• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

Literature Critique and Research Design

Module description

This module integrates critical evaluation of existing literature, with knowledge of methodological design to carry out impactful research within current academic debates. This will equip you with the knowledge necessary to navigate the landscape of management literature and identify novel, impactful and rigorous studies that contribute to your research topic. This includes identifying and critically evaluating existing academic work that is relevant to your proposed research. The techniques that you acquire in this module will equip you with skills for completing your DBA Literature Review and Methodology at later stages of the programme and understanding the links between these chapters.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module’s primary aims are to:

• Enhance your ability to critically evaluate existing academic work related to your proposed research. By the end of the module, you should be adept at assessing the quality, relevance, and rigor of management literature, enabling you to make informed decisions in your research.
• Develop insight into methodological issues associated with research in management studies.
• Develop the ability to discern high-quality, relevant research, which is paramount for making informed decisions and contributing meaningfully to the field. You will learn to recognise gaps, contradictions, and emerging trends within the management literature, empowering you to contribute meaningfully to the field. You will also learn how to identify reputable sources, key journals, and relevant databases, allowing you to efficiently locate and access studies pertinent to your research interests.
• Build an understanding of how to select strategies for conducting research that will achieve highly reliable and valid research findings suitable for publication in leading management journals.
• Ultimately, the aims of this module extend to facilitating the development of your thesis in later stages of your DBA. The knowledge and skills acquired here will serve as a foundation for your thesis work, ensuring that you can build upon existing research in a purposeful and informed manner.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Analyse the management literature for gaps, contradictions and emerging trends
• 2. Identify methodological issues associated with conducting research within management studies.
• 3. Evaluate and suggest improvements to increase the rigour of published research

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Evaluate the potential impact and relevance of studies, considering their contribution to the field and your research question
• 5. Evaluate the potential impact and relevance of studies, considering their contribution to the field and your research question

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Apply ethical principles to the evaluation of management research
• 7. Engage in scholarly debates by presenting well-informed critiques of management literature

Syllabus plan

The academic content of the module includes but is not limited to: 

• Understanding management research landscape including future directions and emerging trends 
• Evaluating theoretical frameworks 
• Critical appraisal techniques 
• Critiquing research methodologies 
• Exploratory, descriptive and casual research designs
• Research design types and selection of a research approach
• Research methodologies
• Assumptions with quantitative and qualitative research designs
• Ethical considerations in management research 

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Alvesson, M., & Sköldberg, K. (2017). Reflexive methodology: New vistas for qualitative research. Sage.
• Bell, E., Bryman, A., & Harley, B. (2022). Business research methods. Oxford university press.
• Creswell, J.W. & Creswell, J.D. (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Los Angeles ; London: SAGE.
• Easterby-Smith, M., Jaspersen, L. J., Thorpe, R., & Valizade, D. (2021). Management and business research. Sage.
• Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students. Pearson education.
• Yin, R.K. (2018). Case study research : design and methods (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications.

Key words search

Philosophy, Methodology, Research Methods, Research Design