Programme module · Kent Business College
Level 7 module 6: develop a focused research question, critical literature review and ethical business research proposal in 14 weekly online sessions.
Turn a difficult business question into an investigation worth undertaking. Advanced Business Research Methods develops the ability to decide what evidence is needed, where it could come from and how it should be interpreted. You develop a research proposal that a tutor, sponsor or future supervisor can examine, with a clear question, a reasoned design and a realistic work plan.
This is Module 6 of the seven-module KBC strategy and leadership learning route. Kent Business College UK delivers 14 weekly online sessions of two hours, providing 28 live seminar hours alongside guided activities and independent work. The sequence below is an indicative teaching plan designed around the research-proposal purpose of the OTHM unit. The final assignment brief sets the assessment requirements.
Explore the focus and practical output of each teaching session. Open individual sessions below, or expand the complete plan.
Examine a fictional consultancy whose repeat bookings have declined. Separate observations from possible explanations and identify the management decision that better evidence could support.
Practical output: A problem statement and a map of unanswered questions.
Compare questions about customer experience, service quality and purchasing decisions. Narrow the population and period, then check that each objective contributes to the central question.
Practical output: A bounded question, aim and coherent objectives.
Build search terms, record where you searched and distinguish research evidence from commentary. Compare relevance, publication context and the methods behind apparently persuasive findings.
Practical output: A search record and an initial evidence table.
Group the literature by competing explanations rather than by author. Identify agreements, contradictions and gaps, and explain which ideas could help investigate the booking problem.
Practical output: A themed review structure and a critical comparison.
Explore how different views of knowledge affect what you ask and how you interpret an answer. Compare a measurement-led approach with an enquiry into customer experiences.
Practical output: A justified approach linked to the research question.
Compare a survey, interview study, case study and mixed design for the same problem. Consider access and time as well as the kind of conclusion each could support.
Practical output: A design comparison and a reasoned selection.
Define whose experience matters, who is reachable and who might be missed. Explain how recruitment and non-response could shape the evidence rather than treating availability as representativeness.
Practical output: A proposed sample, access plan and limitations note.
Draft interview prompts or survey items that match the objectives. Identify leading language, ambiguous terms and questions that ask respondents to recall more than they reasonably can.
Practical output: A draft instrument and question-to-objective map.
Plan how participants will understand the study and choose whether to contribute. Examine the effect of a manager recruiting colleagues, and specify practical handling of the information collected.
Practical output: Participant information and a proportionate data-handling plan.
Rehearse the proposed instrument with a classroom example. Record misunderstandings, revise the wording and explain which changes improve the study without changing its original purpose.
Practical output: A pilot review and a revised instrument.
Use a small illustrative dataset to examine distributions, missing entries and group comparisons. Match the proposed analysis to the question and avoid inferring a cause from an association alone.
Practical output: An analysis plan with example tables and interpretation limits.
Code a short fictional interview extract, compare alternative interpretations and look for disagreement. Explain how notes and quotations would support a theme without treating frequency as the only measure of significance.
Practical output: A coding example and a proposed analytical process.
Check that the literature, question, sample, instruments and analysis describe the same investigation. Plan milestones, review points and a feasible alternative if access becomes restricted.
Practical output: A complete draft proposal with a delivery timetable.
Present the design, answer questions about rejected alternatives and revise weak links. Distinguish the contribution the study might make from findings that would require actual investigation.
Practical output: A revised proposal and response-to-feedback record.
Apply the learning
Use the fictional booking case, or an agreed organisational concern, to propose a focused investigation. Your task is to design how the question could be answered. A thoughtful proposal may recommend interviews, a survey, analysis of existing records or a justified combination. Explain why the chosen approach is feasible and what a decision-maker could reasonably learn from it.
Use anonymised, public or suitable synthetic material where workplace information is confidential. The issued assessment brief confirms the required evidence.
Teaching and course completion certification are provided through Kent Business College UK. Achievement of the OTHM unit requires the applicable registration, assessment and verification arrangements; it contributes to the diploma rather than awarding a complete diploma by itself.
A proposal can look sophisticated while asking for evidence that will not answer its question. Throughout the module, you test the connection explicitly. If the aim is to understand why customers hesitate, a transaction count may reveal a pattern but leave the explanation unresolved. If the aim is to estimate how widespread a view is, a few convenient interviews cannot establish its prevalence.
You also practise revising your first idea. A useful research design changes when reading exposes a better explanation, when access proves limited or when a pilot reveals confusion. Keep a brief decision log so the final proposal explains these choices.
This unit develops a research proposal. A later university dissertation belongs to a separate programme and assessment process.
The teaching plan can use a fictional case and practice material. Your final brief confirms the evidence required; any real investigation needs the appropriate access and approvals.
The module focuses on choosing and explaining suitable methods. The analysis required depends on your question and design, with support agreed for the tools you need.
Further reading and programme references · reviewed 18 October 2026
