46495 - Social Research Techniques (1)

Learning outcomes

The courses deals with basic topics concerning the preparation of social research and data collection designs, their use, the preparation of information for analysis and data analysis, as well as the skills needed for using and critically evaluating empirical studies performed by others.

Course contents

Selected distinctions pertaining to the concepts of method, methodology, techniques, philosophy of science. The relationship between reality, thought, and language. Concepts, assertions, explanations as basic tools of knowledge. Standard and non-standard approaches to social research. Reference population and sampling strategies. Operationalization and operational definitions. Types of property and types of variable. The data matrix. Indicators and indexes. Realtionships among variables. Hypotheses, thoeries, generalizations in social science.

Readings/Bibliography

Gasperoni, Giancarlo, Fare ricerca, in Invito allo studio della società, a cura di Pier Paolo Giglioli, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005, pp. 235-263.

Marradi, Alberto, Metodologia delle scienze sociali, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face lessons.

Assessment methods

The exam is administered in exclusively written form. The only valid mark is the one achieved in the most recent attempt to pass the exam. A candidate who doesn't participate in an exam for which he/she has registered cannot participate in the following exam session.

Teaching tools

Visit the instructor's web site: web.dsc.unibo.it/~giancarlo.gasperoni/

Links to further information

http://web.dsc.unibo.it/~giancarlo.gasperoni/

Office hours

See the website of Giancarlo Gasperoni