Postgraduate Course: Criminological Research Methods (LAWS11074)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course aims to inform students about the data and methods used in criminological research, and provide an introductory knowledge of how to use these in specific research projects. A further aim is to enable students to evaluate the methodological strategies adopted by other researchers and develop a critical appreciation of the problems and possibilities presented by different research methods, techniques and data.
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| Course description |
The course begins with a series of interactive seminars through which students begin to critically explore these issues. Students must then identify a topic around which they can design a tightly-focussed research project. Projects can either be qualitative or quantitative. The course is supported by local criminal justice practitioners who will be brought in to discuss students' project ideas and their viability. All students will be allocated a supervisor to support them in undertaking their project.
All projects will undergo a full ethics review in the School of Law and with participating agencies, where required. Good practice in research ethics is given emphasis throughout the course.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% PowerPoint presentation. |
| Feedback |
Feedback milestones are built into the whole course to support students as they design and implement their research projects. Key feedback points include:
* Feed-forward on previous research projects undertaken by students is made available from week 1 of the course to assist students in developing an appropriate topic for their own research project.
* Students are required to pitch their early project ideas to a panel of practitioners and core criminology staff around halfway through the course. They receive oral feedback on their ideas and specific advice on developing/improving them.
* Individual supervisors are allocated to meet one-to-one with students as they develop their research proposals. Supervisors are also available to advise students on emergent issues when they are conducting their fieldwork.
* Research proposal feedback presentations take place at the end of the seminar-based part of their course. Students will have been working with their supervisor on their proposal and will present their proposal to the class and a member of core teaching staff to get feedback on their proposal and on their presentation skills.
* Research ethics clearance. Students must have received clearance before embarking on fieldwork. They receive feedback on their research ethics form from supervisors and from the School of Law¿s Research Ethics Officer.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- You will develop critical knowledge and understanding of key methodological approaches used in criminology and the social sciences as well as an appreciation of their particular strengths and weaknesses.
- You will apply key ideas from existing researhc methods literature to the design and implementation of your own research project and will develop a critical awareness of ethics, power and the sensitivities of criminological research.
- You will exercise critical judgement in identifying the appropriate methodology to use to answer your chosen resaerch questions and in carrying out your project in a rigourous, ethical and reflexive manner.
- You will develop oral and written communication skills and will be able to discuss abstract methodological issues as well as particular issues raised through your own pratical experience. The Powerpoint presentation examination takes a similar format to an academic conference presentation. Through classwork, practitioner meetings, academic supervision and the exam, you will learn how to communicate about research design, methods, ethics and findings to peer, practitioner and academic audiences.
- You will take lead responsibility for the design, ethical review and implementation of an independent piece of research with support and supervision from peers and the criminology teaching team.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
* Critical knowledge and understanding of different approaches to empirical research in criminology and the social sciences.
* Application of the research methods literature to the design and implementation of a small independent research project.
* Judgement of ethical issues, the appropriateness of research design to questions posed, and in the context of fieldwork settings.
* Communication skills through class participation, active engagement in one-to-one supervision with an academic, peer and practitioner review of project ideas, in disseminating findings back to practitioners, and through the design of a clear Power Point presentation of the project.
* Autonomy through taking ownership of the research project and carrying it out under supervision.
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| Keywords | Criminology,Criminological Research Methods,Social science,research design,Ethics |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Lesley Mcara
Tel: (0131 6)50 2036
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Karin Bolton
Tel: (0131 6)50 2022
Email: |
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