Research Methods and Design Part 1

MET5009

The subject will focus on developing practical skills in research methods, as well as reflexivity and and ability to critically evaluate the approaches. The subject will be part of the preparation for the Master's thesis.

The content of the course is focus on research design and how the research question influences the design of the study. The tuition addresses the theoretical fundament of the different research methods, the most central qualitative approaches with focus on gathering and analysis interview data, as well as how to collect, process and analyse quantitative data. Students will develop one qualitative and one quantitative project. These will be submitted as two separate tasks in a folder.

Students must either be enrolled in Master in Social Analysis (full time), Master in Social Welfare or Master in Human Resource Management (HRM), or apply for the course as a single course student/exchange student.

Single course students must meet the following entry requirements:

Applicants must have a Bachelor degree of 3 years' duration (180 ECTS).
Applicants must have passed exams of at least 80 ECTS credits in social sciences. The grade requirement is C on a weighted average.
Applicants must have necessary knowledge of minimum 10 ECTS in Social Science methodology (we also accept Historical methodology).

Completed a module in qualitative and quantitative research methods in social sciences or history (minimum 10 ECTS).

Upon completion of the module, students shall have achieved the following skills/results:

Knowledge and understanding

Students will:

Possess knowledge of the use of qualitative and quantitative methods in a research process
Be familiar with different research designs and method triangulation
Be familiar with the main principles of statistical inference and likelihood estimation

Skills:

Students will be able to:

Develop a design for a simple process of data collection for qualitative and quantitative methods
Carry out a research process, from design to analysis
Interpret qualitative and quantitative data which they have collected themselves

General competence

Students will be able to:

Carry out data collection and analysis using qualitative and quantitative methods
Critically evaluate the different steps in a research process
Carry out less extensive investigations and evaluations

In addition to the semester fee and costs for purchasing course literature, the students are expected to have a laptop.

Theoretical subject. Mandatory subject for students enrolled in Master in Social Analysis (part time) and Master in Human Resource Management (HRM).

Combination of campus-based tuition, as well as supervision, seminars and group work which can be done on campus and/or digitally. Students will also carry out self-studies in using the statistical tool of SPSS, supported by instruction videos and written material. No compulsary tuitions.

The study program is evaluated annually by the students through course evaluations and study program evaluation. These evaluations are included as part of the university's quality assurance system.

A portfolio consisting of two individual assignments that are graded overall A-F.

Overlap refers to a similarity between courses with the same content. Therefore, you will receive the following reduction in credits if you have taken the courses listed below:

ME310S - Qualitative and Quantitative Methods I - 10 credits

MET5008 - Research Methods and Design Part 1 - 10 credits

Course language

Norwegian

Credits

Study location

Bodø

Teaching semesters

Autumn 2024

Responsible faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences

Course coordinator