GRA 6438 Research Methodology - Marketing

GRA 6438 Research Methodology - Marketing

Course code: 
GRA 6438
Department: 
Marketing
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Rutger Daniel van Oest
Course name in Norwegian: 
Research Methodology - Marketing
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc - Core course
Semester: 
2019 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

The Research Methodology - Marketing course is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of important topics in research in marketing (i.e., academic research) and marketing research (i.e., business-oriented research). The course addresses theoretical and philosophical foundations of research conducted by marketing academics and practitioners including perspectives on theory, causality, validity, measurement, and ethics. It also covers the marketing research process including formulating the research problem and hypotheses, sampling, measurement, research design and writing a paper/thesis or research report.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:

  • understand key methodological issues in research in marketing and marketing research.
  • elaborate on these issues.
  • see the interrelationships between the elements of the research process, not only the bits and pieces.

Through practical exercises, the students will:

  • have an understanding of information search strategies and of source evaluation
  • know what a literature review is and how these types of articles may be found and used
Learning outcomes - Skills

Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:

  • plan and conduct research according to the outlined research process taking into account and deal with the various unavoidable tradeoffs occurring in this process
Learning Outcome - Reflection

Upon successful completion of this course, the students will:

  • appreciate alternative approaches to a problem.
  • be able to see ethical issues in the research process.
Course content
  • Validity issues
  • Ethical issues
  • Data collection
  • Measurement
  • Sampling
  • Survey research
  • Experimental research
  • Longitudinal research
  • Qualitative approaches
  • Meta analysis
  • Information and search strategies:
    • Introduction to search strategies
    • Source quality assessment
    • Reviewing articles

During the semester there will be thesis seminars to guide the students towards writing a thesis registration form. This is conducted outside the course.

Learning process and requirements to students

The course is a combination of class room lectures and two term paper consultation sessions. 

Part of the course is a library session. This session takes place as a combination of lectures and practical exercises using computers. Sessions will be run in groups of maximum 50 students. 

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/itslearning or text book.

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.

At resit, all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.

Software tools
Qualtrics
SPSS
Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Exam categoryWeightInvigilationDurationSupport materialsGroupingComment exam
Exam category:
Submission
Form of assessment:
Written submission
Exam code:
GRA64386
Grading scale:
Point scale
Grading rules:
Internal examiner with external supervisor
Resit:
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
10No 1 Week(s)Group/Individual ( 1 - 3)Library assignment
Exam category:
Submission
Form of assessment:
Written submission
Exam code:
GRA64386
Grading scale:
Point scale
Grading rules:
Internal examiner with external supervisor
Resit:
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
45No1 Semester(s)Group (2 - 3)Term paper
Exam category:
Submission
Form of assessment:
Written submission
Exam code:
GRA64386
Grading scale:
Point scale
Grading rules:
Internal examiner with external supervisor
Resit:
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
45Yes3 Hour(s)
  • BI-approved exam calculator
  • Simple calculator
  • Bilingual dictionary
Individual Written examination under supervision.
Exams:
Exam category:Submission
Form of assessment:Written submission
Weight:10
Invigilation:No
Grouping (size):Group/Individual (1-3)
Support materials:
Duration: 1 Week(s)
Comment:Library assignment
Exam code:GRA64386
Grading scale:Point scale
Resit:All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category:Submission
Form of assessment:Written submission
Weight:45
Invigilation:No
Grouping (size):Group (2-3)
Support materials:
Duration:1 Semester(s)
Comment:Term paper
Exam code:GRA64386
Grading scale:Point scale
Resit:All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category:Submission
Form of assessment:Written submission
Weight:45
Invigilation:Yes
Grouping (size):Individual
Support materials:
  • BI-approved exam calculator
  • Simple calculator
  • Bilingual dictionary
Duration:3 Hour(s)
Comment:Written examination under supervision.
Exam code:GRA64386
Grading scale:Point scale
Resit:All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam organisation: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Sum workload: 
0

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.