Module SOCI1321: Social Research Methods

Department: Sociology

SOCI1321: Social Research Methods

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce students to a range of strategies used in producing sociological knowledge.
• To help students develop a critical appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of a range of research methods.
• To enable students to gain some practical experience of carrying out selected parts of the process of doing social research.
• To introduce students to ethical issues embedded in research.
• To encourage students to consider the role of evidence in producing 'theory'.

Content

• The first block of lectures and seminars, delivered in the first term, will introduce students to some of the basic issues involved in doing social-scientific (and specifically sociological) research.
• We will consider the relevance of 'scientific method' to research on the social world, and consider questions of how research can show what it claims to show.
• We will also examine several qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data about social life.
• The second block of lectures and seminars, delivered in term two, will focus on quantitative research methods.
• We will examine how survey research is undertaken, and how official statistics are produced.
• Students will also be taught how to carry out some basic statistical analyses of quantitative social survey data.

Learning Outcomes

• Having completed this module, students will:
• have an understanding of the concepts of evidence in social science, and of the relationship between evidence and theorizing.
• have an awareness of the distinctive character of social research.
• be able to identify appropriate strategies for the generation of specific kinds of knowledge.
• be able to review and to evaluate evidence, and to produce reasoned social scientific arguments on the basis of that evidence.

• Having completed this module, students will:
• be able to review and evaluate evidence;
• be able to produce reasoned social scientific arguments on the basis of evidence.

• By the end of this module, students will be able to demonstrate:
• an ability to frame research issues and problems;
• an ability to interpret and evaluate empirical evidence;
• an ability to gather and analyse information;
• an ability to construct reasoned arguments;
• basic written communication skills;
• basic learning and study skills;
• an ability to plan and manage time effectively.

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

• The lectures for this module will:
• deliver outlines of the distinctive character of social scientific research, and will introduce students to the evidence bases of theoretical work;
• present competing views on knowledge-production and evidence assessment;
• highlight the importance of, and the means toward, evaluating evidence;
• encourage students to develop skills in listening, selective note-taking, and an appreciation of competing arguments.
• The seminars for this module will:
• incorporate practical exercises which will enable students to develop skills in carrying out selected parts of the research process, and in interpreting and evaluating evidence;
• equip students with the means to be able to identify appropriate research strategies;
• enable the development of verbal communication skills through small group and class discussion;
• foster a number of key skills, including information-gathering and retrieval, critical reading and evaluation, making reasoned arguments, based on available evidence.
• The formative essay for this module:
• requires students to demonstrate both specific skills in knowing and understanding the themes of the module and broader skills in written communication;
• require skills in gathering information, assessing evidence and critical reading;
• will be returned to students with feedback designed to help students to reflect on their knowledge and understanding, and to improve their performance where appropriate.
• The summative essay for this module:
• requires students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of qualitative research methods by critically evaluating a published study.
• The summative data analysis exercise and report for this module:
• requires students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of quantitative research methods, and to apply their practical skills in basic data analysis, by carrying out an analysis of quantitative data and writing up the results in the form of a report.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One essay of 1500 words.

■ 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