| CODE | CRI5002 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Research Methods | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Criminology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This unit addresses advanced concepts of social science research and how these can be applied within a social and criminal justice context. The unit, based on the investigation of qualitative and quantitative research methodology, will assist students to develop an understanding of the requisites of empirical studies, the diverse methodologies that may be utilised to conduct social science research, and the different phases of the research process. This unit will also focus on special issues such as: ethical considerations, sources of error and the importance of research studies to inform policy. Qualitative and quantitative research tools will be discussed at length. Students will also be introduced to spatial and non-spatial data analysis. Study-unit Aims: The aims of this unit are to actively engage students in current methodological debates and reflect on the use of particular research methods. The Topics which will be delivered cover: - Methods and methodology - Designing a literature review - Ethical and moral dilemmas - Principles of research - Consent and ethics - Research design - Narrative/biographical research - Case studies - Action research/Participant Action research - Grounded theory research - Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies - Data Cycle: collection to analysis - Tools: Surveys, interviews, questionnaires, sampling - Tools: Digital Aids - Statistics - Writing a dissertation. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critically examine the various social science research designs; - Identify research areas in social science; - Conduct research using quantitative and qualitative research tools; - Provide an overall assessment of the rigor of research papers; - Carry out research under minimal supervision; - Comprehend statistical methodology; - Explain the utility of spatial analysis in the study of phenomena; - Evaluate various social science research designs; - Identify sampling or case selection strategies; - Evaluate major types of quantitative research methods; - Evaluate major types of qualitative research methods; - Evaluate measurement choices and the implications of these choices; - Interpret and explain elementary measures of association; - Assess the rigor of research papers; - Identify the Research process and the inherent field process. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Use tools that aid analysis; - Construct empirical research questions; - Conceptualise the research process using visual tools; - Carry out statistical analysis using SPSS and other tools. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Bennett, R., Alberti, G., Cibik, A., Eremenko, T., Formosa, S., Formosa Pace, J., Jiminez-Buedo, M., Lynch, K., Salazar, L., and Ubeda, P., (2022). Bringing about the data revolution in development: what data skills do aspiring development professionals need? Journal of International Development. J.Int.Dev.2022;1–17. Wiley, doi:10.1002/jid.3642. - Formosa, S., Formosa Pace, J. & Sciberras, E., (Eds). (2022). Virtualis: Social, Spatial and Technological Spaces in Real and Virtual Domains - SpatialTrain III, Planning Authority. - Formosa S., Scicluna S., Azzopardi J., Formosa Pace J., Calafato T., (2011), The Research Road We Make: Statistics for the Uninitiated, NSO, Valletta. - Tartaro, C., (2021), Research methods in criminal justice and criminology, Routledge. - Egami, N., & Hartman, E., (2022). Elements of External Validity: Framework, Design, and Analysis. American Political Science Review. 1-19. 10.1017/S0003055422000880. - Mesarcik, M., Ranguelova, E., Boonstra, A.J., & Van Nieuwpoort, R., (2022). Improving novelty detection using the reconstructions of nearest neighbours. Array, 14, 100182.10.1016/j.array.2022.100182. - McLaughlin E. & Muncie J., (eds), (2001), The Sage Dictionary of Criminology. Sage Publications, London. - Nordby, J. J. (2012). Scientific Foundations of Crime Scene Reconstruction: Introducing Method to Mayhem. [PhD Thesis]. 10.1201/b13034. - Pádua, L., Sousa, J., Vanko, J., Hruška, J., Adão, T., PeI, E., ... & Sousa, J. J. (2020). Digital reconstitution of road traffic accidents: a flexible methodology relying on UAV surveying and complementary strategies to support multiple scenarios. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(6), 1868. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Gianmarco Alberti Luke Buhagiar Miriam Farrugia Janice Formosa Pace Saviour Formosa (Co-ord.) Thi Ngoc Tram Nguyen Sandra Scicluna Mary Grace Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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