Module 30-M-Soz-M3b Sociological Methods b

Non-official translation of the module descriptions. Only the German version is legally binding.

As part of the general competence concept for the MA in Sociology (see https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/fakultaeten/soziologie/studium/master/pdf/Kompetenzkonzept_Masterstudiengaenge.pdf), students acquire in-depth knowledge of scientific theoretical positions and procedural logics, the handling of survey and evaluation techniques and the presentation of research results in this module. In particular, they acquire the ability to formulate research questions and hypotheses in a substantive research context, to assess suitable survey methods and evaluation procedures for their possible advantages and disadvantages and also to test advanced evaluation procedures using empirical data material as examples.

At the centre of the methods course is the development and application of relevant methods of empirical social research, considering both research-oriented and non-university practice in the use of methods.

In the context of methodology, a general distinction is made between qualitative and quantitative methodological approvals.

In qualitative approaches, the focus is on observation procedures, interview procedures as well as text- and image-orientated procedures, but also on dealing with the most important traditions of qualitative data analysis, such as ethnomethodology, discourse analysis, objective hermeneutics and grounded theory.
In addition to the most important qualitative research methods, the methodological prerequisites and implications of qualitative methods and their function for sociological theorising will also be discussed.

Quantitative approval includes the implementation of theory-oriented research hypotheses in a corresponding survey design, the development and testing of adequate survey instruments, the selection techniques for determining the units of investigation and the application of descriptive and multivariate evaluation methods. As part of the quantitative approval process, differences between the methods used in academic social science research and those used in non-university market and opinion research are also addressed. Finally, current specialist discussions in international methodological journals are also considered.

Students are able to specialise in qualitative or quantitative methods by choosing the appropriate courses.

Students who are studying the methods of empirical social research in depth are given the opportunity to develop more specialised research skills in the seminars of the module. They work on the development of empirically orientated research questions and study ways of answering them with the support of qualitative or quantitative methods. For this purpose, the data material is either collected by the students themselves or is based on existing (e.g. public) data material.
The content of the module also includes advanced evaluation techniques within the framework of various statistical software packages (e.g. Stata, SPSS) or individual special programmes for quantitative or qualitative analyses (e.g. MPlus, LISREL, Atlas.ti, QDA, Transana, ELAN).

The module programme is always completed with a written assignment. This always takes the form of a seminar paper.

Completed or at least commenced study of module 30-M-Soz-M3a

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