Warwick Doctoral Training Centre
The Practice of Social Research
DTC Core Module
Module Handbook
2014-15
Professor Nicholas Gane
Dr Eric Jensen
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Introduction
This module has been designed to provide students with the opportunity to think about
what it means to do a PhD in the social sciences and to discuss key facets of the practice of
social research. Its key aims are:

To provide students with knowledge that will help them develop their doctoral
research

To enable them to think about about what it means to do a PhD in the social
sciences

To reflect on the possibility of combining different research methods and paradigms

To consider the ethics of social science research
Assessment
A 3,000 word essay. A list of titles will be provided.
Some Key Books
Becker, H. S. (1998). Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research While You're Doing
It. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
Denzin, N. K. (1978). The Research Act: A Theoretical Introduction to Sociological Methods. New
York, McGraw-Hill
Dunleavy, P. (2003). Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write, and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or
Dissertation. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
Morgan, D. (2014). Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: A Pragmatic Approach.
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Rueschemeyer, D. (2009). Usable Theory: Analytic Tools for Social and Political Research.
Princeton, Princeton University Press.
Williams, Malcolm (2002) Making Sense of Social Research, London, Sage.
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Schedule of Lectures and Seminars
Week 1
The PhD Process
Nicholas Gane
Week 2
Theories and Methods
Nicholas Gane
Week 3
Combining Methods and Research Paradigms
Eric Jensen
Week 4
DTC Conference – NO LECTURES OR SEMINARS
Week 5
Research Ethics: Principle, Practice and Procedure
Eric Jensen
Week 6
Quality and Technology in Social Research
Eric Jensen
Week 7
The Craft of Academic Writing
Nicholas Gane
Week 8
Situating Your Contribution
Nicholas Gane
Week 9
Public Engagement and Non-academic Impact
Eric Jensen and
Impact Officer
Week 10
Your PhD Viva and Beyond
Nicholas Gane
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Week 1: The PhD Process (Nicholas Gane)
This session will provide an overview of the process of moving through the key stages of
developing your PhD. At the beginning of your PhD you will have some of your ideas about
what doing a PhD involves and you will also hear a number of other ideas from other
sources. In this session we shall explore key aspects of the PhD process in order to outline
both the key stages of the process as well as to reflect on the need to reflect on your own
experience as you embark on your PhD. We shall also discuss the importance of developing
your own specific record of your progress during the various stages of your studies.
Essential Reading
Dunleavy, P. (2003). Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write, and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or
Dissertation. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, Chapters 2 and 3.
Becker, H. S. (1998). Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research While You're Doing
It. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, Chapters 1 and 2.
Further Reading
Phillips, E. M. and Pugh, D. S. (2010) How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and their
Supervisors, 5th Edition, Buckingham, Open University Press.
Robson, C. (2011) Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner
Researchers 3rd Edition Oxford: Wiley.
Week 2: Theories and Methods (Nicholas Gane)
This session will examine the role of theory and method in social science research. We will
start by reading a classic work in the field: C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination. This
text offers a provocation: that it is a mistake to think of theory or method as things that are
somehow prior to, or detached from, the world that we are trying to study. Mills says,
instead, that we should start with empirical ‘problems’ that raise questions for research, and
in the face of these develop suitable theories (and related concepts) and methods (and
related research techniques) for their study. We will ask whether Mills is right to take this
position. You will be encouraged to reflect on the status of theory and method in your own
research, and to think about how these fit the research questions or ‘problems’ that you are
seeking to address.
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Essential Reading
Mills, C.W. (2000). The Sociological Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Look in
particular at Chapters 2 and 3 (‘Grand Theory’ and ‘Abstracted Empiricism’).
Further Reading
Appelrouth, S. and Edles, L.D. (2011). Sociological Theory in the Contemporary Era : Text and
Readings. London: Sage.
Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Law, J. (2004). After Method: Mess in Social Science Research. London: Routledge.
Outhwaite, W. and Turner, S. (2007). The SAGE Handbook of Social Science Methodology.
London: Sage.
Week 3: Combining Methods and Research Paradigms (Eric Jensen)
This week will cover the following topics:
a) Practical implications of paradigms of social research
b) Principles of good research design; combining research methods: epistemological and
methodological implications of combining qualitative and quantitative methods
c) Practical strategies for combining quantitative and qualitative methods: we will draw upon
David Morgan’s practical strategies for combining research methods and introduce a specific
method that uses qualitative data in quantitative analysis (Content Analysis)
Activity: Research design and you!
Workshop-style activity discussing possible approaches you could take in your own
dissertation. Think about whether mixed methods social research makes sense for your
topic (discuss in small groups).
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Essential reading:
Morgan, D. (2014). Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: A Pragmatic Approach.
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Chapter 1: http://www.uk.sagepub.com/upmdata/57847_Chapter_1_Morgan_Integrating_Qualitative_and_Quantitative_Methods.pdf
Further reading:
Morgan, D. (2007). Paradigms lost and Pragmatism regained: Methodological implications of
combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(1), 4876.
Morgan, D. L. (1998). Practical strategies for combining qualitative and quantitative methods:
Applications to health research. Qualitative Health Research, 8(3), p. 362-376.
Week 4: DTC Conference – NO LECTURES OR SEMINARS
Week 5: Research Ethics: Principle, Practice and Procedure (Eric Jensen)
‘What does it mean to be ethical when doing research?’ This week, we will consider the
principles and practices implicated by this question. A representative from Research Support
Services will provide introduction to ethics procedures at Warwick. In addition, we will
discuss your ethical duties as a social responsibility and the distinction between legal and
ethical concerns. This session will address the practical aspects of conducting yourself in an
ethically sound manner throughout the research process. Practical guidance on preparing
informed consent forms and participant contact letters will be addressed as well.
Essential Reading
Jensen, E. & Laurie, C. (forthcoming). Doing Real Research. London: SAGE. Chapter 4: ‘Be an
ethical researcher’ (not yet published. To be provided by lecturer).
Further Reading
Homans, R. (1980) ‘The Ethics of Covert Methods,’ British Journal of Sociology 31 (1): 46-59.
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Mauthner, M, et al (eds) (2002) Ethical Dilemmas in Qualitative Research. London: Sage.
Punch, M. (2008) ‘Politics and Ethics in Qualitative Research’, in N. Denzin and Y. Lincoln
(Eds) The Landscape of Qualitative Research. London: Sage.
Sin, C. H. (2005) ‘Seeking Informed Consent: Reflections on Research Practice,’ Sociology, 39
(2): 277-294.
Professional Ethical Codes and Guidelines
American Sociological Association (1997) Code of Ethics (approved by ASA membership
1997) http://www.asanet.org.members/ecoderev.htm
American Political Science Association (APSA) Ethical Guidelines in Political Science
http://www.apsanet.org/content_9350.cfm
British
Sociological
Association
(BSA)
Statement
of
Ethical
Guidelines:
http://www.britsoc.co.uk/about/equality/statement-of-ethical-practice.aspx.
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Framework for Research Ethics
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/about-esrc/information/research-ethics.aspx
Activity (*Bring Laptop with Wireless Internet Capability if Possible*):
1. Form a 3- to 4-person group and discuss in detail at least one professional code of
research ethics relevant to your disciplines or fields of study (e.g. the British Psychological
Association). Prepare a 5-minute joint presentation summarising the key aspects of this
professional code and its implications for research practice in your discipline / field.
2. Returning to your same groups, go around to each person and discuss your draft ethics
approval forms. If you do not think you need ethics approval, discuss why and seek your
group’s feedback on your arguments. If you need ethics approval, discuss what you have
written on the form and the ways you are planning to mitigate ethical issues in your
research.
*ADVANCE PREPARATION REQUIRED - Homework: Prepare a rough draft ethics
approval form based on your current understanding of your PhD dissertation topic (best
guess about what your topic will be or hypothetical is fine if you are not certain). Work out
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the details to the best of your ability and then identify the areas that still need development.
Be prepared to discuss in class.
Week 6: Quality and Technology in Social Research (Eric Jensen)
This week addresses both quantitative and qualitative definitions of research quality. The
lecture/seminar will include discussion of the following topics:
Quality in Social Research

What does good quality social research look like?

Procedures for ensuring quality

Recording and Transcription

Criteria for assessing / ensuring quality (validity, reliability and alternative methods)
Technologies of Social Research
Practical and critical issues in using analytic software, web-based surveys, online
interviewing, digital audio recordings and other forms of research technology available for
the social sciences.
Essential Reading (Quality):
Gaskell, George, and Martin W. Bauer. 2000. "Towards public accountability: Beyond
sampling, reliability and validity." Pp. 336-350 in Qualitative researching with text, image and
sound, edited by Martin W. Bauer and George Gaskell. London: Sage.
Further Reading (Quality):
Thorne, S. 1997. "The art (and science) of critiquing qualitative research." Pp. 117-132 in
Completing a qualitative project: Details and dialogue, edited by J M Morse. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage.
Further Reading (Technologies):
Kelle, Udo (2000). "Computer-assisted analysis: Coding and indexing." Pp. 282-298 in
Qualitative researching with text, image and sound, edited by Martin W. Bauer and George
Gaskell. London: Sage.
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Week 7: The Craft of Academic Writing (Nicholas Gane)
In this session we shall initiate a discussion of the practice of academic writing. As you
develop your research project the question of writing will become more and more central
to your everyday practice. It is important, however, to think through the issue of how you
write and how you can develop your skills in writing for academic audiences. In this session
we shall focus on discussing how you can further develop your academic writing skills
throughout the various stages of your PhD. We shall also discuss issues related to writing
your PhD as well as some of the specific challenges involved in writing for publication in
academic journals or in books.
Essential Reading
Billig, M. (2013). Learn to Write Badly: How to Succeed in the Social Sciences. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, Chapters 3 and 4.
Becker, H. S. (1986). Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or
Article. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 5 and 8.
Further Reading
Back, L. (2007). ‘Epilogue: The Craft’ in The Art of Listening. Oxford: Berg.
Bringer, J. D., et al. (2004). "Maximising Transparency in a Doctoral Thesis: The
Complexities of Writing about the Use of QSR*NVIVO within a Grounded Theory Study."
Qualitative Research 4(2): 247-265.
Duneier, M. and L. Back (2006). "Voices from the Sidewalk: Ethnography and Writing Race."
Ethnic and Racial Studies 29(3): 543-565.
Evans, P. (2000). "Boundary Oscillations: Epistemological and Genre Transformation During
the "Method" of Thesis Writing." International Journal of Social Research Methodology 3(4):
267-286.
Mills, C.W. (2000). ‘Appendix: On Intellectual Craftsmanship’ in The Sociological Imagination.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Murray, R. (2009) Writing for Academic Journals, 2nd Edition, Buckingham, Open University
Press.
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Petre, M. and Rugg, G. (2010). The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research. Maidenhead: Open
University Press. Especially Chapter 12 (‘The Process of Writing’).
Van Maanen, J. (1988). Tales of the Field: On Writing Ethnography. Chicago, University of
Chicago Press.
Week 8: Situating Your Contribution (Nicholas Gane)
One of the defining features of doctoral research is that it makes an original contribution to
knowledge. In order to make such a contribution, however, it is first necessary to
demonstrate a detailed understanding of existing research in your field. This is often done
through the construction of a literature review, but even then there is a fine balance
between engaging critically with the work of others and producing a social-scientific analysis
or understanding that, in itself, is new. The question this raises, and which we will address
through the course of this session, is how to situate your contribution in relation to the
existing field. Again, you will be encouraged to reflect on how you have done this/plan to do
this within the context of your own research.
Essential Reading
For the purposes of this session we will take one of the most downloaded articles from the
journal Sociology to examine on how the author (Dhiraj Murthy) situates his own argument
within broader methodological and substantive fields.
Murthy, D. (2008). ‘Digital Ethnography: An Examination of the Use of New Technologies
for Social Research’. Sociology, 42, 5, pp.837-55.
Further Reading
Cryer, P. (1996). The Research Student's Guide to Success. Buckingham: Open University Press.
See Chapters 19 and 20 (‘Coming to Terms with Originality in Research’ and ‘Developing
Ideas through Critical Thinking’).
Fuller, S. (2009). The Sociology of Intellectual Life: The Career of the Mind in and Around
Academy. London: Sage. Especially Chapter 4 (‘The Improvisational Nature of Intellectual
Life’).
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Petre, M. and Rugg, G. (2010). The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research. Maidenhead: Open
University Press. Especially Chapters 3 and 9 (‘The Route to Independence’ and ‘Critical
Thinking’).
Wallace, M. and Wray, A. (2011). Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates. London: Sage.
Especially Part One (‘Becoming a Critical Reader and Self-Critical Writer’).
On the related question of whether social science should be ‘value-free’ (something we will
touch upon through the course of this session), a good place to start is:
Gouldner, A. (1962). ‘Anti-Minotaur: The Myth of a Value-Free Sociology’. Social Problems, 9,
3, pp.199-213.
Week 9: Public Engagement and the Impact Agenda (Eric Jensen and Social
Sciences Impact Officer, Veronica Littlewood)
This week addresses the topic of engaging those outside academia with your research. Eric
Jensen will provide a pre-recorded lecture for this session. The session itself, however, will
be facilitated by University of Warwick Social Sciences Impact Officer, Ronni Littlewood.
Prior to this week’s session, please think about how your research could be shared with
stakeholders or publics who could benefit from it. Topics to be discussed this week include:



Public Engagement
The ‘Impact Agenda’
Ways of ensuring your research has non-academic impacts
Essential Reading (Public Engagement):
For the public engagement element of the week’s discussion, please have a look at the
National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement’s website:
https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk
In particular, have a read of the ‘what is public engagement?’ page:
https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/what
Week 10: Your PhD Viva and Beyond (Nicholas Gane)
It may seem very early in your PhD career to think about this, but what exactly are you
working towards? With this in mind, this session has two purposes: 1). To identify some
practical steps that will help you succeed in your PhD examination (known as a viva voce, or
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simply as a viva); 2). To think about life beyond the PhD and, more specifically, how to move
from a PhD into an academic career. The aim of this session, in the first instance, is to
address some of the common anxieties that surround the viva. We will discuss how to
prepare for this exam. We will also consider different strategies for defending your thesis.
Following this, we will turn our attention to the question of employment by looking at the
changing nature of the contemporary university. We will focus, in particular, on new metrics
for auditing research and publications in the UK, and will ask how these are likely to impact
upon those looking to pursue an academic career.
Essential Reading
Petre, M. and Rugg, G. (2010). The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research. Maidenhead: Open
University Press. Especially Chapter 14 (‘The Viva’).
Burrows, R. (2012). ‘Living with the h-index? Metric Assemblages in the Contemporary
Academy’. Sociological Review, 60, 2, pp.355-72.
Further Reading
On the PhD Viva:
Murray, R. (2009). How to Survive Your Viva: Defending a Thesis in an Oral Examination.
Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Trafford, V. and Lesham, S. (2008). Stepping Stones to Achieving Your Doctorate: By
Focusing on Your Viva from the Start. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
On life beyond your PhD:
Collini, S. (2012). What are Universities For? Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Kelly, A. and Burrows, R. (2011). ‘Measuring the Value of Sociology? Some Notes on
Performative Metricization in the Contemporary Academy’. Sociological Review, 59, s2,
pp.130-50.
Murray, R. (2009). Writing for Academic Journals. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Roberts, L. (2006). After You Graduate: Finding and Getting Work You Will Enjoy. Maidenhead:
Open University Press.
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