Publication in the Diário da República: Despacho n.º 7822/2020 - 07/08/2020
5 ECTS; 1º Ano, 1º Semestre, 28,0 T + 28,0 TP + 14,0 OT , Cód. 82076.
Lecturer
- João Pedro Tomaz Simões (1)(2)
(1) Lead Professor
(2) Teaching Professor
Prerequisites
Not applicable
Objectives
1) Understand the scientific and professional usefulness of research in tourism.
2) Formulate problems, research questions and, where applicable, hypotheses.
3) Operationalise variables and develop data collection instruments.
4) Collect data ethically.
5) Prepare datasets and apply basic descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS.
6) Integrate introductory qualitative techniques.
7) Communicate results and discuss limitations and implications for tourism management and policy.
Program
1. Fundamentals and research design in tourism
1. 1 Why conduct research: scientific and professional usefulness in the sector;
1. 2 How to conduct research: stages of the research process;
1. 3 Which design to choose: quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods according to the research question.
2. From the problem to hypotheses
2. 1 Formulation of research questions and objectives;
2. 2 Types/criteria of hypotheses;
2. 3 Descriptive/exploratory studies without hypotheses.
3. Operationalisation and instruments
3. 1 Variables, levels of measurement and indicators;
3. 2 Questionnaire: modes, closed/open-ended questions, Likert-type scales and pre-testing;
3. 3 Interview/focus group guides and observation grids.
4. Literature review and standards
4. 1 Literature search (sources, operators, critical selection);
4. 2 APA standards (citations and references) and reading record.
5. Sampling and ethics
5. 1 Probability and non-probability sampling;
5. 2 Criterion-based qualitative sampling and saturation;
5. 3 Threats to validity and mitigation strategies; consent and data protection.
6. Data preparation in SPSS and qualitative data organisation
6. 1 Data structure, coding, missing data and data-cleaning rules;
6. 2 Descriptive statistics and visualisation;
6. 3 Organisation of transcripts/records.
7. Essential quantitative analysis
7. 1 Selection of tests according to research design and level of measurement;
7. 2 t-tests, chi-square, correlation and simple linear regression.
8. Introductory qualitative techniques
8. 1 Interviews and focus groups: guides, conducting sessions, consent and saturation;
8. 2 Structured observation and field diary;
8. 3 Thematic content analysis (from excerpt to theme).
9. Presentation and discussion of results
9. 1 Report structure;
9. 2 Tables/graphs and excerpts/themes;
9. 3 Limitations and implications for tourism management and policy.
Evaluation Methodology
General regime
Individual written exam (100%), with no additional coursework. Single closed-book paper covering all the content taught.
Exemption from exam through continuous assessment
Cumulative conditions:
i) minimum attendance of 2/3 of TP classes;
ii) all submissions made on time, via Teams;
iii) minimum mark of 9.5/20 in component A (weighted average of the five checkpoints) and in component B;
iv) weighted continuous assessment average (0.7×A + 0.3×B) equal to or above 9.5/20.
A) Group study design project 70%
Developed in groups throughout the semester, around a single case study applied to the Convento de Cristo (visitor flows and visit experience), submitted in five stages (checkpoints), each marked and discussed in TP classes.
B) Individual written reflection 30%
Completed in class, without electronic devices, at the end of the semester, following a fixed set of questions.
* In general, the use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted. Any submitted element will be subject to an individual oral justification, which conditions the respective mark.
Bibliography
- Albarello, L. (2005). Práticas e métodos de investigação em ciências sociais (2.ª ed.; obra coletiva com F. Digneffe, J.-P. Hiernaux, C. Maroy, D. Ruquoy e P. de Saint-Georges). Lisboa: Gradiva
- Marôco, J. (2021). Análise estatística com o SPSS Statistics (8.ª ed.). Pêro Pinheiro: ReportNumber
- Pocinho, M. (2012). Metodologia da investigação e comunicação do conhecimento científico. Lisboa: Lidel
- Van Campenhoudt, L. e Quivy, R. (2008). Manual de investigação em ciências sociais (5.ª ed.). Lisboa: Gradiva
- Veal, A. (2018). Research methods for leisure and tourism (5th ed.). Harlow: Pearson
Teaching Method
T: short lectures and discussion applied to tourism cases.
TP: research/APA workshops; questionnaire and codebook development; SPSS mini-labs using provided datasets; guided practice in interviews/focus groups and observation grids.
Software used in class
IBM SPSS Statistics; Microsoft Excel; Microsoft Teams; Mendeley
