SOCL19069 - Social Research Methods

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit familiarises students with the practice of researching and the collection of data. Through the development of core skills, students are introduced to both qualitative and quantitative methods. Links between theory and social research methods are investigated in an effort to understand the production and analysis of social research data. At the end of the unit students should be able to critically assess and analyse the application and use of appropriate research methods. Within this framework students should be able to devise and undertake a social survey, understand and explain the application of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and be able to use both quantitative and qualitative approaches to their research.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 1
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Successful completion of 48 credit points.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2024

Term 2 - 2024 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Online Quiz(zes) 20%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. Written Assessment 40%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 2 - 2021 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 35.19% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: unit evaluation
Feedback
The eReading list structured students' reading and facilitated their learning of the weekly topic material.
Recommendation
The eReading list will be updated to improve the learning resources available to students and incorporate new publications.
Action Taken
The eReading list was updated with more current literature and with readings on each assessment topic.
Source: unit evaluation
Feedback
The weekly Zoom tutorials were useful to support learning of the material and the additional Zoom sessions helped in the assignment preparation.
Recommendation
Weekly Zoom tutorials will be available to help students learn the research skills. The sessions will build on the lecture material and provide practical activities to support students' knowledge and skills development.
Action Taken
Weekly Zoom tutorials were offered to students involving activities to aid learning and skills development.
Source: unit evaluation
Feedback
Early in the unit, there was a lot of new research concepts to learn.
Recommendation
Extra support will be provided to students to help familiarise them with new research concepts and to develop their practical understanding of them in the research process. Short videos explaining the concepts will be made available to students on the unit's Moodle site.
Action Taken
Lecture notes were updated with key research concepts. The weekly resources included YouTube videos to complement the lecture and readings.
Source: Unit Evaluation
Feedback
Students to be allowed to select their own research topics for the two written assessments.
Recommendation
Students will select their own social issues for the assessments. Examples of suitable social issues will be provided and students will be encouraged to confirm their selected social issues with the unit coordinator.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Unit Evaluation
Feedback
Provide students with more exemplars of report format and quantitative assignments.
Recommendation
More exemplars will be provided and clearer Assessment structure information provided.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Unit Evaluation
Feedback
Finding some assessment resources in the Assessment tile.
Recommendation
The Moodle site will provide separate sections for each of the three assessments in the Assessment tile.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Unit Evaluation, email
Feedback
An engaging and interesting unit with good assessments. The lectures, tutorials, teaching and support provided by the unit coordinator helped students learn.
Recommendation
To continue to support and engage with students.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Unit Evaluation
Feedback
Provide a better practice quiz.
Recommendation
The practice quiz will be expanded in the number of questions and improved.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Apply a range of skills and competencies that critically evaluate the use and application of research methods and the analysis of data.
  2. Conduct a social survey.
  3. Explain and discuss both the benefits and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research and their appropriate contexts for application, while having and understanding of the constraints and concerns associated with undertaking and supervising a research project.
  4. Apply both qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • • • •
2 - Written Assessment • • • •
3 - Written Assessment • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • •
6 - Information Technology Competence • • • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence • • • •
8 - Ethical practice • • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10