Social Research Methods (2013 entry)

MSc, 1 year full time/2 years part time

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Subject overview

Law at Sussex was ranked in the top 10 in the UK in The Sunday Times University Guide 2012, in the top 20 in the UK in The Times Good University Guide 2013 and in the top 30 in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2014 and The Complete University Guide 2014.

Law at Sussex was rated 16th in the UK for research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 100 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and over half rated as internationally excellent or higher.

Law at Sussex offers specialist, research-led degrees in international criminal law, international trade law, international commercial law, international law, criminal law and criminal justice.

Our interdisciplinary degrees are intellectually rigorous and explore law in its political, social, economic and cultural context, engaging with important issues of contemporary concern.

We have a strong internationalist outlook, with an emphasis on research and the practical significance of study.

Our degrees are taught by enthusiastic, expert faculty, committed to research and teaching excellence.

Law at Sussex attracts graduates from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds and equips them with the knowledge and skills for successful careers in their chosen fields.

We offer a dynamic research environment for faculty and graduate students, and a thriving law community with students from around the world.

Local firms of lawyers play a significant part in the life of Sussex Law School, sponsoring some of its activities and employing a number of students on formal training contracts as well as less formal assignments. Partners in these firms judge part of the student mooting, negotiation and client-interviewing competitions.

We have regular visits to local and London courts, as well as courts in France and the International Tribunals at The Hague.

We place great emphasis on fostering a supportive environment for our postgraduate students.

Specialist facilities

The University Library is a European Documentation Centre, and Library holdings in the fields of European law and international law are particularly strong. The University is a subscriber to LEXIS, Lawtel and Westlaw, the online data retrieval systems for law, through which significant libraries of UK, European, US and other international legal materials may be accessed.

Programme outline

This MSc, run by the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre, is specifically designed to provide 1+3 training for those intending to move directly to doctoral study in relevant disciplines and interdisciplinary areas. It can also be taken as a stand-alone one-year course by those who wish to apply advanced research methodologies to an area of academic or policy interest without continuing to a doctorate. For more information, refer to Research.

We continue to develop and update our modules for 2013 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.

Our MSc follows a standard model in which you study the philosophical underpinnings of research, research design, research ethics, and both quantitative and qualitative methods. Following on from these core elements, you undertake a series of options on advanced research methods, which provide the key skills necessary for carrying out doctoral-level research. 

Throughout the year, you also undertake a research option in your chosen discipline or interdisciplinary area, which comprises independent reading, attendance at research seminars, and regular individual supervisions with a dedicated member of academic faculty. 

Autumn term: you take modules in introductory quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as Philosophy of Science and Social Scientific Research Practice or a theoretical core module within your chosen discipline. 

Spring term: you take Research Design and Ethics and either three intermediate methods modules or one intermediate methods module and a subject-specific module. Intermediate methods modules include Action Research • Comparative Method • Discourse Analysis • Ethnographic Methods • Evidence for Policy and Practice • Geographical Information Systems • Participatory Methods • Policy and Programme Evaluation Research. 

Summer term: you take a series of advanced methods options, offered in the form of short workshops, and undertake supervised work on a dissertation focused on research methods. This dissertation can be the full research outline for doctoral study. 

Assessment

Taught modules are variously assessed by term papers of 3,000-5,000 words or equivalent coursework portfolios. The research elective is assessed by a dissertation of 10,000 words. 

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Action Research

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

As well as to potential action researchers this course appeals to those for whom AR is not a possibility but who are interested in reflexive and participatory approaches. The course starts with definitions of action research and an introduction some of the theoretical perspectives to be picked up later in the course. The practicalities of planning and structuring a project using both cyclical and linear approaches are considered.

You will explore the tension between the participant and researcher and how this impacts on the micro politics of the research setting. A review of the methodological implications of different theoretical stances will focus especially on critical theory and post-modernism. Reviews of frameworks for evaluating action research will lead to discussion of the extent to which claims made by AR enthusiasts can be justified.

The course will encourage you to participate and will offer opportunities for you to give your own presentations. Readings may also be differentiated according to your background and interests. As action research is not a method as such it will adopt a reflective approach rather than provide tips for new researchers. Throughout the course, you will be asked to keep a reflective journal, which will form the basis for assessment and will feed into discussion.

During the course you will: develop understanding of practical and political issues posed by action-orientated research in a variety of settings; develop a theoretical stance towards action-oriented and participatory research and gain competence in planning and evaluating action research projects.

Comparative Method

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

During this course you will cover the rationale of comparative method, its variety, development and problems. More specifically you will consider the logic of comparative inquiry, the number of cases involved, the issues of measurement and bias, and QCA methods, before completing exercises in which you are required to design comparative research proposals and to critique published research.

By the end of the course you will have developed a critical understanding of and competence in the purpose and value of comparison; the range and variety of comparison; the logic of comparitive inquiry; case selection and truth tables and designing comparative research projects.

Discourse Analysis

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

This course provides you with an introduction to and hands-on experience of carrying out discourse analysis. Whereas most methodological approaches treat linguistic and other textual material as an unproblematic representation (of social relations, cognitions etc.), discourse analysis suggests that texts may have performative or rhetorical functions: mitigating blame, justifying power relations, creating consensus, and so on. The task of discourse analysis is to unravel the form and functions of particular discursive constructions in themselves, and to indicate how they arise from particular social contexts.

Discourse analysis is essentially a way of thinking about (and being sensitive to) textual material. However, researchers have developed a number of techniques for carrying out analysis, which you will be introduced to during the course. Discourse analysis is not a unitary approach. Varieties of discourse analysis have their roots in ethnomethodology, speech act theory, post-structuralism and critical linguistics. Versions of discourse analysis have been applied in a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, including literary theory, cultural and media studies, sociology, linguistics and education studies. Social (and, to a lesser extent, health) psychology provide the disciplinary framework for this course. However, you will find the principles and techniques presented in the course relevant to other disciplines. The course will cover three types of discourse analysis: discursive psychology, Foucauldian Discourse Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis. The readings provided will act as pointers to, and references for, other forms of discourse analysis not covered in the course.

Ethnographic Methods of Data Collection

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

This course develops your understanding of, and competence in, ethnographic research methods. You will address various questions of data collection within familiar and unfamiliar societies and social settings, exploring what kinds of information ethnographers can look for and find. You will uncover the romantic and the practical aspects of conducting ethnography.

You will acquire knowledge of ethnographic research through both reading secondary accounts and, most importantly, by designing and conducting a research project in collaboration with others. As part of a small team made up of two-five people, you will conceptualise a research problem, identify appropriate ethnographic methods to investigate it, design a research strategy, carry out the research, reflect critically on the research process and collectively develop and undertake a group presentation for the tutor and larger seminar group. The course focuses on access to ethnographic settings, comportment in the field, and the interpretation of observations. It concentrates on the process of recording ethnographic data through field notes, and encourages you to reflect on the process of turning fieldwork into a narrative account. You will also be asked to reflect on the possibilities and limitations of ethnographic methods within the wider framework of research methods.

Evidence for Policy and Practice: A Critical Stance

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

Evidence has become a major part of governments' approaches to policy making, practice intervention and part of the machinery of evaluation, 'what works' and best value. There are undoubtedly many competing ideas about evidence led policy and practice, and many models from which we can learn a great deal. The competing ideas are complex and involve not only highly technical problems of logic and scientific fact but also larger philosophical considerations about the nature of meaning and knowledge, as well as questions about the relation between research, policy and practice.

This course will take a critical stance in analysing the relationship between research, knowledge production and policy, practice dissemination and professional decision making. You will explore research from the perspective of researchers, policy makers, practitioners and professional decision makers, and explore methods of evidence informed practice. You will draw on the extensive emerging literature of a theoretical nature, research synthesis and systematic reviews to provide a critical understanding, and practical models based on real examples.

Gender Politics and Social Research

30 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This module approaches feminist theory and methodology at advanced levels, critically exploring feminist research on a number of different issues and engaging with the politics of the research process itself. As a core module on the MA in Gender Studies, it is intended to prepare you to conduct independent research and to produce your dissertation.

The first half of the module introduces different methodologies and methods, encouraging you to reflect critically on their strengths and weaknesses, and how feminists have used them in the service of political projects. In the second half of the module, you will design research projects on two case-study issues and attempt to operationalise key feminist theories.

International Relations Theory

30 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This module introduces you to the major theories of international relations. We will investigate the historical context in which these theories emerged, which aspects of international affairs they focus on and how they explain international politics. We will tease out the strengths and weaknesses of these theories and identify their respective conceptions of international relations in theory and practice. The module provides a 'map' of international thought which enables you to identify your own and others positions and to reflect on your theoretical and political implications.

Introduction to Qualitative Methods

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This course introduces you to the nature and characteristics of qualitative social research and its applications in a range of contexts. It will also equip you with some key personal and practical skills relevant to successful qualitative research.

The course comprises of four sections. Section one will introduce the variety of methodological positions and research practices associated with qualitative research strategies. Section two focuses on the nature of ethnographic fieldwork and provides critical contexts for its exploration. Section three uses the key data collection method of interviewing to take you through the research process and especially issues in the analysis of qualitative data. Section four deals with the key dimensions of ethics and politics in qualitative settings and critically assesses the feminist contribution to qualitative methodology. The course will also include a workshop on NVivo.

Introduction to Quantitative Methods

15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

Participatory Research in Cross-Cultural Contexts

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

There is a common perception that there are many opportunities for those based in an academic environment to get involved in research relating to different aspects of organisational and community development, but in practice many communities are dissatisfied with 'research as usual', often because of raised and unmet expectations, and complexities emanating from widely different cultural contexts. The course responds to this situation, and motivates researchers to come up with something different: research that is purposeful and empowering of the communities they work with within a specific context. The realisation of the limitations of traditional research in community development has resulted in increasing interest in participatory research (PR). But many researchers enter the practice of PR with little or no training, even if they are guided by a personal belief and set of values in participation for development and social change. This course will explore the basic principles that underpin PR, and examines the pitfalls that researchers may come across when using PR approaches, particularly in terms of their relationships and accountabilities to the communities they work with in a wide range of cultural contexts.

The course will explore the different responsibilities and expectations that arise amongst different stakeholders in the research process and outcomes, and also the range of strategies, approaches and methods which may be appropriate in different contexts. It will include some hands-on practice of specific participatory research methods, and highlight some possibilities for synergies between PR approaches and other forms of research.

Philosophy of Science and Social Science Research Practice

30 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

The aim of this course is to introduce you to some of the standard methodological and philosophical problems posed by social inquiry. These mostly branch out from one central question: are the methods of the social sciences essentially the same or essentially different from those of the natural sciences? An additional aim of the course is to show how theoretical and philosophical traditions in social science influence the methodological approaches and theoretical models that guide social research practice.

Each week we take one or, in some cases, two examples of major philosophical or theoretical approaches. These will be outlined with an emphasis on the theoretical model of society that they advocate. Secondly, it will be demonstrated what methodological implications for social research follow from these philosophical and theoretical ideas. In this way it will be shown that broad theoretical frameworks and concepts, often based in philosophical traditions, lead to particular methodological approaches around theoretical models. Overall the objective of the course is to show how theory can be instrumentalized in shaping research methodology.

The topics that will be addressed include: developments in the philosophy of science from positivism to post-positivism and their relevance to social inquiry, explanation versus interpretation and the interpretive critique of social science; problems of validity and values; realism and constructivism; the advantages and disadvantages of taking a critical stance; and feminist and postcolonial critiques of social science. Although the problems will be illustrated in specific texts, you are also encouraged to pursue parallel arguments in different sources.

Policy and Programme Evaluation Research

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

Research Design and Ethics

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

This research design course is taught by a multi-disciplinary team representing education, law and social work. Examples and perspectives relevant to these disciplines are drawn on. The course also provides a general introduction to methods and methodologies in the design of social research projects. The aim is to provide you with a grounding in the major research traditions and the requirements of research design within a range of paradigms associated with both quantitative and qualitative methods.

In particular the course will focus on distinguishing methodologies and methods; finding a research focus and generating research questions; using quantitative methods in research design; using qualitative methods in research design; combining qualitative and quantitative data in research design; ethical issues in social research with special reference to professional settings and post modernity and social research.

Research, Professions and Power

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

Researching Childhood and Youth

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

Self, Voice and Creativity in Research Writing

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

This course will provide an opportunity for you to reflect on your writing process and on yourselves as writers, through reading and seminar discussion, as well as through the practice of writing techniques and creative writing exercises specially designed for this purpose. We will focus on academic writing as a genre, or 'authoritative discourse' in Mikhail Bakhtin's terms, and explore ways in which writers can develop their own voice and self-presence within it. We will consider the effect of the imagined reader in the writing process, such as the examiner or the institution, on the development of voice and writing identity in this context and how it impacts on the way we tell the story of our research. You will be expected to keep a learning journal during the course and to write a reflective paper on their learning at the end of the course. If feasible, at least one of the sessions will be held in the University's Creativity Zone.

Socio-legal Research Methods

15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1

Theories and Typologies of Migration

30 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This introductory core course examines a wide range of theoretical and conceptual frameworks for studying migration, both international and internal within countries. These frameworks encompass explanations of migration based on distance and interaction; individual and group behavioural models; 'push-pull' theory; micro-and macro-economic theories; the meso-level approach of families, organisations and social capital; Marxist interpretations; networks and systems; integration and assimilation; and theories which stress the gendered nature of migration. In addition we will examine the complex relationships between migration and (under)development as well as notions of diaspora, transnationalism, culture and identity. The course will seek to adopt an interdisciplinary perspective, though it will draw from relevant disciplinary theory in explaining the causes and consequences of migration. The relevance of theoretical and conceptual debates over migration to broader concerns of social science will also be explored.

Theories of Development and Underdevelopment

30 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

On this course you will examine the theories associated with modernisation, dependency, participatory approaches, post-modernism and all-encompassing trope 'globalisation'. You will explore how our thinking about development has changed over time and why it has changed. While theoretical in orientation, you will consider through seminar discussions that the division between 'theory' and 'practice' is to some extent misleading.

Understanding Processes of Social Change

30 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1

This module introduces you to classical sociological theories informing mainstream anthropological analyses of social change. You will focus on theorisations of wider processes of modernisation and change from structural, political and economic perspectives. You will consider debates concerning the effects and consequences of modernisation processes on social, political and economic realms, such as the formation of nation states, state bureaucracy and civil society; the development of markets and commoditisation of economic, social and cultural relationships. You will also reflect on recent critical approaches to the study of modernity and change as represented by theoretical trends associated to feminist theory, postmodernism, postcolonial studies and contemporary social theory. Particular attention will be paid to issues of globalisation and transnationalism; colonial and postcolonial relationships; and discursive constitution of practices and representations of modernity.

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Entry requirements

UK entrance requirements

A first- or upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in a relevant social sciences subject, but applicants with other backgrounds may be considered.

The MSc in Social Research Methods is the recognized research training route for all doctoral students in the School of Education and Social Work; the School of Global Studies; the School of Law, Politics and Sociology; as well as the Institute for Development Studies (IDS).

All applicants must supply a research proposal of at least three pages. The research proposal should indicate the areas of research you are interested in, summarise what you intend to do, give an indication of the research methodology you propose to use and a brief literature review. Please state at the top of your research proposal document the School and Department you wish to be affiliated to. Please note that this requirement applies to all applicants irrespective of whether they intend to progress to the PhD afterwards.

Overseas entrance requirements

Please refer to column A on the Overseas qualifications.

If you have any questions about your qualifications after consulting our overseas qualifications table, contact the University.
E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

Visas and immigration

Find out more about Visas and immigration.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with not less than 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in the other sections. Internet TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 20 in Reading, 22 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.

For more information, refer to English language requirements.

For more information about the admissions process at Sussex

For pre-application enquiries:

Student Recruitment Services
T +44 (0)1273 876787
E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

For post-application enquiries:

Postgraduate Admissions,
University of Sussex,
Sussex House, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 877773
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E pg.applicants@sussex.ac.uk 

Related programmes

Also refer to our two-year Graduate Entry LLB in the Undergraduate Prospectus 2013.

Fees and funding

Fees

Home UK/EU students: £5,5001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £5,5002
Overseas students: £13,0003

1 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.

Funding

The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.

To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.

Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for Postgraduate Study (2013)

Region: UK
Level: PG (taught), PG (research)
Application deadline: 1 October 2013

The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust are offering bursaries to Postgraduate students following any postgraduate degree courses in any subject.

Sussex Graduate Scholarship (2013)

Region: UK, Europe (Non UK), International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 16 August 2013

Open to final year Sussex students who graduate with a 1st or 2:1 degree and who are offered a F/T place on an eligible Masters course in 2013.

Faculty interests

Law at Sussex has active research groups in its primary research fields, exploring legal conceptualisations of responsibility, and issues of citizenship and governance. These groups meet regularly for the presentation of work in progress, as reading groups, to host external speakers and to plan the organisation of research seminars, workshops and conferences. The Centre for Responsibilities, Rights and the Law, located within the Sussex Law School, brings together researchers from across the University to facilitate and develop doctrinal, theoretical and empirical research into responsibilities, rights and the law nationally, in the EU and internationally. Research interests are briefly described below. Also visit Department of Law: Research. 

Professor Craig Barker International law and international relations, international immunities, international criminal law. 

Dr Yuri Borgmann-Prebil European law, especially constitutional law and citizenship. 

Jo Bridgeman Child and family law, healthcare law, feminist perspectives on law. 

Dr Elizabeth Craig International human rights and comparative law, European minority rights law. 

Dr Mark Davies Professional negligence, regulation and conduct; education and law. 

Professor Marie-Bénédicte Dembour Human rights (theory and European Convention). 

Paul Eden International law, commercial law. 

Professor Jane Fortin Child and family law. 

Dr Helena Howe Property law and intellectual property law. 

Heather Keating Criminal law; family law, especially child law. 

Dr Tarik Kochi International security; war, terror and violence; legal and political theory. 

Laurence Koffman Sentencing and the penal system, criminal law and criminal justice. 

Craig Lind Gender and sexuality, child law, and family regulation across cultural divides. 

Professor Sue Millns European public law, comparative law, human rights, law and gender. 

Dr Paul Omar European and international insolvency law, French company and insolvency law. 

Professor Malcolm Ross State aids, public undertakings and public services. 

Professor Stephen Shute Criminal law and criminal procedure. 

Dr Charlotte Skeet Gender and human rights. 

Teresa Sutton Legal history, ecclesiastical law, land law. 

Dr Kenny Veitch Critical and theoretical approaches to medical law, and health. 

Dr Richard Vogler Comparative criminal justice systems, criminal procedure, criminology. 

Dr Mark Walters Criminal law and criminal justice. 

Careers and profiles

Our Social Research Methods graduates usually go on to study for a research degree in the social sciences. However, some have gone straight on to work in research-related posts in government, non-governmental organisations or business.

Donna's student perspective

Donna Dove-Wallington

‘The transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study can be quite daunting, but the MSc in Social Research Methods has provided me with a comprehensive skill set that makes me feel much more confident about progressing to PhD study. Through a mixture of lectures, seminars, reading and applied practice, I’ve learned not only how different methods (both qualitative and quantitative) can be used, but to question my every assumption, to link theory to method and to really think about the types of knowledge that can be generated. Studying alongside people from a wide range of cultures and disciplines, in particular, has really expanded my understandings and opened up whole new avenues of thought about research, enabling me to be much more proactive and imaginative in how I approach social issues.

‘For me, though, the real highlight of this degree has been the opportunity to develop my PhD research proposal in conjunction with two eminent academics in the field. I’m planning to investigate what it means to be diagnosed with Asperger syndrome (a form of autism) as an adult, so having regular one-to-one sessions with experts in the sociology of health has not only been a huge privilege, but enabled me to acquire specialist knowledge about this specific field of research. While it can be a bit nerve-wracking the first time a professor asks you to defend your position, having such focused expert input has not only developed my knowledge, but taught me a lot about life as an academic and how to progress in the field of social research.

‘If you want a taste of doctoral life while continuing to develop your skills and research ideas, this MSc really is a must.’

Donna Dove-Wallington
MSc in Social Research Methods

For more information, visit Careers and alumni.

School and contacts

School of Law, Politics and Sociology

Engaging with key issues of contemporary concern, the School of Law, Politics and Sociology brings together academic units that are committed to excellence in teaching, and recognised nationally for research.

School of Law, Politics and Sociology,
PG Admissions,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SP, UK
T +44 (0)1273 678655
F +44 (0)1273 873162
E lps@sussex.ac.uk
Sussex Law School

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Visit Discover Postgraduate study to book your place.

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