NBS8062 Research Methods Dissertation Proposal Module Handbook 2025/26 | Newcastle University

1. Module Aims, Learning Outcomes And Research-Informed Teaching

1.1 Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of this module, students should:

have gained an understanding and be aware of the nature and scope of advanced research in Business and Management. be aware of, and familiar with, the facilities available for conducting literature searches and obtaining relevant data to facilitate empirical investigation.

1.2 Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of this module, students should:

have developed the ability to operate independently on a research topic and exercise appropriate judgement in the selection of material.
be able to effectively organise, structure and manage a research project at an advanced level, including undertaking critical appraisal, of relevant literature.

have further developed the skills of inquiry, research design, data collection and information retrieval, bibliographic search, measurement and analysis, interpretation and presentation, self-discipline and time-management and the ability to work autonomously.

1.3 How research informs this module

Research is at the heart of your programme of study. In this module, you will be engaging with research in the following ways:

• Learning about research in your discipline: You will learn about classic, contemporary, applied and critical research around research methods and your chosen topic.
• Engaging in student-led research discussions: You will discuss research topics and approaches with fellow students through Seminars and
• Discussion Boards, as well as in group supervision meetings.
• Developing research skills: You will learn about how research is conducted and how knowledge is produced in a robust manner.
• Undertaking research and inquiry: You will conduct research in the form of an academic Dissertation research project.

1.4 Assurance of Learning

The Business School has three overarching learning goals that graduates from all our programmes should attain. These goals are derived from our mission and are:

• Disciplinary Competency “Our graduates will have acquired a theoretical understanding of their chosen subject area and its applied relevance to contemporary business and management practice”.
• Ethical Awareness “Our graduates will have the ability to understand and articulate relevant ethical values, principles, rights, and virtues from the point of view of different stakeholders”.
• Global Perspective “Our graduates will have critical awareness of the interactions of individuals and organisations within a global community and an awareness of issues affecting the global business environment”.
• In this module we will cover all these learning goals.

Module Schedule (2025-26)

In the academic year 2024-25, all Lectures, Workshops, Seminars, and Computer Lab sessions and Tutorials will be delivered on campus.

Contents are subject to change; L=Lecture; S=Seminar; C=Computer Lab; T= Tutorial.

3.2 Semester 2

3.3 Timetabled sessions

Your timetable will include all sessions for this module. You should attend all your timetabled sessions on time. If need for online sessions arise, a Microsoft Teams link will be posted on the Canvas page.

3.4 Other Learning Opportunities

The Module team will make you aware of other development opportunities outside the module sessions, which are not compulsory but highly recommended in helping you to meet your development goals and evidence your entrepreneurial development.

Attendance And Participation

You are expected to attend all timetabled module sessions classes and engage with the materials provided in the Canvas site.

We expect you to:

1. arrive on time for all sessions;
2. prepare for all sessions by reading and doing other preparation work as specified in advance;
3. engage with the materials that are being discussed in sessions;
4. give respect and consideration to your peers and tutors.

We wish to establish an environment that encourages learning through:

1. Multi-directional communication that is supportive and challenging at the same time.
2. Openness in expressing views, feelings and opinion with respect for others whose views may differ.
3. Appreciation that everyone is different and that differences can lead to new perspectives on both social and intellectual interaction.
4. Constructive ways of dealing with differences without offending others.
5. Openness to give and receive honest feedback.

5.Communication

Canvas and Email are the most important mechanisms by which we will communicate with you. We recommend that you check it regularly for any updates, ideally daily.

All Learning materials are available on Canvas. If you have any questions relating to module sessions or assessments, please refer to Canvas in the first instance – it is likely the answer to your question is already on the module site. If not, simply email either (or both) Liucen and Xinyue.

We value your informal feedback over the course of the module. Rather than wait for the next Student-Voice-Committee meeting, we encourage you to come to talk to us about your experiences on the module. Most issues can be addressed relatively quickly!

Reading List

The Reading List for this module is available through links in both Canvas and the Library website. The list is extensive to provide students with different options for their own reading and learning preferences ; however, this list is not exhaustive, and we recommend reading widely both around your topic of interests and within the area of Research Methodologies. Many more Digital texts have been made available for your ease of access during 2025-26.

Journals and other articles

Articles from academic journals provide a valuable learning resource for your study. The information is more current than that contained within textbooks, is of good quality, and presented in a few thousand words, rather than at more length. Journal articles can sometimes be difficult to work with, because they are aimed at an academic audience of scholars as well as students and their language reflects this constituency. However, if you persist you will be able to build up a developed and deep understanding of the subject by reading journal articles regularly. The university subscribes to a wide range of hard-copy and electronic journals, which can be easily accessed through the library catalogue.

Articles from other kinds of publication (management magazines, newspapers etc.) vary in quality and tend to be aimed at practitioners rather than students or scholars. Their focus is on providing news-type insights into current practice or issues that are important to international managers. Most will contain a strong editorial bias in the way they report information. As part of your background reading, they can be very helpful and may assist your ability to assemble practical case examples for your assessment exercises or to use during each weekly session. Before using them as references within formal assessments, you should consider their reliability as a source of information and whether or not the article provides good evidence for its arguments or conclusions.

In the research methods area, journals you might look at divide into roughly two groups: those which focus specifically on research and methodological issues and mainstream management and business journals, from which you can draw useful insights into the practice of research. You can make use of both of these sources of information and discussion during your study on the module and in preparing for your dissertation.

7.Assessment

Full details of the assessment tasks can also be found on Canvas.

7.1 Assessment 1: Initial Research Proposal (30%)

Submission date: 5th January 2026. 12 pm GMT

7.2 Assessment 2: Dissertation Research Proposal (70%)

Submission date: 8th May 2026. 12 pm BST

7.3 Submission

Assignments must be by uploading relevant documentation to Turnitin through Canvas Assignment links. Please note you have only one attempt at submitting your work through Turnitin. Turnitin will show if your attempt has been successful – you will not get a receipt as you would have before.

7.4 Assessment criteria

Refer to the assessment criteria in the completion of all assessments, which are all available in Canvas. Further guidance and advice and formative feedback will be provided during teaching weeks.

7.5 Interpretation of word limits

Your work must comply with the assessment word limit +/- 10% (excluding reference bibliography and appendices). Work that does not comply will not be marked.

7.6 Formats

Format requirements include 1.5 line spacing, a font of no less than 12 point and 2.5 cm margins on all four sides. All pages should include Page Numbers. In addition to these requirements, you should also make sure you understand additional guidance on academic writing, referencing and plagiarism provided as part of your programme of study.

7.7 Assignment Guidance

Written presentation: Your work should take the form of a written paper and meet the required word limits as outlined above, which exclude References. Please include a word count.

Citation: You should ground your proposal in the research methods and subject-based literature through reference to or direct quotations from appropriate sources. Do not simply regurgitate diagrams or extensive general information from the textbooks or articles. You should assume that we know the workings of any basic theoretical or analytical models you use and will allocate marks for the way you apply them to the question or to clearly support a line of argument that helps you to make your proposal. Where you use direct quotations, try to keep them short and ensure that they make a direct and clear contribution to your argument. The Harvard Referencing format must be applied.
Graphics and presentation: Use headings, diagrams and brief tables, if appropriate, to illustrate points and to support your arguments. Ensure that these are relevant, based on your reading, and their contribution to your proposal is clear.

Style and content: Your work summarises your dissertation plan and provides evidence that is relevant to its execution. You do not need to make a complete listing of all the analytical and interpretative processes you went through. You should expect, therefore, to carry out more analyses in the process of exploring the question than you will use in your final dissertation proposal.

Combine practical information and theory: We will give marks for a well-supported argument and discussion of your proposed project that draws on evidence, applies the evidence intelligently and shows some insight in drawing conclusions. The aim of the assignment is to evaluate the issues embedded in your proposed topic, not to produce an unrealistic proposal that does not recognise established subject and research methods literature or the practical limitations which exist.

Sources of research information: You will find information from a variety of sources, including academic and trade journals, press reports and company- or industry-produced information. Remember to consider the validity of the information and the writer’s viewpoint in the sources that you use in your final text. You should minimise the general descriptive information you include. You should focus on analysis and interpretation of the significant issues you identify, rather than describing them in excessive detail. Remember to credit all sources of information that you use, in your text and in the bibliography.

Structure and development: Try to ensure that the structure of your work follows a clear pattern and that the themes develop in a way that is appropriate. Ensure that what you write makes a direct contribution to your project and try to avoid including general or irrelevant information in your answers. Please include appropriate headings, sub-headings and other ‘sign-posts’ so that we can see the direction of your thinking.
In addition to the guidance above, a suggested template and accompanying guidance will be provided during teaching weeks.