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2022/2023

Social Research Methods and Techniques

Code: 43660 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
4315658 Social Policy and Community Action OB 0 1

Contact

Name:
Özgür Günes Öztürk Okumus
Email:
ozgurgunes.ozturk@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)

Other comments on languages

If necessary the classes can be done in spanish

Teachers

Margarita Leon Ramon Borja
Joel Marti Olive
Nicolas Barbieri

External teachers

Carolina Muñoz
Gunes Ozturk
Rosa Binimelis

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The objective of this module is to provide students with the necessary tools so that they can develop an investigation that allows them to complete the Master's Final Project. Specific contents will be worked on: planning and designing an investigation, approach to case study, qualitative and quantitative techniques, and action research. The biographical and ethnographic perspective will be addressed. The use and techniques of collecting and systematizing information and data will be discussed, as well as network analysis tools in community action.

Competences

  • Design and carry out a research project and/or social or community intervention putting into practice acquired analytical capacities and methods.
  • Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  • Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Argue for the possibility of applying research-action methods when carrying out the research designed.
  2. Describe the main characteristics of the case studies.
  3. Justify the use of qualitative and ethnographic techniques in the research design.
  4. Plan and design research.
  5. Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  6. Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Content

The following topics will be worked on in the module of Methods and techniques of social research:

Paradigms and research methodologies: An introductory session to research in the social sciences, with the objective of being useful for the design and realization of the End of Master's Degree. The great approaches to research in the Social Sciences are identified; The process of designing and executing an investigation will be explained; and will deepen in the approximation of case studies, the most common in the TFM of this course.

Techniques and instruments of the quantitative methodology: Introduce the basic concepts of the designs and quantitative methods; Show your application in social research and evaluation of public policies; Interpret univariate and bivariate statistical analyzes.

Techniques and instruments of the qualitative methodology: the interview, the discussion groups, the analysis of content and the interpretation of texts. Know the approach of the qualitative methodology. Know the techniques of the interview and the discussion groups. Learn to perform a content analysis.

Techniques and instruments of the qualitative methodology: ethnography, participant observation, case study, life stories. Unveil ethnographic qualitative techniques, participatory observation, case study and life stories. Provide tools and methodological and practical tools for the application of qualitative techniques. To pose the strengths and weaknesses of these techniques in their practical application. Answer the questions and questions that may appear in the implementation of these tools to the TFM.

Network analysis. Present the concepts and instruments of the analysis of social networks. Show your application in community intervention contexts. Learn to get relational data, represent and analyze them.

Elaboration of the TFM: Structure, appointments and bibliography, presentation and exploitation; poster design. Reflect on the theory-praxis relationship in master's degree research, in particular on the relationship established with the phenomena and agents studied. Review the basic requirements of the structure and organization of the research work, as well as its presentation and dissemination. Finally, contemplate different alternatives for the academic and social communication of the knowledge generated in the final projects of masters.

Evaluation from the first approach to TFM. Support the process of elaboration of the Project "Master's Thesis (TFM) of the students. Analyze and discuss the first proposals of TFM with the teaching staff and with the students, returning their final elaboration. Reinforcing the key contents of the module" Research Methods social ", necessary to consider to elaborate the final proposal of TFM.

Methodology

The students, prior to the master classes, receive prior readings and / or audio-visual material. Reading these materials prior to the class together with the contents worked in the session will allow you to ask questions, open the debate and the reflection shared in the development of the classes.
Once the class has finished, students will have readings and / or audiovisual complementaries.
At the end of the module the students will have to present written exercises that address the contents worked.
The students have the spaces in the center where the classes are taught to promote the exchange and shared reflection when doing their jobs.
Prior to the presentation of the work of the students, they will conduct a collective tutoring on the works to be delivered, and another written in writing once these have been evaluated.

The presential classes of this module can be followed live via streaming for students who request it. These students will have the opportunity to ask questions directly or ask for guidance or tutoring after the module coordinator (this tutoring can be done via skype). The follow-up of this streaming module will not exempt the student from presenting the corresponding works, having the same evaluation criteria as the students who follow the classes in person.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Magisterial classes, debates 30 1.2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials and practices in the classroom 20 0.8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Type: Autonomous      
Reading, visualization of audiovisual material 80 3.2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Assessment

The evaluation system will consist of a minimum of three evaluation activities, none of which will represent more than 50% of the final grade of the module.

At the end of the module students must submit written exercises that address the contents worked on.

The grade of the work will be determined by the level of coherence in the argumentation of the answers based on: the contents presented in class, the complementary materials (readings / audiovisual) and the debates generated in class.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Written evaluation papers 100% 20 0.8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Bibliography

Software

No software is required.