CRI-20020 - Module Specification
School of Social, Political and Global Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

Students taking this module are barred from taking SOC-20046.

Description for 2020/21

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the logic and skills of social science research as applied to the study of crime and criminal justice. It aims to equip students with a critical appreciation of the range of strategies for research design, ethical guidelines, data collection and analysis in the conduct of social research. Within this overall context the course has three specific objectives: (i) To provide an introduction to the importance of both qualitative and quantitative research methods and the relationship between theory and methods in criminological research. (ii) To offer an introduction to the practicalities of thinking about and doing qualitative and quantitative criminological research. (iii) To enable students to use and critically evaluate qualitative and quantitative data for the purposes of criminological research. The philosophy underpinning the module is that research methods cannot be adequately, or interestingly, taught in the abstract and consequently the course will emphasise the practice of social research and its application to criminological issues.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the logic and skills of social science research as applied to the study of crime and criminal justice. It aims to equip students with a critical appreciation of the range of strategies for research design, ethical guidelines, data collection and analysis in the conduct of social research.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Explain the relationship between theory, methodology and methods in criminological research: 1
Analyse the history, logics and processes of quantitative and qualitative social science research in criminology: 1
Formulate research questions and identify appropriate research strategies to address them: 1
Assess the usefulness of computer software in collating, retrieving and analysing research data: 1
Identify and assess the ethical issues that may arise in relation to criminological research: 1
Design a research project and undertake a range of basic research tasks making appropriate use of information technology: 1
Plan and be aware of key issues in qualitative and quantitative interviewing: 1
Identify and describe appropriate methods of analysis for different types of data: 1
Evaluate and interpret the reporting of qualitative and quantitative data: 1

Study hours

11 x 2 hour seminars
22 hours seminar preparation
72 hours assessment preparation
34 hours private study

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment