MA Social Research Methods

Develop a thorough grounding in approaches to researching sociology, criminology, social policy or social work.

The MA Social Research Methods is part of a suite of advanced postgraduate methods-based courses delivered across the University faculties. The MA aims to provide core accessible and inclusive cross-disciplinary advanced research methods training across the social sciences with specific subject-specific training in research practices related to a chosen field of social policy, criminology, sociology or social work.

The course will equip you with the research and employability skills required to transition successfully to enhanced careers in academia, commercial companies, public sector, non-governmental organisations or other sectors. This degree will provide academic rigour and coherence, whilst allowing a degree of flexibility and choice within the chosen course in terms of disciplinary focus and advance research approaches.

The course covers conceptual and practical underpinnings and implications of research, looking at various research techniques and the rationale behind them. It will enable you to develop essential skills in both quantitative and qualitative work and to apply those skills to social research in a particular subject area (criminology, social policy, sociology, social work).

Some combinations of options within our Social Research Methods degree offer recognised training as part of the North East and Northern Ireland Doctoral Training Partnership. Particular modules are subject to availability, in particular academic years.

Course structure

You will take a range of taught modules that will enable you to develop advanced understanding and skills in social research.

Those taking this course will study modules totalling 180 credits. Indicative content is listed below: subject to potential minor changes from year to year.

A 30 credit thematic module chosen from:

• Criminology: Theory and Critical Issues
• Social Policy and Society
• Public Sociology: Theory and Practice
• Social Work Context and Practice.

In addition, core modules will be taken as follows:

Quantitative Methods and Analysis:

• Developing knowledge and skills in statistical analysis.
• Using statistical techniques for exploration and description of data sets.
• Making appropriate statistical inferences and exploring associations between social phenomena.

Qualitative Methods and Analysis:

• Overview of qualitative research, including different qualitative methodological approaches.
• Practical issues in conducting qualitative research.
• Qualitative data analysis.

Computational Research Methods in Social Science:

• Exploring complexity and case-based analysis approaches to data.
• Review of related methodologies such as those involving data mining and big data.
• Developing a working knowledge of several widely-used methods.

Research Design and Process:

• Formulating research questions and appropriate designs.
• Evaluating and developing research proposals.
• Planning and managing the research process, including practical and ethical issues, with a particular focus on supporting the dissertation research process.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Social Research:

• Exploring the nature of social scientific research, including issues associated with establishing cause and meaning within it.
• Consider different disciplinary and ethical issues associated with different approaches to social scientific research.

In addition, students will take a relevant 15 credit optional module developing a particular aspect of research further; for example, in previous years, one option has been:

Participatory Action Research:

• History and origins of Participatory Action Research; key values and ethical/political issues.
• Theorising and critiquing PAR.
• Participatory approaches to research design, process, analysis, dissemination and implementation, including working with partner organisations to influence change.

Other anticipated optional modules (subject to availability) include those focused on advanced ethnographic research, intermediate statistics, multi-level modelling, simulating data in R, and/or systematic review.

This Masters degree is completed by undertaking a 15,000 word dissertation (60 credits) based on a supervised research project.