THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2019/2020

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Common Courses (Management School)

Postgraduate Course: Marketing Research (CMSE11119)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits15 ECTS Credits7.5
SummaryThe course considers both academic and applied research in marketing. The course aims to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills involved in undertaking a dissertation and wider marketing research.
Course description Students will learn about the methods and philosophical debates surrounding empirical research in academia. The course will engage students in the (marketing) research process which involves the systematic gathering, recording and analysing of data about problems relating to the marketing of goods and services. Students will be provided with an appreciation of the information requirements in various marketing situations, the research process and the systematic methodology in achieving marketing information objectives. Students will also learn how marketing research can be utilised by management in order to improve the effectiveness of the marketing decision-making process and secondly how research can aid development of marketing as an academic discipline.

The course objectives are to introduce the student to the theory and practice of marketing research, to develop the student's skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods in marketing, to develop the student's critical appreciation of the marketing research literature and to develop the student's ability to collect and analyse primary and secondary data.

Syllabus
Overview of Market Research, both academic and industry
Insight into the Market Research Process
Quantitative data collection -- survey, sampling, statistics
Introduction to statistical analysis using software
Qualitative data collection methods -- focus group, interview, ethnography, digital
Qualitative data analysis -- interpretation and presentation of findings
Using statistical software: Lab sessions
Qualitative data analysis workshop
Digital Marketing Research/Analytics session
Revision

Student Learning Experience
The lectures and workshops will explore the marketing research process and both qualitative and quantitative research methods. During lectures you will be asked to be active, completing exercises and discussing issues with your fellow students. You will be expected to work on topics raised within the lectures during the period of the course. You will develop skills in literature searching and using e-journals for wider reading. You will have the opportunity to interact with other students on the Learn blog. You will gain insight into your own working practice as you undertake coursework in international groups.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2019/20, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 150 ( Lecture Hours 17, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 1, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 5, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 3, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 120 )
Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) Reading in advance of lectures and lab sessions 45; Preparation for summative assessment 78.
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 70 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Feedback All students will be given at least one formative feedback or feedforward event for every course they undertake, provided during the semester in which the course is taken and in time to be useful in the completion of summative work on the course. Such feedback may be at course or programme level, but must include input of relevance to each course in the latter case.

Feedback on formative assessed work will be provided within 15 working days of submission, or in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course, whichever is sooner. Summative marks will be returned on a published timetable, which has been made clear to students at the start of the academic year.

Feedback Format:
Week 5 and 6
-In class discussion and verbal feedback in workshop and lab sessions
Week 5 and 6
-Verbal feedback and discussion of assignment
Week 10
-Group assignment written feedback
January 2016
-Examination feedback
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)Marketing Research2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Understand and critically discuss the marketing research process.
  2. Know and critically discuss the various philosophical debates surrounding research in marketing/business studies.
  3. Understand and apply the various methodologies and methods of marketing research.
  4. Critically assess the relative benefits and costs of specific methods of data collection, data analysis and presentation of data.
  5. Conduct both quantitative and qualitative research in marketing.
Reading List
Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2015) Business Research Methods, 4th ed, Oxford University Press, Oxford. (earlier editions of this text are also suitable)

Other sources:
Bradley, R. (2010), Marketing Research: Tools and Techniques, 2nd Ed., Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Cognitive Skills:
After completing this course, students should be able to:

- evaluate competing methodological research designs used within marketing;

- collect, analyse, interpret and present data according to the conventions within academic and commercial contexts;

- select appropriate data collection methods and instruments for certain marketing problems;

- evaluate marketing research proposals and the credibility of data;

Subject Specific Skills:
After completing this course, students should be able to:

- design and present appropriate research proposals to address a marketing problem;

- undertake research using a range of data collection methods;

- undertake field/desk marketing research;

- conduct literature searches, using e-journals for wider reading;

- communicate research findings clearly.
KeywordsMark-MRes
Contacts
Course organiserProf Jake Ansell
Tel: (0131 6)50 3806
Email: J.Ansell@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Emily Davis
Tel: (0131 6)51 7112
Email: Emily.Davis@ed.ac.uk
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