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BUSN20016 - Research in Business

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This course provides the essential skills and techniques for designing, implementing and evaluating research in business contexts. It provides an in-depth introduction to the critical thinking and planning required in the initial stages of a thesis or research project. You will undertake research problem definition, design a research project, development of a literature review, consider qualitative and quantitative methods, measurement concepts, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, reporting and presentation of results with the final outcome of the course being the development of a research proposal. This course is designed as the pre-requisite for the work you will undertake in your final year capstone course Professional Project.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 9
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisite:  42 postgraduate credit points. 

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2015

Term 1 - 2017 Profile
Brisbane
Distance
Melbourne
Sydney
Term 2 - 2017 Profile
Brisbane
Distance
Melbourne
Sydney
Term 1 - 2018 Profile
Brisbane
Distance
Melbourne
Sydney
Term 2 - 2018 Profile
Brisbane
Distance
Melbourne
Sydney
Term 3 - 2018 Profile
Brisbane
Distance
Melbourne
Sydney
Term 1 - 2019 Profile
Brisbane
Cairns
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 2 - 2019 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 3 - 2019 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 1 - 2020 Profile
Brisbane
Cairns
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 2 - 2020 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 3 - 2020 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 1 - 2021 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 2 - 2021 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 1 - 2022 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 2 - 2022 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 3 - 2022 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 1 - 2023 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 2 - 2023 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 3 - 2023 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 1 - 2024 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 2 - 2024 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney
Term 3 - 2024 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Sydney

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Practical and Written Assessment 20%
2. Online Quiz(zes) 30%
3. Written Assessment 50%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2023 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 81.58% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 31.15% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Unit Evaluation Survey
Feedback
The teaching team is so supportive to the students
Recommendation
It is recommended that the teaching team will provide more academic support to the students.
Action Taken
This term saw the introduction of a completely Teams-based approach, allowing students to engage with each other and the unit coordinator 'live' so to speak, with students discouraged from using email except for personal issues such as sickness or other confidential matters.
Source: Unit Evaluation Survey
Feedback
Contents of the unit is well suited to the student's learning objectives
Recommendation
It is recommended that the provide materials are updated each year.
Action Taken
Slides were updated this term, to add more examples and a break down of some key practical elements of research such as finding and rating scholarly literature, and instilling a broader understanding of what constitutes research (as opposed to simply reading scholarly work).
Source: In class and via email.
Feedback
Feedback on practical scholarly literature search techniques was positive.
Recommendation
Provide live demonstrations of research techniques during lectures.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Based on low levels of lecture engagement.
Feedback
Low participation rates in lecture classes.
Recommendation
Consider the introduction assessments linked to in-class activities.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Unit coordinator
Feedback
Assessment update.
Recommendation
Assessments will be revised and updated where necessary.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. formulate problems in business studies into a concise and precise research question;
  2. develop and employ ethical practices that consider social, cultural and legal responsibilities of researchers and the research process;
  3. critically evaluate published academic research, identify secondary data sources, and review extant literature, to develop a theoretical framework for a business problem or opportunity;
  4. choose and apply the appropriate research strategies (qualitative and/or quantitative) and techniques to best address the research problem;
  5. demonstrate the application of data analysis techniques and measurement concepts; and
  6. prepare and communicate a comprehensive research proposal.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Practical and Written Assessment
2 - Online Quiz(zes)
3 - Written Assessment
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Advanced Level
Professional Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Advanced Level
Professional Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Practical and Written Assessment
2 - Online Quiz(zes)
3 - Written Assessment