Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Social Research Methods
Course Code
KSK_063
Branch of Science
Media and communications
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Communication Science; Information and Communication Science
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time; Part-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Alnis Stakle
Structure Unit Manager
Ieva Puzo
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
To acquaint students with the logic of social research process, design of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and methods of data collection. To enable students to read and understand scientific literature in the field of social studies. To provide the necessary basic knowledge and skills for students to independently develop their own research projects and course papers: choose appropriate research methods, perform data processing and analysis.
Preliminary Knowledge
Basic computer skills.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Students will gain knowledge of the importance of research in the social sciences; on the various strategies for conducting social research, their benefits and limitations. Gain an understanding of the criteria for qualitative conducted research.
Skills
1.Students will acquire the skills to choose the research method appropriate to the needs of the research, to define the target group and to draw the sample according to the research task. During the course students will learn how to create a questionnaire, formulate and compose questions of different structure. They will learn how to process quantitative research data independently, to analyze statistical indicators and to draw correct conclusions. Students will acquire the skills to work with the statistical program SPSS and will appreciate the accuracy and reliability of quantitative research results available in the public domain.
Competences
1.During the course students will get an insight into different research methodologies and their application in sociological research. They will learn to critically evaluate the reliability of information available in the public space on data collected in various surveys.
Assessment
Individual work
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Individual work |
-
|
-
|
|
Students work in groups carrying out the full cycle of a pilot study using quantitative research methods.
|
||
Examination
|
Title
|
% from total grade
|
Grade
|
|---|---|---|
|
1.
Examination |
-
|
10 points
|
|
Attendance – 15%, tests – 25% (10% sample calculation, 15% work with SPSS), exam/ independent research – 60% (20% preparation of the questionnaire, 40% summary, interpretation and presentation). |
||
Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Social research process. Qualitative and quantitative research strategy. Research strategy and research design.
Quantitative research designs
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Research ethics. Scientific strength of the research
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Creating a research concept. The issue of the research. Question of research. Research's hypothesis. Concepts and Variables
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Creating a research concept. The issue of the research. Question of research. Research's hypothesis. Concepts and Variables
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Creating a research concept. The issue of the research. Question of research. Research's hypothesis. Concepts and Variables
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Population, target population and sample. Sampling types and sampling principles
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Computer room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Data acquisition methods. Primary, secondary and tertiary data. Data acquisition methods in quantitative research.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Computer room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Formation of a questionnaire for data collection of quantitative surveys, basic questions formulation. Scales.
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Qualitative and quantitative research strategy. Research strategy and research design. Quantitative research designs
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Research ethics
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Development of research concept. Research problem. Research question. Research hypothesis. Concepts and variables.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Formation of a questionnaire for data collection of quantitative surveys, basic questions formulation. Scales.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Statistical analysis programs. Working with SPSS. Creating a data file. Descriptive statistics. Differences between groups.
Correlation analysis
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Study room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Statistical analysis programs. Working with SPSS. Creating a data file. Descriptive statistics. Differences between groups.
Correlation analysis
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Statistical analysis programs. Working with SPSS. Creating a data file. Descriptive statistics. Differences between groups.
Correlation analysis
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
30 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
PART-TIME
Part 1
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Social research process. Qualitative and quantitative research strategy. Research strategy and research design.
Quantitative research designs
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Research ethics. Scientific strength of the research
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Creating a research concept. The issue of the research. Question of research. Research's hypothesis. Concepts and Variables
|
-
Lecture
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Computer room
|
2
|
Topics
|
Data acquisition methods. Primary, secondary and tertiary data. Data acquisition methods in quantitative research.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Research ethics
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Development of research concept. Research problem. Research question. Research hypothesis. Concepts and variables.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Development of research concept. Research problem. Research question. Research hypothesis. Concepts and variables.
|
-
Class/Seminar
|
Modality
|
Location
|
Contact hours
|
|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
2
|
Topics
|
Statistical analysis programs. Working with SPSS. Creating a data file. Descriptive statistics. Differences between groups.
Correlation analysis
|
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
16 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Pētniecība: Teorija un Prakse / Kristīnes Mārtinsones, Anitas Piperes, Daigas Kamerādes Zinātniskajā Redakcijā. Rīga: RaKa, 2016.
2.
Methodological Thinking: Basic Principles of Social Research Design / Donileen R. Loseke. Los Angeles: Sage, 2013.
3.
Statistika: Mācību Grāmāmata Augstskolām / Oļģerts Krastiņš, Inta Ciemiņa; Latvijas Republikas Centrālā Statistikas Pārvalde. Rīga: Latvijas Republikas Centrālā Statistikas Pārvalde, 2003.
4.
Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics: And Sex and Drugs and Rock'n'roll / Andy Field. 4th ed. Los Angeles [etc.]: Sage, 2013.
5.
Zinātniskā Rakstīšana un Pētījumu Rezultātu Izplatīšana / Kristīnes Mārtinsones un Anitas Piperes Zinātniskajā Redakcijā; 2018.
Additional Reading
1.
Long, A. (n. d.) Evaluation Tool for Quantitative Research Studies.
2.
University of the West of England. Data Analysis: Critical appraisal. 2019.
3.
Raff, J. How to read and understand a scientific paper: a guide for non-scientists. 2013.
4.
Vasermanis, E., Šķiltere, D. Varbūtību teorija un matemātiskā statistika. Rīga, LU. 2003.
5.
Нименья, И.Н. Статистика. Санкт-Петербург, Издательский дом «Нева». 2004.
6.
The Sage Handbook of Innovation in Social Research Methods / Edited by Malcolm Williams, W. Paul Vogt. 1st ed. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2011.
7.
Real World Research: A Resource for Users of Social Research Methods in Applied Settings / Colin Robson. 3rd ed. Chichester, West Sussex; Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Blackwel, 2011.
8.
The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Research Methods / Edited by Luke Sloan, Anabel Quan-Haase. 2017.
9.
Sage Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social & Behavioral Research / Edited by Abbas Tashakkori, Charles Teddlie. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2010.
10.
Ruane, Janet M. Introducing Social Research Methods. Wiley-Blackwell, 2016.
Other Information Sources
1.
Latvijas Statistikas gadagrāmata, 2017. Rīga: Centrālā statistikas pārvalde, 2018.
2.
Izlases lieluma aprēķināšanas programma
3.
LR CSP mājas lapa
4.
Pētījumu un publikāciju datu bāze
5.
WVS mājas lapa
6.
EVS mājas lapa