College of Social Sciences and International Studies
Scientific Methodologies
Module ERPM002 for 2021/2
Module ERPM002 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
ERPM002: Scientific Methodologies
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Experimental, quasi-experimental, and survey designs and threats to their validity; different sampling strategies, consequences of sampling – limitations, errors, biases, scales of measurement, operationalisation, the codebook.
- Measuring instruments, design, types of scale, questionnaires and other structured approaches to questioning that can be numerically coded and analysed (tests, attitude scales, semantic differentials, , etc); different methods of ensuring measurements are reliable, instrument validation, threats to internal and external validity, criteria for assessing validity, the electronic collection of quantitative data
- Descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis; concept of a statistic, distributions of statistics, probability and non-probability sampling, statistical significance, analysis of variance; regression and its relationship to multi-level modelling; factor analysis; OLS regression, multiple and logistic regression. Use of software packages (e.g. SPSS). Through evaluation of published research and practical application appreciate the importance of political power and bias, limitations of knowledge claims and warrants from quantitative research and the ethical issues involved in quantitative fieldwork.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 30 | 10x3 hour teaching sessions (lectures, workshops and seminars), including on campus teaching and recorded sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 70 | Collaborative group work |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Reading and assignment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Writing summative assignment |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
