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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Social and Political Science : Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies)

Postgraduate Course: Advanced Methods Workshops (20 credit) (PGSP11596)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Social and Political Science CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course gives students the opportunity to pick a selection of advanced social science methods workshops that are of cross-disciplinary interest and relevance. The workshops will provide hands-on experience of methods that either extend or complement those covered elsewhere in the curriculum. Workshops will likely be useful preparation for dissertation projects or in developing PhD research proposals or in providing valuable methodological experience for CVs. Overall, the aim of the course is to develop the ability to apply cutting-edge social science methods in research practice alongside the capacity to reflect on the associated strengths and weaknesses.
Course description Methodological developments in the Social Sciences over the past decades have led to strong increases in the specialisation and diversity of techniques that are used to make sense of the social world. This Research Training Centre course responds to these trends by providing access to an exciting programme of cutting-edge methods workshops all delivered by experts in the field. The workshops complement and extend the base of methods training in our core methods courses. To receive 20 credits, students must attend four methods workshops, complete the exercise associated with each workshop (5% each) and submit a 4000- word essay (80%).

A typical workshop will consist of around 5 hours of contact time with additional study or reading time around this core provision. The learning experience will include:

- An introduction by an expert in the area that will outline core themes, issues and debates
- A "hand-on" opportunity to apply a method in practice and supported opportunities to interpret and critique results
- Additional readings and activities to support the workshop content
-Opportunities for formative assessment through bespoke quizzes (within and outside classes) and exercises

Each workshop will include a follow up exercise that on completion will provide a full 5% of their final mark. The exercise may be written, an online quiz or a presentation in which students may:

- Present results/analysis from application of a method
- Reflect on themes and questions pertaining to the method
- Evaluate the application of a method in practice

The final essay will comprise 80% of the final mark. Students must choose at least one of the methods from the workshops they have taken and produce a detailed account of how a research method(s) would be applied to a research problem or a presentation of results from application of a method in practice.

Syllabus

The precise syllabus offered in any given year will be vary from year to year. This year the programme includes workshops covering a wide range of advanced methods such as latent class analysis, in-depth interviews, natural experiments and computational text analysis. Workshops will be arranged throughout the year to avoid clashes as far as it possible.

Students will attend an introductory lecture in week 1 of semester 1 during which they will be provided full details on the workshops offered. They will be expected to select their choices of workshops by the end of week 1.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  70
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 8, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 4, Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 4, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 12, Online Activities 4, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 4, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 160 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Students must attend four methods workshops, and complete the exercise associated with each workshop. The exercise may be written, an online quiz or a presentation (5% each). Students must also submit a final 4000- word essay which will comprise 80% of the final mark. «br /»
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Feedback Essays will be returned with feedback within 15 working days of submission.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate and work with social science methods which are at, or informed by, developments at the forefront
  2. Apply knowledge, skills and understanding in social science methods that are at, or informed by, forefront developments
  3. Develop original and creative responses to methodological problems and issues
  4. Communicate evidence and results from complex social science methods that are at, or informed by, forefront developments
  5. Exercise substantial autonomy and initiative in linking complex social science methods to social research questions
Reading List
The nature of this course is such that each workshop will require separate core readings. Workshop convenors will provide 1-2 key texts.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Alan Marshall
Tel: (0131 6)51 1462
Email: Alan.Marshall@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Casey Behringer
Tel: (0131 6)50 2456
Email: Casey.behringer@ed.ac.uk
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