Postgraduate Course: Research Skills in the Social Sciences: Data Collection (PGSP11016)
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 |
None
|
Taught in Gaelic? |
No |
| Course description |
The course aims to train social science postgraduate students in a range of key research skills. In particular it aims to ensure that all students completing the course are able, in the ESRC's phrase, to 'demonstrate proficiency' in certain key methods of data collection. The course will cover all the areas of data collection prescribed in Section E (Framework for Methods Training) in the 2001 edition of the ESRC Postgraduate Training Guidelines.
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Entry Requirements
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites |
|
| Prohibited Combinations |
|
Other requirements |
None
|
| Additional Costs |
None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: 173 |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | | 1-11 | 09:00 - 09:50 | | | | |
| First Class |
Week 1, Monday, 09:00 - 10:50, Zone: Central. Lecture Theatre HRB |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1.Introduce students to the principal methods of data collection used by social scientists;
2.Develop a critical understanding of how each might be used;
3.Provide opportunities for students to reflect on and refine their own research practice in discussion with others.
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Assessment Information
To complete the course, students will have to successfully complete a range of practical tasks in the following areas: Data collection: interviewing, questionnaire design, survey design, focus groups, data recording and transcription
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Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Introduction; Documents; Visual data; Interviewing; Focus groups; Ethnographic methods; Survey and questionnaire design; Analysing qualitative data
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| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
- Bell, J (1987) Doing Your Research Project. A guide for first time researchers in education and social science, Milton Keynes: Open University Press
- Bryman, A (2008) Social Research Methods, third edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Ritchie J and Lewis J (2003) (eds) Qualitative Research Practice,
London: Sage
- Robson, C (2002) Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers, Oxford: Blackwell
- Punch, K (1998) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches, London: Sage
- Seale, C (2004) Researching Society and Culture London: Sage
- Silverman, D (ed) (2004) Qualitative Research: Theory, Method and Practice, London: Sage
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords |
Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Dr Richard Freeman
Tel: (0131 6)50 4246
Email: richard.freeman@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Mrs Gillian Macdonald
Tel: (0131 6)51 3244
Email: gillian.macdonald@ed.ac.uk |
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13 January 2011 6:32 am
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