Module SGIA2251: POLITICAL RESEARCH: THEORY AND PRACTICE

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA2251: POLITICAL RESEARCH: THEORY AND PRACTICE

Prerequisites

• Satisfactory completion of at least two Level 1 SGIA modules .

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• This core module seeks to develop the knowledge and skills of politics students in terms of their ability to understand and conduct political analysis as a form of social science investigation. It develops their understanding of the major epistemological approaches to social science research. It also enables the examination of the merits and problems of alternative research methodologies within the discipline of politics. The module aims to improve the ability of students to conduct political investigation in all Honours modules, not least the modules in which they are required to undertake extended and primarily self-directed investigation of a political problem, particularly the Level 3 Dissertation.

Content

• Political Research: Theory and Practice forms the core of the Level 2 Politics programme. It develops issues introduced at Level 1. The core topics covered in the module will be the philosophy of the social sciences and qualitative, quantitative, documentary and normative research methodologies. One important aim of the module is to prepare students to conduct a dissertation in politics.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will acquire knowledge and understanding that allows them to:
• describe and assess the significance of the major stages in the development of the study of politics;
• dentify major approaches to studying politics, both domestic and international, using tools derived from the philosophy of the social sciences;
• critically analyse alternative research methods and methodologies.

• The module will enable students to develop new intellectual skills and develop those gained at Level 1, including:
• the identification, investigation and analysis of issues and problems in political research;
• the formulation and advocacy of solutions to problems in political research;
• the recognition of the significance of issues in political analysis for their work in other modules, notably the Level 3 Dissertation.

• Students will develop in depth their ability to:
• research, assess and utilise sources of information independently;
• develop written presentation of work;
• work towards common goals in group work;
• provide evidence of their ability to reflect on their activity;
• utilise information technology in support of learning and presentation.

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

• The module is taught through problem based learning sessions encouraging students’ to engage in self-directed learning. They will undertake project work in groups, proceeding through the stages of the political research process and covering both theoretical and practical issues related to political research and analysis. The groups will be arranged so that students will work with others who show an interest one of the three major sub-disciplines of politics, represented by the three other level 2 core modules on the politics programme. The assessments will examine students' understanding of the nature of the political research by asking them to complete tasks at the different stages of a student research project from designing a dissertation proposal through to conducting and writing up their research. Assessments will address the students' ability to work in a group and to reflect on their performance as well as their substantive understanding of research methodology and research techniques. .
• Reflecting the problem based approach of the module, teaching will be primarily through a series of workshops. The learning process will be collaborative. Students will operate in a team. The major concepts needed to solve the problems will not be given before the problems are tackled. Instead, with assistance from the module tutors, and working as a group, students will be expected to identify both the general and specific conceptual apparatus needed to approach the problem and the means to access the information you need. Each problem will be introduced by a short briefing sheet, which should give them enough information and pointers to get you started. Students will need to work out how to approach the problem and where they need to look for different types of information. Each problem will be concluded with a discussion or assessment which pools the problems, issues and solutions proposed by the different groups taking the module. Two of the workshops will be peer review sessions where the students will offer each other structured feedback on their work and will also offer the opportunity for collective reflections on work conducted. Two of the workshops will be library skills workshops. These peer review and library workshops will be 2-hours in length.
• The workshops will be supplemented with a lecture programme. The aim of these lectures will be to outline some of the debates to which students may refer when formulating their research questions, arguments and methodological strategies.
• Student learning is conducted through these meetings and in the preparation they are required to undertake for them.
• Assessment mode: The assessment mode is aligned with the teaching and learning modes by means of both formative and summative assignments.
• Summative assessment is by means of two group work projects, two individual reflective statements and one individual dissertation proposal. This package enables assessment of the full range of learning outcomes. The first group work assessment requires the students to design a group dissertation proposal. The second group assessment requires the students to produce a collective mini-dissertation. In the process of designing, undertaking and writing up a research project students need to situate themselves within and using tools derived from the philosophy of the social sciences. They will also need to demonstrate their consideration of major methodological issues. They will need to identify, investigate and analyse issues and problems in the discipline of politics. They will have to formulate and advocate solutions to these political problems. The individual dissertation proposal will develop the individual student's ability to design an effective research project. The two individual student reflective statements are tied to the group assessments. In these statements the students are required to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of their group's project work and on their role within the group. The reflective statements may be accompanied by an appendix of supporting evidence not included in the word count. These reflective statements enable the students to demonstrate their individual contribution to operation of the groups and their understanding of the extent to which the group work demonstrates the achievement of the module learning outcomes. They also provide a means of assessing the students' ability to reflect on their activity in the module.
• Formative assessment is by means of a group work project analysing the strengths and weakness of different research proposals.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Group analysis of research proposals; Peer assessment of group dissertation proposals; Peer assessment of group dissertations

■ 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