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Research in Social Sciences: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
Study Course Description
Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:6.00
Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:26:16
| Study Course Information | |||||||||
| Course Code: | KSK_245 | LQF level: | Level 7 | ||||||
| Credit Points: | 2.00 | ECTS: | 3.00 | ||||||
| Branch of Science: | Sociology; Sociology of Organisations and Social Governance | Target Audience: | Communication Science | ||||||
| Study Course Supervisor | |||||||||
| Course Supervisor: | Emīls Ķīlis | ||||||||
| Study Course Implementer | |||||||||
| Structural Unit: | Faculty of Social Sciences | ||||||||
| The Head of Structural Unit: | |||||||||
| Contacts: | Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf rsu[pnkts]lv | ||||||||
| Study Course Planning | |||||||||
| Full-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 6 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 12 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 4 | Class Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 8 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 20 | ||||||||
| Study course description | |||||||||
| Preliminary Knowledge: | Knowledge about research at Bachelor level. | ||||||||
| Objective: | To deepen knowledge about the specifics of research planning and organisation in social sciences, research designs, quantitative and qualitative methodology and data acquisition methods, as well as strengths and weaknesses of the most frequently used methods. To provide an overview of the main requirements in science, observation of which ensures sufficient methodological, grounded and systematic correctness of a Master’s thesis; to improve knowledge about presentation of bibliographic notes and references in research papers; to ensure academic research development skills and competences in accordance with Master’s thesis scientific quality requirements. | ||||||||
| Topic Layout (Full-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | Social research process, its logical structure. Master’s thesis as a type of research, its drafting requirements and specifics. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | Research designs, quantitative and qualitative research methodology, mixed research strategy. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Development of the research idea, problem as the first step of implementation of research, structuring of the study field and definition of research questions. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Quantitative research strategy/methodology; research design specifics and possibilities within quantitative methodology. Hypothesis, creation of a sample group, variables, research questions. | Lectures | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 5 | Quantitative research methods. Survey, its quantitative forms, observation, content or content analysis, internet studies. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 6 | Creation of a survey for the needs of obtaining data for quantitative surveys, methodical basic principles of formulating questions. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 7 | Qualitative research methods. Qualitative interview (profound, partially structured) focus groups discussion, qualitative observation. Peculiarities of an interview situation in a qualitative study. Methodical basic principles of preparation of guidelines. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 8 | Basic principles of research communication. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 9 | Quantitative and qualitative data analysis in a research. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| Assessment | |||||||||
| Unaided Work: | Analysis of the research problem in a group and a research project plan corresponding to it. Summaries about specified literature. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal. | ||||||||
| Assessment Criteria: | Participation and group work (20%). Analysis of the research problem in a group and a research project plan corresponding to it (20%). Summaries about specified literature (20%). Final examination: examination in the form of a test (40%). | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Full-Time): | Exam (Written) | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Part-Time): | |||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Knowledge: | To improve knowledge about the specifics of research planning and organisation in social sciences, research designs, quantitative and qualitative methodology and data acquisition methods, as well as strengths and weaknesses of the most frequently used methods; about differences in the scientific and daily cognition process, basic principles of academic and applied research planning and main elements of the research structure; about research methodologies, diversity and differences in methods in different scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary research. | ||||||||
| Skills: | To identify a problem and research methods appropriate for the scope of a Master's level research, to discover arguments used in an academic discussion and to propose the main argument or assumption to be proved; to select theoretical sources appropriate for the problem, to plan an appropriate research design, to select empirical research methods, to develop tools for them, as well as to draw conclusions related to research questions and the proposed thesis, which should be proved within the research paper. | ||||||||
| Competencies: | To strengthen the competence of using scientific methods for systematic research of social phenomena, to do research in the study process and in professional activity. | ||||||||
| Bibliography | |||||||||
| No. | Reference | ||||||||
| Required Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Bryman, A. (2016) Social research methods., books.google.com | ||||||||
| 2 | Creswell, J. W. (2014) Research Design. SAGE Publications. London. | ||||||||
| 3 | Punch, K. (2014) Introduction to social research : quantitative and qualitative approaches. SAGE Publications. London. | ||||||||
| 4 | Robson, C., McCartan, K. (2016) Real Word research. John Wiley and Sons Ltd | ||||||||
| 5 | Walliman, N. (2017) Research Methods: The Basics. Routledge, DOI https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315529011 | ||||||||
| 6 | Pētniecība: teorija un prakse (2016). Zinātn. red. Kristīne Mārtinsone, Anita Pipere, Daiga Kamerāde. Rīga: RaKa. | ||||||||
| Additional Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Hughes, A.J., Sharrock, W.W. Theory and methods in sociology. Palgarve Macmillan. 2007. | ||||||||
| 2 | Punch, K. F. (2000) Introduction to Social Research., SAGE Publications, London. | ||||||||
| Other Information Sources | |||||||||
| 1 | Pētījumu un publikāciju datu bāze http://petijumi.mk.gov.lv/ | ||||||||
