analysis: Interview coding methods |
Including types of coding (e.g. axial) and coding hierachies.
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10.
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8 May |
Data analysis tools |
NVIVO, e-coding strategies and techniques Hand-in assessment: qualitative research design |
11. |
15 May |
Writing qualitative research |
Using quotes, developing a story.
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12. |
22 May |
Contemporary issues and debates |
Current debates on designing, theorising and using qualitative research in business. Assessment deadline: weekly reviews |
13. |
29 May |
Summary and your research |
Wrap up and moving your own project forward. |
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Unit information based on version 2023.01R of the Handbook