Research Methods in Economics and Management

6 ECTS credits
154 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 1016192BNR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester

1st and 2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Je hebt ‘Inleiding Micro-economie’ en 'Statistiek I voor de Bedrijfseconomische wetenschappen' gevolgd, alvorens ‘Onderzoeksmethoden in Economie en Management’ op te nemen.

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool

Department

Applied economics

Educational team

Ilse Scheerlinck
Leo Van Hove (course titular)
Filip Van Droogenbroeck
Ronny Verbraecken
Nikolas Vander Vennet

Activities and contact hours

32 contact hours Lecture
18 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
130 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

The goal of the course is to provide an introduction into research methodology in general and, more specifically, into how to conduct research in the field of economics and management. Both the research process as well as the relevant research methods will be covered.

In particular, the course consists of:

a series of lectures on research methods by the course holders or by guest speakers;
individual as well as team work. Coached by supervisors, students are expected to execute the first steps of a research project. In particular, they have to produce summaries of scientific papers (individually) as well as an annotated bibliography about their topic (in group). It is hoped that students will in this way acquire skills that will prove useful for the further steps that will need to be undertaken in the course ‘Bachelorproef’ (Bachelor paper) as well as for writing papers for other courses and, ultimately, for the master thesis.

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Syllabus en slides, Canvas
Handbook (Required) : Researching and writing a dissertation, An Essential Guide for Business Students, Fisher, C., 3de, Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 9780273723431, 2010

Additional info

None.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

After successfully completing the course, students

should be able to identify a research problem in economics or management and formulate a relevant and adequately underpinned research question;
should be able to find the related existing research results in the academic literature and report these results in a scientific and critical manner, replete with (correct) references and a bibliography;
should be aware of the most important research methods in economics and management and have acquired insight into the applicability and pros and cons of these methods in a given context.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 40% of the final mark.
Practical Exam determines 60% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Written Exam with a relative weight of 40 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

Within the Practical Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Individual Paper with a relative weight of 20 which comprises 20% of the final mark.
Group Paper with a relative weight of 40 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The lectures on research methods are evaluated by means of a written exam, which counts for 40% towards the final grade. The research project consists of three work packages, which together count for 60% (WP1 5%, WP2 15%, WP3 40%). Attendance is mandatory during contact moments with supervisor. Non-documented absence results in penalty points.

Important: participation in all three parts (exam, individual work, teamwork) is required to obtain a final score for the course. Plus: you need to obtain at least 35% - that is, a 7/20 - on the written exam. If not, your score on the written exam will be your final score.

In the second exam session, the grade for the teamwork will be transferred. The individual work and the exam need to revised/retaken.

Outgoing Erasmus students who follow the course need to contact the course holder at the beginning of the academic year in order to agree upon an arrangement.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context