module specification

This module will introduce you to research methods and strategies that are appropriate to your area of study. It will provide you with experience in the planning and implementation of a research project prior to taking the corresponding module CO7P00A in the Autumn semester, in which you will complete and write up your research findings in a dissertation.

You are encouraged to develop critical thinking and undertake rigorous and theoretically informed research. The module will develop your understanding of the links between conceptual issues, subject area, and research methods.

The syllabus is informed by contemporary research and practice. Topics will include:

• Elements of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods (LO2)
• Approaches to identifying a contemporary area of study (LO1)
• The process of refining the topic and establishing your research question, hypothesis, aims, and objectives (LO2, 4)
• The existing body of knowledge and how to bring this into your writing through a critical review of the literature (LO2, 4)
• Methods of data collection and analysis (LO2, 4)
• The ethics of research (LO3)

The Research Methods programme will be delivered through formal contact sessions supported by online content. The contact sessions will encourage students to discuss ideas and consider a variety of research strategies and data collection techniques. The online content will provide students with a formal, structured framework within which to approach their research.

Workshops will be held in which students will engage in discussions about topical areas within the Built Environment sector, which, coupled with independent research, will help guide students in their identification and justification of a subject to study.

The principal emphasis throughout the module is on self-directed learning. Students will be required to take responsibility for identifying their own subject area of interest, research goals, and planning their own research programme.

Once supervisors are allocated then one-to-one tutorials between supervisors and students will take place at appropriate intervals. However, it remains the students’ responsibility to arrange and attend tutorials at a frequency appropriate to the stage of the work and at times mutually convenient to students and supervisors.

The learning and teaching will be supported by the University’s VLE and a blended learning approach, sharing class materials, recommended reading, and case studies. Group tutorials will also be offered to support students in the preparation of their assessments, with opportunities for students to receive forward feedback.

The module is linked with CO7P00A, which takes place in Autumn. CO7P00A is the preparation of a 10,000-word report based on the proposal and literature review produced in CO7P00S. During the Summer period between the two modules, students are expected to undertake some of their research and will be able to meet and discuss with their supervisors during this time.

On completion of the module, the learner, operating independently and applying their knowledge and skills, should be able to:

1. create a considered, contemporary, applied research topic.
2. apply appropriate research methods to evaluate and analyse complex ideas within the area of study.
3. identify the ethical principles relevant to the proposed research.
4. demonstrate self-direction, creativity, and critical thought in preparing a research proposal for further investigation and analysis.

There is no single text currently in publication that provides a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of this module. There are several books which cover various parts of the module in some detail, and these are listed in the core text list:

Link to library reading list