Methods of Social Research (PCert

Course Structure

1. four compulsory one-unit modules (total of 80 credits, 40 ECTS)
2. two optional one-unit modules or one two-unit module (total of 40 credits, 20 ECTS)
3. and a supervised dissertation (60 credits, 30 ECTS).
4. Qualitative Research
5. Quantitative Data Analysis
6. Critical Social Research: Truth, Ethics and Power
7. Design of Social Research
8. Critical Social Research: Truth, Ethics and Power
9. Design of Social research
10. Qualitative Research
11. Quantitative Data Analysis
12. Sociology of health, illness and medicine
13. Sociology of Violence
14. Terrorism and Modern Society
15. The Sociology of Risk
16. Foundations of Sociology
17. Theories of Crime
18. Comparative Social Policy
19. Organised Civil Society and the Third Sector
20. Key Issues in Comparative Social Policy
21. Cultural Criminology
22. Contemporary Social Theory
23. Worlds of Work
24. Dissertation
25. provide appropriate methods training for students preparing an MA dissertation or MPhil/DPhil theses, or for students going on to employment involving the use of social science research
26. introduce you to a variety of different approaches to social science research, presented in a multidisciplinary context
27. cover the principles of research design and strategy, including formulating research questions or hypotheses and translating these into practicable research designs
28. make you aware of the range of secondary data available and equip you to evaluate their utility for research
29. develop skills in searching for and retrieving information, using library and internet resources in a multidisciplinary context
30. introduce you to the philosophical, theoretical and ethical issues surrounding research and the debates about the relationship between theory and research, the problems of evidence and inference, and the limits of objectivity
31. develop skills in the use of SPSS and other statistical techniques of data analysis, including multivariate analysis
32. develop skills in writing, the preparation of a research proposal, the presentation of research results, and verbal communication
33. help you to prepare your research results for wider dissemination, such as seminar papers, conference presentations, reports and publications to a range of audiences, including academics, policymakers, professionals, service users and the general public
34. give you an appreciation of the potential and problems of social research in local, regional, national and international settings.
35. the theoretical basis for social science research
36. ethical and methodological issues in social science research
37. the strengths and weaknesses of different epistemological approaches used within the social sciences
38. common research techniques used in social science research
39. sources of secondary data and how to access them
40. the common statistical techniques used within social science research
41. the political and policy contexts within which research takes place
42. the reflexivity of research in the social sciences.
43. the ability to identify research questions and hypotheses
44. the ability to select a research design appropriate to the questions being asked
45. the ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different research techniques.
46. the ability to plan and develop a research proposal
47. the ability to combine quantitative and qualitative approaches
48. the ability to criticise other research studies and the methods used in them
49. the ability to present results in ways which contribute to knowledge in that field.
50. the ability to identify research questions and hypotheses
51. the ability to choose research methods appropriate to the research question.
52. a familiarity with the ethical issues involved in research and with ethics application guidelines
53. the ability to choose a valid sample from the population of interest
54. the ability to design and produce questionnaires and other data collection instruments
55. the ability to use participant observation and focus groups in research
56. the ability to use comparative and longitudinal approaches
57. the ability to make use of existing library and documentary material
58. the ability to access the UK Data Archive and make use of survey data from that source
59. the ability to record, store and present quantitative data using SPSS
60. the ability to use statistical techniques appropriately and critically to support your research
61. the ability to evaluate the use of basic statistical methods in the research literature
62. the ability to plan and carry out structured and semi-structured interviews
63. the ability to analyse qualitative data from interviews, focus groups and other sources
64. the ability to analyse observational and life history data
65. the ability to analyse textual data and documentary sources
66. the use of computer-assisted packages for data handling
67. preparing research results for publication and dissemination.
68. managing your own time, prioritising workloads and recognising and managing stress
69. using problem-solving skills in a variety of different situations
70. the ability to take responsibility for your own learning and professional development
71. the ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences in written and oral media
72. the ability to use ICT to access information, process data and text, communicate with others and present research results effectively
73. an understanding of the career opportunities in your own fields and beginning to plan for your future.