Close links exist between policy, practice and research. Yet data are often not available to help inform policy and/or practice. The ability to conduct high quality research in applied settings constitutes a set of skills that continue to be highly sought by government and non-government agencies, industry, and academia more generally.

This course aims to provide students with a solid understanding of each phase in the life of a research project ­ conception, scoping, planning, doing, and finalisation ­ and he way in which the components within each phase fit together. The course is applied in nature, and seeks to complement related research methodology courses offered in the Master of Social Research. It aims to provide the conceptual framework to help tudents develop and manage their own research projects (for post-graduate research or for use in the workplace) or to be able to commision or manage research by others.

To fulfil the aims of this course, students should be able to demonstrate that they:

• understand the life cycle of a research project;
• can frame research questions or testable hypotheses, and define and operationalise key concepts in their research;
• can propose some research designs that are appropriate for their research question(s) or hypotheses;
• understand the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis;
• understand key ethical principles in the research process;
• can write (a) a concept brief, (b) an ethics proposal, and (c) a research proposal or grant application;
• can communicate and present research in a clear, factual manner; and have developed a capacity to evaluate the quality of research (including their own).

(1) Attendance, reading and participation: 10% (pass essential to pass the course)

(2) Assignment 1 ­ Brief preliminary literature review (2000 words): 20%

(3) Assignment 2 ­ Ethics protocol (2000 words): 25%

(4) Assignment 3 ­ Research proposal (3000 words): 25%

(5) Class test: 20%

Required:

W Lawrence Neuman (2006), Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (sixth edition)

Recommended:

Compulsory in all streams of the Master of Social Research.