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Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2007/08


XX50170 Principles & skills of social research

Credits: 6
Level: Masters
Semester: 1
Assessment: CW 100%
Requisites:
Aims: The unit aims to:
* critically introduce the epistemological and methodological traditions in social research and the basic principles of social research design.
* critically introduce key epistemological aspects of the relationship between measurement and meaning.
* critically introduce the ethical and policy issues surrounding the practice of social research.
* introduce key skills for organising a research project and collecting data; conducting critical reviews of published research; and disseminating and communicating research.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course students are expected to:
in terms of Knowledge and Understanding:
* understand the significance and rationales of alternative epistemological paradigms and modes of social scientific enquiry
* understand the principles of alternative research designs and corresponding techniques of social analysis
* understand the social, political and ethical context of the social research process
* be aware of several significant developments in methods including hermeneutics, the analysis of metaphor and standardisation of methods; the rise of statistics, bureaucracy and trust in numbers.
in terms of Intellectual competence
* have developed their capacity in problem solving, conceptualising the dimensions of a problem and operationalising its key parameters
* understand the contextual character of methods and how they become established as definitive of a disciplines or of research fields within a discipline
in terms of Professional and Practical competence
* be able to evaluate research, including undertaking refereeing and book reviews;
* be able to organise a research project and collect data using a variety of methods including using Internet-based tools, as well as generate data
* understand issues posed by social research in relation to ethics, confidentiality and legality
* respect, consider and attend to the rights of other researchers and research participants;
* develop their competence in formulating research proposals for external funding and complete end-of-award reports to sponsors;
in terms of transferable/Key skills
* develop their competence in critical oral argumentation, particularly in terms of the application of complex general principles to particular practical situations
* develop their competence in effective writing, presentation and dissemination of research findings to practitioners and lay audiences;
* develop career management skills, including skills in using new technologies for obtaining information about new career opportunities, evaluation of personal and career development needs, self-promotion and marketing.
Skills:
During the course students are expected to develop their skills in the following areas:
* Comprehensive and scholarly written communication (e.g. essays) (Taught/Facilitated/Assessed)
* Ability to select, summarise and synthesise written information from multiple sources (T/A)
* Ability to develop rigorous arguments through precise use of concepts and models (T/F/A)
* Ability to produce work to agreed specifications and deadlines (T/F/A)
* Ability to work independently, without close supervision of guidance (T/A)
Content:

Part 1 - The Principles of Social Research
Session 1 - The Ontology of Social Research
* Science, objectivity, subjectivity and reflexivity
* Key issues in the relationship between measurement and meaning
Session 2 - The Epistemology of Social Research
* Paradigms of Enquiry - positivism; hermeneutics and phenomenology; post-empirical perspectives
* Modes of enquiry - inductive and hypothetico-deductive of scientific approaches
Session 3 - The Methodology of Social Research I - introduction to the principles and methods of quantitative research design
* topics introduced: conceptualisation and operationalisation, levels of measurement, transforming qualities to quanttities, techniques of collecting and generating quantitative data, types of quantitative data analysis
Session 4 - The Methodology of Social Research II - introduction to the principles and methods of qualitative research design
* topics introduced: conceptual frameworks, techniques of collecting and generating qualitative data, types of qualitative data analysis
Session 5 - Social Research as a social process
* The use and analysis of Metaphors in scientific discourse
* The rise of statistics, bureaucracy and trust in numbers
* Ethical issues in social research
* Social enquiry and policy - introduction to the politics of social research

Part 2 - The Skills of Social Research Session 6 - Introduction to the skills of social researcher
* preparing a research proposal and applying for funding
* key skills in organising and executing a research project,
* critically reviewing published research
* disseminating and communicating research
Session 7 - The Practice of Research
* Guest speakers from different disciplines will present and discuss their own research projects, issues of ethics, methodology and measurement, advice for research funding and the skills involved in completing successfully a project
Practical Session - Using the internet as a research tool
* Computer lab session introducing the tools for disciplined web-based research.