Students are able to independently plan, conduct and document theoretical and empirical research projects. They know the basics of theoretical as well as quantitative, inductive and deductive empirical research, which includes the motivating the research questions, the measurement of relevant variables and their manipulation in the context of experiments, and simple statistical tests and least squares estimation. Students gain a broader perspective towards these methods to employ them in more flexible terms. They possess a sound intuition for the typical classes of endogeneity problems.

Developing a deep understanding of the basic methods in conducting research projects in business and economics is critical for students of this field. Mastering the basic methods gives a major advantage to professionals and academics, because they are able to see valuable and reliable patterns in data and critically judge claims justified with these data.Basic statistical concepts are briefly reviewed. However, this course does not replace the corresponding prior knowledge from the bachelor's degree or from courses that are specified as conditions upon admission to the degree program. Instead, an application-oriented approach is pursued, which builds on this prior knowledge and prepares the students for future applications, either their corresponding theses, or research reports.

1. Overview of theoretical as well as qualitative and quantitative, inductive and deductive empirical research
2. Descriptive statistics, inductive statistics, and fundamental statistical tests (e.g. z, t, F, Chi-Squared)
3. Basics of linear regression and non-linear effects, including critical evaluation of assumptions
4. Multicollinearity and outlier analyses
5. Endogeneity problems, including omitted variables, measurement errors, reverse causality, and endogenous selection, and solution, such as instrumental variables and different kinds of experiments
6. Quantitative surveys: Measurement, measurement errors and confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis

You can find the complete module description here.