Postgraduate Course: SGSSS Core: Becoming a Confident Social Science Researcher (PGSP11631)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The ESRC aims provide their PhD graduates with the skills to be globally competitive social science researchers; able to operate in interdisciplinary, collaborative, and challenge-led environments. This course will provide a springboard for ESRC-funded students to develop the skills to embrace new developments in social science research, and to work in teams to develop research plans to address grand social science challenges. |
| Course description |
The University of Edinburgh delivers this course on behalf of the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS). Only students in receipt of an ESRC funded SGSSS studentship will be eligible to complete this course.
This is a unique course where you will join ESRC funded SGSSS students from throughout Scotland and across social science disciplines. You will join together for a residential where you will receive tuition from research methods experts, and engage in a range of interactive activities to develop your understanding of the nature of contemporary social science research.
Sessions will introduce you to perspectives of interdisciplinary research, a range of cross-cutting research approaches and data resources, and skills in topics such as research project management, open social science, ethical research practice, and research impact.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 18,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 18,
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 4,
Summative Assessment Hours 48,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
108 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Individual Short Essay 50%, Max 1500 Words
Group Research Funding Proposal 50%, Max 4000 Words
Assessments A and B will be graded on a pass/fail basis and students will be required to pass both assessment elements A and B. |
| Feedback |
On the final day of the course residential each group will give a brief presentation of their research idea. They will receive feedback on their research idea from their peers and the teaching team, this will allow students to reflect on their plans and refine their research idea before the submission of assessment element B.
During the follow up weeks of the course (after the residential week), students will take part in interactive teaching sessions where they will have the opportunity to discuss the course content with peers and the teaching team.
Students will have access to the teaching team to ask questions and discuss their essay and research funding proposal throughout the course.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Establish a critical understanding of a variety of social science research approaches and social science data resources thinking beyond the quantitative/qualitative boundary and across social science disciplines;
- Engage critically with emerging, innovative, or cutting-edge topics in social science research (for example computational and digital methods and research approaches)
- Appreciate the value of interdisciplinary research for addressing grand social science challenges and demonstrate the ability to construct a plan for a piece of social science research
- Demonstrate the skills to successfully plan a piece of social science research using best practices in project management, ethics and open social science principles
- Demonstrate the skills to successfully plan appropriate engagement with research participants and research users at all stages of a research project
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Reading List
Aldridge, J., & Derrington, A. M. (2012). The Research Funding Toolkit: How to Plan and Write Successful Grant Applications. Sage.
Bechhofer, F. and Paterson, L. (2000). Principles of Research Design in the Social Sciences. Routledge.
Besen-Cassino, Y., & Cassino, D. (2017). Social research methods by example: Applications in the modern world. Routledge.
Menken, S., & Keestra, M. (2016). An introduction to interdisciplinary research: Theory and practice. Amsterdam University Press.
Reed, M. (2016). The research Impact Handbook. Fast Track Impact. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Demonstrating critical understanding, evaluation and synthesis of arguments in relation to specialised theories, concepts and principles;
Applying specialised knowledge in the development and planning of a research project;
Communicating with peers and communicating complex information to cross-disciplinary audiences;
Exercising autonomy, initiative, and accountability;
Working with others to plan a research project. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Roxanne Connelly
Tel:
Email: Roxanne.Connelly@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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