Course Catalogue

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The course introduces quantitative research methods commonly used in the Social Sciences.

1h weekly lecture - Tuesday 10-11

1h weekly computer lab - various times

Mandatory Entry Requirements

Entry to Honours Social & Public Policy normally requires a grade point average of 12 (grade C3) over Social & Public Policy 2A and 2B (formerly Public Policy 2A and 2B) as a first attempt.

None

Summative Assessment: Interpreting Quantitative Findings & Reflective Account

The summative assessment (100%) will consist of the following two parts (submitted at the same time):

■ A report (2500 words) on interpretation and writing up findings of a regression model, based on a list of guiding questions and a report template, (requiring the use of R and RMarkdown) 70%

■ A reflective account on the use of feedback from across the course (500 words), 30%

The course introduces quantitative research methods commonly used in the Social Sciences. It will provide you with an opportunity to acquire skills in research design, data collection and data analysis. You will learn how to use a statistical programme for social scientists (R).

A grounding in quantitative methods will allow you to understand a wider range of academic literature, better understand the social and political world, and provide an important transferable skill attractive to employers.

Specific topics will include: why quantitative research matters; research design and research questions; sampling and questionnaire design; introduction to statistical analysis; univariate statistics; relationships between variables; the mis-presentation of data; ethical issues.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of quantitative research design and strategy;

■ select appropriate quantitative research methods for use in different research settings and be able to explain and justify your selection;

■ construct research hypotheses and demonstrate basic skills in question formulation and questionnaire design;

■ assess the use of quantitative research methods in the secondary literature;

■ use R to manipulate and analyse basic data;

■ present research findings clearly and concisely in text, tabular and graphical forms;

■ apply quantitative research methods to your specific discipline.