| Unit name | Social Research Methods |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SOAD20004 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Dodds |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Unit description
Social Research Methods builds on the knowledge and skills gained on the first-year Critical Skills unit. The unit is a pre-requisite for single honours students who are required to submit a dissertation in their final year, which must have a strong methodological framework. Therefore, the unit has been designed with a view to covering a wide variety of possible ways students can approach and research a particular topic of inquiry for their dissertation. Joint honours students who do not have to submit a dissertation will find that the unit helps them to understand the process of social research from start to finish, shining light on several issues that might be encountered in work within and beyond university life. A range of theoretical perspectives that form the undercurrent of social research will be covered, to illustrate how empirical investigations of social life are always theoretically informed.
Aims:
· To ensure students understand what defines and characterises social research
· To deepen students’ understanding of the meaning and relevance of quantitative and qualitative approaches to social research
· To extend students’ knowledge of the range of methods used in gathering research data for analysis
· To ensure students have the skills to evaluate the strengths and limitations of different methods and analysis.
· To reflect on some of the important constraints – especially ethical constraints – which apply when research is underway, or when data is analysed, interpreted and used to make an argument
By the end of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate:
This unit will draw on a blended learning approach. Students will engage with taught content that is self-paced (including, for example, narrated slides and other teaching and research materials). Each week students will be tasked to complete activities (a mix of individual work and collaborative work). Live sessions will also be scheduled where groups of students will present and discuss ideas and clarify learning with the tutor. The materials used for these sessions will be separately shared for those unable to attend. A weekly Office Hour run by the Unit Convenor will be complemented by periodic monitoring and responses to online discussion space for student reflections, summaries and Q&A.
Annotated Bibliography (750 words) (25%) -assesses ILOs 3 and 4
Research proposal (2250 words) (75%) - assesses ILOs 1 and 2
