Logo UAB

Social Research Methods and Techniques

Code: 43660 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
4315658 Social Policy and Community Action OB 0

Contact

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

Teachers

Carolina Alejandra Muñoz Mendoza
Lara Ivana Maestripieri
Joel Marti Olive
(External) Gunes Ozturk
(External) Miriam Acebillo
(External) Nicolás Barbieri

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


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.


Learning Outcomes

  1. CA07 (Competence) Critically review one's own epistemological positions, identifying personal strengths and weaknesses for social research, applied to the field of Social Policies and Community Actions.
  2. CA08 (Competence) Design a preliminary research project that serves as an input for the design of the TFM.
  3. KA07 (Knowledge) Distinguish the epistemological bases of social research and various methodological alternatives for its application.
  4. KA08 (Knowledge) Define the main methods and techniques of social research, distinguishing their relevance for addressing specific research problems.
  5. SA07 (Skill) Apply quantitative, qualitative or mixed social research tools that are relevant to specific research problems.
  6. SA08 (Skill) Structure a social research project that addresses a specific applied research problem, which serves as an input for the design of the TFM.

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.


Activities and Methodology

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

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.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exercises during the course 20% 5 0.2 CA08, KA08, SA07
TFM Design 100% 15 0.6 CA07, CA08, KA07, KA08, SA07, SA08

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.


Bibliography


Software

No software is required.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish first semester afternoon