University of Essex

GV110-5-SP-CO:
Thinking Like a Social Scientist

The details

Year: 2023/24

Department: Government

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Spring

Level: Undergraduate: Level 5

Status: Current

Start date: Monday 15 January 2024

End date: Friday 22 March 2024

Credits: 15

Last updated: 19 May 2022

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

BA L219 Politics with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L2M8 Politics with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA L2M9 Politics with Human Rights,
BA LFM9 Politics with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

The module provides an introduction to the philosophy and theory of (empirical social) science, its structure, and methods.

It asks questions such as "What is science?", "What is the scientific method?", "How is knowledge generated?", "How is scientific progress made?", or "How to do science?"

Introducing students to the basics of the scientific methods in the social sciences, allows them to understand better how to formulate research problems independently, identify and acquire the necessary additional methods skills within their degree program, and to conduct work that fulfills satisfactory standards of research quality.

This not only pertains to students' classes during the second and third academic year or their capstone dissertation but also provides them with a solid foundation for potential postgraduate studies or employment in research-related jobs.

Module aims

This module seeks to enable students to assess scientific logic and assumptions, evaluate scientific theories and empirical evidence, and build intuition for good research designs.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module the students will have achieved the following:

1. Gained an understanding of the basic issues in research design and philosophy of science.
2. Learnt how to construct a scientific explanation (research question, theory-building, hypotheses).
3. Understood how to empirically evaluate scientific theories.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be taught over 2 hours per week

Bibliography

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.
Cartwright, N., Montuschi, E. and Montuschi, E. (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.
Okasha, S. (2016b) Philosophy of science: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/book/486?login=true.
‘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.
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.
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.
Johnson, J.B., Reynolds, H.T. and Mycoff, J.D. (2020) Political Science Research Methods. 9th Edition. CQ Press. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/650865.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Malik, R. (2023) ‘Lesser of Two Evils: Allocating Resources to Opposition Districts in Pakistan’, 48(2). Available at: https://repository.essex.ac.uk/33311/.
Brown, W. (no date) ‘At the Edge’, Political Theory, 30(4), pp. 556–576. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3072621.
Montanaro, L. (no date) ‘Discursive Exit’, American Journal of Political Science, 63(4), pp. 875–887. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/45217048.

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	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Online Quiz 1	13.33%
Coursework	Online Quiz 2	13.33%
Coursework	Online Quiz 3	13.34%
Coursework	Reassessment without attendance 2022-23 ONLY IF REQUIRED BY EXAM BOARD
Coursework	Final Paper	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

Supervisor: Dr Jimena Vazquez Garcia, email: j.vazquezgarcia@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: TBC

Contact details: Module Supervisor: TBC (TBC@essex.ac.uk) / Module Administrator: Jasini Hobbs(govquery@essex.ac.uk)

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: No

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: No

External examiner

Name: Dr Max Gallop

Institution: University of Strathclyde

Academic role: Senior Lecturer

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 20 hours, 20 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Government

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Module Directory

GV110-5-SP-CO:Thinking Like a Social Scientist