PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module provides a grounding in the fundamentals of conducting rigorous and publishable social science research. The module starts with a discussion of the role of social science in research, the assumptions that underpin social science research, the resulting methodological traditions, the formulation of a value-added research problem, the role of theory in explaining scientific phenomenon, informed choices in research design, and ethical issues in the research process.    

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

ARYEE Samuel (SBS)

Number of Credits: 0

ECTS Credits: 0

Framework: FHEQ Level 8

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Nature and philosophy of scientific research


• Formulating a research problem


• Theoretic explanation


• Theory testing-converting research ideas into research design


• Designing variance studies


• Designing process studies


• Generalization and replication


• Ethics in research and publication

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their learning and achievement of the module’s learning outcomes. Engaging with the assignment will enable students to deepen their understanding of philosophical issues that underpin research as well as contemporary issues and debates in the knowledge discovery process.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
 

Assignment: Students must submit an essay of 4,000 words excluding references. The essay must evidence a sound understanding of the issues covered in the module, ability to integrate/synthesize the relevant literatures, and analytical rigour.

Module aims

• To examine the interplay between philosophy and science in the knowledge discovery process
• To provide insights into how to generate and frame research questions
• To examine assumptions underlying methodological traditions in social science research
• To examine the notion of theoretical contribution and its framing

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching/learning strategy has been designed ensure students achieve the learning outcomes. Accordingly, the module adopts a seminar format to facilitate effective discussion and evaluation of competing/alternative views. Students are therefore expected to come to class having done the assigned readings and ready to participate in the discussions.  

The learning and teaching methods include:
Lectures
Class discussions
Verbal student presentations
Critiques of journal articles

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAND026

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.