Unit Code	BU292	AQF Level			7
Unit weighting	Unit credit points: 3		Total course credit points: 36
Core or elective unit	Core
Pre-requisite or co-requisite	BU191: Business Reporting + completion of at least three (3) 200-level business units
Delivery mode	Face to face on site		Full time or part time
Location	Sheridan College 18/7 Aberdeen St, Piccadilly Square West, Perth WA 6000
Student Workload	168 hours (12 hours per week over 14 weeks) Seminars – 36 hours (3 hours per week over 12 teaching weeks) Private Study – 132 hours (9 hours per week over 12 teaching weeks + 12 hours per week over 2 non-teaching weeks) Additional English language support if needed: Minimum 24 hours (3 hours per week over 8 teaching weeks)
Prescribed Textbook(s)	Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2016). Research Methods for Business Students. (7th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education.
Other resource requirements	Access to the Learning Management System Canvas canvas.sheridan.edu.au
Work-integrated learning activity	Not applicable
Timetabled day and time	Wednesday 1:00 – 3:55 pm			Room		South Wing
Course Coordinator	Prof. Gabriel Ogunmokun			Phone:		9221-8170
Email	[email protected]
Course Coordinator	Prof. Gabriel Ogunmokun			Phone:		9221-8170
Email	[email protected]

Unit Description

This unit is designed to prepare you for the independent business research project you will undertake in the third-year program for the Sheridan College Bachelor of Business. The unit introduces you to a range of potential quantitative and qualitative research approaches, strategies and methods. You will gain insights into the reality of the research experience, including some of the obstacles that can impede successful research. The body of knowledge encountered during this unit will enable you to make an informed choice about the specific approach, strategy and method that best suits your proposed research project, and equip you to justify your choice.

Throughout the Research Methods for Business unit, you will be expected to draw upon the broader knowledge and skills that you have acquired in other units of study in the Bachelor of Business program.

Research Methods for Business Learning Outcomes

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

1. Explain the essential principles and methods for research in the field of business administration
2. Compare quantitative and qualitative research approaches, strategies and
3. Outline the common obstacles that can impede successful
4. Critically engage with the literature concerning both a specific topic and research
5. Develop a sound proposal for a business research

Assessment Schedule

Assessment Type	Value	Due Date	LOs Assessed	GAs Addressed
Research Design Essay	40%	Week 5, Softcopy by Email Hardcopy in Class on or before Wednesday 1:00pm	A,B,C	1,2,3,4,5,6
Research Proposal (Written and Oral Presentation)	60%	Week 12, Softcopy by Email Hardcopy in Class on or before Wednesday 1:00pm	A,C,D,E	1,2,3,4,5,6

 Assessment 1: Research Design Essay

Format:           Research Design

Length:            2,000 words

Weighting:       40%

According to your textbook page 209, “Research design is the way a research question and objectives are operationalised into a research project. The research design process involves a series of decisions that need to combine into a coherent research project”.

Write an essay on the various areas of business research design that a business researcher should address in designing a research project, including: the purpose of research design, methodological choice between qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods, research strategies, time horizon, ethics of the research design, quality of the research, and your role as the researcher.

Assessment 2: Research Proposal 

Format:           Research Proposal

Length:            4,500 words

Weighting:       60%

Assume you have been asked by a business organisation in Australia to write a business research proposal for a topic in any areas of business.

Your Research Proposal should cover the following areas:

1. The title of your proposed research study
2. The statement of the problem/rationale and objectives of the study

• A comprehensive literature review of the research topic you have

1. The This should include the sampling method(s) and questionnaire that you intend to use for collecting the data, and the method for analysing your research data. The questionnaire should be a combination of both structured, closed-ended questions and open-ended questions.
2. Proposed time frame and budget for the

Your Research Proposal submission should adhere to the following structure:

• Assignment Cover Page (having the title of the research proposal, your name, and submission date)
• Content Page
• Introduction (including the background, rationale, and objectives of the study)
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Proposed time frame and budget for the proposed study
• Summary and Conclusion
• References

All pages must be numbered and the document has to be prepared with size 12 font and single space format.

Please review the rubric below before you begin writing. You must submit the Research Proposal to your Lecturer by email and also hand in a hard copy on or before class on Wednesday, Week 12.

 Learning Resources

Prescribed Textbook

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2016). Research Methods for Business Students. (7th ed.).

Harlow: Pearson Education.

Recommended Supplementary Reading

Blumberg, B., Cooper, D. R., & Schrinder, P. (2014). Business research methods. (4th ed.). London: McGraw-Hill Education.

Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Hair, Jr., J. F., Celsi, M., Money, A., Samouel, P., & Page, M. (2016). Essentials of business research methods. (3rd ed.). New York: Taylor & Francis.

Punch, K. (2016). Developing effective research proposals. (3rd ed.) London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Quinlan, C., Zikmund, W., Babin, B., Carr, J., & Griffin, M. (2019). Business research methods. (2nd ed.).

Andover: Cengage Learning.

Weekly Schedule of Topics

BU292 Research Methods for Business

Prescribed Textbook

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2016). Research Methods for Business Students. (7th ed.).

Harlow: Pearson Education.

WEEK	TOPICS and TIMELINE	PRESCRIBED READINGS	ASSESSMENTS
1	Unit introduction; nature of business research	Saunders et al, ch.1-2
2	Literature review	Saunders et al, ch.3
3	Research approaches	Saunders et al, ch.4
4	Research design/Methodology	Saunders et al, ch.5
5	Access and Ethics	Saunders et al, ch.6	Research Design Essay
6	Sampling	Saunders et al, ch.7
	IN-TRIMESTER STUDY WEEK
7	Collecting secondary data Collecting primary data I: Observation	Saunders et al, ch.8-9
8	Collecting primary data II: Interviews Collecting primary data III: Questionnaires	Saunders et al, ch.10- 11
9	Analysing quantitative data	Saunders et al, ch.12
10	Analysing qualitative data	Saunders et al, ch.13
11	Writing and presenting your report	Saunders et al, ch.14
12	Research Proposal and Oral Presentation		Written Research Proposal. Oral Presentation
	PRE-EXAM STUDY WEEK
13	Continuation of oral presentations in class