SC203-5-FY-CO:
Researching Social Life II

The details
2020/21
Sociology and Criminology
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 08 October 2020
Friday 02 July 2021
30
07 October 2020

 

Requisites for this module
SC101
(none)
(none)
SC208

 

SC385, SC831

Key module for

BA M900 Criminology,
BA M901 Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA M903 Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA M904 Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA L3C8 Criminology with Social Psychology,
BA L3H8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BA LHC8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LP33 Media and Digital Culture,
BA LP34 Media and Digital Culture (including Placement Year),
BA P300 Media and Digital Culture (Including Foundation Year),
BA PL33 Media and Digital Culture (including Year Abroad),
BA CL83 Sociology with Social Psychology,
BA CL93 Sociology with Social Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BA CLV3 Sociology with Social Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA L300 Sociology,
BA L301 Sociology (Including Year Abroad),
BA L304 Sociology (Including Foundation Year),
BA L306 Sociology (Including Placement Year),
BA LM38 Sociology and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA LM39 Sociology and Criminology,
BA LMH9 Sociology and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LMHX Sociology and Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA L3J9 Sociology with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L3M9 Sociology with Human Rights,
BA LMJ9 Sociology with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA LCJ8 Sociology with Psychosocial Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA LJ8C Sociology with Psychosocial Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA LJC8 Sociology with Psychosocial Studies,
BA L333 Criminology with Counselling Skills,
BA L334 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Year Abroad),
BA L335 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Placement Year),
BA LM11 Criminology with Criminal Law,
BA LM12 Criminology with Criminal Law (Including Year Abroad),
BA LM13 Criminology with Criminal Law (Including Placement Year),
BA L332 Sociology with Counselling Skills

Module description

This module exposes students to the methods and principles required to design and critically evaluate empirical sociological research.

Module aims

This module introduces you to some of the methods commonly used in sociological research for the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. In classes you will also be encouraged to think about and discuss the issues introduced in the lectures. In the lab sessions you will learn some practical skills in statistical data analysis.

Module learning outcomes

In the process of taking this module, you will develop skills that are transferable to your undergraduate project, the labour market, or postgraduate work, when you complete your undergraduate studies. You will also appreciate more how sociologists go about applying their skills and knowledge to the empirical and theoretical investigation of issues they study. Chiefly, upon successful completion of the module, you will have developed skills in:

Understanding the principles underlying quantitative approaches to sociology

Deriving and operationalising research hypotheses and questions using statistics and qualitative data

Appreciating ethical issues affecting research in general, and potentially affecting your own research

Analysing qualitative data in a systematic and transparent way

Analysing quantitative data and use of the computer software package SPSS




Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

Weekly lectures focus on key methodological issues involving mostly qualitative research in the autumn term, and quantitative research in the spring term., plus either classes or lab sessions throughout the year. Weekly classes cover practical skills in research design, data collection and the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. Instruction is provided in the use of computer software for data analysis supported by hands-on study guides.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have any essential texts. To see non-essential items, please refer to the module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Three Mini Homework Exercises     30% 
Coursework   Data Analysis Exercise     20% 
Coursework   Reading Reviews (x3)    20% 
Coursework   Documents of social life exercise    10% 
Coursework   Qualitative Data Archive exercise    10% 
Coursework   Qualitative data analysis exercise    10% 

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

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Nick Allum, email: nallum@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Isabel Crowhurst, email: icrow@essex.ac.uk.
Nick Allum, Isabel Crowhurst
Jane Harper, Student Administrator, Telephone: 01206 873052 E-mail: socugrad@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
No
No

External examiner

Dr Monika Krause
London School of Economics
Dr Aneira Edmunds
School of Law, Politics & Sociology
Senior Lecturer
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 7394 hours, 13 (0.2%) hours available to students:
7381 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
Sociology and Criminology

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