SOC-20046 - 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

CRI-20020

Description for 2020/21

This module aims to introduce you to both the principles of developing research strategies and to the strengths and weaknesses of different data collection methods used within sociology and criminology. The lectures will be concerned with examining the criteria that can be used to judge the advantages of different research approaches, as well as introducing you to the assumptions that underpin different modes of data collection. There will also be a focus on the ethics of social research.
The workshops will help develop further the understanding gained through the lectures. They will be more practically focused. Workshops will entail you demonstrating skills in the use of bibliographic data bases, evaluating existing research and exploring alternative methodologies for collecting relevant data within the constraints of specified research resources.
The module will consist of lectures and workshops. The workshops will based and concerned with applying the concerns of the lectures to specific research problems, the discussion of specific methodological issues or the development of research skills.

To enable students to:
appreciate the range of different research methods used in sociology and assess their strengths and weaknesses
know how to formulate a research question, building on existing sociological literature and research
understand criteria for evaluating the adequacy of different data for sociological explanation
understand the construction of research strategies and be able to identify the different elements of the process
appreciate ethical guidelines in the conduct of research

Intended Learning Outcomes

analyse the strengths and weaknesses of different data collection procedures in sociology for different research problems: 1
create critical methodological reviews of published research: 1
review major ethical dilemmas of social research and have knowledge of relevant professional codes of ethics: 1
explain the relationship between empirical data and theory production and testing within sociology: 1
evaluate the research strategies used by sociologists: 1

Study hours

12 lecture contact hours
12 workshop contact hours
72 hours tutorial preparation
54 hours assessment preparation
150 hours

School Rules

Students taking this module are barred from also taking CRI-20020

Description of Module Assessment