GV110-4-AU-CO:
Thinking Like a Social Scientist
2025/26
Government
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 12 December 2025
15
10 March 2025
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA L250 International Relations (Including Foundation Year),
BA L258 International Relations,
BA L259 International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L260 International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL268 International Relations,
MPOLL269 International Relations (Including Placement Year),
MPOLL370 International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA L150 Political Economics,
BSC L222 Politics and International Relations,
BSC L223 Politics and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BSC L224 Politics and International Relations (Including Placement Year)
This module introduces students to empirical research in political science and international relations and provides a basis of knowledge and skills for engaging in the systematic study of social and political phenomena. Students will learn how scholars in the social sciences formulate research questions, develop theories to answer those questions, and use empirical techniques to test the validity of those theories. Students will learn how to craft and refine a research question, define and measure concepts, formulate a theory and hypotheses, create a research design in order to collect data, and test theoretically-driven hypotheses with empirical evidence. Ultimately, this module is intended to build a foundation of skills and knowledge that students will apply throughout their academic career and allow them better understand and evaluate complex relationships in their world.
The aims of this module are:
- To introduce students to the systematic empirical analysis of social and political phenomena through the application of contemporary social science tools and methods.
- To enable students to apply these tools and methods to relevant topics in their field of study.
- To develop a basic understanding of the philosophy of science, the benefits of the "scientific" study of social processes, and the limitations of such approaches.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the social science method and the rational, benefits, and limitations of its application to the study of social and political processes.
- Demonstrate familiarity with common methods of empirical enquiry in the social science, including experimental, quantitative, and qualitative approaches.
- Understand the connections between theory, hypotheses, and tests.
- Identify multiple potential methods for evaluating the validity of a hypothesis and understand the benefits and limitations of these different methods.
- Demonstrate familiarity with process of research design and empirical validation of a hypothesis.
Students in this module will have opportunities to improve the following employability-related skills:
- Demonstrate familiarity and competence with data sources and methods commonly used political science and international relations.
- Develop a plan to answer a research question in a systematic and/or intellectually rigorous manner.
- Appreciate that knowledge is not hegemonic and appreciate different forms of knowledge.
- Publicly present/discuss research and respond to feedback.
- Identify puzzling features and phenomena in politics and society and develop original research questions that will help me make sense of the world.
No additional information available.
This module will be delivered via:
- Two one-hour sessions each week.
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Johnson, J.B., Reynolds, H.T. and Mycoff, J.D. (2019a)
Political Science Research Methods. 9th Revised edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/650865.
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Cartwright, N., Montuschi, Eleanora and Montuschi, Eleonora (eds) (2014b)
Philosophy of Social Science: A New Introduction. Oxford University Press, USA. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/167278.
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Okasha, S. (2016b)
Philosophy of science: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at:
https://academic.oup.com/book/486?login=true.
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'Naomi Oreskes: Why we should trust scientists | TED Talk' (no date). Available at:
https://www.ted.com/talks/naomi_oreskes_why_we_should_trust_scientists.
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Knopf, J.W. (2006) 'Doing a Literature Review',
PS: Political Science & Politics, 39(1), pp. 127–132. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096506060264.
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Johnson, J.B., Reynolds, H.T. and Mycoff, J.D. (2019d)
Political Science Research Methods. 9th Revised edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/650865.
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Kellstedt, P.M. and Whitten, G.D. (2018b)
The fundamentals of political science research. Third edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/294544.
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Kellstedt, P.M. and Whitten, G.D. (2018a)
Fundamentals of Political Science Research. Third Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/294544.
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Pillow, W. (2003) 'Confession, catharsis, or cure? Rethinking the uses of reflexivity as methodological power in qualitative research',
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 16(2), pp. 175–196. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/0951839032000060635.
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Clark, T.
et al. (2021b)
Bryman's social research methods. Sixth edition. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/974675.
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Reade, J. (2021) 'Keeping it raw on the 'gram: Authenticity, relatability and digital intimacy in fitness cultures on Instagram',
New Media & Society, 23(3), pp. 535–553. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819891699.
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Malik, R. (2023) 'Lesser of Two Evils: Allocating Resources to Opposition Districts in Pakistan', 48(2). Available at:
https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/lsq.12398.
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Montanaro, L. (no date) 'Discursive Exit',
American Journal of Political Science, 63(4), pp. 875–887. Available at:
https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/doi/10.1111/ajps.12463.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
Additional coursework information
The test is open book with restrictions.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Jimena Vazquez Garcia, email: j.vazquezgarcia@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Jimena Vazquez Garcia
Module Supervisor: j.vazquez@essex.ac.uk
Module Administrator: Nicole Hicks govquery@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Max Gallop
University of Strathclyde
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 73 hours, 71 (97.3%) hours available to students:
2 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Government
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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