GEO-30806 Research Methodologies in Leisure, Tourism, and Environment

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

YSS-20306 Quantitative and Qualitative Research Techniques in the Social Sciences.

Contents:

Building on students previous practical experience with methods, this course focusses on questions of the rationale for research, or 'why' questions: why do we use certain methods and procedures in certain situations? Why do we design research to focus on one aspect of a context and not another? Why does previous research knowledge matter for designing and implementing new research? Most importantly, how do we constructively assess previous research, in order to investigate old research problems with new questions?
The main focus of this course, therefore, is on the logical application of the methods students have learned previously, to design new research that demonstrates the ability to reflect on the overall theoretical and methodological context of a research project and choose an appropriate approach based on how these are connected to each other. For both the Qualitative and Quantitative sections of the course, students will write a brief research proposal, similar in structure to the Masters Thesis proposal, that will demonstrate how they are choosing theoretical literature and methodological resources to meet research goals.

Learning outcomes:

Assess previous research:
- increase understanding in the purpose of research and the qualities of good research;
- critically appraise research reports or articles;
- use available literature as a theoretical, methodological, or contextual basis for further research.
Design research:
- demonstrate previously learned qualitative and quantitative methods in application to research design;
- evaluate and apply understanding of the relationship between choice of methodology and a set of methods and other elements of the research process, such as the research problem, theoretical background, research questions, measurement instrument, data analysis, assumptions made by the researcher, and resource limitations;
- create research questions that demonstrate the application of relevant literature and theory with appropriate methodology;
- create an empirical research project relating to the domain of leisure, recreation or tourism;
- be able to construct a questionnaire for quantitative research;
- identify and structure collection plans according to different types of qualitative methodologies.

Activities:

- lectures/discussion;
- interviewing;
- data analysis;
- ICT usage;
- analytical software tutorials;
- literature study;
- group exercises .

Examination:

The assessment consists of four elements:
- for the quantitative part, research paper (50%);
- for the qualitative part: participation (10%);
- homework reflections (20%);
- and qualitative final assignment (in pairs) (20%).
An average mark of 5.5 or higher for all components constitutes a pass.

Literature:

Various articles that will be uploaded on the Blackboard.