SSRES200-22A (NET)

Social Science Research Methods

15 Points

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Division of Arts Law Psychology & Social Sciences
School of Social Sciences
Sociology and Social Policy

Staff

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Convenor(s)

Bruce Curtis

Bruce Curtis
See Moodle
bruce.curtis@waikato.ac.nz

Lecturer(s)

Administrator(s)

: rosie.webb@waikato.ac.nz

Placement/WIL Coordinator(s)

Tutor(s)

Student Representative(s)

Lab Technician(s)

Librarian(s)

You can contact staff by:

  • Calling +64 7 838 4466 select option 1, then enter the extension.
  • Extensions starting with 4, 5, 9 or 3 can also be direct dialled:
    • For extensions starting with 4: dial +64 7 838 extension.
    • For extensions starting with 5: dial +64 7 858 extension.
    • For extensions starting with 9: dial +64 7 837 extension.
    • For extensions starting with 3: dial +64 7 2620 + the last 3 digits of the extension e.g. 3123 = +64 7 262 0123.
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Paper Description

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This paper introduces a number of research methods used in the social sciences. Several aspects of qualitative and quantitative approaches are discussed, along with an engagement with ethical issues and aspects of Mātauranga Māori.

This is a flipped paper and students are expected to have read the weekly lecture notes prior to the timetabled meetings. The weekly lecture notes include some hypertext for students interested in a bit more context. The extensive lecture notes partly use material extracted from Curtis, B. and Curtis, C. (2011). Social Research: A Practical Introduction, Sage, London. The relevant chapters will be provided each week. However you can view the entire textbook at http://methods.sagepub.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/book/social-research-a-practical-introduction.All additional reading material is uploaded to Moodle.

Alongside the timetabled weekly lecture there is a timetabled weekly workshop. These workshops are unstructured and are intended to be student-led. You can discuss any aspect of the paper, or how research skills pertain to your other studies overall, or any aspects of research in the social sciences that you are interested in.


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Paper Structure

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This is an Net paper.

All the materials you require to pass this paper are all available through this Moodle page. As senior students you are encouraged to read more widely. This is also a flipped paper - this means that my expectation is that you will have read the material I have supplied and be prepared to ask questions in our timetabled lectures and workshops (via Zoom).

The timetabled weekly lecture in this paper is Tue, 16.00 to 18:00. Go to: https://waikato.zoom.us/j/88629194782

The timetabled weekly workshop in this paper is Wed, 11.00 to 12.00. Go to: https://waikato.zoom.us/j/87232362949

The Computer Labs, JB08, JB03, JB01, are booked Tue, 9.00 - 11.00 and Tue, 12.00 - 1.00.

Overall the assessment for this paper consists of 4 Essays. You should read and think about them immediately. The Essays are to be submitted via Moodle.

About Essay 4 – Using SPSS

This paper requires students to use the computer Labs to complete Essay #4 – Using SPSS.

You will need to access the Labs remotely. The remote Labs option is necessary because strict licensing arrangements mean that students cannot download the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The software can only be accessed in the Labs and this is a Net paper, so we use the Remote Labs option. All of the students enrolled in this paper last year successfully accessed the Remote Labs. You will too. It is good to try it out early; so go to: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/ict-self-help/teaching-tools/remote-computer-labs .

If you are on-campus you are welcome to use the Labs in person.

When using the Labs you will be able to access SPSS. Please note that when you log out (and the Lab automatically logs you out every 2 hours) you will lose all material (data and output files) that you have not saved. You must must must (or there will be stress) save your data and output files from the Labs to your own account on a regular basis. I can’t recover lost / unsaved material from the Labs.

This means that you must download your SPSS dataset and output files from the Remote Labs to your account – but you can’t access these files if you are not logged into the Remote Labs. Therefore, if you are one of the students I will be asking at random “to also provide their datasets generated by using IBM SPSS Statistics 27”, then all you need to do is to email me your saved dataset (it has a .sav designation), and I will be able to open it because I have access to SPSS.

The output file, which shows Tables 1,2,3 and 4 is a little more tricky. What you need to do is, open a Word file in the Remote Lab, and copy and paste from the open output file to the Word file. You simply select the completed tables you want from the output file and paste in the Word file. You should select the ‘Copy as – plain text’ option. When you save the Word document to your own account you will be able to work on the text surrounding the completed tables without needing the Remote Lab, because everyone has a version of Word. This Word document is what you submit to Moodle for Essay #4.

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Learning Outcomes

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Students who successfully complete the course should be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical considerations to be taken into account when conducting social research.
    Linked to the following assessments:
  • Articulate the ways in which social research have responsibilities in relation to the Treaty of Waitangi.
    Linked to the following assessments:
  • Demonstrate awareness of the main differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods, knowledge of which is the most appropriate for specific research goals, and an understanding of the steps involved in collecting and recording data.
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  • Be able to evaluate the appropriateness and rigor of methodological approaches used in social research.
    Linked to the following assessments:
  • Demonstrate an introductory level understanding of qualitative data analysis and the primary means of analyzing textual data.
    Linked to the following assessments:
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Assessment

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The assessment for this paper is 4 short assignments / Essays.
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Assessment Components

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The internal assessment/exam ratio (as stated in the University Calendar) is 100:0. There is no final exam. The final exam makes up 0% of the overall mark.

The internal assessment/exam ratio (as stated in the University Calendar) is 100:0 or 0:0, whichever is more favourable for the student. The final exam makes up either 0% or 0% of the overall mark.

Component DescriptionDue Date TimePercentage of overall markSubmission MethodCompulsory
1. Essay 1 - On hypotheses
28 Mar 2022
5:00 PM
25
  • Online: Submit through Moodle
2. Essay 2 - Autoethnography
3 May 2022
5:00 PM
25
  • Online: Submit through Moodle
3. Essay 3 - Analyzing signs
27 May 2022
5:00 PM
25
  • Online: Submit through Moodle
4. Essay 4 - using SPSS
17 Jun 2022
5:00 PM
25
  • Online: Submit through Moodle
Assessment Total:     100    
Failing to complete a compulsory assessment component of a paper will result in an IC grade
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Required and Recommended Readings

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Required Readings

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All of the material shown in the Schedule are required readings. As noted this is a flipped teaching course; I will expect you to ask questions at our weekly Lecture and Workshop.
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Recommended Readings

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The lecture material I provide is drawn from a number of sources. This includes extracted material from:

Curtis, B. and Curtis, C. (2011). Social Research: A Practical Introduction, Sage, London. Available at http://methods.sagepub.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/book/social-research-a-practical-introduction, Accessed 20 October, 2021.

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Online Support

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Moodle will be used throughout the course.

If a notice is sent out via Moodle, it is assumed you will have received it. If material is placed on Moodle, it is assumed you have access to it. If, for any reason, you are unable to access Moodle, please advise Bruce Curtis.

Students are expected to utilize the material available on Moodle, but must also undertake the independent research to locate further appropriate material for assessments and other aspects of the paper. Reading a range of academic material relevant to the topic is crucial to adequately complete any assignment.

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Workload

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This paper is worth 15 points. That implies that students will devote a minimum of 150 ‘learning hours’ to the paper. A full semester workload is 60 points. Therefore, students taking this course must expect to undertake a workload equivalent of around 25% of a full time load for one semester; that is about 10 hours a week for the whole semester (i.e. through to the end of study week). Assessment will be based on the assumption that students have devoted a minimum of 150 hours to the paper.
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Linkages to Other Papers

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Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Equivalent(s)

Restriction(s)

Restricted papers: SSRP202

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