Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module aims to develop the student’s ability to systematically conduct research and report the outcome of an in-depth investigation of a rural/agri-food business management and marketing topic by:
1) integrating and extending knowledge and skills gained throughout the undergraduate programme; and
2) encouraging students to work on their own initiative whilst being supported by the assessment processes and
their respective supervisors.

Outline Of Syllabus

Students have the opportunity to carry out a research investigation on a topic of their choice relevant to rural/agri-food business management and marketing. They will, with advice from a member of academic staff carry out an in-depth investigation of agri-business management topic.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, a student will have a detailed knowledge of a topic relevant to Rural/Agri-food business Management and Marketing based on an in depth awareness of current academic and practitioner literature.

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of this module students will have completed an in-depth piece of social science research and, in doing so, will have gained an insight into the research process. Specific skills developed include:
1. design and the execution of a rural/agri-food business management and marketing research project (including
library and information retrieval skills),
2. a critical approach to evaluation of evidence,
3. analysis of results from primary data collection and
4. improved ability to formulate and present original, scholarly knowledge (including the development of
superior written and oral communication skills).

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture and workshop materials provide a framework to help students think about their own research project (In relation to Skills Outcome #1,2,3,4). The semester 1 lecture materials and workshops are intended to help students set out their research aims, literature review and methods, with workshop sessions in semester 2 giving an opportunity for students to present their working ideas to peers and supervisory staff. Lecture materials in semester 2 are designed to give guidance on the writing and submission of the final dissertation (in relation to Intended Skills Outcome #1,2,3,4). Online drop in sessions are geared to providing 1 to 1 support to students on the progression of their dissertations, with specialised sessions focussed on survey design and data analysis.

Students will be appointed a supervisor on the basis of: Matching research/methodological interests of staff and students and/or; Matching students with their personal tutors. Dissertation supervisors are likely to be supervising several students. It is the responsibility of each student to discuss with their supervisors how best to proceed with supervisory meetings.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

There are 2 pieces of continuous assessment : 1) 5000 word research design and literature review [25%] and 2) 12,000 word final dissertation [75%]. Assessment 1 feeds into 2, with 1 forming a draft of early chapters of the final dissertation. These assessments have been formulated in line with the Intended Knowledge Outcomes of the module. Each piece of assessment is designed to prepare students for undertaking scholarly research (in relation to Intended Skills Outcome #1), educate students in developing a critical approach to evaluation of evidence (in relation to Skills Knowledge Outcome #2), demonstrate how to analyse results from collecting primary data (in relation to Intended Skills Outcome #3) and improve students’ overall ability to present and communicate original scholarly knowledge (in relation to Intended Skills Outcome #4).

General Notes

N/A