Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025

Module BUSI4S915: Quantitative Methods for Doctoral Research

Department: Management and Marketing

BUSI4S915: Quantitative Methods for Doctoral Research

Type Open Level 4 Credits 15 Availability Available in 2024/2025 Module Cap None.

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To facilitate students’ in-depth engagement with a range of contemporary quantitative approaches in Management and Marketing research.
  • To develop students’ critical understanding of the logic of hypothesis testing and making causal claims.
  • To provide students with hands-on experience in data collection and analysis with state-of-the-science software tools.
  • To facilitate students’ doctoral-level writing and presentation skills for quantitative research.
  • To develop students’ critical understanding of ethical implications when conducting quantitative research.

Content

  • Conceptual models
  • Descriptive and basic inferential statistics
  • Hypothesis testing and causal inference
  • Measurement and scaling, sampling, and survey design
  • Methods of quantitative data collection (e.g., surveys, experiments)
  • Quantitative data management and analysis (correlation, basic regression, ANOVA)
  • Reviews and meta-analytical approaches
  • Software tools for data collection (e.g., Qualtrics) and analysis (e.g. SPSS, R)
  • Writing up and presenting quantitative research

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Critical understanding of different quantitative research approaches
  • Critical understanding of quantitative data collection techniques
  • Critical understanding of quantitative data analysis techniques
  • Critical understanding of ethics and open science practice in quantitative research
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Ability to critically evaluate quantitative research approaches
  • Ability to develop doctoral-level research questions for quantitative methods
  • Ability to evaluate strengths and opportunities of quantitative research designs
  • Ability to communicate quantitative research results, verbally and in writing
Key Skills:
  • Critically evaluating quantitative research designs
  • Formulating and testing hypotheses
  • Data collection
  • Data management
  • Implementing data analysis
  • Managing individual and collaborative projects

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

  • The module will be delivered in a blended format, including workshops with lecture-type delivery format, work in small groups, and individual work that helps students develop a deeper understanding of quantitative research.
  • The formative and summative assessments of the module are designed to facilitate students’ quantitative data analysis and interpretation skills.
  • The summative assessment (group report) facilitates students’ learning from each other and develops their teamwork skills for collaborative research.
  • Comprehensive reading and self-study materials will be provided online.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Workshops (classroom) 4 Over 4 days 5 hours 20
Tutor supported small group work (online) 4 As required 2 hours 8
Preparation and Reading 122
Total 150

Summative Assessment

Component: Written Assignment Component Weighting: 75%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Report (Group) 3000 words 100% Same
Component: Written Assignment Component Weighting: 25%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Report (Individual, reflection on group work) 1000 words 100% Same

Formative Assessment:

The students will work on selected exercises in small groups; they will present the results of this small group work.


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