| Statuss(Aktīvs) | Izdruka | Arhīvs(0) | Studiju plāns Vecais plāns | Kursu katalogs | Vēsture |
| Course title | Research Design and Methods in Finance |
| Course code | EkonM017 |
| Credit points (ECTS) | 3 |
| Total Hours in Course | 81 |
| Number of hours for lectures | 12 |
| Number of hours for seminars and practical classes | 12 |
| Number of hours for laboratory classes | 0 |
| Independent study hours | 57 |
| Date of course confirmation | 23/10/2024 |
| Responsible Unit | Institute of Economics and Finance |
| Course developers | |
| Dr. oec., asoc. prof. Sandija Zēverte-Rivža |
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| There is no prerequisite knowledge required for this course | |
| Course abstract | |
| During the course, master’s students learn the fundamental stages of designing a research study, explore the role of science in modern society, and become familiar with general scientific and social research methods in finance. The course also covers the principles of developing a theoretical framework for a master's thesis and utilizing various sources of information, including digital resources, for research in the social sciences, with a focus on financial analysis. Additionally, students analyze the structure and content of research results, review scientific publications, and prepare them for publication.
By the end of the course, students will have gained the knowledge and skills required to develop a high-quality master’s thesis. They will be equipped to independently plan and conduct scientific research, critically select and use information, and apply suitable methods and IT tools. Students will also learn how to collect, interpret, and publish research results, prepare scientific publications, and present their findings. The aim of the study course is to provide master's students with knowledge about research design, as well as knowledge and skills that will ensure the development of high-quality scientific research work in the field of finance. |
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| Learning outcomes and their assessment | |
| Knowledge
•Students will obtain knowledge about the types and main stages of research and methods used most commonly in socio-economic research, with a focus on financial analysis – independent work, discussions in practicals. •Understand the basic principles for developing a theoretical framework of research and choice of research methods and understand how to analyse and interpret the research results the need and process of publishing the research results – independent work, discussions in practicals. Professional skills: •Gain skills to create the theoretical part of the research, using various, high-quality content and relevant sources of information, including scientific research papers available in databases – independent work, exam-presentation. •Independently design the research according to the specifics of the research – independent work. •Critically select and choose the ways of obtaining information and suitable methods for processing the information, prepare a scientific publication – independent work, exam-presentation. General skills: •Skills to plan and implement research, choose suitable methods – independent work. •Able to independently obtain, select, systematize the necessary information, including using digital sources of information and IT technologies – independent work. Competence: •Plan and implement the research and choose appropriate research methods – independent work. •Interpret, structure and format the results of the research using appropriate IT tools, prepare and present a scientific publication – independent work, exam-presentation. |
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| Course Content(Calendar) | |
| Lectures (12 hours)
1. Science and university. The role of science development in society and economy. Types of science classification. The role of science in the operation and development of universities. Strategy of scientific activity at the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU). Latest research directions and results at LBTU. The role of international cooperation in ensuring scientific activity. The most important performance indicators of scientific activity and their evaluation, comparison between universities. Research design - case study (1 hour). 2. Basic stages of scientific research. Research design. Formulation of researched problems and questions to be solved. The topicality of the research topic and linking it with theoretical insights, practical recommendations and societal development challenges. Acquaintance with information related to the researched problem, literature studies. Formulation of research goal, tasks, subject, object and hypothesis. Identification of the type of research (1 hour). 3. Relationship between research design types and methods. Fundamental and applied research. Relationship between research design and methods of data collection, processing and analysis. Research specifics and characteristics. Principles of method selection. Choices and combinations. Identifying data sources and data collection technologies (including digital) and determining the reliability of data sources. Creating a research design. Conducting research. Copyright, plagiarism and self-plagiarism, its control and prevention options (1 hour). 4. Sources of information for research in social sciences. Primary, secondary and tertiary information. Digital literature and statistical databases. Use of statistical databases (database of the Central Statistical Office of the Republic of Latvia, European statistics EUROSTAT, Regional Development Indicator Analysis Tool (RAIM), etc. information published by the European Commission and other European institutions, LR ministries, scientific institutes, use of research reports, etc. Publications of Latvian and foreign scientists. Use of financial, economic activity indicators and other information characterizing the industry (1 hour). 5. Opportunities and challenges of using information technology (IT) and digital content in research. The role and importance of digitization in conducting scientific research. Selection and use of IT tools to achieve the research objective. Acquisition, creation and sharing of digital content. Selection and use of safe and reliable information, risks and their prevention options in IT use (1 hour). 6. Classification of research methods in the research in finance. Application of general scientific research methods. An in-depth evaluation of the most popular general scientific methods. Analysis method. Synthesis method. Induction method. Deduction method. Graphical method. Monographic method and other methods most commonly used in elaboration of Master`s thesis. Diversity, classification and selection of research methods when planning research design. Qualitative research methods (interviews, focus group discussions, case studies). Quantitative research methods (surveys, conjoint analysis). Differences in data types and data collection technologies. Comparison of quantitative and qualitative research methods disadvantages and advantages. Classification of methods according to the branch of science and the purpose of research (1 hour). 7. Quantitative data analysis and analysis methods. Use and analysis of primary, secondary and tertiary data in conducting research. Methods of analysis of quantitative data and time series, methods of mathematical statistics (descriptive statistics, growth and growth rates, seasonality analysis, forecasting) (2 hours). 8. Models, strategic analysis and forecasting methods. Strategic analysis and forecasting. Importance and application of models in research. Types of models. Descriptive models. Analytical models. Systems models. Simulation models. Forecasting models. Models used in financial analysis. Peculiarities of economic systems modeling. Modeling of dynamic systems (1 hour). 9. Basic principles of creating the theoretical framework of the research work. Literature selection and use. Building a theoretical framework and scientific discussion. Technologies in working with literary sources, principles of their selection and evaluation. Practical recommendations for working with databases. Guidelines for creating a presentation (1 hour). 10. Analysis of the structure and content of publication of research results. The importance of scientific articles in popularizing science and spreading knowledge. Classification of scientific articles. Evaluation of the quality of scientific articles and the main evaluation criteria – research originality, relevance, methods, results, quality of tables and figures; the use of references, the quality of the summary and compliance with generally accepted requirements, the quality of the bibliography. Preparation and publication of scientific articles. Presentation of research results (2 hours). Practical works (12 works) 1. Analysis of the structure and content of the scientific article - scientific novelty, achievement of the goal of the study, selection and quality of the literature used, relevance of the applied methods, interpretation of results and quality of conclusions (2 hours). 2. Formulation of the problem to be studied and justification of the topicality. Formulation of the research hypothesis, goals, tasks for the master's thesis. (2 hours). 3. Formation of the theoretical framework of the research of the master's thesis – search, selection, use of information. Theoretical methods of forming a discussion. (2 hours). 4. Formation of the technical design of the master's thesis in accordance with the methodological rules, principles of the development of the master's thesis, methodology, analysis of examples (2 hours). 5. Use of data for the preparation of the master's thesis and scientific publication, compilation and processing methods of secondary data (2 hours). 6. Selection and application of research methods in accordance with the research objectives and tasks of the master's thesis; preparation of a scientific article (2 hours). |
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| Requirements for awarding credit points | |
| Exam. Accumulative assessment consisting of:
•Design of independent thesis – master's thesis (assessment share 40%); •Analysis of the structure and content of independent work – scientific article (assessment share 20%); •Preparation and presentation of the examination – scientific article (assessment rate 40%). |
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| Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work | |
| Study of study course materials, legal and regulatory documents, literary sources when preparing an independent thesis on master's design.
Research and analysis of a scientific article in preparation for a discussion on the analysis of the structure and content of a scientific article. Research of methodological instructions, compilation and analysis of information in preparation for the exam – preparation of a scientific article. |
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| Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes | |
| A student can get a maximum of 40 points for the exam, where the number of points is obtained according to the content and technical quality of the prepared scientific article in accordance with the scientific conference "Economics.Environment. Society" requirements.
Student for independent work – analysis of the structure of a scientific article can score a maximum of 20 points, where the number of points is obtained according to the procedure for evaluating independent work. Student for independent work – the design of the master's thesis can get a maximum of 20 points, where the number of points is obtained according to the procedure for evaluating independent work. |
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| Compulsory reading | |
| 1.Mārtinsone K., Pipere A. (2021) Zinātniskās darbības metodoloģija: starpdisciplināra perspektīva. Rīga: RSU, 607. lpp.
2.Bui N.Y. (2020) How to Write a Master`s Thesis. Third edition, SAGE, 288 p. 3.Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Fifth edition. Los Angeles: SAGE, p.275. 4.Mārtinsone, K., Pipere, A., Kamerāde, D. (2016). Pētniecība: teorija un prakse. Rīga: Raka, 546 lpp. 5.Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods, 4th Edition, 809 p. 6.Sekaran U. (2009) Research Methods for Business - John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 468 p. 7.Digitalizācija un sabiedrība (2021) rakstu krājums / zinātniskā redaktore Anda Rožukalne. Rīga: Latvijas Nacionālā bibliotēka, 143 lpp. 8.Salkind N. (2008) Exploring Research. 7th Edition – Pearson Education, 336 p. |
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| Further reading | |
| 1.Autortiesību likums. Pieejams: https://likumi.lv/ta/id/5138-autortiesibu-likums
2.Hakim C. (2000) Research Design: Successful Designs for Social and Economic Research. 2nd Edition. New York: Routledge, 256 p. 3.Wolf C., Joye D., Smith T.W., Fu Yang-chih. (2016) The Sage Handbook of Survey Methodology. Croydon: Sage Publications Ltd, 716 p. 4.Willoughby D. (2015) An Essential Quide to Business Statistics. UK : John Wiley $ Sons, 356 p. 5.Collis J., Hussey R. (2009) Business Research. A Practical Guide for Undergraduate& Postgraduate Students, London, p.376. 6.Fisher C. (2007) Researching and writing dissertation. Second edition. – Pearson Education, 369 p. 7.Ghauri, P., Gronhaug, K. (2010) Research methods in Business studies, 4th edition. Prentice Hall, 288 p. 8.Toepoel V. (2016) Doing Surveys Online. Croydon : Sage Publications Ltd, 258 p. |
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| Periodicals and other sources | |
| 1.Eurostat datu bāze. Pieejams:http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
2.Centrālā statistikas pārvalde. Pieejams:http://www.csb.gov.lv/ 3.Latvijas Zinātņu akadēmija. Pieejams:http://www.lza.lv/ 4.Izglītības un zinātnes ministrija. Pieejams:http://www.izm.gov.lv 5.Zinātniskās darbības likums. Pieejams: http://www.likumi.lv/doc.php?id=107337 6.Reģionālās attīstības indikatoru modelis. Pieejams:http://raim.gov.lv/lv/riki 7.Valsts izglītības attīstības aģentūra. Pieejams:http://www.viaa.gov.lv/lat/ 8.Finanšu ministrija. Pieejams: https://www.fm.gov.lv/lv |
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| Notes | |
| Academic Master's study programme "Sustainable Finance" | |