Module SOCI2252: SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS

Department: Applied Social Sciences

SOCI2252: SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS

Prerequisites

• SOCI1321 - Introduction to Research

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To develop students' understanding of the nature and use of social science research methods building on the foundation delivered in First Year Module 'Introduction to Research'.
• To introduce students to central issues in the philosophy of social research.
• To enhance students’ understanding of the ethical issues surrounding the conduct of social research in the process of conducting a research project.
• To provide students with an understanding of basic issues in the description, exploration, and interpretation of statistical and other data.
• To introduce students to the basic principles of major qualitative methods.
• To enable students to use social research methods in the conduct of group based design and collection (to be analysed and written up individually).
• To enable students to build the foundation for their dissertation in Level 3.

Content

• Term One
• 'Developing Mastering in Research Design and Practice’ (lecture format) – 1 hour per week – Leaders in a range of research fields will explain how and why they choose to do what they did in relation to a particular research puzzle they set out to solve.
• 'Developing Mastery in Qualitative Data Analysis’ (lecture/discussion format) – 2 hours per week - qualitative research specialists introduce particular techniques of qualitative analysis based on small data-sets they then make available to students.
• ‘Developing Mastery in Quantitative Data Analysis' (lecture/practical format) – 2 hours per week – training in statistical analysis of quantitative data using SPSS. The first hour is directed by the tutor and the second a self-directed practical session with support from the tutor.
• Term Two
• Two lectures at the start of term two to frame forthcoming work and assessment.
• Workshops to develop group work projects – 2 hours per week.

Learning Outcomes

• At the end of the module students will:
• Understand the basic methodological issues which surround the conduct of social research.
• Understand the ethical issues which surround the conduct of social research.
• Understanding the relationship between theoretical questions and empirical studies.

• At the end of this module, students will be able to:
• Conduct qualitative research interviews, and/or qualitative content analysis.
• Conduct preliminary qualitative documentary research with Nvivo or other textual software.
• Ability to conduct a small scale survey by drawing an appropriate sample and designing a questionnaire.
• Use SPSS to produce the statistics needed for analyzing a real large numeric dataset, identify meaningful information.
• Work collectively on a small research project as part of a group.
• Design a research project that can form the basis of their third year dissertation.

• At the end of this module, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate a range of communication skills including the ability to: evaluate and synthesise information obtained from a variety of sources (e.g. written, oral, web); communicate relevant information in different ways (e.g. written, oral, tables and graphs, etc); select most appropriate method of communication for different tasks; respond effectively to others; monitor and reflect on use of communications skills.
• Demonstrate a range of numeracy skills including the ability to read and interpret tables, graphs, charts; organise and classify data; make inferences from sets of data; adapt numerical strategies to overcome difficulties raised by self-reflection.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of IT resources; use the statistical software SPSS; use a range of web-based resources to gather relevant information; adapt learning to overcome difficulties raised by self-reflection.
• Demonstrate an ability to work effectively as part of a team including specific abilities to: plan work with others in order to achieve desired outcomes; establish good working relationships with peers; monitor and reflect on the quality of the group work, including group and external feedback on personal contributions; monitor and reflect on use of skills in working with others.
• Demonstrate a capacity to improve own learning and performance, including the specific ability to manage time effectively; work to regular prescribed deadlines; engage in different ways of learning including both independent and directed forms of learning; gather necessary information from a range of bibliographic and electronic sources.

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

• The combination of lectures, workshops, statistics practical sessions and classes will enable students to understand research approaches and practise appropriate techniques.
• Statistics classes will deliver quantitative skills and the full repertoire of research skills will be deployed in the workshop sessions.
• The assessment combination of data-analysis exercise (to test quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills), group project (to test group working skills and practical design, data collection and analysis skills) and research proposal (to test ability to formulate testable research questions) will test students across the range of knowledge and the range of skills.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative element – two parts – firstly a self-assessment statistical exercise based on existing worksheets used by students to prepare and test their knowledge in term one. Secondly, in relation to the ‘group’ exercise, students will work in their groups to design and collect data, but their summative assessment for this be based on an individual write up. This would leave scope for groups who have designed and collected data together to be ‘formatively’ assessed on their group presentations towards the end of term two.

■ 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