MSc International Management 2010/11 MN5252 Independent Research Paper

Refer to the MSc International Management IRP Handbook for details

1

Purpose of the Independent Research Paper • • • Academic assessment – Intellectual exercise – 14.29% weighting Possible factor in degree classification – Distinction / Merit / Pass / Fail Possible links to career development (e.g., internships, placements, interviews, and networking) 2

Milestones for IRP • 14 Feb: Proposal submission deadline • By early March: Supervisor allocated • By end of Term 2: Feedback on IRP proposal from supervisor • Following exams: Arrange meeting with supervisor • July/August: Core research period; organize these eight weeks into stages • 1 September: Due date (IRP must be received) 3

IRP Assessment Criteria • Academic ability test at the MSc level – to synthesise information from a range of relevant material – to analyse critically sources, assessing their significance to the area of your research – to evaluate the source evidence together with the arguments of different authorities and use them – to communicate in written form ideas, whether they are your own or those of other people, coherently and concisely – to plan and complete a major piece of academic work – to present this work in a suitable format and by a set date 4

• • • • • • What Makes a Good IRP? Achievable – Is the research plan realistic? – Issue of access to relevant data Completed on time Focused – Less is more (cannot include everything) Evidence-based – Via research methodologies (collect/analyse data) Located in the literature – Current state of knowledge and any debates/controversies Presented in an appropriate style – IRP as an engaging story – Is there a controlling idea? 5

Some Common Challenges • Difficulty in getting started • July/August slump in motivation • Over-ambitious in scope 6

• • • • Refining the IRP Proposal

(based on what I read)

Feedback from your supervisor is very instructive – s/he is an instructive resource Many IRP proposals require greater focus. Is the topic researchable by you in the limited time available? Clarifying research method(s) you plan to employ to research your topic (interviews, questionnaires, literature synthesis, etc) is necessary. How realistic will you be able to apply that/those methods? If you plan to conduct interviews, are confident that you will get access to the interviewees? Start a literature review, which will also help you to refine the IRP proposal. Every IRP will have to include a review of relevant literature so it is not time wasted. At the proposal stage many students did not demonstrate an ability to search for relevant literature. Whatever your IRP topic you will not have been the first person to consider researching it – so relevant literature will be available 7

IRP Deadline Date • Submission deadline is 1 September 2011 – Both paper (delivery in-person or by post/courier) and online (JISC–TurnitinUk) • College restrictions on granting ‘extensions’ or ‘deferrals’ – Other commitments including internships are not valid reasons 8

Relationship with IRP Supervisor • • • • • • Primary role of the supervisor is to guide you through the research and writing process IRP is a piece of independent research so the supervisor is not a co-author Allocated a minimum of two face-to-face meetings following feedback on the IRP proposals Send any documents in advance of face-to-face meetings Be enthusiastic and efficient – the supervisor will reciprocate Maintain contact, particularly if difficulties are encountered 9

Correct Citation as Academic Form • APA Style (which includes the so-called ‘Harvard’ in-text citation system) – http://apastyle.apa.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx

• Purdue University has an excellent and free resource, OWL (online writing lab), with summaries of the key citation styles – http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/ • Be consistent (i.e., do not mix styles) and correct in use of the style you have adopted 10

Suggested References to Support IRP • Standard handbooks for research methods in business and management – John Creswell, Research Design, 3rd ed. (2009) – Alan Bryman and Emma Bell, Business Research Methods, 2nd ed. (2007) – Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis, and Adrian Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th ed. (2009) • Case study method – Robert Yin, Case Study Research, 4th ed. (2008) – Jan Dul and Tony Hak, Case Study Methodology in Business Research (2008) 11

Length of the IRP • 8-10,000 words – This includes in-text references and any footnotes or endnotes, but excludes the bibliography, any appendices, and the abstract (executive summary) 12

IRP Layout • • • • • • • • • Title page Declaration of authenticity Abstract (or executive summary) List of acknowledgements (optional) Table of contents listing all divisions with page numbers Numbered list of illustrations Main text of the IRP, clearly divided into sections/chapters Bibliography Appendices (supporting documents, survey questionnaire, interview questions) 13

Chapters

Main Text Structure (8-10,000 words)

(sample only – discuss your IRP with your supervisor)

Description

1 Introduction 2 Literature Review 3 Research Methodology 4 Presentation of Findings 5 Discussion of Findings 6 Conclusion •What is the IRP about? Why is it relevant to international management? •Define/explain key terms in the IRP title •Establish a narrative – sets a tone for the IRP •Outline the organizational structure of the IRP •Locating the IRP •Organize relevant literature into themes/categories used in the IRP (i.e., do not list or describe what you have read) •Who are the key writers? What do they have have to say? Are there debates? Is there a gap in the literature? •Outline the approach to research (including any conceptual model) •Justify choices made •Indicate methods of data collection and data analysis •Presentation of findings (based on data analysis) •Identify key themes (related to the IRP title) •Indicate majority and minority perspectives •Discussion of findings (interpretation) should make links to the literature review (Chp 2) •Summation •What do we learn? •Recommendations

Word Count

(approximate) 1000 2000 1000 2500 2500 500 14

Barriers Facing Students • • • • • Self-motivation Time management – Stages of the IRP Juggling other commitments – Work / relationships / holidays Access (hurdles/obstacles) to data collection – Alternatives should be considered at the outset Changing direction – Consult with supervisor (as soon as possible) 15

Key Weaknesses – IRP Assessment • • • • • • • • Lack of focus Too descriptive (lack of analysis and interpretation) Unclear data sources or under-used data Reading is ‘thin’ or ‘light’ Completion appears ‘rushed’ IRP ≠ consultancy report Missing, incomplete, or wrong academic components (such as abstract, references, bibliographic citations) Plagiarism leads to failure, possible termination of degree 16

• • • Best Practice IRP habits – Regular writing and rewriting (cut, remove, sculpt) – Focus, focus, focus (Examiners should not be wondering: why am I

reading this? What does it have to do with the topic?)

Systematic literature review – Helps to generate and refine research question (focus) – Avoid boundary-less reading – Widen reach beyond most accessible texts (i.e., ones introduced on various courses) – Both academic and non-academic literature – Beyond description; ‘informed opinion’ is important Confined period of data collection – Relevant data set linked to the focus of the IRP – Allow sufficient time for data analysis and writing-up 17