Brief description
Students should normally take this module in the second semester of their second year.

This module is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of research methods and social theory and acquire skills to successfully research and write the compulsory dissertation. The linking of these methods to debates in social theory allows students to understand the manner in which research is grounded in particular social theories and to think about the strengths and weaknesses of particular research methods. The module includes sessions on, social theory, basic sociological concepts, research design, topic formulation, research resources, methods of presentation and research methods. During the course of the module students will be assigned dissertation supervisors and have the opportunity of discussing their dissertation topic with them.

Aims
The aim of this module is to give second year students a basic understanding of social science and research methods and to give them an early start to their dissertation.

Objectives
At the end of this module students should be able to:

• display a grasp of competing approaches to the study of the social world and their implications for research

• identify and use a range of research methods and detail the strengths and weaknesses of them

• understand basic sociological research terminology
• plan and undertake independent social research at a level suitable for the dissertation

• provide a working title and detailed plan of their dissertation topic

• identify and use a wide range of research resources

10 ECTS Credits