Course unit details:
Research Design
| Unit code | SOCY60401 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The Research Design and Research Strategy and Project Management units help students on the MSc or MA programmes to design and carry out their dissertations. Research Design (SOCY60401) sets out the key features of the research design process while Research Strategy and Project Management (SOCY60412) further develops these around specific features and stages of student's dissertation research and writing. Both courses teach skills that would be valuable in research-related projects in a variety of educational and workplace settings.
Aims
The aims of these two consecutive and linked modules are:
- To introduce students to a wide range of design issues which arise in planning and conducting social research.
- To provide a learning forum for students to consolidate and further develop their academic knowledge about methods and associated methodological debates that they have studied in other specialist modules.
- To develop students' ability to design and implement their dissertation research project for their master's programme.
- To provide students with the opportunity to develop skills related to 'employability', such as presentation skills and teamwork.
Learning outcomes
On completion of both modules, students will have:
- Advanced their knowledge of design issues relevant to any successful research project (question framing, assessing appropriate strategies and methods, data quality ethics and so on).
- Advanced and applied their skills in searching and organising academic literature to map a field of research and shape a new research plan.
- Applied and developed their knowledge of methods and methodological issues through a focus on preparing their own research design for their dissertation and through discussion of their peers' research design.
- Developed their skills and experience in teamworking, independent work, and multiple modes of presentation.
Teaching and learning methods
This module consists of weekly one-hour lectures and one-hour workshops.
Assessment methods
Assessment is by a 3,000-word Research Design document (100%)
Weekly worksheet (0%)
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Practical classes & workshops | 20 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 130 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Jingwen Zhang | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes