Methodology for the Social Sciences
Code
722081069
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Sociologia
Credits
10
Teacher in charge
Helena Serra, Rui Santos
Weekly hours
3 letivas + 1 tutorial
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
1. Methodological knowledge and skills to delineate and manage, in an integrated and evolutive way, a basic or applied research project required for completing the non lective component of the master.
2. Knowledge and understanding of the main strategies and technical options available to social science research, and the ability to combine them in keeping with their research objectives.
3. Ability to communicate and engage in critical and refexive discussion of research projects.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
Theory and research. Conceptualisation and operacionalisation. Falsifiability.
Types:
Theoretical/empirical.
Basic/applied
Intensive/extensive.
Qualitative/quantitative.
Compreensive/explanatory.
Design: systematise, guide, control.
Level 1: First exploration.
Bibliography: tools and methods.
Exploratory research: tools and methods.
Outcomes: analysis and articulation of research problems.
Level 2: in-depth exploration for empirical generalizations and inference of hypotheses.
Conceptual analysis of the problem.
Systematic research: tools and methods.
Outcomes: hypotheses articulates as an analytical model.
Level 3: Testing hypotheses.
Models: Comprehensive (connections of meanings) and explanatory (causal and functional mechanisms).
The rationale of tests: systematic covariation.
The experimental canon and multivariate analysis. Comparative and satistical methods.
Outcomes: verifications/falsification
Discussion of projects.
Bibliography
Ghiglione, R. e Matalon, B. (1992), O Inquérito: Teoria e Prática, Oeiras, Celta
Gilbert, N. (ed.) (2001), Researching Social Life, London, Sage.
King, G., Keohane, R. O. e Verba, S. (1994), Designing Social Inquiry, Princeton, Princeton University Press
Maroy, C. (1997), A análise qualitativa de entrevistas, in Albarello, L. et al., Práticas e Métodos de Investigação em Ciências Sociais, Lisboa, Gradiva, pp.117-155.
Ragin, C. (1987), The Comparative Method: Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies, Berkeley, University of California Press.
Strauss, A. (1987), Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Teaching method
The professors give framing synthesis lectures on all topics in the syllabus, which are deepened with the assigned readings. In parallell, students are asked to present the ongoing progress of their personal projects during the collective tutorial defined for each class a trough a moodle forum, from the first delineation of a research theme and its problematisation, the building in of outcomes of their autonomous literature review and their methodological learning, up to the final project design.
The syllabus culminates with the discussion of the students´ individual projects.
Evaluation method
Continuous and formative evaluation of the students participation in debates and the presentatin of their projects in the seminar. The summative final assessment of this component weighs 30% in the final mark. The final written project weighs 70%.