1. Course aims
The aim of this course is to introduce prospective managers and leaders in the tourism industry to the essentials of the research process.
The course presents a number of practical research strategies. Research skills and knowledge of the research process are essential in an information-rich world.

2. Assignment 1 Qualitative Report
Topic: Why people work in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
Length: 8 pages (including title page and reference list)
Includes the Literature Review
Submit a copy online to Turnitin by the due date and time. There is no hard copy (paper) to be submitted for this assignment, only online copies will be marked using Turnitin.
All submissions must be submitted using the online Cover Sheet provided in the assessment folder.
Attend workshops to complete qualitative data analysis.

3. Literature review
Access the library website, and search for peer reviewed journal articles. (Practice at accessing the website and downloading articles was conducted in lecture week 1)
Locate relevant literature by using keywords such as:
“working in tourism industry” and/or “working in hospitality” and/or “tourism employees” and/or “hospitality employees” - try different combinations.
words exploring existing literature on why people work in the tourism and hospitality industry.
You need a minimum of six peer reviewed journal articles for this review – WEBSITES AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES SHOULD NOT BE USED.
This is the easy part – START NOW – there is plenty of information out there regarding why people decide to work in the tourism and hospitality industry!
APA 6th edition style referencing MUST be used

4. Qualitative Research
Adopting an interpretive approach involves using qualitative methods such as:
Interviews
Focus Groups
Participant Observation
Semiotics – study or signs or symbols
Ethnography - description of peoples and cultures with their customs, habits, and mutual differences
Gang symbols

5. Analysing qualitative INformation
Qualitative data = text, written words, phrases or symbols describing or presenting people, actions, experiences, ideas and events in social life.
Qualitative research doesn’t involve statistical analysis, however, it can be systematic and logically rigorous.
Qualitative research is flexible and reflexive. It looks for patterns or relationships throughout the data analysis process eg, “coding”.

6. Coding Axial coding Selective coding The Purpose of Coding:
- Coding is a mechanical data reduction technique that is used in qualitative research to analyse data provided in word form (not numbers).
- Coding provides analytical categorisation of data into themes. These themes are then used to search for any relationships between the data and the respondents.
The Process of Coding - there are 3 levels of coding which include
Open coding
Axial coding
Selective coding

7. To analyse or code information you must first collect it!!
• Go to the Course Site – click on the Assessment Folder, then open the Qualitative Report folder.
Open the link to the Online Survey.
Complete the survey as openly and honestly as you can.
There are no “wrong” answers – the more open and honest you are, and the more detail that you provide, the more information we will have for the next step of the process.