Research Design and Practice (Quantitative Methods)
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| SOCI2038 | Sociology and Social Policy | 2 | 10 | Spring UK |
- Code
- SOCI2038
- School
- Sociology and Social Policy
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module introduces students to the principles of research design and research ethics in relation to quantitative research and provides them with experience in designing and conducting their own small-scale research project.
Target Students
Available only to Level 2 students on programmes in the School of Sociology and Social Policy.Not available to Exchangestudents.
Classes
This module is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops.
Assessment
- 100% Coursework: 2,000 words.
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The module introduces principles of research design and research ethics relating to the collection and analysis of quantitative data and provides an understanding of the contexts in which quantitative research strategies are appropriate. It will explore the basic principles of survey research and its practical components and address the strengths and limitations of this research methodology. Students gain experience in conducting quantitative research through the design and implementation of a small-scale research project.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Students will develop:
- Critical and reflexive understanding of quantitative research methods.
- An understanding of the interconnections between ethical, political and methodological issues in the social sciences.
- Knowledge of a range of research strategies and methods employed in quantitative social research.
- An understanding of the value and limitations of different quantitative research strategies and techniques.
- An understanding of the practical problems and dilemmas faced by social researchers.
- An understanding of statistical tools and techniques to examine relationships between variables.
- A proficiency in the use of graphical presentations of quantitative data.
Intellectual Skills
Students will develop:
- An ability to articulate the key principles of quantitative research design.
- An ability to formulate research hypotheses and operationalise key concepts.
- An ability to generate, analyse and present empirical information.
- An ability to critically evaluate findings in the context of literature based theories and findings.
Professional/Practical Skills
Students will develop:
The ability to formulate appropriate questions and conduct social research.
An understanding of probability sampling methods and ability to implement them.
An ability to use SPSS to derive basic descriptive and inferential statistics for survey data and to present results in the form of appropriate charts and tables.
Familiarity with the basic procedures of survey design and analysis.
Transferable skills
Students should be able to demonstrate the ability to:
• Employ basic IT skills
• Design quantitative social research research in a theoretically and methodologically informed way
• Organise and manage supervised but self-directed projects, producing work precisely in accordance with a given brief
• Reflect upon their own learning and experience and assess their acquired skills