University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

(Revised November 2002)

Code: UPEN3M-15-M Title: Research Methods I Version: 1

Level: M UWE credit rating: 15 ECTS credit rating: 7.5

Module type: Standard

Owning Faculty: HLSS Field: Economics

Valid from: September 2004 Discontinued from:

Pre-requisites: none

Co-requisites: none

Excluded combinations: none

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the module, the student should be able to:

· Show knowledge of alternative methodologies in the social sciences (component A & B, elements 1 & 2)

· Design a research project (component B, elements 1 & 2)

· Use the internet for research purposes (component B, elements 1 & 2)

· Write a research proposal (component B, elements 1 & 2)

· Find relevant statistical sources (component B, elements 1 & 2)

· Undertake quantitative and qualitative analysis (component A & B, elements 1 & 2)

Syllabus outline:

· Methodology of social science: positivism and its variants, hermeneutics, postmodernism, post structuralism and critical realism; critical and comparative analysis of each; their implications for social scientific research; the notion of truth in social science; the role of empirical methods under different perspectives; the impact of value-judgements on social scientific practice.

· Essential skills for social scientific research: design and planning of research projects; data collection, validation and sampling; data sources; using the Internet in social scientific research; writing, information and presentation of research

· Quantitative and qualitative analysis: descriptive statistics and their interpretation; statistical analysis of social scientific data; regression analysis; qualitative data analysis; using computer software for data analysis

Teaching and learning methods:

The module will be delivered by a variety of teaching and learning methods. Some foundational material will be delivered in traditional and non-traditional ways. Some sessions will involve the revision and discussion of key concepts and techniques. Other sessions will take the form of workshops, many of which will often make use of electronic resources.

Indicative sources:

Hughes, John and W Sharrock, 1997, The Philosophy of Social Research, Longman.

Shipman, Martin, 1997, The Limitations of Social Research, Longman.

Chalmers, Alan, 2000, What is this Thing Called Science?, Hackett.

Fielding, Jane and Nigel Gilbert, 2000, Understanding Social Statistics, Sage Publications.

Dorling, Danny and Ludi Simpson (eds), 1999, Statistics in Society, Arnold

Field, Andy, 2000, Discovering Statistics Using SPSS for Windows, Sage Publications.

Bryman, Alan, 2001, Social Science Research Methods, Oxford University Press.

Assessment

Weighting between components A and B A: 50% B: 50%

ATTEMPT 1

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Unseen exam, 2 hours 50%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Applied project 25%

2. Dissertation proposal 25%

Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is not required)

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Unseen exam, 2 hours 50%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Applied project 25%

2. Dissertation proposal 25%

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT: Attendance at taught classes is not required.

Specification confirmed by ………Module approved at VARSC 13.05.04.

Date ……………………………

(Associate Dean/Programme Director)