BUSI4S715: Fundamentals of the Philosophy of the Social Sciences

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• To acquaint students with key ideas and debates in the philosophy of science and the philosophy of social science.
• To provide students with the skills and knowledge required to engage in scholarly discourse and exemplary scholarly research practice.
• To facilitate students in-depth engagement with current debates surrounding research philosophy (ontology and epistemology) relevant to doctoral-level study in a business discipline.
• To facilitate students in-depth engagement with current developments in research methodology and the implications for their doctoral research.
• To develop students doctoral-level research skills in relation to developing innovative, rigorous, and relevant research projects.
• To develop paradigmatic awareness in the design, conduct, writing and evaluation of scholarly research in a business discipline.
• To acquaint and prepare students for a scholarly career.

• Research philosophy and paradigms.
• Approaches to theorising.
• Research design.
• Research methodology.
• Research practices.
• Communicating research.
• Research review process.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Critical understanding of different research philosophies, including different epistemological assumptions, theoretical traditions and current developments.
• Critical understanding of inductive, deductive and abductive approaches to theorising.
• Critical understanding of designing, conducting, presenting and evaluation research.
• Critical understanding of reading, reviewing and writing at a doctoral level.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Ability to critically evaluate research and the underlying philosophical paradigm.
• Ability to develop innovative, rigorous, and relevant research projects.
• Ability to evaluate strengths and opportunities of different research philosophies, designs and methods.
• Ability to communicate academic concepts, verbally and in writing.

Key Skills:

• Advanced academic reading and writing.
• Formulating and communicating doctoral-level research questions.
• Critically evaluating and developing valid research designs.
• Self-management and time management.
• Applied paradigmatic awareness.

• The module will be delivered in a lecture-workshop type delivery, with a stronger focus on guided work in small groups, and on individual work that helps students develop a deeper understanding of doctoral-level research.
• Guest presentations from researchers, authors, reviewers and editors of journals, doctoral examiners and supervisors, and completed PhD students may be offered.
• Based on selected publications, students will learn to deconstruct the research and publication process.
• The summative assessment of the module is designed to assess students critical and original thinking.
• Comprehensive reading and self-study materials will be provided online.

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