| CODE | TTC1124 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Introduction to Research | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Tourism Management | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is intended to help students understand a number of salient basic features required when conducting research. The study-unit focuses on the idea that good research is well planned and adopts a process which is generally very scientific in approach. In addition this study-unit introduces students to the value of past studies and scientific journals and prioritizes the importance that research is an ongoing process whereby the conclusions of past published research can be the basis for new research. Finally this study-unit gives an outline of sampling and the relevance of proper representation to ensure higher levels of validity. Study-unit Aims: - Introduces the relevance of acquiring knowledge or finding answers to questions by applying a thorough scientific approach to research; - Explains the application of approaching research by following logic and introduces different research processes; - Explains the research paradigms of building inductive and deductive studies and how each adopts a different flow and process; - Explains the proper use of past studies and the critical importance of reading proper literature reviews and building proper literary sources; - Explains how to select participants and at the same time ensure highest levels of validity and reliability; and - Explains different sampling methods. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Justify the critical importance of the real value of research methods; - Assess the nature of a good research idea and how this flows to developing research objectives and research questions; - Explain the difference and relationship between inductive (exploratory) research and (deductive) confirmatory research; - Synthesize the value of literature; - Understand proper sampling techniques. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Write a research and/ or a research problem from own surroundings and/ or through literature; - Compose a good research plan based on scientific approach and guaranteeing that there is proper relevance between one step and the next; - Evaluate proper research objectives and research questions clearly differentiating between inductive (exploratory) and/or deductive (confirmatory) methods; - Assess best sampling techniques in relation to the respective research; - Write proper reference and bibliography. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Text - Durbarry, R. (ed.) (2018). Research Methods for Tourism Students,New York: Routledge. Supplementary Texts - Smith, L.J.S. (2017). Practical Tourism Research, Oxfordshire: CABI. - Ritchie, B., Burns, P. & Palmer, C. (eds.) (2005). Tourism Research Methods. Integrating Theory with Practice, Oxfordshire: CABI. - Berg, B. (1995) (2nd. Ed.) Qualitative Research for the Social Sciences Allyn and Bacon, London and Boston. - Bezzina, J. (2000) Methodology Mireva, Malta. - Easterby-Smith M., Thorpe, R. and Lowe, A. (1996) Management Research: An Introduction Sage, London, California, and New Delhi. - Veal, A.J. (1997) 2nd ed.) Research Methods for Leisure and Tourism: A Practical Guide. Financial Times, Pitman Publishing, London. - Boissevain, J. (ed.) (1996), Coping with Tourists: European Reactions to Mass Tourism, Berghahn Books Providence. - Apostopoulos, Y., Loukissos, P. & Leontidou, L. (2001) Tourism in the Mediterranean, London: Routeledge and Kegan Paul. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Noel Buttigieg Dane Munro Jean Theuma |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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