Research Methods and the Research Process

Catalog description

This course introduces PhD students to business problems and the nature, scope, and purpose of research and research methodologies to study those problems. Topics include research approaches and designs, data types and their collection, measurement approaches, testing procedures, and interpreting and presenting findings. The ethics of various methods and data collection procedures are covered, as is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. Students will investigate applications of research methods to specific problems within their interest area, using qualitative and quantitative designs. They will also read example articles that use the research approaches covered. (Prerequisite: Admission to the Business School PhD program or to another WPI PhD program.)