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  4. Quantitative Methods - 1st and 2nd semester

Quantitative Methods - 1st and 2nd semester

Objectives

a) To know and critically evaluate the epistemological principals of research in social sciences;
b) To know the theoretical and methodological procedures involved in social sciences research, in order to be able to develop your own research project;
c) To analyse quantitative data collected through social research concerning social reality;
d) To critically evaluate the results from social research, specially quantitative data.

General characterization

Code

711011030

Credits

6

Responsible teacher

-- Docente a contratar --, José Alberto Simões

Hours

Weekly - 4

Total - Available soon

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

None

Bibliography

BRYMAN, Alan (2004, 2ª ed.), Social Research Methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
CHAMPAGNE, Patrick, Lenoir, Remi, Merlié, Dominique e Pinto, Louis (1998), Iniciação à prática sociológica, Petrópolis, Vozes, 1ª ed. orig. 1989.
LEVIN, Jack e FOX, James Alan (2004, 9ª ed.), Estatística para ciências humanas, São Paulo, Pearson/Prentice Hall.
QUIVY, Raymond e Campenhoudt, Luc Van (1998), Manual de Investigação em Ciências Sociais, Lisboa, Gradiva, 2 ed. revista e aumentada, 1ª ed. orig. 1988.

Teaching method

Theoretical classes (40%);
Practical classes (60%): exploration of examples and exercise solving; discution and exercise solving by students; oral presentation and discussion of ongoing students work.

Evaluation method

Individual test, written in class (30%);
Research project, collectively written with a group of students (65%);
Participation in practical lessons, including group presentation of ongoing research project (5%).

Subject matter

1 The problem of method or an introduction to the research approach
1.1 Scientific criteria
1.2 Dynamic nature of scientific knowledge

2The construction of social research
2.1Introduction: some itineraries of social research
2.2 Research procedure stages: from research problems to observation
2.2.1Staring research question and exploratory gathering of information
2.2.2Theoretical framework
2.2.3Building a model of analysis
2.2.4Observation: data collection
2.2.4.1Defining the population and sampling procedures
2.2.4.2Survey questionnaire: theoretical problems and practice

3The results of social research: treatment and analysis of information
3.1 Initial procedures of data treatment
3.2Introduction to statistical data analysis
3.2.1Univariate statistical analysis: central tendency and dispersion measures
3.2.2Bivariate analysis: crossable analysis, significance tests and measures of statistical association