UNIVERSITY OF KENT
Programme Specification
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Certificate in Methods of Social Research
Awarding Institution/Body
University of Kent at Canterbury
Teaching Institution
University of Kent at Canterbury
Teaching Site
Canterbury campus
Programme accredited by
Core modules approved by ESRC for 1+3
training
Final Award
Certificate
Programme
Certificate in Methods of Social Research
UCAS code (or other code)
N/A
Relevant QAA subject
ESRC Guidelines
benchmarking group/s
Date of production/revision
October 2010 (revision)
Applicable cohorts
2010/2011 entry
11. Educational Aims of the Programme
The programme aims to provide a training which prepares students to work as social
science researchers and/or to make effective use of social science research in a variety of
different settings. The four modules represent the Faculty Research Training Programme
on social science research: SO833, SO817, SO832 and SO819.
The programme aims to:
1. Provide appropriate methods training both for existing students preparing an
MPhil/DPhil thesis, and for those who wish to expand their research skills for career
development purposes.
2. Introduce students to a variety of different approaches to social science research,
presented in a multi-disciplinary context
3. Cover the principles of research design and strategy, including formulating research
questions or hypotheses and translating these into practicable research designs
4. Make students aware of the range of secondary data available and equip them to
evaluate their utility for research
5. Develop skills in searching for and retrieving information, using library and Internet
resources in a multidisciplinary context
6. Introduce students to the philosophical, theoretical and ethical issues surrounding
research and the debates about the relationship between theory and research, the
problems of evidence and inference, and the limits of objectivity
7. Develop skills in the use of SPSS and other statistical techniques of data analysis,
including multivariate analysis
8. Develop skills in writing, the preparation of a research proposal, the presentation of
research results, and verbal communication
9. Help students to prepare their research results for wider dissemination, such as seminar
papers, conference presentations, reports and publications to a range of audiences,
including academics, policy makers, professionals, service users and the general public
10. Give students an appreciation of the potential and problems of social research in local,
regional, national and international settings.
Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013
12. Programme Outcomes
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge
and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas.
Teaching/learning and assessment
methods and strategies used to enable
outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
Knowledge and Understanding
A. Knowledge and understanding of:
1. The theoretical basis for social
science research.
2. Ethical and methodological issues in
social science research.
3. The strengths and weaknesses of
different epistemological approaches
used within the social sciences.
4. Common research techniques used in
social science research.
5. Sources of secondary data and how to
access them.
6. The common statistical techniques
used within social science research.
7. The political and policy contexts within
which research takes place.
8. The reflexivity of research in the social
sciences.
Teaching/learning - lectures, tutor-led
seminars, student-led seminars, small group
work, problem-based learning scenarios, SPSS
workshops, guided search of on-line data
sources, self-directed learning based on
Library resources.
Transferable/key skills are developed
throughout the course as practicable and
appropriate, by means of setting deadlines,
working in pairs and in small groups, giving
verbal presentations and individual guidance.
Assessment – Essays; critiques of research;
field practice; proposal drafting; data analyses,
interpretation, and write-up
Skills in written communication and in using
ICT are formally assessed by means of marked
assignments. There is informal assessment of
other transferable/key skills in seminar
presentations, project work on particular topics,
and in discussion with supervisors.
Skills and Other Attributes
B. Intellectual skills:
1. Identify research questions and
hypotheses.
2. Select a research design appropriate
to the questionsbeing asked.
3. Evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses of different research
techniques.
4. Plan and develop a research proposal.
5. Combine quantitative and qualitative
approaches
6. Criticise other research studies and the
methods used in them.
Regulation and Assessment
Students will be assessed on the basis of
course work assessments and the dissertation,
which entail both formative and summative
elements. Course work assessments can take
the form of an essay, developing a research
proposal, writing critiques of published
research, conducting field work and write-ups,
and/or formal tests as to capabilities in
analyzing data with different statistical
software. Students who are doing the
programme in preparation for an MPhil / PhD
should discuss the assignment topics with their
Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013
7. Present results in ways which
contribute to knowledge in that field.
supervisors to ensure the course work pertains
to their thesis.
C. Subject-specific skills:
The skills listed here will be supplemented
by skills taught within specific disciplinary
contexts, depending on the student’s
choice of modules. Students should be
able to:
1. Identify research questions and
hypotheses.
2. Choose research methods appropriate
to the research question.
3. Be familiar with the ethical issues
involved in research and with ethics
application guidelines.
4. Choose a valid sample from the
population of interest.
5. Design and produce questionnaires
and other data collection instruments.
6. Use participant observation and focus
groups in research.
7. Use comparative and longitudinal
approaches.
8. Make use of existing library and
documentary material.
9. Access the UK Data Archive and make
use of survey data from that source.
10. Record, store and present quantitative
data using SPSS.
11. Use statistical techniques appropriately
and critically to support their research.
12. Evaluate the use of basic statistical
methods in the research literature.
13. Plan and carry out structured and
semi-structured interviews.
14. Analyse qualitative data from
interviews, focus groups and other
sources.
15. Analyse observational and life history
data.
16. Analyse textual data and documentary
sources.
17. Be knowledgeable about computerassisted packages for data handling.
18. Prepare research results for publication
and dissemination.
D. Transferable skills:
Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013
1. Manage their own time, prioritise
workloads and recognise and manage
stress.
2. Use problem-solving skills in a variety
of different situations.
3. Take responsibility for their own
learning and professional development.
4. Be able to communicate with a wide
range of audiences in written and oral
media.
5. Be able to use ICT to access
information, process data and text,
communicate with others and present
research results effectively.
6. Understand career opportunities in
their own fields and begin to plan for
the future.
For more information on which modules provide which of the above skills, see the module
mapping.
Programme Structures and Requirements, Levels, Modules and Credits
The programme is comprised of four compulsory, one-unit modules (80 credits). All the
modules listed below have been approved as part of the Faculty Research Training
Programme.
The Compulsory Modules are:
Code
Title
SO817
Qualitative research
SO832
Techniques of data analysis
SO833
Design, philosophy and ethics of
social research
SO819
Quantitative analysis
Credits
20
20
20
20
Term/s
Mondays in Michaelmas
Mondays in Lent
Wednesdays in
Michaelmas
Wednesdays in Lent
Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013
Certification
Students successfully completing the programme described here will be awarded a
Certificate in Methods of Social Research. In order to qualify for the Certificate, a student
has to:
 Register for the whole programme, that is for all four compulsory modules;
 Attend lectures, seminars and workshops on a regular basis;
 Submit the course work designated for research students;
 Achieve a mark of 40 per cent or more on all course work.
13. Support for Students and Their Learning
 Induction programme
 Programme handbook
 Library/skills training
 Staff of SSPSSR
 Access to ICT facilities and SPSS package
 Academic support system
 Central support services
14. Entry Profile
Entry Route
Students must either be admitted for an MPhil/DPhil research degree within the Faculty of
Social Sciences or have applied directly for entry to the certificate programme. Students for
whom English is their second language will be expected to show proof of adequate ability in
spoken and written English. For more detailed information, please refer to the University
prospectus.
What does this programme have to offer?
 It ensures students have knowledge of the range of research methodological skills
within the social sciences, prepares them for further research, and to teach research
methods.
Personal Profile
 The candidates should have the ability and background knowledge to undertake an
advanced course of study.
 Candidates should be willing to work in groups and co-operate in group exercises.
15. Methods for evaluating and enhancing the quality and standards of teaching and
learning
Mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the
curriculum and outcome standards
 Student evaluations
 Annual reports
 External examiners' reports
 Periodic programme review
 Informal contact with students
 Annual staff appraisal
 Peer observation
 QAA subject review
Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013
Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards
 Staff/Student Consultative Committee of SSPSSR
 Research Quality Assurance Committee of SSPSSR
 Faculty Graduate Studies Committee
 Postgraduate Learning and Teaching Board
 Board of Examiners
Mechanisms for gaining student feedback on the quality of teaching and their
learning experience
 Student evaluations
 Staff/Student Consultative Committee
 Student representation on other committees
Staff development priorities include:
 PGCHE requirements
 ILT membership
 Staff appraisal scheme
 Staff mentoring scheme
 Staff development courses
 Staff involvement in on-going research
 Programme team meetings
 Staff/student research seminars
 Conference attendance
16. Indicators of quality and standards
There will be compliance with the University Code of Practice and Faculty Code of Practice in
relation to quality assurance, quality enhancement and the monitoring of student progress.
Responsibility for the programme will be carried by the individual module convenors, by the
programme convenor, and by the Directors of Graduate Studies and the Head of Department
of SSPSSR.
Evidence of Opportunity and Need for the Programme. Including Student and
Employer Demand, and Relationship to the University Plan, the University Curriculum
Policy and other University
Evidence of student demand comes from the existing research students, who have
expressed an interest in ensuring they have current research skills necessary to their
post-thesis careers. The availability of a certificate for research students is consonant with
many of the statements set out in the University Plan and in the Learning Teaching
Strategy. In particular, the Certificate:
Produces graduates of value to the region and the nation, and in possession of skills
which will enable them to find employment in the field of their choice.
Provides learning opportunities which are pedagogically-based within a research-led
framework, and with appropriate support for students from a diverse range of
backgrounds.
Enhance the training of all research students.
Evidence that all Resource Requirements, including Suitably Qualified Teaching Staff,
will be provided:
All staff in the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research are research active.
Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013
Their research interests cover all the main areas within these subjects and there is
experience within the School in numerous research techniques.
Teaching on the analysis of quantitative data using SPSS or other software packages will be
done in specialist terminal rooms, equipped with adequate facilities for data entry and
analysis.
The Templeman Library already contains substantial collections in the relevant fields. New
books are ordered as necessary, to keep the collection up to date with the latest
methodological innovations.
The following reference points were used in creating these specifications:
 Current masters programmes in research methods offered at other Universities
 External examiners’ comments on the current programme
 ESRC guidance and subject bench marks as appropriate
Module mapping follows.
Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013
Certificate in Methods of Social Research OUTCOMES – CORE MODULES
Knowledge and Understanding
Programme
Programme Modules
Outcomes
SO817 SO832 SO833 SO819
A1
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A2
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A3
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A4
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A5
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A6
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A7
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A8
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Skills and Other Attributes
Programme
Programme Modules
Outcomes
SO817 SO832 SO833 SO819
B1
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B2
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B3
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B4
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B5
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B6
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B7
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Subject-Specific Skills
Programme
Programme Modules
Outcomes
SO817 SO832 SO833 SO819
C1
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C2
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C3
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C4
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C5
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C6
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C7
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C8
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C9
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C10
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C11
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C12
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C13
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C14
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C15
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C16
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C17
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C18
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Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013
Transferable Skills
Programme
Programme Modules
Outcomes
SO817 SO832 SO833 SO819
D1
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D2
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D3
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D4
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D5
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D6
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October 2010
Minor Revision to Programme Specification reported to PASC 10 January 2013