| CODE | SWP5114 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Emancipatory Research Strategy and Design | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Social Policy and Social Work | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will explore current debates and issues on the implementation of disability research, including emphasis on emancipatory research, action research and participant action research. Areas for discussion include an introduction to doing disability research, qualitative, quantitative and mixed method research methodologies, involving persons with disabilities, parent-activists and allies. Course participants will be exposed to a plethora of qualitative research methods and computer assisted qualitative tools relevant to the field. Quantitative oriented research studies are undoubtedly a pivotal aspect of policy and service development efforts in the disability sector. This study-unit hence revisits the principal constructs of quantitative methods, and provides a detailed examination of statistical, computer assisted research techniques. The myriad instruments that are used in quantitative research inquiry and their applicability to the planning process will thus be duly emphasized. This study-unit also focuses on specific issues related to quantitative studies, including generalisability and the limitations of official data, representation and data triangulation. The specific topics covered include: survey research, ethnography, narrative, discourse analysis, grounded theory, phenomenology, standpoint theory, standards of quality and verification, emancipation, positionality, values and ethics. This study-unit will draw from current and ‘work in progress’ research that is utilising these methods. This module will expose students to the objectives of breadth, depth, synthesis and originality, prepares course participants in the recognition, formulation and writing up of a research project and will provide the students with the know-how on how to engage with disability research. Study-unit Aims This study-unit is primarily intended to assist course participants to build the required competencies for the undertaking of postgraduate research in the area of disability studies and to build a critical appraisal of the methodological issues related to research in the disability studies sector. This unit thus aims at familiarising course participants with the main disability research traditions within the wider discourse of disability studies, including the diverse philosophical and theoretical frameworks (and how these intersect with each other), different data collection and analysis methods and pivotal methodological issues. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) demonstrate an understanding of emancipatory research values and techniques; (b) distinguish between commonly used data collection and analytical tools in empirical research, including surveys, interviews, content analysis and basic statistical methods and to be clearly aware of the strengths, weakness and appropriate applicability of such methods; (c) demonstrate understanding of different case selection and sampling approaches; (d) explain the importance of ethics in disability research; (e) demonstrate an understanding of issues surrounding the reliability and validity of qualitative and quantitative disability research; (f) explain the principles of social science and the main disability research traditions in the field and how to apply such traditions in the design and implementation of the students' research project; (g) describe the main notions around disability research studies; (h) analyse how research itself constructs disability. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) develop, refine and present a research proposal of their own based on the principles of emancipatory research; (b) evaluate and critically engage with the main notions surrounding qualitative and quantitative research techniques applicable to disability studies; (c) assess conditions under which one can properly apply tools of measurement and systematic ways to make inferences and interpret data; (d) triangulate data sets and data collection and analysis techniques; (e) bring together the main elements that constitute research methods applicable to disability research studies. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings (availability at the Library or otherwise is indicated against each entry) PUNCH, K.F. (1998) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches, (London, Sage) (available) Creswell J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. (available) Pack – will be made available to all students – focusing on the principles around disability research methods ACKROYD, S. & HUGHES, J. (1992) Data Collection In Context, Second Edition, (London, Longman). (available) AGRESTI, A. & FINLAY, B. (1999) Statistical methods for the Social Sciences, Third Edition (London, Prentice Hall) (available) BANISTER, P., BURMAN, E., PARKER, I., TAYLOR, M. & TINDALL, C. (1994) Qualitative Methods in Psychology: A Research Guide (Buckingham: Open University Press) (available) BRYMAN, A. & CRAMER, D. (1990) Quantitative Data Analysis For Social Scientists (London, Rutledge). (available) FLICK, U. (1998) An Introduction to Qualitative Research (London, Sage) (available) GAHAN, C. & HANNIBAL, M. (1998) Doing Qualitative Research Using QSR NUD-IST (London, Sage) (available) HEIMAN, G.W. (1992) Basic Statistics For The Behavioural Sciences (Boston, Houghton Mifflin). (available) MAXWELL, S.E. & DELANEY, H.D. (1990) Designing Experiments And Analyzing Data (Belmont CA, Wadsworth). (available) NEWMAN, I. & BENZ, C.R. (1998) Qualitative-Quantitative Research Methodology (Illinois, Southern Illinois University Press) (available) SIEGEL, S. & CASTELLAN, N.J. (1988) Nonparametric Statistics For The Behavioural Sciences, Second Edition (New York, McGraw-Hill). (available) STEVENS, J. (1986) Applied Multivariate Statistics For The Social Sciences (Hillsdale NJ, Erlbaum). (available) STEVENS, J. (1990) Intermediate Statistics: A Modern Approach (Hillsdale NJ, Erlbaum). (available) WINER, B.J. (1971) Statistical Principles I Experimental Design, Second Edition (New York, McGraw-Hill). (available) Dewalt & Dewalt (2002), Participant observation, AltaMira Press (unavailable) Durkheim E., (1997) Suicide Free Press; Reissue edition (unavailable) Goffman,E., (2007)Asylums Aldine Transaction; New Ed edition (unavailable) Goodley D and Van Hove G (2005) Another Disability Studies Reader - People With Learning Disabilities & a Disabling World. (available) Goodley D, Lawthom R, (2005) Disability and psychology: Critical Introductions and Reflections (available) Dan Goodley (2000) Self Advocacy in the Lives of People with Learning Difficulties: The Politics of Resilience. Open University Press (available) Fine G, Sandstrom K., (2002) Knowing Children: Participant Observation with Minors (Qualitative Research Methods) Sage (unavailable) Goodley, D.O’Toole, Moore, (2004) Researching Life Stories. Routlegde Falmer (available) Oliver, M., & Campbell, J., (1996) Disability politics; understanding our past, changing our future UK: Routledge (available) Priestly, M. (2003). Disability: a life course approach UK: Blackwell Publishing (available) Spradly JP., (1980) Participant observation, Wadsworth Publishing (available) Spadly JP, (1979) The ethonographic interviewer, Wadsworth Publishing (unavailable) Babbie, E. R. (2001). The Basics of Social Research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. (unavailable) Berg, B.l. (2007). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. (available) Cohen L., Manion K. & Morrison K. (2007). Research Methods in Education, 6th ed. New York: Routledge. (available) Creswell, John, W. (1998). Qualitative Enquiry and Research Design: Choosing among five traditions. Oakes: Sage. (unavailable) Pan, M. Ling. (2008). Preparing Literature Reviews: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. (3nd ed.). CA: Pyrczak Publishing. (unavailable) Schutt , R. K. (1999). Investigating the Social World: the process and practice of research. Thousand Oaks: Sage. (available) |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite qualifications: First Cycle Degree | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Andrew Azzopardi Ruth Baldacchino Albert Bell Anne-Marie Callus Gordon Cardona Marilyn Clark Joanne Cassar Saviour Formosa Maria Pisani |
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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 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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