Research Methods

PLAN30091 Research Methods 10 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 3 Ransford Antwi Acheampong Unit coordinator Planning and Environmental Management 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0 An understanding of Research Methods is essential to the practice of effectively conducting the collection and analysis of primary and/or secondary data. Within Planning, Environmental Management and Real Estate a range of theories and techniques are available to researchers making use of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The PLAN30091 Research Methods module introduces students to the breadth of techniques available enabling them to undertake an independent research project. The module should be viewed as introductory training for the mandatory PLAN30000 Dissertation module and is structured to provide students with the skills needed to develop a research proposal, and subsequently to complete their Dissertation. The module will introduce a range of areas critical to the completion of a dissertation including the process of identifying a research topic, structuring a proposal, a reflection on primary/secondary data sources, qualitative/quantitative techniques of data collection, ethical considerations and issues of plagiarism. The module will also discuss the structure of the dissertation and how alternative research methodologies can be used to support your independent research.     An understanding of Research Methods is essential to the practice of effectively conducting the collection and analysis of primary and/or secondary data. Within Planning, Environmental Management and Real Estate a range of theories and techniques are available to researchers making use of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The PLAN30091 Research Methods module introduces students to the breadth of techniques available enabling them to undertake an independent research project. The module should be viewed as introductory training for the mandatory PLAN30000 Dissertation module and is structured to provide students with the skills needed to develop a research proposal, and subsequently to complete their Dissertation. The module will introduce a range of areas critical to the completion of a dissertation including the process of identifying a research topic, structuring a proposal, a reflection on primary/secondary data sources, qualitative/quantitative techniques of data collection, ethical considerations and issues of plagiarism. The module will also discuss the structure of the dissertation and how alternative research methodologies can be used to support your independent research. The module aims to equip students with the following knowledge: To develop students' understanding and use of alternative research methods in preparation for the execution of their dissertation; To enable students to understand and formulate research questions and hypotheses; To provide students with a broader understanding of the use of research methods to enable them to critically evaluate the research output of others; To consolidate the students’ knowledge on a range of research skills required for the obtaining, analysis, presentation and interpretation of a range of data, both quantitative and qualitative.    Understand the processes of identifying a research topic, developing research plan and implement research methodologies; Understand the characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research in Planning, Environmental Management and Real Estate;    Prepare research plans that employ a range of research methods including surveys, questionnaires, interviews, case studies and archival techniques; Demonstrate an understanding of the principles behind the above; Use a range of IT resources to obtain, analyse and present information;   Use of various IT software to present information in a professional manner; Competency in presenting ideas verbally;   Use of different research methods to develop research in the context of both P&EM course units and the professional practice.   The course will be comprised of the following main topics: • Introduction; Why Research Methods in P&EM• Topic selection• Identifying your aim and defining research objectives• Linking research questions to data collection processes• Implementing research methodologies and discussing the results• Research ethics, plagiarism Virtual/Online blended delivery. All workshops is time-tabled for Monday 10am-12pm Each teaching session will provide an opportunity for students to discuss their proposed projects with other students and PEM staff. The sessions will be both interactive and iterative in format allowing students to develop their thinking and use other members of the module as critical friends offering advice on how the project could be evolved. It is therefore essential that students come to each teaching session prepared. This includes initial thoughts on the topic, literature, methodologies and types of analysis. 0 Other 100% Summative Assessment (Assignment 1)Research Proposal (100% of module grade) Assessment 1: Submission Week 10 – Thursday 28th November 2pm via Blackboard/Turnitin Students are asked to produce a research proposal for their Dissertation (PLAN30000) outlining their topic/s, engagement with literature and proposed methodology that will be used to structure their independent research project and allocate supervisors to projects/dissertations. Formative/non-graded Assessment (Mandatory) Research Proposal - Word Limit – 500 words (excluding references) Submission Week 5 – Thursday 24th October 2pm via Blackboard/Turnitin Students will be expected to submit an initial short-from assignment (approximately 500 words) that will be marked informally, i.e. as a formative assessment, to provide interim feedback on the developing ideas for the dissertation. The assessment should include initial reflections on the following: 1. Title 2. Aims and objectives 3. Literature overview 4. Methodology The assessment will be used to provide guidance on the choice of topic and focus of the research, which can be developed further in the summative assessment.   Masters Planning and Real Est Masters Planning and Real Est Third Year Mandatory Master of Planning (MPLAN)(FT) Master of Planning (MPLAN) FT Third Year Mandatory BSc Planning and Real Estate BSc (Hons) Planning & Real Est Third Year Mandatory BSc (Hons) Environmental Mgmt BSc (Hons) Environmental Mgmt Third Year Mandatory BSc (Hons) Env Mana w Placemen BSc (Hons) Env Man w Placement Fourth Year Mandatory Bsc PRE with Placement BSc (Hons) PRE with Placement Fourth Year Mandatory Masters Plan and Real Est w Pl Masters Plan and Real Est w P Fourth Year Mandatory Master of Planning w Placement Master of Planning w Placement Fourth Year Mandatory N Essential readingWalliman,, N (2006) Social Research Methods. SAGE Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. SAGE.Further readingClifford, N., Cope, M., Gillespie, T. & French, S. (2016) Key methods in Geography, 3rd Edition. London: SAGE. Farthing, S. (2016) Research Design in Urban Planning: A Student’s Guide. Sage, London. Flowerdew, R and Martin, D (2005) Methods in Human Geography: a guide for students doing a research project, Longman, Harlow. 2nd edition. Hakim, C. (2000) Research Design: successful designs for social and economic research, 2nd Edition. Routledge, Abingdon. Kitchin, R and Tate, N J (2000) Conducting Research into Human Geography: theory, methodology and practice, Prentice Hall, Harlow Robson, C. & McCarten, K. (2016) Real World Research, 4th Edition. Blackwell, Oxford. Sheppard, A. & Smith, N. (2014) Study Skills for Town and Country Planning. Sage, London. Chapter 12: Writing a Dissertation, pg. 171-187.Web resources CASWEB, Web of Science, GeoBase, BIDS, Digimap, various online data archives Other electronic resources / programmes: Excel, ArcGIS Other: Past student dissertations in the Kantorovich and Main Libraries Lectures 11 0 89