Research Methodology - I

Semester and Year Offered: Semester 1 / Year 1

Course Coordinator and Team: N. Nakkeeran (GS), Pritpal Singh Randhawa (US) and Faculty members from CELE

Email of course coordinators: nakkeeran[at]aud[dot]ac[dot]in, pritpal[at]aud[dot]ac[dot]in

Pre-requisites: None

Aim:

This course is aimed at introducing the post graduate students to social science research and methodology. It is also aimed at equipping them with basic research skills.

Course Outcomes:

1. To introduce the students to the basic elements of social science research.
2. To know the basic tenets of research as a creative and strategic process.
3. To equip students to think logically and scientifically in an inter-disciplinary framework.
4. To improve academic reading and writing skills.

Brief description of modules/ Main modules:

This course consists of four modules.

Module 1: Introduction to Social Science Research – Two weeks

This is an introductory module on social science research dealing with what is social research all about? How is social research understood as scientific research? What does one create and gain from a successful research process, analysis and writing? What are the strengths and difficulties of social research? What is interdisciplinary in social research? What does it mean in Global/Urban Studies?

Module II: Basic Research Skills-1 – Tour, interactions and tutorial (Four weeks)

This module introduces students to effectively utilise different research related resource available in higher education contexts including library and its resources, accessing and using different online /digital resources and platforms such as Delnet, JSTOR, Google Scholar etc. This module will also focus on building the skill of effective reading.

Module III: Basic Research Skills-2 – Lecture and tutorial (Four weeks)

In continuation with the previous module, module III focuses on building the skill of effective academic writing and making presentation along with other adjunct skills such as reviewing books, reviewing literature, citation and referencing. It also deals with issue of plagiarism in academic writing.

Module IV. Research Problem, Questions and Methods (Two weeks)

Module IV will focus on conceptualising a research, starting from formulation of a research problem, framing research questions and objectives, and understanding the relevance, appropriateness and use of different research methods.

Assessment Details with weights:

This course will have continuous assessment in the form of classroom and take-home assignments to be done individually, in pairs and in groups (70%) followed by an end semester exam (30%). The repertoire of skills included will hold the students in good stead for the remainder of the Master’s programme and will also constitute the foundation for qualitative and quantitative research methods training that they are required to undertake.

Reading List:

1. Babbie, E. (2008) The Basics of Social Research, 2008, Thomson Wordsworth (4th Edn.)
2. Bryman, A. (1984). The Debate about Qualitative and Quantitative Research. A Question of Methods or Epistemology. The British Journal of Sociology. 35(1): 75- 92
3. Facer, K. and Pahl, K. (2017). Valuing Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research: Beyond Impact, Policy Press.
4. Lincoln, Y. S. and Guba, E. G. (2000). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging influences. In N. Denzin and Y. Lincoln (eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (2nd ed., pp. 163-188). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
5. Mason, J., (2002) Qualitative Researching, Sage: London, (2nd edn.)
6. Mills, C.W., (1959) “On intellectual Craftmanship”, Appendix to The Sociological Imagination, OUP.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE:

1. Worksheets and some reading material will be distributed during the classroom interaction.
2. Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches (2nd ed.). California: Sage.
3. Crotty, M. (1998). The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. Australia: Allen and Unwin.