GV110-5-SP-CO:
Thinking Like a Social Scientist
2023/24
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
15
19 May 2022
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA L219 Politics with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L2M9 Politics with Human Rights,
BA LFM9 Politics with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad)
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.
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.
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.
No additional information available.
This module will be taught over 2 hours per week
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 |
Online Quiz 1 |
09/02/2024 |
13.33% |
| Coursework |
Online Quiz 2 |
01/03/2024 |
13.33% |
| Coursework |
Online Quiz 3 |
22/03/2024 |
13.34% |
| Coursework |
Reassessment without attendance 2022-23 ONLY IF REQUIRED BY EXAM BOARD |
28/03/2024 |
|
| Coursework |
Final Paper |
05/04/2024 |
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
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Jimena Vazquez Garcia, email: j.vazquezgarcia@essex.ac.uk.
TBC
Module Supervisor: TBC (TBC@essex.ac.uk) /
Module Administrator: Jasini Hobbs(govquery@essex.ac.uk)
No
No
No
Dr Max Gallop
University of Strathclyde
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
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.
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.