This course is designed for students in Sociology, but students from other social sciences may take the course with the agreement of both the Chair of their supervisory panel and the convenor of this course. It introduces students to the most commonly used social research methods and provides for the development of advanced understanding of how these can be applied within theoretically sophisticated research designs.
The course consists of seven self-guided study modules the completion of which leads to an oral presentation on students' doctoral research. The course pedagogy is based on principles of problem-based and self-directed learning; that is, learning about research methods through real-world case studies and the application of learning to students' own research.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- Describe major sociological research methods and their relevance to a range of social research problems;
- Evaluate the methodological validity of sociological knowledge claims;
- Describe a range of ethical and practical issues associated with social research; and
- Develop a methodologically robust research plan.
Indicative Assessment
The course will be assessed as pass/fail. Students must gain a pass grade for each component of the assessment.Seminar presentation, 30 minutes, on topic to be negotiated with course convenor (30%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4]
Essay, 5000 words, exploring the application of methods covered in the course to the student’s own thesis topic (70%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time over 12 weeks made up from:a) time required to prepare and deliver a 30-minute presentation and
b) the balance in independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $3570 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $5460 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4010 | 24 Feb 2020 | 02 Mar 2020 | 08 May 2020 | 05 Jun 2020 | In Person | N/A |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9030 | 27 Jul 2020 | 03 Aug 2020 | 31 Aug 2020 | 30 Oct 2020 | In Person | N/A |