# RDEV40670

**Source**: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=MODULE&MODULE=RDEV40670&TERMCODE=202500&ACYR=2026
**Parent**: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=COURSE&MAJR=FAS1&AUDIENCE=

Academic Year 2025/2026

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#### Food & Agribusiness Research Project (RDEV40670)

Subject:
:   Rural Development

College:
:   Health & Agricultural Sciences

School:
:   Agriculture & Food Science

Level:
:   4 (Masters)

Credits:
:   10

Module Coordinator:
:   Ms Anne Markey

Credit Split by Trimester:
:   Autumn 5\
    Spring 5\

Trimester:
:   2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr)

Mode of Delivery:
:   Blended

Internship Module:
:   No

How will I be graded?
:   Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This is an undergraduate module specifically for Stage 4 students in the BAgrSc Food and Agribusiness Management (FAM) programme. It focuses on developing a socio-economic/business research capacity through students receiving lectures, workshops and computer based learning on key research skills. As part of the module, students will apply their research skills (together with learning outcomes achieved in other modules) in a research project under the general supervision of one of the FAM programme team. The key research skills developed include: approaches to research (quantitative, qualitative and mixed method); problem/topic identification; development of research objectives; undertaking a literature review; sampling; design of research methods; data collection; data analysis; presentation of results.

## About this Module

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### What will I learn?

###### Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should be able to: 1. Develop a research proposal on a topic generally relevant to the FAM programme; 2. Learn how to design, develop and deliver a quantitative and a qualitative study; 3. Critically assess approaches and methods of quantitative and qualitative research; 4. Critically interpret selected academic (and other) literature in a literature review; 5. Analyse data using appropriate methods 6. Interpret and sythesise research findings in the context of the literature and form appropriate conclusions, policy recommendations and a small number of ideas for further work.

###### Indicative Module Content:

Developing a research proposal\
Literature review\
Approaches to research - qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods)\
Methods of collecting data\
Sampling\
Data analysis (qualitative and quantitative; introduction to software for data analysis)\
Presenting results

### How will I learn?

###### Student Effort Hours:

| Student Effort Type | Hours |
| --- | --- |
| Specified Learning Activities | 20 |
| Autonomous Student Learning | 150 |
| Lectures | 20 |
| Seminar (or Webinar) | 20 |
| Computer Aided Lab | 20 |
|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Total | 230 |

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###### Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

This module is delivered over two semesters. There will be two hours per week timetabled contact time with a mixture of lectures, workshops and computer aided labs, all with the purpose of systematically guiding the student through the development of their research proposals, planning data collection, analysing data collected and presenting their findings. The two assignments and the presentation all contribute towards the development of the final research project. Feedback on these components will include recommendations for improvements of their planned research. Students will collect data in their own time, typically over the break between semesters 1 and 2.\
\
Each week the student will be expected to tailor the content delivered to their own research, through task-based activities. Students will also be allocated a supervisor (second half of semester 1) who will individually mentor the student on their own research project.

### Am I eligible to take this module?

###### Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.

\

###### Module Requisites and Incompatibles

Not applicable to this module.
\
 \

### How will I be assessed?

###### Assessment Strategy

| Description | Timing | Component Scale | Must Pass Component | % of Final Grade | In Module Component Repeat Offered |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Assignment(Including Essay): Literature Review for proposed research project; approx 1,000 words | Week 9 Autumn | Graded | No | 7.5 | No |
| Individual Project: Research project proposal; 5 minute video presentation | Week 4 Autumn | Graded | No | 7.5 | No |
| Individual Project: Development of proposed research methods | Week 11 Autumn | Graded | No | 7.5 | No |
| Individual Project: Presentation of preliminary research results | Week 3 Spring | Graded | No | 7.5 | No |
| Thesis/Dissertation: Final research project | Week 10 Spring | Graded | No | 70 | No |

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###### Carry forward of passed components

Yes

\

### What happens if I fail?

| Remediation Type | Remediation Timing |
| --- | --- |
| In-Module Resit | Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board |

*Please see [Student Jargon Buster](https://www.ucd.ie/students/services/ucdstudentjargonbuster/) for more information about remediation types and timing.* \

### Assessment feedback

###### Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment\
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment\
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment\

###### How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will receive class and individual feedback on the three assignments in semester 1 and the presentation in semester 2. Students will also have the support of a supervisor to give individual feedback on a draft of the final project.

### Reading List

Bryman, A (2016). Social Research Methods. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

### When is this module offered?

**Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.**

|  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 Trimester (Sep-May) | Computer Aided Lab | Offering 50 | Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 | Mon 11:00 - 12:50 |
| 2 Trimester (Sep-May) | Computer Aided Lab | Offering 50 | Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks | Wed 09:00 - 10:50 |

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