84524 - Workshop On Social Research Methodologies

Learning outcomes

The workshop aims to reconstruct the debate on the Method in the social sciences and aims to offer students a framework of the strategies and techniques of detection and analysis most frequently used in socio-political empirical research.

Course contents

The course focuses on some central themes of the Methodology of empirical Research in the Social Sciences.

At the end of the course - which does not presuppose any previous skills - the student:

- has a basic knowledge of some central themes of the Epistemology of empirical Research;

- is aware of the main techniques of data collection; knows how to apply logic elements in the preparation of research design and in the interpretation of the results of an investigation;

- is aware of the characteristics and problems inherent in the operation of the research properties;

- is able to use monovariate and bivariate statistical analysis techniques.

The course is dedicated to students who have never dealt with topics related to the Method and techniques of Social Research, neither from the theoretical point of view nor from the empirical point of view.

The course aims to reconstruct the debate on the Method in the social sciences and aims to offer students a framework of the strategies and techniques of detection and analysis most frequently used in socio-political empirical research. The teaching will deal with the following topics: logic of social research; analysis of the method for social research; standard and non-standard approaches to social research; operationalization and operational definition; concepts and indicators; presentation and discussion of the results of an investigation; basic statistical data analysis techniques (descriptive).

At the end of the course the student is expected to: be able to set up a research design; to critically evaluate the quantitative and qualitative empirical investigations presented in journals and/or academic publications; have the ability to find information by consulting the available databases.

Readings/Bibliography

During the course it will be suggested several articles in English concerning the different topics taken into consideration, published on the main scientific Journals of Social Sciences and Methodology of Social Research.

Readings:

1. Martin Lee Abbott, Jennifer McKinney (2013), Understanding and applying research design, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey.

2. Patrick White (2009), Developing Research Questions, Palgrave Macmillian, New York.

3. Michael Crotty (1998), The Foundations of Social Research, Sage Publications, London.

4. John W. Creswell (2014), Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, Sage Publications, London, 4th Edition.

5. Jennifer Mason (2002), Qualitative Researching, Sage Publications, London, 2nd Edition.

Teaching methods

The workshop is organized in 10 lessons of two hours each.

During the first hour the teacher will deliver a frontal lesson with the support of electronic and audio visual instruments, Databases and Software for statistical analysis.

During the second hour the class will analyze and discuss the scientific articles that have been uploaded in the online platform, following the syllabus scheme (course program/calendar).

The active participation of the students in group and laboratory activities will be fostered.

Assessment methods

The final exam will take place in oral form.

Teaching tools

Video Projector, PC, Statistical Software, Flip chart.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Bassi