Module ANTH40415: RESEARCH SKILLS IN ANTHROPOLOGY II

Department: Anthropology

ANTH40415: RESEARCH SKILLS IN ANTHROPOLOGY II

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• For the MSc in Development - Computational Methods in Social Sciences; For the MSc in Evolutionary Anthropology and MSc Medical Anthropology - Research Skills II

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The aim of the module is to provide students with research skills needed by all anthropologists, focusing particularly on writing academic papers and grant proposals, and on numeric reasoning. It will develop students' numerical reasoning skills in anthropology using datasets from anthropological research. Students will learn the basic statistical methods. In addition, they will become proficient in the use of at least one IT package designed for statistical methods.

Content

• Research skills:
• using bibliographic databases
• academic source criticism/literature reviews
• writing clearly and critically
• designing a researching project
• writing a grant proposal
• Statistical methods:
• frequency distributions
• averages
• standard scores and normal curve
• correlation-Pearson r
• probability and binomial distribution
• sampling
• x2-Chi Square
• analysis of variance and covarience

Learning Outcomes

• Students should understand the theory behind, and know about examples of the application of, a range of subject-specific qualitative and quantitative methods used in particularly applied anthropology.
• They should have received sufficient practical and theoretical training to enable them, with the appropriate support and facilities, to continue to Ph.D. level research or carry out applied anthropological research in a variety of contexts.

• Students should be able to synthesise critically evaluate and present complex material, including data, models and theoretical arguments.

• Communication: Students should be able to express themselves in writing clearly and concisely on technical topics, and explain why particular issues are important and/or controversial.
• Research design and management: Students should be able to design a research project employing principles of academic rigour and tractibility (i.e. a project that is interesting, worthwhile and do-able),
• Information technology: Students should be able to use computer software for analysis and presentation of data.
• Data analysis: Students should be able to carry out basic quantitative and qualitative analysis, and to represent data effectively.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures (1 hour):
• Lectures provide students with a coherent review of the research skills and the relevant background to the datasets they will be asked to analyse.
• Practicals (1 hour):
• Practicals offer students the opportunity to implement specific quantitative methods under the supervision of a tutor. Students will be given guided step-by-step instruction in carrying out tasks on a computer; this will be followed by less guided, but still supervised, tasks which help consolidate students understanding of the skills and the relevance to anthropological research.
• Modes of Assessment:
• The grant proposal (2500 words) offers students the opportunity to develop a fully elaborated research proposal. The basic research problem will normally be related to individual student's dissertation research topic. It will give the students the opportunity to demonstrate the skills they have acquired in literature review, writing clearly, ethics and research design. The proposal contributes to learning outcomes: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3b.
• Exam (summative)
• 1.5 hour unseen exam. The exam contributes to learning outcomes: 1b, 3b, 3c, 3d.
• Grant outline (formative):
• Students will be provided with feedback on their preliminary ideas for the summative grant proposal, contributing to learning outcomes: 2a, 3a-d.
• In class practical assessments (formative)
• Will provide students with immediate feedback on the progress and provide the opportunity for individual interaction with tutor.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

In class practical assessments.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University