Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2023-2024

Module ACCT3071: Research Methods in Accounting

Department: Accounting

ACCT3071: Research Methods in Accounting

Type	Tied	Level	3	Credits	20	Availability	Available in 2023/24	Module Cap	None.	Location	Durham

Tied to	N408
Tied to	N409
Tied to	NN43
Tied to	N302
Tied to	N304
Tied to	NN42
Tied to	N204
Tied to	N206

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Excluded Combination of Modules

None

Aims

To equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake an independent research project under appropriate supervision.
To distinguish between research philosophies, identify appropriate research methods, plan a research project and complete a review of relevant literature.

Content

Research Philosophies including Positivist, Realist, Interpretivist and Pragmatist approaches to research
Searching for academic literature
Research methods appropriate to research paradigms
Project management skills for research
Ethics in research

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

By the end of the module students are expected:
To have acquired extended knowledge of a relevant topic of interest and completed a review of relevant literature;
To have developed their knowledge of approaches to research and be able to distinguish between Positivist, Realist and Interpretivist paradigms.

Subject-specific Skills:

By the end of the module students are expected:
To have acquired skills of independent research and project management;
To be able to demonstrate an ability to present and analyse data in a clear and appropriate manner.

Key Skills:

Written communication
Planning, organising and working to deadlines
Problem solving and analysis
Initiative
Computer literacy

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Learning is facilitated by weekly workshops designed to explore research ideas.
Formative assessment is by production of a draft research plan.
Summative assessment is through the production of a research poster building on the formative work, and a literature review.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Workshops	10	Weekly	2 hours	20	■
Preparation, Reading and Independent Study				180
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component: Research Plan		Component Weighting: 20%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Research Poster	1000 words	100%	Same
Component: Literature Reivew		Component Weighting: 80%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Literature Review	3000 words	100%	same

Formative Assessment:

Draft research plan

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University