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for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Philosophy and Research Design in the Social Sciences |
| Unit code |
SOCIM0012 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
M/7
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
|
| Unit director |
Dr. Tsilipakos |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Description including Unit Aims
This unit discusses central issues in sociological and political research. Key questions that will be addressed include: What are the philosophical foundations of research design? What kinds of claims can be made in sociological and political research? Is social science closely related to science and what is science like? Should social scientists be committed to emancipatory values and can those values be justified? How should research ethics be taken into account when designing a research project? On the whole, we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of different methodological approaches by looking at examples of empirical research.
Aims:
- To discuss key principles of sociological and political research and research design.
- To discuss some controversies surrounding the principles of research design and causality.
- To discuss some philosophical foundations of research design.
- To discuss the core elements of a research project, such as theory, variables, concepts and measurement.
- To discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different research strategies and methods.
- To examine actual examples of sociological and political research and critique these research designs
- To discuss key principles of research ethics
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this unit students will:
- Be familiar with standard guidelines for research design and some controversies surrounding these principles
- Understand the key steps in formulating a research project.
- Know how theory, concepts and measurement are related.
- Be aware of the philosophical foundations of research design
- Understand the advantages and disadvantages of different research methods, including common problems faced by researchers.
- Be aware of the ethical considerations associated with sociological and political research.
Teaching Information
The unit will be taught over 10 weeks with a weekly two hour seminar.
Assessment Information
Each of the learning outcomes will be assessed both formatively and summatively:
Formative assessment: a seminar presentation.
Summative assessment: 4,000 word essay.
Reading and References
- Hughes, J. A. & Sharrock, W. W. (1997). The philosophy of social research. Longman
- Ryan, A. (1970). The philosophy of the social sciences. Macmillan
- Risjord, M. (2014). Philosophy of social science: A contemporary introduction. Routledge
- Martin Hollis (2002), The philosophy of social science: An Introduction. Revised. Cambridge University
- Martin, M., & McIntyre, L. C. (Eds.). (1994). Readings in the philosophy of social science. Mit Press.
- Blaikie, N. (2009). Designing social research. Polity.
- Donatella Della Porta and Michael Keating (eds.) (2008), Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences: A Pluralist Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- Alan Bryman (2015), Social Research Methods, 5th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press
