Handbook home
Research Foundations (MGMT90249)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Prof Graham Sewell gsewell@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
This subject introduces students to the fundamental philosophical and theoretical issues underlying different research paradigms in Management and Marketing. Topics include: ontology, epistemology, axiology and methodology; the philosophy of science; the philosophy of social science; the nature of social inquiry; different paradigmatic approaches to understanding reality, including positivism, critical realism, social constructionism, and radical alternatives; and the nature of theory and the theory building process. The focus will be on understanding research as a social process where philosophical and theoretical issues have important implications for how we undertake research and for the legitimacy of our knowledge claims. The subject will also teach students academic writing skills to effectively make a case for their research.
Intended learning outcomes
- Understand the ontological and epistemological foundations of knowledge.
- Understand the diversity of ways of knowing reality and what they mean for research practice.
- Appreciate the importance of the philosophy of social science for the practice of research.
- Understand nature of theory and the theory building process.
- Understand the research process as a contested social process.
- Learn effective academic writing skills.
Generic skills
- Problem solving skills, which should be enhanced through the study of research design and research methods.
- Writing skills appropriate for the preparation of academic articles and research reports in Management and Marketing, including the doctoral thesis.
- Analytical skills, which should be developed through the evaluation of quantitative and qualitative empirical research literature.
Last updated: 3 November 2022