Module SOCI59415: Research Design and Process

Department: Sociology

SOCI59415: Research Design and Process

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• To provide training in research design and an understanding of the research process in preparation for the MA dissertation/Phd research and careers in social research.

Content

• Introduction: Planning and designing research and the timeline of a research project.
• Formulating research questions and their relationship with research design.
• Reviewing the literature critically and its relationship to your own research.
• Operationalising concepts: moving from theory to research.
• Finding and accessing data and/or engaging research participants – practicalities and ethical issues.
• Quantitative designs, sampling, questionnaire designs, experimental methods, secondary data analysis.
• Qualitative designs, focusing on small scale qualitative research.
• Online research design and methods.
• Case studies,
• Mixed methods.
• Reviewing and evaluating research proposals.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module students will:
• Have an understanding of how to formulate and design a research project;
• Understand the ethical, political and organisational issues involved in social research;
• Understand the processes and stages involved in planning a research project.

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

• During periods of online teaching, for asynchronous lectures in particular, planned lecture hours may include activities that would normally have taken place within the lecture itself had it been taught face-to-face in a lecture room, and/or those necessary to adapt the teaching and learning materials effectively to online learning.
• Through lectures, seminars, and course assessment.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Students will have the option of submitting a short plan (up to 1000 words) of their research proposal.