Course Topics
Theses and reports - Purpose and importance of the structure - The 5- (and 6-) chapter structures of empirical research reports - The function of literature in research Academic writing styles - Academic writing etiquette - Developing a narrative - Appropriate language - Referencing

Teaching format
Frontal lectures, exercises, discussions

Educational objectives
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILO) ILO 1: KNOWLEDGE AND UDNERSTANDING ILO 1.1 The student/trainee acquires specific competences and skills to deal with management issues from the perspective of the management of tourism enterprises, the development and promotion of tourism destinations and the planning and management of integrated tourism systems and individual services in strategic, organisational and administrative terms with an international and intercultural perspective. ILO 1.2 The student acquires the competence to apply knowledge and understanding about the role of tourism in the economic development of communities, regions and nations. ILO 2: ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ILO 2.1 The student/undergraduate acquires the ability to understand and analyse the problems characterising the tourism sector through the application of theories and models and the adoption of appropriate tools for the management of tourism enterprises. ILO 3: AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT ILO 3.1 Acquire the ability to select data and use appropriate information to describe a problem concerning the management of tourism businesses as well as tourism associations and destinations ILO 3.2 Acquire the ability to relate models and empirical evidence in the study of tourism enterprises, associations, consortia and tourist destinations ILO 4: COMMUNICATION SKILLS ILO 4.1 The Master's degree graduate will be able to communicate effectively in oral and written form the specialised content of the individual disciplines, using different registers depending on the recipients and the communicative and didactic purposes, and to evaluate the formative effects of his/her communication. Written and oral communication skills are particularly developed in the training activities carried out for the preparation of the Master's thesis, in the discussion of business cases and in interactive lectures involving group discussions and the comparison of individual analyses. ILO 5. LEARNING SKILLS ILO 5.1 To identify thematic connections and to establish relationships between different cases and contexts of analysis ILO 5.2 To frame a new problem systematically and generate appropriate taxonomies. ILO 5.3 To develop general models from the phenomena studied.

Assessment
For both Attending Students and Non-attending students: Individual written essay (weight 80%) In this essay, the student should report a literature review on a relevant research question within the field of Tourism Management. The choice of topic is free, however, its relevance needs to appear in the study. The study should be based on a minimum of 15 relevant and high-quality (academic) sources, that provide relevant insights into the concepts mentioned in the research question. The student should add an overall reflection on the practical implications of the findings in the literature. This can be a reflection based upon personal experiences. No empirical work is required. The study should be reported in an academically styled written essay (3000 – 6000 words) and should be submitted for examination no later than one week before the scheduled exam date. Final written exam (weight 20%): n. 10 multiple choice questions and n. 1 open question on academic and thesis writing

Evaluation criteria
The assessment of the essay (literature study) is based on five main criteria. Overall readability (20%) refers to the structure, consistency, quality of English, professional presentation, and accessibility of the text. The introduction (15%) concerns the relevance of the topic, the clarity in developing the problem area, and the focus of the research question. The literature section (30%) considers the quality of the search and selection process, the coverage of key concepts, the reflection and critical review, and the coherence of the narrative. Reflection and discussion (25%) are evaluated in terms of authenticity, critical insight, and depth of analysis. The conclusion (10%) focuses on the clarity with which the research question is addressed, the acknowledgement of limitations, and the practicality of the recommendations.