Topic outline

  • General

    • Course Introduction:

      Course Information:

      Course Name: Business Research Methodology
      Course Code: BUS-306
      Credit: 3

      Instructor's Profile:

      Name: Ahsan Al-Rifat
      Designation: Lecturer
      Mobile: 01681264568
      Email: ahsan11-5242@diu.edu.bd

    • Course Introduction:

      This course is specifically developed to provide students with the essential skills and knowledge required to identify the information needed to tackle a research challenge, whether it is fundamental or applied. From this understanding, students will be able to create and implement a practical research proposal. Throughout this procedure, the students will acquire knowledge about pertinent methodologies and components of conducting a research investigation with the explicit aim of offering valuable insights to address a pertinent issue. Participants will acquire the fundamental competences and skills necessary to conduct such an investigation. The competencies and skills encompassed in this field are: formulating research questions; establishing suitable research objectives; developing a study design that integrates research objectives and financial limitations; collecting and selecting secondary and primary data; employing sampling and analysis techniques; and presenting findings effectively. Additionally, the significance of ethical behavior in conducting research in both domestic and international business settings is emphasized.

    • Course Objectives:

      • To present you to the key terms, definitions, concepts and practices in the field of business research.
      • To familiarize you with the process of conducting business research to identify real-life business problems  top-level executives recurrently encounter and to suggest suitable and pragmatic solutions to those problems.
      • To facilitate you quickly grasp business problems and take remedial measures, reducing the risk of uncertainty in making business decisions.
      • To provide you with guidance to design questionnaire, explain the procedures and techniques, analyze data with different statistical tools and techniques using SPSS for making better business decisions.


    • Course Outcomes:

      On successful completion of the course students will be able to:

      •  Compile a literature review that consolidates and assesses existing literature in a particular subject area to support research questions
      • Implement suitable research design and methodologies to tackle a particular research inquiry and recognize the ethical consequences of the study.
      • Formulate a research proposal to serve as the foundation for a thesis.
      • Articulate and justify a research proposal


    • Course Assessment Strategy:

      Class attendance:                                               07%

      Quiz:                                                                     15%

      Assignment:                                                         05%

      Presentation:                                                       08%

      Mid-term:                                                             25%

      Final:                                                                     40%

      Total                                                                     100%  


    • Reference/ Practice Book list:

      Text Book:

      William G. Zikmund “Business Research Methods” 10th or latest Edition. The Dryden Press.

      Reference Books:

      1.       C.R Kothari; Research Methodology – Methods and Techniques (3rd Edition ).

      2.     UMA Sekaran; Research Methods for Manager- A Skill Building Approach


    • Counseling Hour:

      Saturday 0945 - 1100 hrs

      Sunday 0830 - 0945 hrs

      Monday 0830 - 0945 hrs

      Tuesday 0830 - 0945 hrs

      Wednesday 0945 - 1100 hrs


  • CRS

                                             Class Response System - Apps on Google Play

    • Lecture Module # 01: Introduction to Business Research

      • Objectives of this LectureLecture OutcomesLecture Contents
        To teach the students about primary knowledge about research and its application in Business arena

        At the End of the session student will be able to:

        • Different types of research, research scope, business research, characteristics of good research
        • Definition of Research
        • Objectives of Research
        • Types of business research
        • Stages in the research process
        • Cyclical process of Research
        • Types of Research
        • Basic Research and Applied Research
        • Classification of Business Research- Criteria of Good Research
        • Determinants of business research


      • Chapter Materials:

        1. Lecture Slide (PPT)
        2. Practice Material


    • Lecture Module # 03: Measurement and Scaling Techniques


      • Objectives of this Lecture Lecture Outcomes Lecture Contents
        To teach the students to construct hypothetical measurement

        At the End of the session student will be able to:

        • Different types of level of measurement scale
        • How to convert qualitative data to quantitative data.
        • Discuss different types of attitude measurement
        • Give example of some common usage measurement scale 

        • What is measurement?
        • Rules of Measurement
        • Types of    Measurement    Scale
        • Three   Criteria   of   Good measurement
        • Attitude measurement
        • Hypothetical Construct
        • Different types of scale


      • Data Source Forum

        Mention 5 sources of secondary data.

    • Lecture Module # 05: Method of Data Collection


      • Objectives of this Lecture Lecture Outcomes Lecture Contents
        To teach the students about methods of data collection

        At the End of the session student will be able to:

        • Different types of data and its collection methods.

      • Data Source. Primary and secondary data
      • Methods of collecting primary data
      • Observation method, Interview methods, Questionnaire method
      • Sources of secondary data
      • Evaluation of secondary data
      • Brief description of Survey and observation method.



      • Last Semester Class

        Class # 01

        Class # 02

        Class # 03







    • Lecture Module # 06: Questionnaire Design


      • Objectives of this Lecture Lecture Outcomes Lecture Contents
        To teach the students about questionnaire design

        At the End of the session student will be able to:

        • Learn how to design questionnaire, test pretest of questionnaire

        • Definition and relevancy of a questionnaire
        • Questionnaire accuracy, Wording questions
        • Types of questions
        • Guidelines for constructing questions
        • Best question sequence
        • Questionnaire pretesting and layout
        • The Art of Asking Question