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Students

MQBS8910 – Business Research Methods I

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor
Dale Tweedie
dale.tweedie@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
4ER 342
Appointment by email
Unit convenor
Alison Pullen
alison.pullen@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
Appointment by email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to GradCertResMQBS, GradDipResMQBS
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides students with an introduction to the principles underlying business research methodology and design. It presents the foundations of qualitative research and develops the students’ ability to evaluate a range of qualitative methods and to apply business research methods, tools and techniques.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Explain the relative advantages and disadvantages of a diverse range of qualitative research methods used in business research in developing a research design.
  • ULO2: Assess the suitability of a range of qualitative research methodologies in relation to the research question and underlying research philosophy.
  • ULO3: Apply business research methods, tools and techniques to analyse and interpret data and effectively communicate the findings.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Professional Practice: Comparative Analysis of Business Research Methods 50% No Friday Week 9 (8th May) Individual No Open AI
Skills Development: Research Analysis and Reporting 50% No Friday Week 13 (5th June) Individual No Open AI

Professional Practice: Comparative Analysis of Business Research Methods

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Friday Week 9 (8th May)
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to deepen your understanding of qualitative research methodologies and methods in business by critically reviewing and comparing different approaches.

You will select academic papers within your discipline using the same or similar methodologies and evaluate their appropriateness and effectiveness in addressing the research questions.

Skills in focus:

  • Discipline knowledge
  • Work readiness
  • Critical thinking and problem solving

Deliverable: Written Report (details provided on iLearn)

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the relative advantages and disadvantages of a diverse range of qualitative research methods used in business research in developing a research design.
  • Assess the suitability of a range of qualitative research methodologies in relation to the research question and underlying research philosophy.

Skills Development: Research Analysis and Reporting

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Friday Week 13 (5th June)
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to to use analytical strategies and techniques to analyse and interpret qualitative data.

You will be given a set of raw data in a general business discipline, and you will analyse the data using appropriate qualitative analysis strategies and techniques to report and interpret the results.

Skills in focus: 

  • Discipline knowledge
  • Work readiness
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Digital skills

Deliverable: Written Report (details provided on iLearn)

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply business research methods, tools and techniques to analyse and interpret data and effectively communicate the findings.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Please see iLearn for details.

Unit Schedule

Week

Topic

1

Research fundamentals

2

Research design: Philosophies and principles

3

Implementing research principles

4

Designing qualitative research

5

Qualitative approaches - Interviews and focus groups

6

Qualitative approaches - Case studies
RECESS

7

Qualitative approaches - Content analysis

8

Analysing qualitative research

9

 

 

                     

 Advanced modules 1 & 2

10

11

12

13

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.03 of the Handbook