| Effective Term: | 2025/02 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Research Methods in the Social Sciences |
| Unit ID: | FEAFN3001 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (At least 30 credit points from ANY subject-area at 2000-2999 level) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (ATSGC2831 and SOCIO2597 and SOSCI2001) |
| ASCED: | 090301 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit introduces students to the nature, design and processes of social research. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of research approaches, designs and methods available to social researchers, and will develop critical skills in planning research by integrating methods and practice. The unit guides students through the various stages of the research process, from the formulation of a research topic to the development of a research design framework and research proposal. Students will also develop their ability to critically reflect on the ethical and political considerations of social research and to deconstruct the implicit assumptions of social scientific methods. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | |  | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Understand the nature of social research and the research process |
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| K2. | Examine the uses of quantitative and qualitative research methods in social research |
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| K3. | Identify which methods are appropriate for particular research questions and topics |
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| K4. | Analyse critically the strengths and limitations of social research methods |
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| K5. | Evaluate the ethical and political concerns of social research |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Develop advanced research skills in the social sciences |
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| S2. | Design a research topic based on critical reflection of the research literature, professional practice, lived experience and/or personal narrative |
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| S3. | Construct a research design framework |
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| S4. | Apply appropriate social research methods to particular social questions and problems |
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| S5. | Support and justify a project in a research proposal |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Analyse critically the research process and develop a research topic |
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| A2. | Evaluate research methods to formulate a research design framework |
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| A3. | Construct a research proposal |
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| A4. | Apply advanced critical thinking skills to ethical and political issues in social research |
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| Unit Content: |
•What is social research?
•Research design
•The research process
•Literature reviews
•Ethics, politics and values in research
•Analysing quantitative data
•Analysing qualitative data
•Surveys and sampling
•Narrative, life history and case study analysis
•Discourse analysis
•Evaluation research in practice settings |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K5, S1, S2, A1, A4 | Develop a research topic informed by the research literature, professional practice, lived experience and/or personal narrative. | Research topic | 10-25% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S3, S4, A2, A4 | Prepare a research design framework that outlines the focus, aims, significance, conceptual framework, methodology and methods, and ethical and political considerations. | Research design framework | 20-35% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A1, A2, A3, A4 | Construct a research proposal that details and justifies the focus, aims, significance, conceptual framework, methodology and methods, and ethical and political considerations. | Research proposal | 40-60% |
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