Advanced Issues in Social Work Research (P01683)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : SPS-P-sps

(1) A series of fortnightly 2-hour seminars (Approaches to Social Work Research) which run throughout the year. All MSc by Research and probationary PhD students are expected to attend and to make presentations on their research project (at least one in each semester), focusing on the professional and theoretical context for their work. Social work staff members are responsible for in-put on the topics noted below.
(2) In the period immediately before the summer vacation, as part of their formal assessment for upgrading to PhD status, students present dissertation/proposal work in progress to a broader group (Research in Progress), including all research students and staff in the Subject Group. Leading into this final third of the course will be
(3) An intensive one-day Workshop, in early May, exploring how commitment to user perspectives, informed consent and responding to the professional issues arising in the course of the research. This will be convened by the subject specific course convenor.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Social and Political Studies), (School of Social and Political Studies, Schedule J)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Full Year (Blocks 1-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 3 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course student should be able to

Display practical familiarity with a range of research methodologies relevant to social work research
Display a capacity to locate research issues and processes within a political, ethical and professional context.
Demonstrate an appreciation of the centrality of service user perspectives and participation within the construction, implementation and dissemination of research.
Display advanced familiarity with subject specific literature (including historical aspects, social trends, political context, professional practice and policy issues) and relevant organisational, inter-agency/disciplinary perspectives and cross-national comparisons.
Display familiarity with software packages which assist with both quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
Be in command of relevant practical and ethical requirements such as choice of research sites; ethical committees; informed consent; gaining access permission and developing agreed mechanisms for on-going consent and sharing work in progress.

Assessment Information

Students are required to make regular oral presentations on their work in progress. The students will be expected to present their dissertation/research proposal in the form of a seminar presentation and associated written paper of 4,000 words.