THEM5006 Methods of Research in Tourism, Hospitality and Events Module Handbook S2 2025

Purpose of this handbook

The purpose of this Module Handbook is to provide you with specific information that under-pins the design, delivery and management of this module. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the contents of this Module Handbook and to talk to your workshop tutor if you have any questions.

This isn’t the only handbook available to you. Alongside this handbook you will also have access to the Institutional University Handbook which will provide you with information that is central to your studies, including policies and regulations, student support and wellbeing and all the services available to you through Student Support.

You will also be given a Programme Handbook which will detail the design, delivery principles and management of your programme. It will also provide you with an overview of your key contacts for your programme of study and list all the modules you will be / might be studying throughout the duration of your award.

Table of content:

Section 1: Module Introduction

How this module contributes to your wider programme experience

This module is one component part of a coherent package of modules that all contribute to the achievement of your programme learning outcomes (see your programme handbook for details) and to your student learning journey at Oxford Brookes.

Contribution to Education and Enterprise for Employability

As well as developing subject specific knowledge, this module contributes to one or more or our core programme design commitments as part of our Education and Enterprise Strategy, specifically,

• Experiential learning – by engaging students in practical applications of research methodologies.
• Employability – by developing key transferable skills, including analytical thinking, collaboration, and academic writing.
• Sustainable development goals (SDGs) – by encouraging research aligned with responsible management and sustainable practices.

Association to other modules

This module builds on the learning from the following module(s),

• Level 4 – Building Academic and Professional Skills; Management in International Tourism, Hospitality and Events.

In addition, this module will prepare you for the following module(s),

• Level 6 – Research Project of Tourism, Hospitality and Events.

Your Module Team

Outlined below are the contact details of your module team.

Section 2: How Your Teaching and Learning is Organised

Module Aim

The module trains students in critical research methods, used in the industry to provide the foundations for evidence based decision making. It covers qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as the background knowledge that underpins research efforts. Knowledge acquired in the module prepares students for research projects as they occur at later points in their studies as well as in their future workplaces.

Module Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate cognitive skills of critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, creative problem solving and decision making within conditions of ambiguity, uncertainty and inherent tension.
2. Evaluate and select suitable approaches for the collection of relevant material either through secondary research or through a combination of primary and secondary research.
3. Demonstrate a systematic and detailed understanding of key aspects of a specific field of knowledge within a subject area (i.e. international hospitality, events management, tourism management) some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of knowledge in the subject area.
4. Demonstrate a conceptual understanding that enables the student to devise and sustain arguments, solve problems, and/or comment on aspects of current research or advanced scholarship in the subject area.
5. Synthesise and critically evaluate arguments and concepts to arrive at substantiated conclusions.
6. Practice and undertake group work to achieve joint solutions in collaboration.

Module Teaching and Learning Strategy

This module involves a combination of lectures and workshops. The lecture sessions introduce and discuss the core theoretical concepts underpinning the module, which are further explored and reinforced through the workshops/ practical class activities. Students undertaking this module will also be given the opportunity to work in groups to critique academic literature and to make oral presentations.

In some workshops, a broad topic from the critical thinking or research methods literature is selected for in-depth critical exploration through the course of the module. In this way, the students are well prepared to be able to apply critical thinking skills and to consider various research philosophies, approaches and techniques in informing their research planning process. This also allows students to develop their ability to source, critically assess and synthesise academic literature within a supportive context.

Workshop sessions are also structured to support the development and completion of the coursework. The focus of the coursework will be (1) to make a presentation critiquing selected academic literature and (2) to develop a research proposal, allowing students to demonstrate their critical thinking skills, their understanding of research methods, and their ability to plan research.

Module Study Plan

Section 3: How Your Assessment and Feedback is Organised

Module Assessment Strategy This module follows the principles of the University’s Assessment and feedback policy developed in conjunction with the Student Union, to ensure good practice and transparency in assessment and feedback processes. The Assessment and feedback policy can be found on your Programme’s Moodle site. Please note: the Institutional University Handbook which will provide you with information that is central to your studies, including policies and regulations, student support and wellbeing and all the services available to you through Student Support. The core information is also available on Moodle via the drop-down menu under ‘Student Help’. This module has two summative assessments:

1. Group Presentations: This consists of group presentations which take place in normal class time. Each group is expected to choose a published research article (from an academic journal) on a Tourism, Hospitality, or Events related topic and prepare a presentation evaluating / critiquing the various elements (i.e., research idea/gap, literature, methodology, results, conclusion, etc.) of the journal article. All group members are required to participate in producing the presentation artefact and in delivering some part of it. Group members should also participate actively in the post-presentation questions and discussion session which will provide useful insight into the chosen topic.

2. Research proposal: Submit an individual proposal for a small scale research project related to Hospitality, Tourism, or Events. The proposal should outline the study’s rationale and objectives, a critical review of relevant literature and proposed methodology.

Formative feedback will be provided during scheduled weekly workshops and via staff office hours.

Key Dates

Coursework Brief 1

Summary information

Assessment instructions

To demonstrate that the module learning outcomes detailed above have been achieved, you are required to prepare and submit the following.

Students, working in groups of 5 or 6 (subject to final student numbers on the module), are required to critically evaluate a published academic journal article. This article must be selected from a list of articles related to Tourism, Hospitality and/or Events Management (will be made available on Moodle).

The critical evaluation will be delivered in the form of a Group oral presentation, with a duration of 15 minutes for the presentation, plus 10 minutes for questions and answers. All group members must actively contribute to the preparation and delivery of the presentation.

Please note the presentation must cover the following key components:

Title page/slide

• Provide a title of the presentation and list the names and student numbers of all group members.
• Basic information of the article
• Provide the full citation of the article which is being evaluated, using the Harvard referencing style. For example, Kapuscinski, G., Zhang, N. & Wang, R. (2022). What makes hospitality employers attractive to Gen Z? A means-end-chain perspective. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 29(4), 602-616.
• Comment on how well the ‘Abstract’ summarises the essence of the article.
  Research problem & research rationale
• Evaluate the clarity, relevance and significance of the research problem. (Questions to consider: Is the research problem clearly stated and easy to understand? Is it specific and focused, rather than being overly broad or vague? Is the problem relevant to current trends, debates, or challenges in the subject field? Does it address a pressing issue for academics, practitioners or policy makers in tourism, hospitality, or events management? Is the problem linked to existing literature? Does the author cite other relevant studies to contextualise the problem?)
• Evaluate how well the research rationale is articulated. (Questions to consider: Does the article acknowledge and summarise studies in the literature that are relevant to the research problem? Does it state the limitations, deficiencies, or omissions of existing literature? Does it identify the research (or knowledge) “gap” that the article is seeking to address? Does it provide a compelling argument for how the article differs from previous research? Does it provide a clear statement of research aim or a set of research questions?)

Literature review

• Evaluate the depths, relevance and coherence of the literature review, and how well the review supports the research problem and aligns with the rationale. Depth concerns how thorough the review explores research relevant to the research problem. Relevance refers to whether studies in the review are directly relevant to the research problem. Coherence is about how logically and systematically the review is organised and presented. (Questions to consider: Does the literature review identify and explain key concepts/topics, theories, framework or models relevant to the research problem? Does the review synthesise complex viewpoints or debates within the field? Does the review include a wide range of studies? Do ideas flow clearly, with transitions linking different sections or topics? Does the review lead to a clear argument supporting the research problem or why the research is necessary?)

Methodology

• Evaluate the appropriateness of the chosen research approach (e.g. qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods), and how well the sampling, data collection and data analysis decisions were explained and justified. (Questions to consider: Does the chosen approach align with/suit the nature of the research problem or research question? Are the steps of the study logically organised and justified? Are potential limitations of the design acknowledged and addressed? Is the sampling method clearly described and justified? Does the sampling discussion clearly state the inclusion/exclusion criteria? Is the sample size adequate for the purpose of the research? Are the data collection methods appropriate? Do they effectively capture the type of data needed? Are the methods clearly described with details for potential replication? Are the instruments (e.g. questionnaire or interview guides) included or explained? Are ethical issues acknowledged and addressed?)

Findings/Discussion

• Evaluate the clarity, relevance and accuracy of the findings and discussion. (Questions to consider: Are the findings presented clearly and logically? Are there effective use of tables, charts or models/frameworks to summarise the findings? Is there a clear distinction between raw data and interpretation? Do the findings directly address the research problem/question? Presentation of findings in appropriate formats. Does the ‘discussion’ interpret and explore the findings in the context of relevant literature? Does it compare the findings to previous studies, identifying similarities and differences? Does it search for potential explanations of unique findings based on the literature?)

Conclusions

• Evaluate how well the conclusions summarise the research findings, highlights its contributions and offers meaningful implications. Conclusions should also explicitly identify the limitations of the research and makes clear suggestions for future research.

Individual reflections

After the ‘Conclusions’ slides, provide individual reflections on what you have learnt in the group process of preparing for this assessment. Each student provides their reflection on a separate slide (provide student number as slide title). Focus on aspects of the experience that you probably would not have gained working alone. This may include commentary regarding your strengths as a group member and aspects you could have changed to improve group performance. Each student should limit their reflections to one slide only.

Assessment criteria

To mark your assessment your tutors will use the following assessment criteria,

Group work

Each group will consist of about 5 students (subject to the final number of students enrolled in this module) and will be self-selected by the students. Once a group has been formed, they should inform their workshop tutor. Groups must be finalised by 14th February 2025. After this deadline, any students who have not formed a group will be randomly assigned to a group by the module leader. NOTE that groups must be formed within their workshop sets; forming groups with students from other sets is NOT permitted.

Groups are required to maintain records of their meetings, including minutes that clearly outline agreed tasks and individual contributions. These minutes must be signed by all group members present. In cases of disputes regarding unequal contributions, the minutes may be used as evidence. A peer evaluation procedure will be implemented to determine the percentage of group marks allocated to non-contributing members.

Strategies for working effectively in a group, including tips on organising group tasks and managing potential challenges, can be found here. Additional guidance will also be provided in the weeks leading up to the Group Presentation.

Presenting coursework for assessment

The authentic and essential requirements for this piece of assessed work are;

• Presentation slides should be saved as Microsoft PowerPoint file (e.g. ppt)
• Include a title slide including the names and student numbers of all group members.
• Professionally designed, using appropriate language and visual aids.
• The slides will need to be uploaded onto a dropbox on Moodle before the presentation.

Assignment length / equivalent

Whilst we acknowledge that learners will prepare and produce assessments in different ways and at different paces, an indication as to how much time it will take you to prepare, produce, edit and submit this assessment is detailed below.

You should spend approximately 25 hours preparing for this group presentation.

The length of the presentation is limited to 15 minutes + 10 minutes Q&A to contribute towards the development of presentation skills and to ensure all work is assessed equitably.

You will need to think carefully about how to best explain the critical evaluation you conducted. Please remember, the presentation slides should strike a balance between text you may place on slides and any supporting drawings, photos, diagrams or tables.

Coursework Brief 2

Summary information

Assessment instructions

To demonstrate that the module learning outcomes detailed above have been achieved, you are required to prepare and submit the following. 

You are required to submit a suitable and realistic research proposal of maximum 2,500 words. 

You will identify your own research topic, which must clearly relate to the broad field of hospitality, tourism or events management. The structure of your proposal should conform to the following guidelines:

Working title 

The title you choose must illustrate the essence of the proposed study. 

Introduction The Introduction should include 

1. a compelling background into the topic, usually by defining some kind of theoretical or practical problem in Hospitality, Events or Tourism Management which needs solving;
2. a brief research rationale, which is a short discussion of what we know, and, more importantly, what we don’t know about that topic (i.e. the research ‘gap’); 
3. what you are planning to do for the research;
4. why your research is significant for theory and/or practice; and 
5. a research aim and a set of research objectives. 

Literature review

In the Literature review, you should critically review published work in the topic area using extensive and multiple referencing to explore your topic in depth. The aim is to identify themes, concepts, theories, ideas and patterns relevant to your topic and draw them together in a coherent way. In doing this you must read widely and selectively and consider opposing views. You are explaining to the reader the different theoretical perspectives of your topic by analysing different authors’ arguments. You need to refer to key researchers within your topic area.

Methodology 

In Methodology, you should explain and defend a range of methodological choices and/or decisions for your proposed study. 

This section should include discussions and justifications for the following elements: 

1. research approach; 
2. research strategy; 
3. data collection method(s); 
4. sampling, 
5. ethical issues and; 
6. research limitations.

References

This section should demonstrate extensive and relevant reading from a wide range of academic, trade, professional and/or electronic sources. Each source that you have used and made reference to in the main body of the proposal must be listed in accordance with the Harvard referencing conventions.

Assessment criteria

To mark your assessment your tutors will use the following assessment criteria,

Presenting coursework for assessment

Your assignment when submitted should not include your name – we use a system of anonymous marking to reduce the risk of any unconscious bias.

The authentic and essential requirements for this piece of assessed work are;

Your assignment must be presented in the following format:

• It must be word-processed in 11-point Arial font and use 1.5 or double spacing.
• All pages must be numbered
• Margins must be as follows: Top: 1 inch, Bottom: 1 inch (2.5 cm), Left: 1.25 inches, Right: 1.25 inches (3.2 cm)
• It should not contain your name(s) but must include your student number.

Assignment length / equivalent

Whilst we acknowledge that learners will prepare and produce assessments in different ways and at different paces, an indication as to how much time it will take you to prepare, produce, edit and submit this assessment is detailed below.

You should spend approximately 65 hours preparing for this assignment.

The length of an assignment is limited by a set number of 2,500 words maximum to contribute towards the development of writing skills and to ensure all work is assessed equitably. We therefore require you to complete your assignments within the number of 2,500 words specified in the assignment brief.
The specified word count refers to the main body of the report and does not include front cover, title page, contents page, reference list or appendices. The word count does include headings, tables and in-text citations, but not equations or diagrams.

Words that exceed the maximum allowed will not be marked. If in doubt, you should discuss this with the Module Leader before submission.

Assessment criteria rubric assessment 2