AMU2453 - Research methods in the social sciences - 2018

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Arts

Organisational Unit

Malaysia School of Arts and Social Sciences

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Melissa Wong Yuet Fun

Coordinator(s)

Dr Melissa Wong Yuet Fun

Unit guides

Offered

Malaysia

  • First semester 2018 (On-campus)

Prerequisites

Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.

Prohibitions

ATS2453, ATS3453, AZA2453, AZA3453

Synopsis

The unit introduces critical and practical approaches to research in the social sciences, presenting first a critical overview of the rationale for research practice in industry and academia, and then an outline of various traditions of inquiry. This material is followed by a series of lectures on specific quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The material is framed within an ongoing review of key ethical and critical concepts.

Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the uses of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in academic and industry contexts;
  2. Understand the uses of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in science and non-science environments;
  3. Understand the nature and use of a theoretical framework in a research project;
  4. Define and formulate a research project, including hypotheses, research problems and questions, goals, ethical considerations, literature reviews,theoretical frameworks, and data collection, analysis and interpretation methods;
  5. Demonstrate sound awareness of ethical principles in research practices;
  6. Reflect on relationships between local and global frameworks in developing approaches to research.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study