Dr Tania Burchardt, LRB.R508

For MSc Social Research Methods, MSc Social Policy and Planning, MSc Social Policy (Research) and MPA Public and Social Policy/MPA Public and Economic Policy/MPA Public Policy and Management/MPA International Development/MPA European Public and Economic Policy. Also available to other MSc students where regulations permit.

The course equips students to critically assess a wide range of research designs used in the study of social policy questions. This includes: an overview of the varied traditions and approaches to social policy research; Historical methods and archive research; Participatory research; Researching organisations; Depth interviews (especially with service users and clients); Analysis of policy and evaluation of policy reform; Social experiments and pilots; Geographical methods; Social surveys and the analysis of large datasets; Longitudinal and life history analysis; Micro-simulation techniques; and Comparative research. The final part of the course considers research strategies and choices and the relationship between research and policymaking.

22 lectures, 19 seminars and 2 tutorials. The lectures will be given by a member of staff or external expert in that particular method or topic and are followed by a seminar examining research exemplifying the approach and the issues raised. Students will make at least one seminar presentation per term. The tutorials are short one-to-one sessions with the seminar leader to discuss feedback on essays.

In addition to written versions of two seminar presentations, students will write at least two essays of no more than 3,000 words for the course.

P Alcock et al (Eds) (2008), The Student's Companion to Social Policy, 3rd edn; C Hakim (2000), Research Design: Strategies and choices in the design of social policy, 2nd edn; C Robson (2002), Real World Research, 2nd edn; A Bryman (2008), Social Research Methods, 3rd edn.

Additional references will be supplied at the start of the course and in lectures.

A three-hour written examination in the ST.