Research Methods Training

The Research Methods Training course is available to part-time and full-time research students at both masters and doctoral levels. The duration of the programme is one year. Components of the programme will also be relevant to those members of staff who wish to develop their research skills.

Aims

The aims listed below are inter-related. The aims of the course are to:

introduce students to the theoretical issues in Community Education, Education and Social Work, and in other related disciplines;
enable students to be critically aware of the claims which researchers make;
enable students to become committed to the responsibilities which are required of them in undertaking their own research;
introduce students to a range of research techniques;
prepare students to undertake research;
provide a supportive environment for the students, and to facilitate a purposive social experience for them.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

reconsider their undergraduate learning about research design and methodology
evaluate research strategies appropriate to their uses;
develop skills in accessing, searching, processing, synthesising and critically
evaluating the extant research literature, whatever its source, and to apply these skills in order to generate their own research proposals and those of others;
understand the theoretical approaches and resources which are appropriate to their work;
plan and design their own research with a view to completing a dissertation;
apply rigorously the appropriate techniques;
heighten their reflectivity and confidence while working on their personal research;
develop not only a reflective and critical, but also a proactive and positive, stance in relation to the role of research in practice and policy;
disseminate orally and verbally their experiences and findings within both their immediate and wider constituencies in order to impact upon theory, policy and practice.

Sessions

Session #	Session
1	Conceptual Issues
	Welcome Introduction to research methods training
	Research in education, social work and community learning and development - some philosophical issues and current trends
	Being a research student in Dundee
	The ethics of social science research
2	Bibliographic skills
	Use of library and other resources: Search strategies
	Referencing & preparing a literature review
	Utilizing primary and secondary data sources
3	Conceptual issues
	Epistemological & ontological issues in the philosophy of social science The research, the researched and reflexivity in social science research
	Research Design
	Design research approaches
	Formulating research questions & hypotheses Theory generation, testing & empirical evidence
	Sampling, sampling error & interpretive evidence
	Experimental & quasi experimental research design
4	Data collection & analysis
	Qualitative research methods
	Research Design
	Generalisation, validity, reliability & replicability
	Knowledge transfer
	Recognising and gaining credit for prior learning (APEL & RPL)
5	Knowledge transfer
	Research to practice
	Data collection & analysis
	Reflexive professional autobiographical narrative Questionnaires, interviews and surveys
6	Knowledge transfer
	Preparing research for publication
	Data collection & analysis
	Behavioural observations Analysis of qualitative data Case study methodology
7	Data collection & analysis
	Use of tests
	Advanced techniques
	Using video to record and analyse observations
8	Data collection & analysis
	Collection & analysis of qualitative data: use of NVivo Collection & analysis of quantitative data: use of SPSS

View the provisional Timetable of Research Methods Training 2010-11 (PDF) (please note some items may be subject to minor alteration).

Additional recommended generic skills courses are available from Generic Skills Dundee.

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The University of Dundee is a Scottish Registered Charity, No. SC015096

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