Students will become familiar with the research process, its rules and procedures. Students will know basic research approaches, methods and data collection techniques used in them. Students will be able to independently choose the appropriate approach and methods of data collection with regard to the chosen issue with the aim of answering the research question and fulfilling the goal. Students will be able to prepare a research report and present its results. Students will learn to practically apply research methods and techniques and apply them in a diploma thesis.

The motivational and prestigious output of the course are printed collections of selected best projects of students from the master's degree, which will gradually undergo evaluation and peer review (internal and external experts). Student projects that pass the opposition will be printed in the collection and proposed to the dean of the Faculty of Business for the award of an extraordinary scholarship. Proceedings are also published on the faculty website for viewing: https://www.fbm.vutbr.cz/cs/veda-a-vyzkum/studentske-projekty 

The subject requires the following knowledge and skills of the student: statistical data analysis, probabilistic statistics, basic knowledge in the field of literature research, ability to collect and analyze data, ability to interpret data and formulate conclusions and recommendations, ability to present project results. The subject relies on the student's individual ability to define a chosen problem from practice (following the diploma thesis) or selected issues and knowledge and skills from the professional subjects completed in the program.

Teaching takes place in the form of lectures, which have the character of explaining the methodology of the given discipline, principles and procedures in the given area. The exercises especially support the practical mastery of the material presented in the lectures. Discussions, individual and team work are used in lectures and exercises.
Teaching is accompanied and supported by lectures, especially practical discussion and demonstrations by external experts from practice (the inclusion of external experts will be specified to the students during the semester, taking into account the capacity and time workload of the experts).

SUBJECT COMPLETION:
The classified credit is based on the point evaluation of two sub-activities, which make up 100% (100 points). The first graded part consists of the preparation of an individual research project (70%) and the second part consists of passing an overview test of knowledge in the given issue (30%). Both activities are mandatory in case of completion of the subject and obtaining a graded credit.

COURSE COMPLETION FOR STUDENTS WITH INDIVIDUAL STUDY PLAN OR STUDENTS GOING ABROAD (ERASMUS):
After submitting the approved plan (ISP) to the teacher (in the form of an e-mail and a pdf scan attachment), the student must complete the activities in the form of developing and submitting an individual research project to the teacher and pass an overview test in the subject. The condition is that the student submits a completely developed project to the teacher no later than a week before the last date of the test. Both activities are compulsory upon completion of the subject.

The assessment of an individual research project is based on the quality of the processing of sub-areas and is based on the practical application of knowledge of the research process and methods in the selected issue with the aim of improving practical skills and abilities. The total number of points a student can get is 70 points, which are divided according to the qualitative assessment criteria as follows:

10 points – formulation of the problem, research questions and objectives,
10 points - literature research, setting the research framework,
10 points – choosing a research approach,
10 points - chosen method and technique of data collection,
10 points – data analysis and evaluation,
15 points - discussion and formulation of conclusions, recommendations and possible benefits for practice or the academic field,
5 points – research presentation.

The review test will be compiled from a range of topics based on lectures for the face-to-face form of study. The student must obtain at least 16 points from the study prerequisite test.

The student selects and chooses from 10 questions the correct answer of type a), b), c), d), with 3 points for a correct answer and 0 points for none or an incorrect one. The total time to complete the test is 20 minutes.
If the student does not get the minimum number of points in the first term, he has the option to write a remedial test on a date set by the teacher.

PARTIAL AND OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
1) Individual research project – 0-70 points. (min. 30 points).
2) Study prerequisites test – 0-30 points (min. 16 points).

Overall rating:
A – 89-100 points
B – 77-88 points
C – 65-76 points
D – 53-64 points
E – 46-52 points
F – 45 or less points

Reasons for not granting credit:
- failure to submit the research project and presentation on time,
- failure to complete both two compulsory activities (project+test),
- obtaining less than a total of 46 points.

1. Specifics of research in the framework of company development management, definition of basic concepts in the field, research process and its critical factors.
2. Determination of research goals and research questions, determination of the state of scientific knowledge, data sources for literature searches, conceptualization of the topic, theoretical framework.
3. Research approaches: primary vs. secondary, deductive vs. inductive, qualitative vs. quantitative and their data collection methods.
4. Quantitative research - the process of conducting, preparing and collecting data in quantitative research, hypotheses, operationalization, determination of the sample and its representativeness, validity and reliability.
6. Qualitative research - implementation process, data preparation and collection, qualitative sampling, types of questions, analysis and interpretation of qualitative data (transcription and coding of data), visualization of results.
7. Involvement of external experts in the professional interpretation and practical demonstrations of the results of the conducted research (to be specified).
8. Processing research results into a research project/report, compiling a presentation of research results.
9 - 13. Individual implementation of research by the student (desk research, field primary research, etc.)
Submitting a research project and presentation (according to conditions).

The aim of the subject is to familiarize students with the methodology of research work and to deepen the knowledge and skills in the field of research implementation of future graduates for practice in the field of business development management. The subject is built on the theoretical foundations of the laws, procedures and rules of conducting research throughout the research process so that the student is individually able to choose an appropriate approach, method and technique of data collection, analyze and interpret data in order to fulfill a goal or answer a research question and then process these results in the form of a research report and presentation.
The student individually chooses the issue to be processed through selected research methods and data collection techniques: 1) "in the field" (primary data collection) or by carrying out 2) "desk research" (secondary data collection). 

Attendance at lectures is not compulsory, but is controlled by the teacher. Exercises are mandatory and supervised (attendance, however, is not part of the conditions for granting credit). The interim and final control takes place in phases and in the form of evaluation of partial scored activities to meet the conditions for obtaining a classified credit.

• Programme MGR-SRP Master's, 2. year of study, winter semester, compulsory
  

EXERCISES:
1. Introduction to the exercise (conditions for obtaining credit and the course of the exercise), procedure for selecting and determining research issues, generating research thoughts.
2. Formulating the central research question and objectives, conducting a literature search and searching for sources, working with Google tools, conceptualization, research approach decisions.
3. Data preparation and collection in quantitative research, hypothesis determination, level and unit of analysis, operationalization, sample determination and representativeness, validity and reliability.
4. Preparation and collection of data in qualitative research, qualitative sampling, types of questions, analysis and interpretation of qualitative data (transcription and coding
data), displaying results.
5. Individual implementation of research by the student (desk research or field research, etc.).