GSC3000 - Applied Social Research

Leader: TBA

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2007 (Day)
Gippsland Second semester 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

The unit offers students the opportunity to acquire competency in doing quantitative social research by undertaking a placement with the Gippsland Research and Information Service (GRIS) at Monash University's Gippsland Campus. During the placement, students will work alongside, and under the supervision of, GRIS staff on an assigned project. They will gain practical experience of all stages of the research process, from the initial briefing/consultation with a client to the completion of a written report on the project to a professional standard.. Students will also have the opportunity to become proficient in the use of the computer package SPSS for Windows.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. apply their knowledge of quantitative social research to help solve social problems or understand issues of importance to government, community or business;
2. critically engage with debates over quantitative methodology within the social science community;
3. understand the range of ethical and privacy issues involved in carrying out applied social research;
4. construct a well-designed questionnaire/interview schedule;
5. show competency in the use of SPSS for Windows for the analysis of quantitative data;
6. demonstrate skills in the written presentation and communication of research findings.

Assessment

Successful completion of placement including client report (2700 words): 60%
Journal (1800 words): 40%

Contact hours

1 hour per fortnight (1 x 1 hour supervision session), 150 hrs work placement

Prerequisites

SCY2815 and two second year sociology units