Social Science (SOSC) 366
Research Methods in the Social Sciences (Revision 3)

This version of SOSC 366 closed. To current version.

Delivery mode: Individualized study or grouped study.
Credits: 3 - Social Science
Prerequisite: A junior social science course is recommended but not required.
Centre: Centre for Global and Social Analysis
Téluq equivalency: SOC 1013
Challenge for Credit: SOSC 366 is not available for challenge.

>> Overview | Objectives | Outline | Evaluation | Course Materials | Course Fees
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Overview

SOSC 366 is designed for students who wish to gain an understanding of the limits and potentials of social science research, and for those who intend to research social phenomena scientifically. This course is intended to facilitate the student's awareness of the research process and their ability to conduct research in an ethical and thorough manner with appropriate research strategies.

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be better prepared to examine systematically such things as human society, the interaction of groups, social change, and social behaviour.

Outline

  • Unit 1 The Ethics and Politics of Social Research
  • Unit 2 Human Inquiry and Science
  • Unit 3 The Nature of Causation
  • Unit 4 Theory and Research
  • Unit 5 Obstacles to Scientific Inquiry
  • Unit 6 Research Design
  • Unit 7 Conceptualization and Measurement
  • Unit 8 Operationalization
  • Unit 9 Indexes, Scales, and Typologies
  • Unit 10 The Logic of Sampling
  • Unit 11 Field Research
  • Unit 12 Survey Research
  • Unit 13 Experimental Design

Evaluation

To receive credit for SOSC 366, students must achieve a passing grade of 60 percent on assignments and a course composite grade of at least "D" (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Quiz 1 Quiz 2 Quiz 3 Mid-term Exam Essay Research Proposal Research Project Total
3% 3% 4% 20% 20% 25% 25% 100%


Course Materials

Textbooks

Babbie, Earl R. 1992. The Practice of Social Research, 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Simon, Julian, and Paul Burstein. 1985. Basic Research Methods in Social Sciences, 3d ed. New York: Random House.

Ray, William J., and Richard Ravizza. 1988. Methods Toward a Science of Behavior and Experience, 3d ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice.
Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

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This page was updated by G. Zahara