Postgraduate Course: Research Design (PGSP11208)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Social and Political Science |
College |
College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
| Home subject area |
Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
http://www.ed.ac.uk/social_policy/
|
Taught in Gaelic? |
No |
| Course description |
The course provides an introduction to the main issues involved in designing social science research and is intended for students from a wide range of social science disciplines. Research design calls for decisions about how the research should be carried out, about what kind of data should be collected and analysed, and about how inferences should be drawn if the aims of the research are to be realised. The researcher has to be able to demonstrate that conclusions drawn from the research are robust and well-grounded epistemologically and theoretically. The course does not provide training in research methods, or an exhaustive checklist of points that need to be considered when designing a research project. It concentrates on the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of research design as they relate to the aims, objectives and theoretical underpinnings of any piece of research. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| No Classes have been defined for this Course |
| First Class |
Week 1, Thursday, 14:00 - 14:50, Zone: Central. Lecture Theatre B, David Hume Tower |
| Additional information |
Mode of delivery
The class comprises a mixture of whole-class presentations by the course teachers and smaller discussion group sessions led by facilitators, in which students are required to relate the concerns of the course to their proposed research.
|
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
| On completing the course, students should have a sound understanding of the basic principles of research design which will enable them to evaluate the robustness of research employing a range of different approaches and methods; to create a robust design for their own research; and defend the choices that they have made in formulating this design. |
Assessment Information
| One essay of between 3,000 and 4,000 words in which students are asked to relate the principles of research design discussed in the course to their proposed research. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
An extensive and wide-ranging bibliography is provided for students in the class. The starter texts most frequently referred to are J. Ritchie and J. Lewis, Qualitative Research Practice (2003), N. Blaikie, Designing Social Research (2000) and F. Bechhofer and L. Paterson, Principles of Research Design in the Social Sciences (2000). N. Blaikie (2007) Approaches to Social Enquiry is a good starter text on the philosophical and theoretical grounding of different kinds of research design. |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords |
Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Dr Daniel Clegg
Tel:
Email: Daniel.Clegg@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Mrs Gillian Macdonald
Tel: (0131 6)51 3244
Email: gillian.macdonald@ed.ac.uk |
|
copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh -
31 January 2011 8:11 am
|
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