This class exists in these courses :
• IÉSEG > IESEG Degree - Programme Grande École > Semester 2 > 4,00 ECTS

Prerequisites

Students should have excellent knowledge of research methods (as studied in the Research Methods class). They should also have a good understanding of important issues in the Information Systems field (for IS students) or the Operations Management field (for Operations Management students). They need to work very rigorously for the project in this class.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student should be able:
- identify a good research question,
- choose an appropriate research method,
- observe the reality correctly,
- analyse their observations and
- make valid decisions on the basis of their analysis.
This is in line with the fact that managers have to take important strategic decisions on the basis of observations.
A second goal is to come up with a good research topic for the final dissertation in fifth year and also to already pre-test instruments that will be used during the final dissertation, such as a questionnaire. This typically lowers the work that needs to be done for the final dissertation and improves the quality of that dissertation.

Students should have greater awareness about ESRS topics. Specifically, students will learn about ethics in doing research.

Course description

First, students will have to present one research paper (given by the professor) in which a specific research method is used (ranging from case studies, over surveys to experiments). Next, students will have to look up a paper themselves in the library concerning their own field of interest. They have to present that paper, focussing on the research method. Next, they have to develop a research question, something that still needs to be investigated in their field of interest. We will discuss and improve the research question in class. Students then have to work out the research method they will use to answer the research question. After that, they execute the research method on a small scale, so they can experience and understand problems that arise during data gathering. They also have to analyse (the limited) data set they gathered.
Students have to write a ‘mini-dissertation’, which is a (very) short version of the dissertation they will have to write in their final year.

Class type

Class structure

Teaching methods

• Interactive class
• Presentation
• Project work
• Research

Assessment

Students have to give several presentations in groups. They also need to write a mini-dissertation.

Recommended reading

• Material will be made available on ieseg-online -

Internet resources

• Students need to check ieseg-online for material.