SC101-4-FY-CO:
Researching Social Life
2024/25
Sociology and Criminology
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
ReassessmentOnly
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
30
14 September 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
SC203, SC208
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 P550 Journalism and Criminology,
BA P551 Journalism and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA P552 Journalism and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA P540 Journalism and Sociology,
BA P541 Journalism and Sociology (Including Placement Year),
BA P542 Journalism and Sociology (Including Year Abroad),
BA L332 Sociology with Counselling Skills
How do sociologists investigate the social world? What tools and methods do they employ to ensure their research claims are relevant? How can you interpret their findings? This module will help you to answer these key questions. The module provides introductory training in research design and the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. The Autumn term will focus on qualitative research, whilst the Spring term focuses on quantitative research.
Upon completion of the module students will be able to approach their studies and the materials they use with a more developed 'critical eye' and some practical skills. Students will be introduced to the nuts and bolts of social investigation, and through practical labs will gain expertise in referencing, using archives and preparing professional reports reliant on social data.
The module aims to:
To introduce students to the social research process
To give students the tools to evaluate the strengths and limitations of different approaches to sociological research
To highlight the importance of research ethics in social research
To teach students how they can find existing qualitative and quantitative datasets and archives
To provide practical hands-on sessions that will help students to develop their research, study and employability skills
To develop students’ communication and critical appraisal skills
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
recognise the key stages of a social research project
apply ethical principles to social research
find relevant secondary sociological data sources
identify the key features of qualitative and quantitative data
evaluate the strengths and limitations of different methodological tools for sociological research
recognise how different types of research data can be collected, analysed and presented
critically assess the connections between theory and research
Week Number Topic
2 Introduction to the social research process
3 Introduction to qualitative research
4 Conducting a literature search and recognising credible sources
5 Ethics and social research
6 Digital Research Ethics
7 Qualitative methods: Primary research
8 Qualitative methods: Secondary research
9 Qualitative archives
10 Exploring the archives
11 Writing Up Your Research
16 Fundamentals of Quantitative Data Analysis: Research Questions
17 Survey Research Designs
18 Questionnaire Design
19 Sampling and Inference
20 Reading Week
21 Describing and Summarizing Quantitative Data
22 The UK Data Service and Looking for Data
23 Experimental Research
24 Causal-Comparative and Quasi-Experimental Research
25 Literature Reviews and Basic Elements of Quantitative Research Reports
Teaching approach
Lectures, classes, labs and seminars will be taught face-to-face (assuming current regulations around social distancing allow this).
Please note that you should be spending up to eight hours per week undertaking your own private study (reading, preparing for classes or assignments, etc.) on each of your modules (e.g. 32 hours in total for four 30-credit modules).
Please do spend some time familiarising yourself with the Moodle page as there are lots of activities and resources available here to support your learning on this module.
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Clark, T., Foster, L., Sloan, L., Bryman, A.,
et al. (2021d)
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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Flick, U. (2020) Introducing Research Methodology. 3rd Edition. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
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de Vries, R. (2018) ‘What does it mean to be average?’, in
Critical Statistics. Macmillan Education UK, pp. 91–110. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6234773.
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Clark, T., Foster, L., Sloan, L. and Bryman, A. (2021b)
Bryman’s Social Research Methods. 6th Revised edition. Oxford: 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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Field, A. and Miles, J. (2022c) Discovering Statistics Using R. Sage Texts.
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Salganik, M., Maffeo, L. and Rudin, C. (2020) ‘Prediction, Machine Learning, and Individual Lives: an Interview with Matthew Salganik’,
Harvard Data Science Review [Preprint]. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1162/99608f92.eecdfa4e.
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Fink, A. (2003) ‘What is a Survey? When do you use one?’, in
The survey handbook. 2nd ed. London: SAGE, pp. 1–29. Available at:
https://methods.sagepub.com/book/the-survey-handbook/n1.xml.
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Salkind, N.J. (2010)
Encyclopedia of research design. Los Angeles, [Calif.]: SAGE. Available at:
https://methods-sagepub-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/reference/encyc-of-research-design/n42.xml.
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Green, D.P. (2022) Social science experiments: a hands-on introduction. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
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Matt, M. (no date) ‘Introduction to the Causal Inference Bootcamp: What is causality?’ Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNpcwiOme1g.
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Fink, A.G. (2002) ‘Responses: Choices and Measurement’, in
How to Ask Survey Questions. 2nd Revised edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc Ebooks. Available at:
https://methods-sagepub-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/book/how-to-ask-survey-questions/n3.xml.
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Heath, A.F. and Di Stasio, V. (2019) ‘Racial discrimination in Britain, 1969–2017: a meta-analysis of field experiments on racial discrimination in the British labour market’,
The British Journal of Sociology, 70(5), pp. 1774–1798. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12676.
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Spencer, S.J., Steele, C.M. and Quinn, D.M. (1999) ‘Stereotype Threat and Women’s Math Performance’,
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35(1), pp. 4–28. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1006/jesp.1998.1373.
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‘Hypothesis Testing and The Null Hypothesis, Clearly Explained!!!’ (no date).
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 |
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 Zsofia Boda, email: zsofia.boda@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Xintong Jia, email: xintong.jia@essex.ac.uk.
Prof Renee Luthra, email: rrluthra@essex.ac.uk.
Professor Renee Luthra, Dr Zsofia Boda & Xintong Jia
email: socugrad (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)
Yes
Yes
Yes
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 331 hours, 268 (81%) hours available to students:
59 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
4 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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