Module:

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

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Module Title
Module Code	(ITS: ES585)
Faculty		School
NFQ level		Credit Rating

Description

The module aims to prepare you for the construction of a dissertation at masters degree level. You will be introduced to research methodologies and paradigms, and issues around quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, analysis and debates around ethics, validity and rigour. You will learn how to conduct a literature review. The teaching approach taken will include lectures, small group work, workshops and presentations.

Learning Outcomes

1. Construct a research proposal.
2. Critically engage with theory and literature in a chosen field of research
3. Compare and contrast philosophical and methodological approaches to research
4. Describe various research methods
5. Justify approach to the selection of participants.
6. Discuss the role of rigour, validity and ethics in research

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	25	No Description
Independent Study	100	No Description
Assignment Completion	125	No Description
Total Workload: 250

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Research Paper	Write a research proposal for a research topic of choice including the research question, research rationale, arguments in associated literature, rationale for choice of research participants, philosophical and/or methodological approach, research methods and issues around rigour, valiity and ethics	100%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Research Paradigms.

Methodologies.

Literature Review.

Data Collection Methods.

Fieldwork.

Ethics.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Kemmis, Stephen, et al.: 2014, The action research planner: doing critical participatory action research, Singapore: Springer,,
McNiff, Jean,: 2014, Writing and doing action research, Los Angeles: SAGE,
Wolcott, Harry F.: 2008, Ethnography -a way of seeing, Lanham, MD: Altamira Press,
De Vaus, D. A: 2011, Research design in social research, London: SAGE,,
Costley, Carol,: 2010, Doing work based research: approaches to enquiry for insider-researchers, Los Angeles; London: SAGE,
Robson, Colin.,: 2016, Real world research: a resource for users of social research methods in applied settings, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley,
Gray, David E: 2009, Doing research in the real world, London: SAGE,
Yin, Robert K: 2014, Case study research: design and methods, Los Angeles: SAGE,
Creswell, John W; Plano Clark, Vicki L: 2011, Designing and conducting mixed methods research, Los Angeles: SAGE Publications,
Taber, Keith: 2013, Classroom-based research and evidence-based practice, SAGE,
Baumfield, V., Hall, E., Wall, K.: 2012, Action research in education : learning through practitioner enquiry, SAGE,
Lambert, M.: 2012, A beginner's guide to doing your education research project, SAGE,
Marshall, J.: 2016, First person action research : living life as inquiry, SAGE,
Bochner, A.: 2016, Evocative autoethnography : writing lives and telling stories, Routledge,
Ravitch, S.M. and Riggan, M.: 2016, Reason & Rigor: How Conceptual Frameworks Guide Research, SAGE,
Crotty, M.: 2014, The foundations of social research : meaning and perspective in the research, SAGE,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

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