Social research methods
B Daly
8 points
* 3 hours per week
* First semester
* Peninsula
*
Prerequisites: First-year SCY sequence or equivalent
Objectives On completion of this subject, students should have a critical appreciation of the ethical dimensions, practical limitations and philosophical status of the knowledge that accrues from social research; developed a facility for utilising a range of social research methods; experience in linking the process of theorising with methods appropriate to testing hypotheses; achieved sufficient methodological competence to design a social research project for subsequent formulation and execution.
Synopsis Social research in its historical, social and sociological contexts; different theoretical perspectives and their significance for methods used; the objectives of social research. The methods of social research: an overview of the research process; selecting and formulating a research problem; designing and administering a study; research strategies; techniques for the collection and measurement of data; recording, coding, processing, analysing and presenting data; interpreting results; writing reports. Ethical considerations in social research.
Assessment Two workshop reports (1500 words each): 20% each
*
Research proposal (3000 words): 60%
Prescribed texts
Neuman W L Social research methods 2nd edn, Allyn and Bacon, 1994
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