URL study guide
https://tue.osiris-student.nl/onderwijscatalogus/extern/cursus?cursuscode=1ZV60&collegejaar=2025&taal=enDescription
Topics include:
- The empirical research cycle - observation, induction, deduction, testing, evaluation
- Research questions, research design choices, incl. unit of analysis and sampling
- Research designs, e.g. case study, process research, experiment, survey
- The role of literature, literature search and review
- Quality criteria for research: controllability, reliability, validity and research ethics
- Basics of qualitative research, incl. data collection (e.g. interviews), analysis (coding) and reporting
- Basics of quantitative data methods, incl. data collection (e.g. survey scales), analysis (descriptive statistics, regression) and reporting
- The regulative (problem solving) cycle: problem identification, diagnosis, design, implementation, evaluation
- Reporting problem solving projects and research projects
- Industrial engineering as scientific discipline: design science and explanatory science
The course starts with an overview of the empirical research cycle, thereby also introducing students to fundamental topics such as the importance of methods, unit of analysis, population, sampling, theory. Following the empirical research cycle, the course then continues by introducing students to qualitative research methods and inductive reasoning. This part aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to identify (complex) patterns, relationships and dynamics in qualitative data, arrive at explanations and build new theory or refine existing theories. The students develop a basic understanding of varieties of qualitative data as well as the collecting, structuring, analyzing, coding and reporting of this type of data.
Subsequently the course moves on to quantitative methods and deductive reasoning. This part aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to test assumptions and hypotheses, validate existing constructs and predict (mean) behavior. The students develop a basic understanding of collecting and analyzing primary (e.g. survey) and secondary (e.g. existing database records) quantitative data using basic statistics as well as multiple regression analysis.
The final part of the course introduces students to the regulative or ‘problem solving’ cycle. Rather than the empirical cycle (which aims to produce general scientific knowledge), the regulative cycle aims to arrive at specific solution designs for highly contextual business problems – an important role of the industrial engineer. Students learn how to uncover and define a business problem and how to apply both qualitative and quantitative research methods to identify and analyze the causes of the problem. Finally, students will learn how to translate their findings into a proposed solution design for the business problem.
Throughout the course, students will be challenged to apply their newly acquired knowledge via 2 group assignments spanning the domains of innovation- and human performance management. As part of the assignments, students will also engage in further developing their professional skills, including writing skills, information skills, presentation skills, and cooperation skills.
The two group assignments aim at further familiarizing students with qualitative and quantitative research by applying their knowledge and skills to develop a research design, collect and analyze data as well as report and present their findings. In this respect, the course is essential in preparing Industrial Engineering students for their Bachelor End Project.
Objectives
Describe the different steps of the empirical research cycle and the regulative cycle and explain how they are connected.Apply key concepts in social science research methods (e.g. unit of analysis, sampling, causality vs. correlation, validity, reliability)
Identify which research methods (qualitative, quantitative) are most appropriate for either answering a specific research question or diagnosing and analyzing a specific business problem
Critically assess the quality and applicability of research methods as used in academic social science literature.
Apply commonly used qualitative (e.g. interviews, coding) and quantitative (e.g. designing questionnaires, regression analysis) research techniques in a way that ensures valid and reliable results, both in answering a theoretical research question, and in diagnosing and analyzing a business problem
Define a business problem in such a way that the definition can serve as the basis for a research project
Explain the role of solution designs in view of the regulative cycle
Report and present a social science research project in line with the conventions of the discipline.
Learning goals, professional skills (P&PDs)
Cooperation skills:
The student can work (under supervision) together with other students in a team for an extended period of time.
The student can give constructive feedback to team members on their role and contribution and to react adequately to feedback from team members on own role and contribution.
Writing & information skills:
The student can write a short report/essay in English based on assignment(s) related to the content of the course, applying standards for academic writing (including referencing) and based upon relevant and valid sources of information.
The student can reflect on own writing skills and define an action plan accordingly.
Presentation skills:
The student can prepare and give a short individual presentation in English to inform fellow students/ lecturers/tutors in an informal setting.
The student can reflect on own presentation skills and to define an action plan accordingly.