Social Research Design: Principles and Methods
Unit code: HAS318
| Credit points | 12.5 Credit Points |
| Duration | One Semester or Teaching Period |
| Contact hours | 36 hours |
| Campus | Hawthorn |
| Prerequisites | HAS111 Sociological Foundations or HAS112 Social Institutions and Social Change or HAS113 Sociology of the Environment; and third year standing (successful completion of 16 units of study). |
| Corequisites | Nil |
Related course(s)
A unit of study in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts (Sociology), Bachelor of Social Science, Bachelor of Social Science (Community Health), Bachelor of Social Science (Sociology) and Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Environmental Sustainability and Public Health strands).Aims and objectives
To develop students’ mastery of the principles and skills required in designing and planning for a quantitative social research project. These include basic mastery of a range of quantitative research techniques, competent evaluation of other researchers’ work, and the design and interpretation of students’ own work.Learning objectives
After completing this unit, students are expected to understand how research applicable to a range of ‘real-life’ settings is designed; how social theory shapes practical and useful research; and the links between new research and existing theories, and to have basic mastery of a range of quantitative research techniques.
Students are expected to develop their skills in:
§ Working with a range of commonly used quantitative social research methods;
§ Independently formulating a research proposal that is attentive to the ethical, feasibility and political issues characteristic of ‘real-life’ research settings;
§ Articulatinge a thorough understanding of one research method through the systematic planning of a research project;
§ Undertaking appropriate data analysis in the testing of research questions and development of research arguments;
§ Taking a professional approach to project planning and development, through oral presentation of work-in-progress, attention to time management principles and constructive peer review of work;
§ Evaluating the effectiveness of the project process and articulate strategies for improvement.
Teaching methods
This unit of study is project-based, and activities and resources are designed to support the project process. Students are expected to work independently to gather materials and develop skills that help them to fulfill the requirements of the research proposal project task. Academic staff provide guidance to individuals and groups, with the goal of developing project management and self-directed learning skills. Lectures and tutorials will be the primary method of delivery.Learning activities are designed to support the project process, and may include:
· Class-based group activities
· Computer laboratory sessions
· Independent library research
· Peer discussions and feedback sessions
· Oral presentation of work-in-progress
Assessment
· Presentation of draft proposal (30%)
§ Process documentation such as worksheets, peer-evaluations and reflective reports (30%)
§ Written research proposal (40%)
Generic skills outcomes
The graduate attributes which relate to this unit help to produce graduates who are:- Capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
- Entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community
- Effective and ethical in work and community situations
- Adaptable and able to manage change
- Aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing (eg socio-cultural, economic, natural)
Content
The content of this unit is designed to support the project process, and may vary according to the projects students are actually doing. Topics are likely to include:§ Objectivity and social research
§ The problem statement and literature review
§ The research question and research design
§ Political and ethical issues in social research
§ Problems of measurement
§ Questionnaires and structured interview schedules
§ Sampling
§ Effective and ethical research administration
§ Finding and using secondary data
§ Content analysis
§ Analysing quantitative data using SPSS
§ Writing research proposals and research reports
