MSc in
Research Methods for Social Sciences

The module aims to provide exposure to the broad range of research designs and methods in social science research. The module covers the essential principles and philosophies of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research designs. Complete research cycle starting from research area, topic, literature review, gaps in the literature, formulating research question and objectives, the development of relevant methods, and analysis is scrutinized. Upon completion of the module, students are expected to have a clear understanding and practical skills in developing and applying diverse research methods in the social sciences.

Assessment: There are two components in the module: an individual coursework with a case study, and a research proposal with a presentation.

This module explores the skills and dispositions of productive scholarly writers. It covers reading, evaluating, and critiquing both scholars' and students' writing, enabling learners to independently produce polished scholarly work. It cultivates self-regulated writing through motivating strategies and provides guidance on effective reading, scholarly writing, argumentation, reflection, and plagiarism avoidance.

Assessment: Students will be assessed through several assessment tasks: the first assignment is a reflective writing, and the second assignment is a literature review.

This module serves as the introduction to common statistical methods, data analysis techniques, and software used in the social sciences. The content is structured to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of basic concepts and methods, laying the groundwork for more advanced quantitative and qualitative techniques in their academic journey. Students will be introduced to the basics of descriptive and inferential statistics, techniques for summarising and visualising data, correlation and simple regression analysis, and essential qualitative methods.

Assessment: There are two assessment components in this module: the first is an individual research project, and the second assignment is a group research project.

The module aims to equip students with transferable and research skills that are essential for undertaking and delivering high-quality research in the social sciences. The module covers practical aspects of conducting research in line with international standards and rigour, including research ethics, managing research projects, understanding funding opportunities, and communicating and disseminating research findings through various modes of presentation. The module also includes developing networking and collaboration skills in conducting research.

Assessment: Students will have to produce a summative individual grant proposal for research that addresses an outstanding social issue and formatively present the proposal in an oral form. The first assignment is a research grant proposal; the second assignment is a group research report.

The Dissertation allows a student to produce a substantial piece of research on various topics of their own choice. The aim of the module is to enable students to integrate knowledge and skills acquired across courses and to assess their ability to analyse a complex research question or problem within a particular area of social sciences. The Dissertation work is based upon primary or secondary research undertaken by the student. Students will choose their research topic and, with their supervisor's support, design and conduct their final research project.

Assessment: Students begin by preparing a research proposal, which is followed by a progress report in which students demonstrate the development of their research. The course culminates in a final dissertation, providing an opportunity to present a comprehensive, well-structured piece of research.

The module introduces students to selected topics in advanced research in the social sciences, with applications to economics, business and management, sociology, educational science, and others. The module provides a basic understanding of advanced statistical methods and their application in research practice, as well as of mixed-methods analysis techniques. Practical sessions will be held using specialized software such as Stata, SPSS, R, Python, and NVivo.

Assessment: The assessment will involve Individual Coursework and Group Coursework.

The module challenges students to synthesise and simulate advanced qualitative methods, use alternative quality criteria to match their methodological choices, and present and demonstrate these in the context of their dissertations.

Assessment: The course includes two main assessments (individual coursework and group coursework) designed to evaluate both individual understanding and collaborative skills.

The module examines the organisational relationship between business and government. The core of this module is to train students to gauge their potential to excel in integrative business and government policy analysis, drawing on perspectives from business decision-making, business strategy analysis, economic analysis, and evidence-based analysis. The module will introduce students to how the government policy-making process will influence business decision-making.

Assessment: Assessment consists of an individual project, allowing students to demonstrate independent research and analysis, and a group project developing a policy proposal to showcase teamwork and practical application of knowledge.