Matteo Montecchi (London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London) explains how to frame primary data collection activities as a result of literature and secondary data analysis. This presentation was part of the HEA-funded project “Innovation in the Assessment of Social Science Research Methods in UK HEIs”. The project was led by Luke Sloan, Cardiff University.
Innovation in research methods assessment: Presentation by Matteo Montecchi, University of the Arts, London
1. Innovation in Research Methods
Assessment
Matteo Montecchi
Lecturer in Fashion Branding and Retail Strategy,
University of the Arts , London College of Fashion
School of Management and Science
University of Cardiff, 17/06/2013
2. Context
- Units: Fashion Business Research & International
Fashion Business Research;
- Credit Rating: 20 (at level 5);
- Course(s): BA(Hons) Fashion Management and
MSc International Fashion Management
(Integrated Master) at London College of
Fashion;
- Teaching: 10 weeks, teaching week 1 to 9,
assignment submitted in week 10;
- No. of Students: 155
3. Fashion Business Research -
Teaching and Learning Strategy (Overview)
Lectures A + B
Seminar: Research
Skills (RS)
Workshop: Statistical
Methods (SM)
Assessment
S S S S
4. Fashion Business Research - SOW
W1
Introduction to research
design
Research design. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods strategies -
overview;
W2
Philosophy of Social
Sciences
Ontology; Epistemological positions; Paradigms in social research (overview);
W3
Planning a research
project and reviewing the
literature
Planning a research project and formulating research aims, objectives and
questions; Ethics in business and management research; Reviewing the
academic literature and engaging with what others have written;
W4
Secondary Research and
financial analysis
Secondary analysis and official statistics: financial analysis, using financial
accounting;
W5
Introduction to qualitative
research
The nature of qualitative research;
Sampling strategies in qualitative research; Conducting focus groups and
interviews; Case Study Research;
W6 Quantitative research
The nature of quantitative research;
Sampling strategies in quantitative research; Survey research; Questionnaire
design; Structured observations and content analysis;
W7
Advanced Qualitative
research
Ethnography;
Organisational ethnography; Access, sampling and field notes;
Qualitative data analysis, coding;
W8 Tutorials Assignment Tutorials
W9
Internet and social media
research / Trend
Forecasting / Conclusions
Internet and social media research; Web-analytics; Netnography;
Fashion trend forecasting; The anatomy of a trend; Trend forecasting companies
and services; Avoiding academic misconduct.
+ Statistical Methods Seminars
5. Assessment Strategy: the Research
Project
Final output: report (3000 words)
Stage 1:
research
planning and
literature review
Stage 2:
secondary
research
(financial/market
data analysis)
Stage 3:
primary
research (data
collection and
analysis)
6. Assessment Strategy: the Research Project -
Stage 1 and 2
- Students selected a fashion company (Asos, Marks & Spencer, Zara,
H&M);
- Students selected a specific issue/topic to investigate. This had to be
relevant to one of the following four macro-areas:
- Retail experiences: the customer experience in the retail store;
- Digital marketing: customers’ engagement and interaction via
digital and social media;
- Customer service: customers’ perceptions / evaluations of customer
service;
- Pricing and sales promotion: customers’ reactions and attitudes
towards pricing policies and/or sales promotions.
- Students defined one research aim and three research objectives;
- Using the research aim as a “guide”, students conducted a preliminary
review of the academic literature relevant to the selected research topic;
- Students conducted secondary research on the chosen company and
the sector/market in which it operates
7. Assessment Strategy: the Research Project -
stage 3
- Building on the results of the secondary research,
students conducted primary research to further explore
the selected research topic.
- Students had the opportunity to select one of the
following two options and had to justify their choice in
the report:
- Option A – Qualitative research followed by
quantitative research
- Option B – Quantitative research followed by
qualitative research
- Within each option, students selected the appropriate
data collection methods
8. FBR Report: key features
FBR
Report
Literature
review: students
were asked to focus
on academic journals
(access to UAL
resources and
databases)
Clear link between
unit structure/delivery
and report content/
structure;
Students
collected and
analysed different
sets of primary data
(Students experienced
different research
methods)
Survey;
Focus Groups / Semi-
structured interviews;
Observations (formative.);
9. Feedback
- Positive feedback received by students (unit
evaluations):
- “Learning about different research methods”;
- “Structured report layout in unit hand book”;
- “Preparation for dissertation; helpful/important”;
- Positive feedback received by members of staff:
- “the structure of the research undertaken has
improved significantly” (term 3 - unit leader);