GSC1602

Introduction to methods of social research

Pam Reynolds and Dan Lennon

6 points - 3 hours per week - Second semester - Gippsland and distance - Prerequisites: Wordprocessing skills adequate for assignment presentation

Objectives On successful completion of this subject students should have acquired an informed familiarity, both theoretical and practical, with the basic stages of a research project; improved their proficiency in oral and written reporting skills; developed their capacity for independent achievement of goals; extended their ability to critically evaluate research reports; and prepared themselves for undertaking postgraduate research.

Synopsis The course covers social research ethics and protocols, research design and methods, management of research, constraints, information retrieval, pilot studies, analysis of data, reporting, editing and marketing results. Verbal skills of interviewing and reporting are assessed as well as written skills. Spreadsheeting is introduced using the university's software package. All or part of the final report must be produced by the student using a word-processing package.

Assessment Progressive assessment: 100%

Prescribed texts

Bouma G The research process 3rd edn, Oxford University Press, 1996

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