ENT4200 Research methods in an entrepreneurial setting Emneplan

An essay of about 6-8 pages must be written in connection with the course. The essay must be handed in for assessment by the teacher responsible for the course no later than two months after the last day of the course. A passed essay is a precondition for being awarded the 5 ECTS credits. If the essay is awarded a fail grade, the candidate can submit a revised essay once, by a specified deadline.

All examination support material is allowed as long as source reference and quotation technique requirements are applied.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has in-depth knowledge of

• how quantitative methods for analyzing data can aid in decision making
• how phenomena and practices are refined and investigated scientifically using qualitative methods
• the difference between natural, field and laboratory settings
• how research in collaboration with customers/users/practitioners/stakeholders is established, developed, and reported
• purposive sampling strategies and recruitment in qualitative research
• principles of quantitative research design, action research methods, phenomenology, ethnography, qualitative experiments, case studies, critical incidents technique, narrative methods, mixed methods and naturally occurring data
• how to theorize from process data as opposed to deductive analysis
• ethics and relational research

Skills

The student has

• the ability to understand and interpret quantitative research designs
• the ability to apply qualitative data from existing databases
• the ability to compare and select different research methods
• the ability to design, implement and evaluate qualitative research projects
• confidence in generating data and discuss the results in cooperation with customers/users/practitioners/stakeholders in research projects
• the ability to go behind the stated and understand challenges of everyday life
• the ability to use qualitative designs in research and development projects in an independent way
• the ability to plan, collect, systemize, analyze and interpret qualitative data from composite contexts
• confidence in communicating the empirical findings to different target groups, the general public included
• the ability to apply big data sets for business decision making

General competence

The student

• has the ability to build trust in relationships with individuals and stakeholders in R&D projects
• understands ethical principles for participant-oriented and practice-oriented research
• has the ability to reflect on his or her own research position
• has a critical and creative attitude to method selection across sectors, industries and tasks
• has acquired systematic and analytical capabilities, and has strengthened the ability to solve problems
• can communicate relevant professional issues, analyses and conclusions in fields bordering innovation and entrepreneurship
• has the ability to secure research quality

The essay will be graded by the course lectures.

Førsteamanuensis Ariana Guilherme Fernandes

The target group for the course are candidates from the PhD programme in Social Work and Social Policy, but it will also be open to PhD students on other programs who wish to study the field in depth.

Internal candidates register the course in their Studentweb and send a summary, maximum one page, of their project to the PhD administration.

External candidates apply through the Søknadsweb. The following documentation must be enclosed:

1. Confirmation on admission to a PhD program
2. Summary of your research proposal (approx.one page) and how this PhD course will be relevant for your research project

Maximum number of participants is 15.

The course may be canceled if there are fewer than five qualified applicants.

Language of instruction: Norwegian/English

Under supervision, the students will conduct an independent research, quality improvement or development project, or a literature study. Students can choose to write the master’s thesis individually or in pairs. On application, large, interdisciplinary innovation projects can be written in groups of up to four students. Students can also apply to write the master’s thesis with students from other specialisations if they so wish, provided that the scope of the master’s thesis is the same. If more than one student work on the master’s thesis together, each student’s contributions must be documented. The thesis can be written as a monograph or as a scientific article on a specialised topic.

MAVIT4070/MAxxx4070 must be passed before the master's thesis can begin.

All compulsory courses in the programme must be passed before the student can submit their master's thesis for assessment.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has advanced knowledge of their area of study and can identify relevant issues to clarify the need for research and professional development
• has in-depth knowledge of the research process

Skills

The student

• can analyse relevant theories and issues to initiate a research, quality or development project
• can use relevant research methods in their own work
• can analyse and deal critically with various sources of information and use them in scholarly arguments in their own research, quality or development project
• can carry out a limited, independent research, quality or development project in accordance with applicable norms for research ethics

General competence

The student

• can communicate relevant issues, analyses and conclusions from their own research, quality or development project to both the general public and academia
• can contribute to new thinking, innovation processes and evidence-based practice in the health services and in health-promoting work

Work and teaching methods used in the course are self-study, presentations at 2-3 master’s seminars and an offer of 15 hours’ supervision per thesis, regardless of whether it is written individually or in a group.

The seminars are an arena for sharing experience from all stages of the project work. Students will take part in academic discussion and practise structuring and wording academic argumentation and communicating constructive criticism. Presenting their work, giving feedback to fellow students, and receiving feedback from fellow students and teachers, are important parts of the seminars.

The supervision agreement is signed by the students and supervisors at the start of the supervision.

When a group of students work together, an overview of each student’s individual contribution must be enclosed with the assignment.