SOCI 2012 - Introduction to Social Research
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code SOCI 2012 Course Introduction to Social Research Coordinating Unit Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study Incompatible GWSI 2015, GWSI 2110, GWSI 3015, GSSA 2110 Assessment Mid-term exam (15%), Assignment 1 (10%), Assignment 2 (15%), Assignment 3 (30%), Final exam (30%) Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Djordje Stefanovic
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
Understand the purpose of social research and its potential to investigate contemporary social issues through both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Identify the range of methods, techniques and skills used in contemporary social research and their capacity to solve specific social problems.
Demonstrate skills in social science methods including the ethical and practical aspects of researching social problems, critical reading, reflection and analytical writing.
Work with others in the exploration of ideas and to collectively develop arguments and negotiate solutions to problems.
Undertake a research project including formulating a research problem and its key questions
University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1,2,3 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
2,3,4,5 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
4 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
1,2,3,4,5 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
2,3,4 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
3,4,5 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
Investigating the Social World (9th edition) by Russell K. Schutt, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2019.
- Etext version available online at https://au.sagepub.com/en-gb/oce/investigating-the-social-world/book254625#description
- Hardcopy available at the Barr Smith Library, High Use area.
Recommended Resources
Online Learning
Lecture power point slides, on-line quizzes, assignment instructions, and model assignments will be posted to the MyUni course site available via MyUni link.
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Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
No information currently available.
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
WORKLOAD - STRUCTURED LEARNING
TOTAL HOURS
1 x 3-hour lecture (or equivalent) per week
36 hours per semester
WORKLOAD - SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
TOTAL HOURS
2.5 hours reading per week
30 hours per semester
1 hour on-line quiz answering per week
12 hours per semester
5.5 hours assignment
preparation each week on average66 hours per semester
1 hour exam review per week 12 hours per semester TOTAL: 156 hours per semester
Learning Activities Summary
1 Science, Society, and Social Research 2 Research Ethics 3 Research Design and Causation 4 Conceptualization and Measurement 5 Sampling and Generalizability 6 Experiments 7 Survey Research 8 Qualitative Methods 9 Quantiative Methods 10 Evaluation and Policy Research 11 Big Data Analysis 12 Future of Research Methods Small Group Discovery Experience
In-class team exercises provide opportunities to put new knowledge and skills into practice in meaningful ways. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
ASSESSMENT TASK
TASK TYPE
WEIGHTING
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
Midterm Exam
Formative & Summative
15%
1,2,3
Assignment One (Prospectus)
Formative & Summative
10%
1,2,5
Assignment Two (Single Study Review)
Formative & Summative
15%
1,2,5
Assignment Three (Literature Review)
Summative
40%
1,2,4,5
Final Exam
Summative
30%
1,2,3
Assessment Related Requirements
Students are required to complete all assessment tasks to be eligible to pass this course.Assessment Detail
Mid term exam (15%): The mid-term will be multiple choice and will include the kinds of questions asked in the quizzes. It will take place in the regular class time and location. Details of this assessment will be provided in class.
Assignments One (Prospectus) (10%): The prospectus is the first step towards producing your state-of-art literature review. It should be no longer than 1 page in length (plus 1-2 pages of bibliography) and should briefly outline your research question,
your theoretical rationale, and 8 relevant academic sources you propose to review. It is particularly important to justify your proposed research question as interesting and worth answering. Details of this assessment will be provided in class.
Assignments Two (Single Study Review) (15%): In the second assignment, you will apply your new methodological skills to analyze an assigned study, and to identify its main strengths and weaknesses. The study to be analyzed will be made available
at the MyUni. Details of this assessment will be provided in class.
Assignment Three (Literature Review) (30%): In this assignment you will do a thorough literature/theory review, addressing a topic of your choice. The Literature Review will be up to 8 pages long, double spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman, 1-inch
margins. As a critical review of the “state of knowledge” on your topic, it will allow you to situate your research question as having the potential to add to or correct an existing theory, thereby helping us to understand the phenomena in question. For this reason, it is crucial to find proper academic sources to review.
A literature review is not simply a list of the research on a topic, nor is it merely a summary of the arguments others have made
concerning a topic. A literature review is an essay which allows you to survey the field as it is, with an eye to the contribution that you will make to the literature through your research question. Therefore, you should be particularly attentive to the questions that are unanswered (or unasked) in the literature, the theoretical concepts in the field which are inadequate, the errors that exist in our current ways of looking at the topic, and so on.
You should begin to conduct your review of the literature with a question that is as specific as possible, knowing that it will change as you interact with the literature. By the time you write your literature review, your research question should be carefully formulated in researchable terms. Details of this assessment will be provided in class.
Final Exam (30%): You will be expected to display understanding, integration, and critical reflection on the required readings and lectures. The examination will have a multiple choice format. Details of this assessment will be provided in class.
Note: Further information on the expectations for the Prospectus, the Single Study Review, and the Literature Review will be provided at the MyUni and discussed in class.
Submission
No information currently available.
Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- International Student Support
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.
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