Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SSI2004: Research Design in the Social Sciences

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content will vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following themes:

-       Descriptive and causal logic in social science research.

-       The problem of causal inference.

-       Experiments: field, laboratory, and survey.

-       Survey research.

-       Natural experiments and instrumental variables.

-       Longitudinal research and difference-in-differences estimation.

-       Computational social science.

-       Mixed methods for social science research.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activity2211 x 2 hour lectures/workshops
Guided independent study78Reading and preparation for classes
Guided independent study50Reading, preparation and writing of the assignments

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

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 assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Plan for research design assessment500 words1-4, 6Written 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.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

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

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Critical review of a research paper501,500 words1-6Written feedback
Research design 501,750 words1-6Written 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 assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Critical review of a research paperCritical review of a research paper (1,500 words)1-6August/September reassessment period
Research designResearch design (1,750 words)1-6August/September reassessment period

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

R.A.Singleton & B.C.Straits. Approaches to Social Research. Oxford University Press (2017).

M.Salganik, Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age. Princeton University Press (2017).

F.J.Fowler, Survey Research Methods, 5th ed., Sage (2013).

J.D.Angrist and J.-S.Pischke, Mastering ‘Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect. Princeton University Press (2014).

K.Imai, Quantitative Social Science: An Introduction. Princeton University Press (2017).

T.Dunning, Natural Experiments in the Social Sciences: A Design-Based Approach. Cambridge University Press (2012).

A.S.Gerber and D.P.Green, Field Experiments: Design, Analysis, and Interpretation. W.W.Norton (2012).

R.Glennerster and K.Takavarasha, Running Randomized Evaluations: A Practical Guide. Princeton University Press (2013).

G.King, R.O.Keohane & S.Verba. Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research. Princeton University Press (1994).

R.B.Morton & K.C.Williams, Experimental Political Science and the Study of Causality: From Nature to the Lab. Cambridge University Press (2010).

D.C.Mutz, Population-Based Survey Experiments, Princeton University Press (2011).