SC290-5-SP-CO:
Social Data Science: Uncover, Understand, Unleash

The details
2024/25
Sociology and Criminology
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
15
10 May 2024

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
SC207
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BSC L310 Sociology with Data Science,
BSC L311 Sociology with Data Science (including Year Abroad),
BSC L312 Sociology with Data Science (including Placement Year),
BSC L313 Sociology with Data Science (Including foundation Year)

Module description

With research methods rapidly changing in response to the large-scale generation of data within society, social science needs to ensure it is engaged with new digital methods to both benefit from them, and to shape them.


This module is designed for first-time programmers, from social science and humanities backgrounds, and focuses on teaching foundational skills in data collection, analysis and visualisation using the Python programming language. Students will learn key skills such as how to gather large-scale datasets from APIs, data cleaning and exploratory data analysis, and visualisation for finding patterns and themes, in varied datasets. Students will develop an understanding of how, through these techniques, new, creative non-traditional data sources can be utilised for social science research.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • A fundamental knowledge of the Python programming language

  • The ability to acquire data through API’s.

  • Knowledge and understanding of cleaning, managing and reporting on large datasets.

  • The ability to perform basic Social Network Analysis.

  • The ability to perform basic text analysis and topic modelling.

  • Knowledge and understanding of the legal and ethical issues surrounding computational social science practice.

  • Knowledge of how these techniques is utilised in research as well as in non-academic contexts.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Be able to generate new datasets from a range of potential sources.

  2. Be able to practically deploy a range of data science analysis techniques

  3. Be able to visualise and interpret results in a method appropriate manner.

  4. Understand the impact of different pre-processing techniques on later analysis outcomes.

  5. Be able to clearly communicate method and findings both through visualisations and written reports.

  6. Understand the ethical and legal dimensions of computational social science.

  7. Be able to situate computational techniques within broader principles of research design in the social sciences.

Module information

In this module, students will learn to combine their growing knowledge about society, social processes, and research design, with powerful tools to both draw on and analyse the vast amounts and forms of new data in a way that is critical, ethical and valuable.


This module provides a practical introduction to a range of methods that utilise intensive computational processing. Students will be taught in Python, a general-purpose accessible programming language popular in data science and used across a vast range of sectors. Students are not expected to have any prior programming experience, making this a valuable opportunity to learn new research techniques, as well as a skill that is in great demand.


Indicative Topic list


Spring Term:



  • Topic 11 – Introduction to HTML and simple Web Scraping

  • Topic 12 – Regular Expressions, or the Art of Cleaning Text Data

  • Topic 13 – Topic Analysis 1: Uncovering the Hidden Meaning of a Text

  • Topic 14 – Network analysis 1: Six Degrees of Separation

  • Topic 15 – Topic Analysis 2: What Words are Trying to Say

  • Reading Week  – Independent project time

  • Topic 16 – Network analysis 2: The Invisible Power of Social Brokers

  • Topic 17 – Project time 1

  • Topic 18 – Project time 2

  • Topic 19 – Project time 3


Summer Term


Independent project and presentation work to finish final module assessments.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via one  two-hour seminar per week which will be delivered face-to-face and attendance is expected.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Coding Task 1  30/01/2025  20% 
Coursework   Coding Task 2  27/02/2025  20% 
Coursework   Report  20/03/2025  60% 

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
Dr Giacomo Vagni, email: g.vagni@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Giacomo Vagni
Email: socugrad@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
Yes

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.

 

Further information
Sociology and Criminology

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