MSc Sociological Research / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Research Strategy and Project Management

Course unit fact file
Unit code SOCY60412
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Lecture Workshop
The structure and organisation of a dissertation, and the ethical review application Evaluating what makes a ‘good’ dissertation
 
Doing a Literature Review Doing and evaluating a Literature Review
Survey Design and Evaluating Quantitative Research Evaluating Crime Survey Data
Doing Qualitative Interviews Designing and conducting a qualitative interview
Analysing Qualitative Interviews Practice of analysis of a qualitative interview
Personal networks and qualitative research How to collect personal network data
Generalising with qualitative data Analyzing a published qualitative study
Project Managing your Dissertation - challenges, pitfalls, contingencies and problem-solving Peer-reviewing literature reviews
Writing the Methodology Chapter Using examples of research projects to build your own methodology section
Presenting Your Findings: Analyses and findings chapters Using examples of published research to build your own analysis section 

 

Aims

  • To develop students' ability to design and implement their dissertation research project. 
  • To provide students with the opportunity to develop their research projects through group-based learning and discussion and in so doing, to complement the work undertaken through individual supervision meetings under the dissertation programme. 
  • To give students awareness of the role of the literature review in research design and how to plan, organise, and write a literature review in relation to their specific research aims. 
  • To provide a practical learning forum for students to consolidate and further develop their academic knowledge about research methods and associated methodological debates that they have studied in other specialist modules. 
  • To provide students with opportunities to develop their practical skills in conducting social research such as designing methods, data analysis etc. to assist them with their dissertation projects. 
  • To provide students with the opportunity to develop their generic skills in written presentation and in group work.

Learning outcomes

Building on from Research Design 1, by the end of the course students should have: 

  • Applied and developed their knowledge of methods and methodology through a focus on preparing their critical literature review for their dissertation and through discussion of their peers' research design. 
  • Produced a critical literature review as a basis for the empirical work for their dissertation. 
  • Presented and discussed their research design with a small peer group. 
  • Developed their skills and experience in the oral presentation of their work (as well as in written presentation for the assessment). 
  • Developed their evaluation skills through the discussion of their peers' research designs. 
  • Developed practical skills in research design and delivery in preparation for their dissertation projects.

Teaching and learning methods

Each week contains a mix lectures and workshops

Assessment methods

Provide a critical literature review based upon your chosen dissertation topic 100% (3000 words +/- 10%)

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Alice Bloch Unit coordinator

Additional notes

 



 

Return to course details