Postgraduate Module Descriptor

SOCM034: Social Data Science and Policy Analytics

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

This is the core module for the MSc in Policy Analytics/Applied Social Data Science and aims to equip you with an understanding of the core concepts related to policy analytics and social data science skills to support evidence-based decision making in the policy process. It aims to equip you with a broad range of relevant skills and knowledge, allowing you to formulate research questions and later carry out your own research projects or a consultancy project.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the principles of policy analytics and the policy process 2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the policy cycle 3. demonstrate a clear understanding of the relationship between data analysis and evidence-based decision making 4. Practically apply different social data science techniques and links to policy analysis and evaluation
Discipline-Specific Skills	5. Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the issues posed by evidence based decision-making and policy analysis 6. clearly articulate the principles of research design, causal inference and data quality 7. Employ a range of advanced quantitative social data science methods
Personal and Key Skills	8. Demonstrate familiarity with a range of social data science techniques 9. Communicate analysis effectively to a broad audience

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Practical exercises	2 short exercises to be completed in class of 15 minutes each	1-4,8	Peer and Oral feedback

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Data analysis short report 1	25	2,000 words plus tables, graphs based on data analysis	1-9	Written feedback
Data analysis short report 2	25	2,000 words plus tables, graphs based on data analysis	1-9	Written feedback
4,000 word research report	50	4,000 words plus tables, graphs based on data analysis	1-9	Written feedback

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Data analysis short report 1	Practical exercise 1 (2,000 words)	1-9	August/September reassessment period
Data analysis short report 2	Practical exercise 2 (2,000 words)	1-9	August/September reassessment period
4,000 word research report	4,000 word research report	1-9	August/September reassessment period