FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH

  write an essay in which you: • Identify a research question within a clearly defined field of research (up to 400 words); • Explain and justify the epistemological approach to be taken in the research (up to 300 words); • Explain and justify the design of your research and the impact of your epistemological approach in your choices (1000-1500 words); • Explain how your research will address issues of reliability, validity and ethics (up to 300 words). Learning Outcomes assessed: • Identify the similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses of different research epistemologies; • Understand the relationships between specific ontological world views and their corresponding epistemologies, appropriate methodologies and methods; • Justify choices made in the selection of research methodologies and methods; • Critically assess research conducted in their home discipline/field of study on the basis of the epistemological assumptions made; • Demonstrate a knowledge of the characteristics of different research designs across the social sciences; • Formulate research problems and practicable research questions; • Relate research designs of different kinds to appropriate research questions; • Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of validity and reliability in the context of different types of research design;