Course Resources Archive
NS6401: Research, Philosophy & Epistemology
Module Title | Research, Philosophy & Epistemology |
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Module Code | NS6401 |
Module Tutor | Charlotte Parker |
School | Natural and Social Sciences |
CAT Points | 15 |
Level of Study | 6 |
Pre-requisites | Before taking this module you must pass NS5402 or pass NS5101 |
Co-requisites | None |
Restrictions | Cannot be counted with SY310 or SY319 |
Brief Description | This module explores the nature of the social sciences and the natural sciences, in relation to the philosophical, epistemological and ontological debates that dominate the processes of researching the human world. Debates include objectivity within the research process; the influence of facts and values in the social sciences; and whether the perturbations caused by postmodernism affect the way that human science research is (or should be) carried out. |
Indicative Syllabus | The structure of scientific thought and the logic of scientific inquiry, explanation, prediction, falsifiability, theory, causation, laws and relationships Origins and scope of the social sciences: conflicting perspectives on human sciences Objectivity and value judgements in the social sciences Ideology: beliefs and belief systems, sociological analysis of knowledge and knowing Understanding the social world: positivism, empiricism, idealism, relativism, post-structuralism and post-modernism. |
Learning Outcomes | A student passing this module should be able to:
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Learning and Teaching Activities | Scheduled Contact Hours: 24 Independent Learning Hours: 252 |
Assessment (For further details see the Module Guide) | 001: 100% Coursework: Individual, standard written: 3000 words or equivalent |
Special Assessment Requirements | |
Indicative Resources | The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide. |