UKC Programme Specifications Template

UKC Programme Specifications Template

UNIVERSITY OF KENT

Programme Specification

Diploma in Methods of Social Research
1.Awarding Institution/Body / University of Kent at Canterbury
2.Teaching Institution / University of Kent at Canterbury
3.Teaching Site / Canterbury campus
4.Programme accredited by / MA approved by ESRC for 1+3 training
5.Final Award / Diploma by either full- or part-time study
6.Programme / Diploma in Methods of Social Research
7.UCAS code (or other code)
8.Relevant QAA subject benchmarking group/s / ESRC Guidelines
  1. Date of production/revision
  2. Applicable cohorts
/ October 2010 (revision)
2010/2011 entry
  1. Educational Aims of the Programme

The programme aims to provide a training which prepares students to work as social science researchers and/or to make effective use of social science research in a variety of different settings. The MA proposed here developed out of the Faculty Research Training Programme: the four specialist units on social science research (SO833, SO817, SO832 and SO819) are common to both the proposed MA and also the existing Faculty Research Training Programme (FRTP modules 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
The programme aims to:
  1. Provide appropriate methods training for students preparing adissertation and going on to employment involving the use of social science research

  1. Introduce students to a variety of different approaches to social science research, presented in a multi-disciplinary context

  1. Cover the principles of research design and strategy, including formulating research questions or hypotheses and translating these into practicable research designs

  1. Make students aware of the range of secondary data available and equip them to evaluate their utility for research

  1. Develop skills in searching for and retrieving information, using library and Internet resources in a multidisciplinary context

  1. Introduce students to the philosophical, theoretical and ethical issues surrounding research and the debates about the relationship between theory and research, the problems of evidence and inference, and the limits of objectivity

  1. Develop skills in the use of SPSS and other statistical techniques of data analysis, including multivariate analysis

  1. Develop skills in writing, the preparation of a research proposal, the presentation of research results, and verbal communication

  1. Help students to prepare their research results for wider dissemination, such as seminar papers, conference presentations, reports and publications to a range of audiences, including academics, policy makers, professionals, service users and the general public

  1. Give students an appreciation of the potential and problems of social research in local, regional, national and international settings.

  1. Programme Outcomes

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas. The programme outcomes have references to the ESRC Subject Guidelines.
Teaching/learning and assessment
methods and strategies used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
Knowledge and Understanding
A. Knowledge and understanding of:
  1. The theoretical basis for social science research.
/ Teaching/learning - lectures, tutor-led seminars, student-led seminars, small group work, problem-based learning scenarios, SPSS workshops, guided search of on-line data sources, self-directed learning based on Library resources.
Transferable/key skills are developed throughout the course as practicable and appropriate, by means of setting deadlines, working in pairs and in small groups, giving verbal presentations and individual guidance.
Assessment – Essays; critiques of research; field practice; proposal drafting; data analyses, interpretation, and write-up
Skills in written communication and in using ICT are formally assessed by means of marked assignments. There is informal assessment of other transferable/key skills in seminar presentations, project work on particular topics, and in discussion with supervisors.
  1. Ethical and methodological issues in social science research.

  1. The strengths and weaknesses of different epistemological approaches used within the social sciences.

  1. Common research techniques used in social science research.

  1. Sources of secondary data and how to access them.

  1. The common statistical techniques used within social science research.

  1. The political and policy contexts within which research takes place.

  1. The reflexivity of research in the social sciences.

Skills and Other Attributes
B. Intellectual skills: / Regulation and Assessment
1.Identify research questions and hypotheses. / Students will be assessed on the basis of course work assessments and the dissertation, which entail both formative and summative elements. Course work assessments can take the form of an essay, developing a research proposal, writing critiques of published research, conducting field work and write-ups, and/or formal tests as to capabilities in analyzing data with different statistical software. Students who are doing the programme in preparation for an MPhil / PhD should discuss the assignment topics with their supervisors to ensure the course work might pertain to their thesis.
2. Select a research design appropriate to the questions being asked.
3. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different research techniques.
4. Plan and develop a research proposal.
5. Combine quantitative and qualitative approaches
6. Criticise other research studies and the methods used in them.
7. Present results in ways which contribute to knowledge in that field.
C.Subject-specific skills:
The skills listed here will be supplemented by skills taught within specific disciplinary contexts, depending on the student’s choice of modules. Students should be able to:
  1. Identify research questions and hypotheses.

  1. Choose research methods appropriate to the research question.

  1. Be familiar with the ethical issues involved in research and with ethics application guidelines.

  1. Choose a valid sample from the population of interest.

  1. Design and produce questionnaires and other data collection instruments.

  1. Use participant observation and focus groups in research.

  1. Use comparative and longitudinal approaches.

  1. Make use of existing library and documentary material.

  1. Access the UK Data Archive and make use of survey data from that source.

  1. Record, store and present quantitative data using SPSS.

  1. Use statistical techniques appropriately and critically to support their research.

  1. Evaluate the use of basic statistical methods in the research literature.

  1. Plan and carry out structured and semi-structured interviews.

  1. Analyse qualitative data from interviews, focus groups and other sources.

  1. Analyse observational and life history data.

  1. Analyse textual data and documentary sources.

  1. Be knowledgeable about computer-assisted packages for data handling.

  1. Prepare research results for publication and dissemination.

D.Transferable skills:
  1. Manage their own time, prioritise workloads and recognise and manage stress.

  1. Use problem-solving skills in a variety of different situations.

  1. Take responsibility for their own learning and professional development.

  1. Be able to communicate with a wide range of audiences in written and oral media.

  1. Be able to use ICT to access information, process data and text, communicate with others and present research results effectively.

  1. Understand career opportunities in their own fields and begin to plan for the future.

For more information on which modules provide which of the above skills, see the module mapping.
Programme Structures and Requirements, Levels, Modules and Credits
The programme will be comprised of four compulsory, one-unit modules (80 credits) and a supervised dissertation (40 credits). All the modules listed below have already been approved by the relevant committees within the University, as part of the MA in Methods of Social Research and Faculty Research Training Programme.
The programme can also be taken part-time. If taken on a part-time basis, the first year will comprise the two units which are offered on Mondays, that is SO832 and SO817. In the second year, part-time students will take the two units which are offered on Wednesdays, that is SO833 and SO819. Additional credits will be obtained from work on the dissertation. The aim would be for part-time students to do work to a total of 60 credits in each of the two years.
The Compulsory Modules are:
Code / Title / Credits / Term/s
SO817 / Qualitative research / 20 / Mondays in Michaelmas
SO832 / Techniques of data analysis / 20 / Mondays in Lent
SO833 / Design, philosophy and ethics of social research / 20 / Wednesdays in Michaelmas
SO819 / Quantitative analysis / 20 / Wednesdays in Lent
The Dissertation / This involves the student carrying out original empirical research, as well as searches using the Library and the Internet. Each dissertation will be around 10,000 words long. Each student will work with a supervisor who has some specialist knowledge on the topic of the dissertation. / 40
Certification
Students successfully completing the programme described here will be awarded a Diploma in Methods of Social Research.
  1. Support for Students and Their Learning

  • Induction programme
  • Programme handbook
  • Library/skills training
  • Staff of SSPSSR
  • Access to ICT facilities and SPSS and/or other software packages
  • Academic support system
  • Central support services

  1. Entry Profile

Entry Route
Students will be expected to have a good first degree (normally with first or upper second class honours) in a relevant subject. Holders of other qualifications, and /or with relevant work experience, will be considered individually in order to ensure they are able to benefit from the programme. Students for whom English is their second language will be expected to show proof of adequate ability in spoken and written English. For more detailed information, please refer to the University prospectus.
What does this programme have to offer?
  • For recent graduates, this course offers a way of accessing a range of career opportunities in research methods.
  • For more mature candidates it offers an opportunity for either a career change or an enhancement of their career development.
  • For overseas students it offers the opportunity to gain a one-year masters from a UK university and to gain knowledge of and familiarity with research methods.

Personal Profile
  • The candidates should have the ability and background knowledge to undertake an advanced course of study.
  • Candidates should be willing to work in groups and co-operate in group exercises.

  1. Methods for evaluating and enhancing the quality and standards of teaching and learning

Mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the curriculum and outcome standards
  • Student evaluations
  • Annual reports
  • External examiners' reports
  • Periodic programme review
  • Informal contact with students
  • Annual staff appraisal
  • Peer observation
  • QAA subject review

Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards
  • Staff/Student Consultative Committee of SSPSSR
  • Research Quality Assurance Committee of SSPSSR
  • Faculty Graduate Studies Committee
  • Postgraduate Learning and Teaching Board
  • Board of Examiners

Mechanisms for gaining student feedback on the quality of teaching and their learning experience
  • Student evaluations
  • Staff/Student Consultative Committee
  • Student representation on other committees

Staff development priorities include:
  • PGCHE requirements
  • ILT membership
  • Staff appraisal scheme
  • Staff mentoring scheme
  • Staff development courses
  • Staff involvement in on-going research
  • Programme team meetings
  • Staff/student research seminars
  • Conference attendance

  1. Indicators of quality and standards

There will be compliance with the University Code of Practice and Faculty Code of Practice in relation to quality assurance, quality enhancement and the monitoring of student progress. Responsibility for the programme will be carried by the individual module convenors, by the programme convenor and by the Directors of Graduate Studies and the Head of Department of SSPSSR.
Evidence of Opportunity and Need for the Programme. Including Student and Employer Demand, and Relationship to the University Plan, the University Curriculum Policy and other University
Evidence of student demand comes from the existing student body, many of whom are interested in a career in research, but who at present have to apply for courses at other universities in order to gain the necessary qualification. For example, the long-standing course in Social Research Methods at the University of Surrey has taken many of our new graduates in the past.
Employer demand has come to our attention through discussions with the Canterbury City Council and the Medway City Council. All local authorities are required to undertake ‘Best Value Reviews’ of all their necessary research skills to carry out the modest research required in these reviews. In addition, many other professionals have some aspect of research or evaluation included in their job descriptions.
The proposed Diploma is consonant with many of the statements set out in the University Plan and in the Learning Teaching Strategy. In particular, the Diploma:
Produces graduates of value to the region and the nation, and in possession of skills which will enable them to find employment in the field of their choice.
Provides learning opportunities which are pedagogically-based within a research-led framework, and with appropriate support for students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Make available the research expertise within the University to contribute to local communities, including local and health authorities in the Southeast and to business and commerce throughout the region.
Evidence that all Resource Requirements, including Suitably Qualified Teaching Staff, will be provided:
All staff in the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research are research active. Their research interests cover all the main areas within these subjects and there is experience within the School in numerous research techniques.
Teaching on the analysis of quantitative data using SPSS or other softward packages will be done in specialist terminal rooms, equipped with adequate facilities for data entry and analysis.
The Templeman Library already contains substantial collections in the relevant fields. New books are ordered as necessary, to keep the collection up to date with the latest methodological innovations.
The following reference points were used in creating these specifications:
  • Current masters programmes in research methods offered at other Universities
  • External examiners’ comments on the current programme
  • ESRC guidance and subject bench marks as appropriate

Module mapping:

Methods of Social Research OUTCOMES – CORE MODULES

Knowledge and Understanding

Programme Outcomes / Programme Modules
SO817 / SO832 / SO833 / SO819
A1 / √ / √ / √
A2 / √ / √ / √
A3 / √ / √ / √
A4 / √ / √ / √
A5 / √
A6 / √ / √
A7 / √
A8 / √ / √ / √

Skills and Other Attributes

Programme Outcomes / Programme Modules
SO817 / SO832 / SO833 / SO819
B1 / √ / √
B2 / √ / √ / √
B3 / √ / √ / √ / √
B4 / √
B5 / √ / √
B6 / √ / √ / √
B7 / √ / √ / √ / √

Subject-Specific Skills

Programme Outcomes / Programme Modules
SO817 / SO832 / SO833 / SO819
C1 / √ / √
C2 / √ / √ / √ / √
C3 / √ / √
C4 / v√
C5 / √
C6 / √
C7 / √
C8 / √ / √
C9 / √
C10 / √
C11 / √
C12 / √
C13 / √
C14 / √ / √
C15 / √
C16 / √
C17 / √
C18 / √ / √

Transferable Skills

Programme Outcomes / Programme Modules
SO817 / SO832 / SO833 / SO819
D1 / √ / √ / √ / √
D2 / √ / √ / √ / √
D3 / √ / √ / √ / √
D4 / √ / √ / √ / √
D5 / √ / √ / √ / √
D6 / √ / √

October 2010

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