This is the home page for the Social Research Methods course. Use this page to navigate to the course units.

On the right, you can find the course units listed.

You can also download the course assessment form. Please read about the Course Assessment and Certificate of Completion before you begin your studies.

How to study this course

You may study this course entirely at your own speed. However, the materials cover some complex issues and we would suggest that you pace yourself. You will need up to three hours study time for each unit. Try to set aside a block of time to work through a unit, and see if you can designate a specific period each day or week to study.

Work through the self-assessment exercises (SAQs) as you study, to make sure you understand the concepts we cover.

Use the assessment form (downloadable on the right) to complete the reflective exercises at the end of each unit. These enable you to think about how you might apply the course content to your own research. They also form the assessment if you choose to submit it at the end of the course.

We hope you find the course both interesting and useful. Above all, please enjoy your studies!

Professor Nick J Fox
Director, the WISDOM Centre

Course content

There are 12 keynotes covering the key elements of social research methodology.

  1. Social inquiry and the scientific method
  2. The research question
  3. Research designs
  4. Validity and reliability
  5. Sampling
  6. Quantitative data collection
  7. Quantitative data analysis
  8. Qualitative data collection
  9. Qualitative data analysis
  10. Research ethics and governance
  11. Writing research proposals/Getting published
  12. Critical appraisal of research