An introduction to the fundamentals of research philosophy and practice for masters level students. The course included content delivery on different types of research methods as well as seminars where these are methods are discussed in more detail.

11 evening classes which combine one one-hour seminar.

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The summative assessment will comprise of two assessments - one assignment of 1,000 words (25%) and a second assignment of 3,000 words (75%).

The overall aim of the course is to provide students with a fundamental level of research literacy. The aims of the course are:

1. introduce students to current concerns in the philosophy and political economy of research
2. provide students with experience in reading and critically reviewing research
3. prepare students to conduct a research project of appropriate scope
4. inform students about the intersections between method, methodology and approaches to enquiry
5. ensure that students have the preparation they need for further study of research methods and
methodology
6. develop understanding of applying enquiry methods to a specific problem

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

1. Knowledge and Understanding

On completion of the course, students will be able to demonstrate:

-comprehension and critique of diverse forms of educational and social research
-the matching of research questions/issues to approaches, methodology and method
-knowledge of the importance and application of ethical procedures for research
-knowledge of significant current theoretical, philosophical and pragmatic issues in educational and social research
-knowledge of the process of disseminating research outcomes, and the incorporation of research implications into practice and policy
-knowledge of the role of research in evaluating the effectiveness of educational and social innovations


2. Skills and Other Attributes

a. Subject-specific/practical skills

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

-critically review the significance of wider knowledge in the field from the literature related to a chosen topic
-gather and organise existing research findings and enquiry on a chosen topic
-design a coherent methodology of research demonstrating an awareness of alternative research strategies and using techniques appropriate to the approach selected and to the subject of investigation
-plan and state in writing a strategy for undertaking a clearly defined research project
-understand the presentation of research in a clear and concise manner

b. Intellectual skills

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

-understand the importance and application of ethical procedures for research
-critically analyse and evaluate the significance of existing research on a given topic from diverse relevant sources
-relate the position of a given piece of research to wider developments in research, policy and practice
-create a coherent research approach appropriate for a specific question/issue related to their own professional practice

c. Transferable/key skills

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

-employ standard conventions for citation and referencing consistently whilst avoiding plagiarism
-prepare a well justified plan for a research project of limited scope
-analyse the application of research based evidence and enquiry to practice and policy

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.